“The Epic of Gilgamesh” is one of the books telling about heroes in ancient times. However, unlike heroes of Greek or Celtic in folk tales, Gilgamesh was an actual figure. He is a king of Uruk around 2700 B.C, who was two-thirds god and one-third man. The god made him to be a great King with beauty, strength, and wise. In the story, his characteristics change constantly as the text proceeds due to the influence from his side-kick character, which is Enkidu, his god-made equal. The first-hand purpose of the existence of Enkidu is not becoming Gilgamesh’s friend or even brother, but to defeat Gilgamesh. Unpredictably, Gilgamesh respects Enkidu and loves him as he were his wife. For that strong relationship, Gilgamesh’s characteristics have been
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That is when Enkidu is killed. Gilgamesh was in a deep sorrow. He mourned like an animal in the wild, or “Like a lioness deprived pf her cubs,” After Enkidu death, Gilgamesh celebrates Enkidu’s fame so that everyone in Uruk would remember him. He summons “forgemaster”, “Coppersmith”, “Goldsmith” and “Jeweler” to make a statue for Enkidu. Gilgamesh gets even worst days after his friend’s loss. He wanders alone in the wildness with full of sorrow and even wonders if he must die too. “I shall die, and shall I not then be as Enkidu? / Sorrow has entered my heart!” Gilgamesh becomes so weak and frightened of something that he has never thought of, death. Now, it becomes so real and so inevitable to him. Gilgamesh decided to go a very long way to meet Uta-napishti to ask for his secret of immortality. However, what Gilgamesh got in return is the comparison as a fool who is not living his luxurious life back in Uruk but using his time to try avoiding something that no one can see or hear, death. “You exhaust yourself with ceaseless toil, / you fill your sinews with sorrow, / bringing forward the end of your days.” Indeed, Gilgamesh is torturing himself with sleepless nights, wretched emotion, and extreme fear of the mortality. In the end, Gilgamesh comes to realization that all men are powerless against death. “The Anunaki, the great gods, held an assembly, / Mammitum, maker of destiny, fixed fates with them: / both Death and Life they have established, / but the day of Death they do not disclose.” Gilgamesh then returns to Uruk with a meaningful lesson that life is short, so it doesn’t worth the fear but to live happily and enjoy every moment with his
That is when Enkidu is killed. Gilgamesh was in a deep sorrow. He mourned like an animal in the wild, or “Like a lioness deprived pf her cubs,” After Enkidu death, Gilgamesh celebrates Enkidu’s fame so that everyone in Uruk would remember him. He summons “forgemaster”, “Coppersmith”, “Goldsmith” and “Jeweler” to make a statue for Enkidu. Gilgamesh gets even worst days after his friend’s loss. He wanders alone in the wildness with full of sorrow and even wonders if he must die too. “I shall die, and shall I not then be as Enkidu? / Sorrow has entered my heart!” Gilgamesh becomes so weak and frightened of something that he has never thought of, death. Now, it becomes so real and so inevitable to him. Gilgamesh decided to go a very long way to meet Uta-napishti to ask for his secret of immortality. However, what Gilgamesh got in return is the comparison as a fool who is not living his luxurious life back in Uruk but using his time to try avoiding something that no one can see or hear, death. “You exhaust yourself with ceaseless toil, / you fill your sinews with sorrow, / bringing forward the end of your days.” Indeed, Gilgamesh is torturing himself with sleepless nights, wretched emotion, and extreme fear of the mortality. In the end, Gilgamesh comes to realization that all men are powerless against death. “The Anunaki, the great gods, held an assembly, / Mammitum, maker of destiny, fixed fates with them: / both Death and Life they have established, / but the day of Death they do not disclose.” Gilgamesh then returns to Uruk with a meaningful lesson that life is short, so it doesn’t worth the fear but to live happily and enjoy every moment with his