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Study the world's oldest known epic to understand early Mesopotamian views on friendship and mortality.
If you were the most powerful person on Earth, but realized that one day you would simply cease to exist, would you spend your life trying to live forever or trying to be remembered?
In the ancient city of Uruk, King Gilgamesh is a tyrant—two-thirds god and one-third man. He is so powerful and arrogant that his people pray for relief. In response, the gods create Enkidu, a wild man of the steppe, to be Gilgamesh’s equal. Initially, they fight, but their battle ends in a mutual respect that blossoms into the world's first recorded 'bromance.' Enkidu acts as a civilizing force for the king. Through their friendship, Gilgamesh learns empathy and vulnerability. He is no longer just a ruler; he is a companion. This bond is the catalyst for the entire epic, as it gives Gilgamesh something to lose, setting the stage for his emotional transformation.
Quick Check
How did the creation of Enkidu specifically address the prayers of the people of Uruk?
Answer
Enkidu was created as an equal to Gilgamesh to distract and balance the king's tyrannical energy through friendship and competition.
The turning point of the epic is the death of Enkidu. After the duo insults the gods by killing the Bull of Heaven, the gods decree that Enkidu must die. Watching his best friend turn to dust shatters Gilgamesh’s sense of invincibility. He realizes that if Enkidu can die, so can he. This fear drives him into the wilderness on a desperate quest to find Utnapishtim, the only mortal to ever be granted eternal life by the gods. Gilgamesh abandons his kingship, wears animal skins, and wanders the earth, representing a total loss of his former identity in the face of mortality.
Observe the change in Gilgamesh's goals: 1. Early Epic: Gilgamesh seeks fame by killing the monster Humbaba to 'leave a name that endures.' 2. Post-Enkidu's Death: Gilgamesh seeks literal, physical immortality because he is terrified of the 'darkness' of death. 3. The Result: His motivation shifts from pride to survival.
Quick Check
What specific event causes Gilgamesh to abandon his throne and seek out Utnapishtim?
Answer
The death of his companion Enkidu, which forces him to confront his own mortality.
Gilgamesh eventually finds Utnapishtim, but he fails the tests required for immortality. He cannot stay awake for six days and seven nights, proving he cannot even conquer sleep, let alone death. He eventually loses a magical youth-restoring plant to a snake. Gilgamesh returns to Uruk empty-handed, but his perspective has changed. He looks at the Walls of Uruk—the city he built—and realizes that while his body will die, his legacy as a builder and a king will live on. The epic concludes not with a miracle, but with the acceptance that human greatness is measured by what we leave behind for others.
Consider the symbolism of the snake and the walls: 1. The Snake sheds its skin, gaining a form of 'rebirth' that Gilgamesh cannot have. This highlights the boundary between nature/gods and humanity. 2. The Walls of Uruk represent the 'Human Achievement.' By praising the walls at the end, Gilgamesh accepts that his . 3. This transition marks his growth from a selfish youth to a wise, albeit mortal, king.
What is the primary reason Gilgamesh seeks out Utnapishtim?
Gilgamesh successfully passes Utnapishtim's test by staying awake for a week.
At the end of the epic, what does Gilgamesh point to as his greatest achievement?
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the three stages of Gilgamesh's journey: his life before Enkidu, his reaction to Enkidu's death, and his realization at the walls of Uruk.
Practice Activity
Write a short paragraph comparing Gilgamesh's view of 'greatness' at the beginning of the story versus the end.