Humanity is made, not given
Ambrosia and elixirs, representing immortality, were thought to be the panacea for all of man’s problems. For immortality to be considered worthy, man must enjoy the world around him. Gilgamesh is seeking immortality with the gods, but fails to relish what he is given to him until he witnesses the death of his friend Enkidu and fails his quest for holiness. The Epic of Gilgamesh begins with the eponymous character causing his people of Uruk to “suffer from his tyranny”, not by his personally-selected path (72). At this point in the story, Gilgamesh does not value anything he is given or what is around him. Soon after the Gods learn about Gilgamesh’s atrocity, they create Enkidu, a wild, equal to Gilgamesh, to help mitigate the tyranny of Gilgamesh. After a fight, proving Gilgamesh’s dominance, the two equals form a friendly relationship. Even though the sudden death of Enkidu shows new humanity in Gilgamesh, he attempts to detach his humanity and attain divinity. He still does not possess a true sense of life. Despite the initial emotional death of Gilgamesh and physical death of Enkidu, a force greater than Gilgamesh or the gods, Ishtar causes Gilgamesh to figure out that Uruk is a city “no city on earth can equal” and that her temple is a temple “no king has equaled in size or beauty” (198). With the …show more content…
The relationship that Enkidu and Gilgamesh have is one that most people have with multiple people. They act as brothers, friends, and lovers. Few humans have these three relationships with one person. These relationships help make Gilgamesh enjoy his life. Gilgamesh enjoys his friendship and that fact that he went where “[n]o men shall go …but only the Gods” shall. For the first time in the text, Gilgamesh seems to be happy. Only humans feel this sense of accomplishment and pride for what they do. Gilgamesh cut the trees, flaunting his
Ambrosia and elixirs, representing immortality, were thought to be the panacea for all of man’s problems. For immortality to be considered worthy, man must enjoy the world around him. Gilgamesh is seeking immortality with the gods, but fails to relish what he is given to him until he witnesses the death of his friend Enkidu and fails his quest for holiness. The Epic of Gilgamesh begins with the eponymous character causing his people of Uruk to “suffer from his tyranny”, not by his personally-selected path (72). At this point in the story, Gilgamesh does not value anything he is given or what is around him. Soon after the Gods learn about Gilgamesh’s atrocity, they create Enkidu, a wild, equal to Gilgamesh, to help mitigate the tyranny of Gilgamesh. After a fight, proving Gilgamesh’s dominance, the two equals form a friendly relationship. Even though the sudden death of Enkidu shows new humanity in Gilgamesh, he attempts to detach his humanity and attain divinity. He still does not possess a true sense of life. Despite the initial emotional death of Gilgamesh and physical death of Enkidu, a force greater than Gilgamesh or the gods, Ishtar causes Gilgamesh to figure out that Uruk is a city “no city on earth can equal” and that her temple is a temple “no king has equaled in size or beauty” (198). With the …show more content…
The relationship that Enkidu and Gilgamesh have is one that most people have with multiple people. They act as brothers, friends, and lovers. Few humans have these three relationships with one person. These relationships help make Gilgamesh enjoy his life. Gilgamesh enjoys his friendship and that fact that he went where “[n]o men shall go …but only the Gods” shall. For the first time in the text, Gilgamesh seems to be happy. Only humans feel this sense of accomplishment and pride for what they do. Gilgamesh cut the trees, flaunting his