At the beginning of the epic, Gilgamesh rules as a ruthless tyrant who is both revered and feared by his subjects. As a semi-divine king, Gilgamesh does not fear death and never contemplates his own mortality. After hearing the cries of Gilgamesh's subjects, the god Anu creates Enkidu to rival the brutal tyrant. Gilgamesh ends up defeating Enkidu, and the two become inseparable friends. Together, Gilgamesh and Enkidu travel to the Forest of Cedar, where they defeat the monster Humbaba. On their way back to Uruk, the heroes end up killing the Bull of Heaven, which incites the wrath of the gods, who decide to end Enkidu's life.
Enkidu's death significantly impacts Gilgamesh's outlook on life and forces him to acknowledge his own mortality. Before the death of his best friend, Gilgamesh thought nothing of his own mortality, but he suddenly becomes fixated on his own impertinence after Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh then seeks Utnapishtim in hopes of discovering the secret to immortality. Eventually, Gilgamesh is forced to come to terms with his own fate and acknowledges that he will one day die. Gilgamesh begins to reflect on his own legacy and is motivated to become a better person and king in order to leave a positive, lasting legacy. Gilgamesh finally accepts his place in the universe and understands the importance of behaving as a benevolent, revered king. Enkidu’s death enhances Giglamesh’s outlook on life and motivates him to leave a positive, lasting legacy.
Enkidu is Gilgamesh's closest friend. Before meeting Enkidu, Gilgamesh was cruel and selfish, abusing his power constantly. Enkidu's first battle with Gilgamesh tames the latter—since he now has someone just about as powerful as himself. The two bond as they fight monsters together. In fact, they are so close that some readers and critics have argued there is a romantic component to their relationship. Even if one does not agree with such an interpretation, Giglamesh's love for Enkidu is greater than his love for anyone else in his life.
When Enkidu dies, it is an emotional shock for Gilgamesh. He has never cared about anyone else so deeply before, and now this person is gone. But Enkidu's death is significant for Gilgamesh in another way: it makes Gilgamesh realize that he too will one day die. This inspires Gilgamesh to go on a quest to find a way to become immortal so that he will never have to face the terror of death.
Of course, he learns that such a quest is futile and all must die. The point is to enjoy one's life and to cherish loved ones while one is still alive.
Enkidu’s death affects Gilgamesh so strongly because it forces him to confront his own mortality.
Gilgamesh’s position of King of Uruk affords him the ability to sleep with brides on their wedding nights and force labor upon the men of Uruk. This position of power allows Gilgamesh to feel superior to his subjects and perhaps not fully comprehend the pain he imparts on them through his actions.
After traveling and battling alongside Enkidu, Gilgamesh begins to see Enkidu as more of an equal. When Enkidu dies, the death hurts Gilgamesh more than the death of one of his subjects would. This powerful moment is portrayed through Gilgamesh’s clutching of Enkidu’s body and refusing to believe he has died until a maggot falls from the corpse.
While grieving, Gilgamesh realizes that he too may someday die and confronts it by starting on a journey in an attempt to unlock the key to eternal life. This will ultimately prove futile for Gilgamesh, but Enkidu’s death serves as a catalyst for it.
Enkidu's death has a profound impact on Gilgamesh's life (and this impact is shaped by two different factors which come into play). First, you should take into account the close friendship that existed between Enkidu and Gilgamesh himself. Enkidu is the closest thing Gilgamesh has to an equal, and theirs is the closest relationship Gilgamesh possesses. They have adventured together and fought together, and with Enkidu's death, this deep and powerful connection has been broken. Gilgamesh's grief is intense.
In addition, however, Enkidu's death leaves Gilgamesh increasingly aware of his own mortality and creates within Gilgamesh a great dread about his own eventual death. In his attempt to overcome this fate, he will go on a journey, seeking to attain immortality. This journey will end in failure.
Before his close friend Enkidu came into his life, Gilgamesh was proud, boastful, and arrogant. A cruel, ruthless tyrant, he thought nothing of committing rape and murder whenever he felt like it. Thanks to Enkidu's loving friendship, however, Gilgamesh becomes a better person, developing skills of empathy and understanding.
Enkidu's death changes Gilgamesh, bringing about a dramatic moral transformation in the Sumerian king. All of a sudden, Gilgamesh understands the fragility of life and how incredibly precious it is. The death of a close friend has touched him personally in a way that the death of a stranger never could. For all his wealth, power, and physical strength, Gilgamesh now realizes that it could all be taken away from him at the drop of a hat, leaving nothing behind but a lasting reputation for cruelty and brutality.
Enkidu's death leads Gilgamesh to embark upon a quest for everlasting life. This is a sign that Gilgamesh is still in denial about his own mortality; he still thinks he can somehow avoid the fate of his friend. But as he proceeds on his journey, Gilgamesh eventually comes to realize that death is the ultimate truth and must one day come to everyone, rich or poor, beggar or king.
No comments:
Post a Comment