The Theme Of Death In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is frequently regarded as one of the earliest surviving works of literature. It is an epic poem dating all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia, but as time passed, it seemed to have been forgotten for thousands of years. Different versions were eventually recovered and partially reconstructed into the epic we all read and enjoy today. Although The Epic of Gilgamesh might have barely survived its past, it has indeed made its way to our contemporary society with themes that still hold true to this day. Whether it is about love, danger, seduction, friendship, perseverance, wisdom, or any of the possibly hundreds of other significant themes, this epic clearly remains so popular due to its relatable nature and the engaging aspects in the stories found within the epic. One very prominent and outstanding subject matter found throughout the epic is the notion of death—the fate of death and its inevitability. It is a concern that haunted our ancestors, and it will continue being humanity’s greatest concern until the end of time. The Epic of Gilgamesh presents death to the reader in essentially twofold manners: from the exciting slaughter of Humbaba, to the plea for help from Utnapishtim. The whole story is fundamentally a tale about Gilgamesh’s mission to conquer death, yet that never panned out. He changes—from someone with unflinching prospects regarding death, to someone with unanticipated realization of his own death. Death and fame, death and immortality—these are some of the matters concerning death that are explored in the story. The main argument then is the fact that while death is certain, not a single person that …show more content…
If death occurred, so be it; as long as one died trying his hardest, it did not matter. Tablet II of the story has Enkidu informing Gilgamesh about the monster Humbaba, the guardian of the Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh, against all warnings from Enkidu,