Epic Of Gilgamesh Summary

The Epic of Gilgamesh was a great book. Gilgamesh was an actual historical figure. He was a king who ruled the city of Uruk and is most likely responsible for building the walls of the city. Gilgamesh worked his people to death and pretty much took what he wanted from them. He took both men and women from their families and used them as he pleased. The people wanted peace so they would pray to the gods. The gods tell Anu, the goddess of creation, to create someone equal to Gilgamesh that could stand up to him and eventually save him. Anu creates a man named Enkidu, a wild man who lived in the wilderness with wild animals. One day Enkidu was spotted near a water hole by a trapper who was frightened by him. The trapper tells his father about …show more content…
He traveled to a twin peaked mountain. It marked an entrance that mortals could not travel. He convinces a guard of the mountain to let him enter a passage under the mountain where he endured its darkness for a day. When he gets to the other side he found himself in a paradise. He spots a tavern that was occupied and frightens the owner. The own allows him to enter after he explained his story. The owner tells Gilgamesh of Urshanabi, a boatman that can take Gilgamesh across the Waters of Death to where Utnapishtim lives. Gilgamesh finds the boatman and the two set out to find Utnapishtim. When they came to shore Gilgamesh runs into an old man. The old man was Utnapishtim. He tells him his story and how he wishes to gain immortality. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that immortality is only fit for the gods. He also tells him that mortals have to learn to accept death. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the story of how he was granted immortality. He asked Gilgamesh what he had done to deserve the gift of immortality. Gilgamesh and the boatman leaves to return to Uruk. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that there is a plant at the bottom of the sea that restores one’s youth. Gilgamesh dives into the ocean and brings the plant back. On the way back to Uruk he went to bathe in a nearby spring when a serpent appeared and stole the plant. Gilgamesh was devastated and began to weep. He returned to Uruk with understanding that being mortal was his legacy. He understood that if he ruled greatly it would be his greatest legacy.
It concluding my summary of The Epic of Gilgamesh I hope that I have answered all the questions asked in the summary. The question let is what I learned overall. I learned that the Sumerians thought of women to be the creator and civilizer of men. Women are sought for their wisdom. Women were held with high esteem and authority. The Sumerians looked to women for