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Gilgamesh Fear Of Death Analysis

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Gilgamesh wanted to escape death after witnessing the death of his best friend. He was afraid that he would be nothing more than a corpse. "Shall I not die too? Am I not like Enkidu? I have grown afraid of death so I roam the steppe." (Gilgamesh,93). Gilgamesh was affected deeply by Enkidu death, however he did not realize that if he were granted immortality he would constantly face the death of his loved ones and close friend, as he did with Enkidu. He would have to watch everyone around him die and he would still be living. His fear of death led him on a journey to find immortality but what he did not understand at the time is that death should not be feared; every living thing has to die.
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Man cannot live for ever this is an indisputable fact; however, long after our mortal bodies decay, we can live on through our children and our children's children. David Ferry’s version of the poem “Gilgamesh” support this idea and synthesises it with other points to support the following theme: no matter how great a man is in living his glory is only valuable if he lives on in his offspring. I believe Gilgamesh’s journey and failure to find immortality supports this, revealing values that early Mesopotamian culture held. After pursuing and failing to find immortality for himself, Gilgamesh pleads to the gods to raise his friend to speak with him about death and its state. The spirit of Enkidu raises and reveals to his friend the following

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What caused Gilgamesh live to want immortality? He wanted that everyone never forgets his name after he died. So, keeps his memories alive was the perfect excuse in his searching for the immortality. Also, when he lost his close friend, this pain gave him more reasons in finding the secret of immortality.

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He had many extraordinary qualities, and heroic characteristics. The most obvious being that he is a king, a man of highest level in society. He was also known and appreciated for building many walls and temples around his city, which no man who followed ever matched. However, after the presence of Enkidu was made, Gilgamesh started to become the more noble and favored ruler of Uruk. Since he finally knew what it was like to have a companion and someone of his level of greatness, he no longer terrorized his city as he did before, and is still aware that death is inevitable.

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The hero Gilgamesh, passed through various tests and turns out better for it. For at the beginning the epic the king appears in the form of an unbridled, corrupted and cruel young man, then after the death of Enkidu, he is finally capable of a heartfelt deep sorrow. For the first time he becomes aware of the futility of existence, feeling the fear of the death, the hero of the poem turns to the gods to find out the secrets of life and death. From now on, Gilgamesh cannot simply rule his people, he wants to know the secret of death. His soul comes to complete despair: how could the immortal power and energy in the body of Enkidu die?

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Enkidu is not the only one trying to discourage this adventure. The elders and Ninsun also try to discourage the adventure. Gilgamesh is given many opportunities to make a different choice, but does not choose to. He continues on to make a name for himself. Even in the midst of the battle Gilgamesh is given the opportunity to spare the life of Humbaba.

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