Niclole Nisenbaum
Gilgamesh was introduced to us as a fearless warrior, a man that was revered by all the people of Uruk. He brushed off death by saying “The life of man is short.” (p.16) And “If I should fall, my fame will be secure.”(p.17) . As the epic progressed we began to see a more cowardly side of Gilgamesh, one that was unexpected. It was apparent that Gilgamesh could not come to terms with his mortality especially after the death of his close friend, Enkidu. Mortaility was a recurring theme in the story, whether it was beasts being slain, the loss of Enkidu, or Gilgamesh’s struggle to find a way to avoid succumbing to the cold embrace of death. After encountering a man similar to himself and befriending him, Gilgamesh decided to set out on a quest to defeat the powerful guardian of the Cedar Forest. His cockiness and inflated ego left him without an ounce self-doubt, and he refused to listen to Enkidu’s warnings. It seemed as if all he wanted in life was to be …show more content…
It was the ideal hero’s welcome. He was showered in gifts and felt as if he was on top of the world again. The women threw themselves at him, and Ishtar, the goddess of love and war was one of them. She was rejected by the mighty hero and in turn made her father send down the bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh. Her plot failed miserably and the gods decided to get rid of Enkidu. This is where Gilgamesh begins to slowly fall apart, he can’t fathom losing his adoptive brother. Enkidu begins to grow ill and there is nothing Gilgamesh can do but watch his closest companion wither away. After his death he sat vigil for days until a worm crawled out of Endiku’s nose. The insect infested corpse is what sent Gilgamesh into a trance that made him feel like he had sacrifice his life In order to honor his friend as well as find a way to make sure that he doesn’t suffer the same
Gilgamesh was introduced to us as a fearless warrior, a man that was revered by all the people of Uruk. He brushed off death by saying “The life of man is short.” (p.16) And “If I should fall, my fame will be secure.”(p.17) . As the epic progressed we began to see a more cowardly side of Gilgamesh, one that was unexpected. It was apparent that Gilgamesh could not come to terms with his mortality especially after the death of his close friend, Enkidu. Mortaility was a recurring theme in the story, whether it was beasts being slain, the loss of Enkidu, or Gilgamesh’s struggle to find a way to avoid succumbing to the cold embrace of death. After encountering a man similar to himself and befriending him, Gilgamesh decided to set out on a quest to defeat the powerful guardian of the Cedar Forest. His cockiness and inflated ego left him without an ounce self-doubt, and he refused to listen to Enkidu’s warnings. It seemed as if all he wanted in life was to be …show more content…
It was the ideal hero’s welcome. He was showered in gifts and felt as if he was on top of the world again. The women threw themselves at him, and Ishtar, the goddess of love and war was one of them. She was rejected by the mighty hero and in turn made her father send down the bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh. Her plot failed miserably and the gods decided to get rid of Enkidu. This is where Gilgamesh begins to slowly fall apart, he can’t fathom losing his adoptive brother. Enkidu begins to grow ill and there is nothing Gilgamesh can do but watch his closest companion wither away. After his death he sat vigil for days until a worm crawled out of Endiku’s nose. The insect infested corpse is what sent Gilgamesh into a trance that made him feel like he had sacrifice his life In order to honor his friend as well as find a way to make sure that he doesn’t suffer the same