You Can't Win a Fight Against Destiny- Joshua Evers
Throughout the first few tablets, Gilgamesh was steadily tearing down any obstacle that stood between him and his everlasting life. The death of Enkidu was tragic but appeared to only motivate Gilgamesh towards gaining his immortality. After Siduri questions him on his starved and unhealthy appearance ( And literally every other character we meet from this moment onward), Gilgamesh simply explains his situation but conveys his extreme determination in gaining eternal life.
But why does Gilgamesh keep journeying for everlasting life when the gods say he can't?
It wasn't until the very end ( Page 116) that Gilgamesh was given an actual confirmation that he could receive eternal life. He took the gods seriously, and believed the words preceding out from their mouths, except the telling of his inability to receive everlasting life. Gilgamesh is blatantly ignoring this one piece of information that the gods gave him while accepting all else. Does Gilgamesh know the gods are lying to him? Does he think that destiny has no power over him?
I would argue that through every intense situation Gilgamesh succeeded. Yes, I believe Gilgamesh earned his immortalized life. However, it was not one he ever expected. The obstacles he endured, and even losing the "Old Man Young" flower(better name quoted from Dr. Downs) all worked to cement his name deep into history. Gilgamesh was born thousands of years ago, and yet we have writings telling of his life and not those of many others. The everlasting life Gilgamesh obtained was that of memory and record. He has been immortalized in writing, and may live on year after year in the mind of the reader. His name lives on and carries weight when spoken to others who possess a knowledge of the life and journey of Gilgamesh. Although it wasn't the eternal life he was expecting, Gilgamesh, through his many victories and losses, achieved an immortality that carries his name to this day.
I commented on Isaac's and Zane's Posts.
But why does Gilgamesh keep journeying for everlasting life when the gods say he can't?
It wasn't until the very end ( Page 116) that Gilgamesh was given an actual confirmation that he could receive eternal life. He took the gods seriously, and believed the words preceding out from their mouths, except the telling of his inability to receive everlasting life. Gilgamesh is blatantly ignoring this one piece of information that the gods gave him while accepting all else. Does Gilgamesh know the gods are lying to him? Does he think that destiny has no power over him?
I would argue that through every intense situation Gilgamesh succeeded. Yes, I believe Gilgamesh earned his immortalized life. However, it was not one he ever expected. The obstacles he endured, and even losing the "Old Man Young" flower(better name quoted from Dr. Downs) all worked to cement his name deep into history. Gilgamesh was born thousands of years ago, and yet we have writings telling of his life and not those of many others. The everlasting life Gilgamesh obtained was that of memory and record. He has been immortalized in writing, and may live on year after year in the mind of the reader. His name lives on and carries weight when spoken to others who possess a knowledge of the life and journey of Gilgamesh. Although it wasn't the eternal life he was expecting, Gilgamesh, through his many victories and losses, achieved an immortality that carries his name to this day.
I commented on Isaac's and Zane's Posts.
This is a very interesting point, and one that brings up the idea of what is true immortality and what is living forever. To this day we still hear stories about people dead for thousands or hundred of years -- Gilgamesh, Julius Caesar, and King Henry, just to name a few. Does just because they died mean they're chance at immortality has been denied to them? We still discuss them as historical and literary figures, earning them rank in two prestigious fields for no other reason than that they lived. Is legacy just another way of saying 'immortality'? If this is true, then Gilgamesh's story was a success since he received respect and love from his people and immortality from his story.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of a legacy being a form of immortality, but, now that you bring it up, it makes total sense. It may not be our live forever, textbook definition, but their names are being immortalized in our history books and story books. Gilgamesh did obtain his immortality, just not in the way he or anyone else would have thought. Maybe the gods lying to him or tricking him into thinking he could obtain immortality which motivated him to get the flower and bring it back is what got him remembered. Maybe this final quest/journey is what set him over the top and allowed him to achieve this state of immortality.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I wonder why Gilgamesh even wanted eternal life. Yeah, he could do all these quest, and become even more famous or get more glory than he already had, but he didn't have anyone to do it with. Also, I like you said about him became immortal through the writings and his legacy. I had never thought of that, but he may not have had the same opportunity to become as famous if he would have lived forever.
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