How Did Gilgamesh Change

Throughout Gilgamesh’s reign, people saw him unfit to be a king by the manner in which he acted. However, after becoming close with Enkidu, Gilgamesh had a change of heart and learned to be more appreciative of Uruk and its people due to Enkidu bringing out the good in him. After being killed as punishment for the acts he and Gilgamesh committed, Gilgamesh began “weeping bitterly for Enkidu” as “woe has entered” his vitals (72). The emotional state Gilgamesh is in after losing his friend is a drastic change from before he met Enkidu, where he would rape men’s wives and assault young men. Gilgamesh now acts like a regular human being and feels sorrow, as he feels sadness towards Enkidu’s death. The primary goal when creating Enkidu was to set Gilgamesh straight and make him a respectful king, and Enkidu’s death did just that. Although Gilgamesh was not a good person at first, the good in him was brought out by Enkidu. As Enkidu was the first person that Gilgamesh lost close to him, he felt what it was like to lose someone for the first time, making him seem more human. By Gilgamesh “[growing] afraid of death” and “[roaming] the steepe”, he wonders if he should in fact die as well and goes to look for answers (72).

Shortly after Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh began to fear death and went on a quest to look for immortality. Gilgamesh says to himself, “Am I not like Enkidu? Oh woe has entered my vitals! I have grown afraid of death, so I roam the steepe”, making it seem as if he has never thought that death would eventually catch up to him (72). However, Gilgamesh soon learns that death is a destiny for all mortals and accepts that and he should instead focus on how to live a good life. These events allowed Gilgamesh to discover the true meaning of life, to put his mark on the world and serve as an exemplary king so people will remember him before he faces