Meaning of Gilgamesh’s Quest Essay

Exclusively available on IvyPanda Available only on IvyPanda

The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest works of literature written around 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia. The story is of Gilgamesh the king of Uruk who reined around 2700 BCE and was a historical figure. His rival who turned friend Enkidu, the gods and men, met in their pilgrimage.

We will write a custom essay on your topic a custom Essay on Meaning of Gilgamesh’s Quest
808 writers online

The epic recounts the travels of Gilgamesh, his adventures and search for treasured immortality providing evidence of primordial Mesopotamian ideas about life and death and the importance of humanity in the universe and the general communal association.

After Enkidu’s death and the loss of the magic plan of the rejuvenation walls, Gilgamesh is reduced to a humble and introverted seeker. He sets out to a second quest which is darker in search of an immortal life (Spark Notes Editors 91). In his journey, he passes through a mountain with two peaks and finds a long passage through the caverns which he uses.

After passing through great perils without any trouble, he enters a terrible darkness. The realization of Gilgamesh’s experience is presented symbolically by his reemerging into light in the magical garden. His quest for immortality is magnified by other characters failure to recognize him in his pilgrimage.

Each of the strangers notes Gilgamesh’s untidiness and takes time to listen to Gilgamesh as he recounts his encounter with death and his fear of it reminding them of its certainty (Mitchell 12). Eventually, when Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim, who had managed to gain immortality, he also advices Gilgamesh against making an effort to pursue immortality, which goes to suggest that Utnapishtim in his knowledge is aware that Gilgamesh has not yet acknowledged the great value attached to a mortal life.

Although Utnapishtim had managed to fool death, he is not willing to help Gilgamesh do the same. Utnapishtim reminds the king of Uruk that he has a date with death that cannot be evaded right from his birth. With this Gilgamesh must come to terms with his mortality and accept being part of a natural cycle in which death is inevitable (Mitchell 32).

Although people die, the natural cycle will ensure that humankind will always continue as is illustrated by Utnapishtim’s parable of the sleeping test. Sleep is shown to be comparable to death and an important bodily need as it is like food to the body.

1 hour!
The minimum time our certified writers need to deliver a 100% original paper

Given that Gilgamesh also has a body which has its needs, passing this particular test is impossible and his human nature shows his link to the world. Gilgamesh being the king of Uruk should rule it well if at all his fame is to continue to live after him and give his name the immortality he has been after (Spark Notes Editors 121).

The Prose Poem

Prometheus’s quest was human salvation in Greek

Gilgamesh’s was self serving salvation in Mesopotamia

But Zeus is omnipresent in other shades

His servant gods are cunning, favoring Utnapishtim

Abandoning Gilgamesh to wallow in mortality

“The serpent was awake when I did slumber for six nights

Remember! This is just a sample
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers

Defiled my mortality

Flew with the wrecks

I Gilgamesh now know

My consistent dreams of doom

Life’s intact for self serving gods

And for me Gilgamesh: in god and in man

Uruk will stay, Gilgamesh will vanish

Only a request I Gilgamesh makes to gods

We will write
a custom essay
specifically for you
Get your first paper with
15% OFF

Be allowed to die honorably in the battle field

I Gilgamesh, Can’t belief not being victor in that!”

Works Cited

Mitchell, Stephen, ed. Gilgamesh: A New English Version. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print.

Spark Notes Editors. Spark Note on The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York, NY: Free Press, 2011. Print.

Print
Need an custom research paper on Meaning of Gilgamesh’s Quest written from scratch by a professional specifically for you?
808 writers online
Cite This paper
Select a referencing style:

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, July 1). Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest. https://ivypanda.com/essays/meaning-of-gilgameshs-quest/

Work Cited

"Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest." IvyPanda, 1 July 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/meaning-of-gilgameshs-quest/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest'. 1 July.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest." July 1, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/meaning-of-gilgameshs-quest/.

1. IvyPanda. "Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest." July 1, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/meaning-of-gilgameshs-quest/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Meaning of Gilgamesh's Quest." July 1, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/meaning-of-gilgameshs-quest/.

Powered by CiteTotal, best essay bibliography maker
If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Request the removal
More related papers
Cite
Print
1 / 1