A Theme Of Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

Everyone has experienced death. Strange emotions are evoked by the death of someone close or distant. As humans, we have a variety of opinions about death. Gilgamesh is a narrative that explains the concept to readers by following the main character on his journey.

Gilgamesh was a work of literature that is believed to be the oldest in existence. It was written by an anonymous author and translated by Herbert Mason. Herbert Mason translated the epic to make it more accessible for English-speaking communities. Gilgamesh was a ruler of Uruk. Enkidu was a friend of his who lived in harmony and represented nature. Enkidu was once an animal but became human later. He accompanied Gilgamesh into the forest Humbaba, where he died.

Gilgamesh’s views on death are often in flux. Gilgamesh changes his perspective about death as the narrative progresses. Gilgamesh gains a new perspective on death when Enkidu’s life is taken by Gilgamesh due to his poor judgment. Gilgamesh finally accepts death when the serpent eats his flower. The epic poem explains that being human is about understanding the fatal flaws we humans are incapable of overcoming.

The author shows in the poem’s beginning that Gilgamesh lacks a basic understanding of human nature, and death is one of its primary characteristics. Gilgamesh’s arrogance and lack of knowledge of death is the reason he embarks on a pointless and useless quest. Enkidu, who is logical and rational in his approach to the situation, makes him respond to Enkidu with a cocky attitude when he travels to the cedar woods on an irrational journey. Mason builds off the suggestion that Gilgamesh is fearless by writing, “Would You Want to Stay Behind Because of That ?……Forget Your Fear of Death?” Gilgamesh replied, “I’ll protect you…..Only Gods are Immortal anyways… Gilgamesh argues that because he never lost a close friend or family member, death is not something to fear. Gilgamesh even patronizes Enkidu with his claim that he could protect him. This makes the reader think about Gilgamesh’s excessive ego, which is what blinds him to the logic of fearing death. He thinks that, aside from the gods and the mortals, everyone is destined to die. Why then, should he be afraid of death?

Gilgamesh also seems to be struggling with death, as he claims that he’ll receive praise from people for his bravery in fighting the vicious beast. Gilgamesh’s inability to comprehend his fate is revealed by his nonchalant approach when discussing his death. Gilgamesh’s blinding stature as a king and his sheltered life will make him ignorant when it comes human death. His excessive arrogance, pride and conceit will make him change his view of death. Gilgamesh’s growing understanding of death extends into his friendships with Enkidu. Enkidu’s senseless, irrational choices lead to Enkidu’s death. His relationship with Enkidu allows him to develop a deeper understanding of death. Gilgamesh’s view changes rapidly.

Gilgamesh grieves the loss of Enkidu, his companion. The arbitrary death of humans angers Gilgamesh. He is angry with himself as well for embarking on such a foolish quest that killed his friend. Gilgamesh begins to change dramatically as his anger turns into grief. Mason alluded to this in his poem by writing, “All one can do when they grieve / is to convalesce”. No spiritual or change of heart, because the heart and soul have been transformed. Gilgamesh gains a great deal from the above quote. The quote shows that it is possible to change both his personality and his point of view by learning how long it takes to deal with death. His realization of the impact that a seemingly incoherent decision can have on human mortality changes his thinking. He now realizes life is more precious and meaningful than ever before. Gilgamesh becomes aware of the negative effects of his decisions. He begins to rethink his view of death. Gilgamesh’s actions can be viewed in a new light when he considers the impact they have on others. He can become more thoughtful and rational when he considers his actions in relation to death.

Gilgamesh realizes the inevitable truth of death and finally accepts it. It is a bittersweet but happy end. Illegibility is out of reach, and Gilgamesh learns this. Gilgamesh’s opinion about the inevitable demise of humanity is transformed when he completes his quest to bring Enkidu to life. Once he has reached Utnapishtim after a long journey, Gilgamesh is able to change his opinion about the fateful demise of humans. Utnapishtim has the name “he who saw Life” because he has survived Ea’s flood. Gilgamesh’s only thought during his journey to Shurupak was to bring Enkidu life again. He has not fully understood the significance of death. Therefore, he thinks he could revive a human. Gilgamesh rushes out to find this flower, which will bring him back to Enkidu. Mason echoes the same sentiment when he writes: “When Gilgamesh saw the rose-colored plant that was so ambrosial, he ran to find it. His naked body shone and was refreshed.

Mason shows in his quote that Gilgamesh grabbed the plant, he was greedy and wanted something very powerful. He also wanted immortality. He has acted in a way that shows his character, which was first revealed at the start of the epic. Mason’s description about Mason’s naked body and the sorrow he feels after a flower has been removed shows that Mason was vulnerable during that time. This is why he had to learn how to accept and deal with death through grief instead of anger. Gilgamesh learns about death from personal experience. Most importantly, however, he learns to accept death and stop trying to resist it.

Gilgamesh’s view on death changes throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh. As the story progresses, Gilgamesh gains more knowledge and experiences, which help him to develop a deeper understanding of human mortality. Gilgamesh’s mistakes teach us that death is a necessary part of human life. If we could overcome it, nature would lose its balance. Gilgamesh is slow to grasp the complexity of this idea. However, the reader will be left with the impression by the end that life should not simply be taken as granted.