Gilgamesh Essay Paper

English 3, 4 7 October 2012 The Quest for Immortality In the epical of Gilgamesh translated by N. K. Sanders, Gilgamesh hits a series of numerous ch each(prenominal)enges and obstacles, fulfilling the conditions of an prototypic chase story. In fiat to fulfill an archetypal quest story, the grinder or mavin must complete a series of hurdles, on their appearance toward achieving their goal. In the heroical of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh hunts for his main obsession, immortality, go he battles off monsters, with the help of near friends.Sensing Gilgamesh embraces too much power, the gods create a friend for Gilgamesh named Enkidu in the hopes of lessening Gilgameshs power. Enkidu and Gilgamesh turn out to be silk hat friends after Enkidu loses a wrestling compare to Gilgamesh. Enkidu decides to join Gilgamesh on his jaunt to hear immortality. Along the way the way they encounter enemies such as Humbaba, the withstander of the forest, and the sliceipulate of paradise. Wit h the help of Enkidu, Gilgamesh travels a relentless journey and faces a lane of trials, which carries out an archetypal quest story.Gilgamesh and Enkidu come across the guardian of the forest named Humbaba. Believing that Humbaba is undefeatable, Gilgamesh thinks that whoever slays Humbaba will match immortality. Gilgamesh and Enkidu attack Humbaba with a thrust of the mark to the neck and Enkidu his comrade struck the randomness blow (22). With one more key out to the belly, Humbaba falls. Hoping to fall upon everlasting life, they realize that defeating Humbaba does non give them eternal life. Instead, it gives them eternal fame.Still unsatisfied, with non having found everlasting life, Gilgamesh tells his companion that the gravy holder of the dead shall not go charge (20) and is determined that he will neer die. The next challenge Gilgamesh faces is the Bull of Heaven, move by Ishtars dad, Anu. Ishtar is the goddess of love who makes advances on Gilgamesh, wanting t o marry him. Gilgamesh is wise and realizes Ishtar is the muliebrity as a temptress and knows she treats her husbands poorly. Ishtar is a distraction and will pull him away from his goal.When Gilgamesh rejects her advances, Anu directs the Bull of Heaven to attack Gilgameshs homeland, Uruk. Gilgamesh and Enkidu easily kill the Bull of Heaven which enrages the gods when they hear that the bull is dead. The gods make Enkidu force terribly ill, which kills him seven days later(prenominal) in a very annoying death. Seeing his friend die, Gilgamesh obtains apotheosis and continues on his expedition of seeking immortality. Gilgamesh encounters Utnapishtim, a man who survives the great flood and receives immortality.Utnapishtim gives Gilgamesh eclectic tasks to achieve eternal life. The first task is to keep awake for seven days, which Gilgamesh is unable to accomplish. liveliness sorry, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh a secret that if he finds the implant that grows under the water it restores his preoccupied jejuneness (31). Gilgamesh lights up and ties rocks to his feet to sink down to assay for the marvelous plant. Gilgamesh finds the ultimate boon. He is gladden and eager to bring the plant stomach to his homeland to restore the youth of all the men there.The refusal of the amends occurs when, he was locomote home and becomes careless and bathes in a nearby well of cool water, passing the plant unattended. A snake shortly appears and eats the plant, restoring the snakes youth. Gilgamesh begins to shout upon seeing that he failed in his quest for immortality. Gilgamesh returns back to his homeland, Uruk, and engraves his story on a stone for everyone to see and remember. In conclusion, the expansive of Gilgamesh executes the qualities of an archetypal quest story by Gilgamesh going on a prompt to find immortality dapple performing the road of trials.The hero generally wishes to achieve a goal or object and return home with it, in this case, etern al life. The protagonist also might lose a few things he loves an example is how Gilgamesh lost his best friend, Enkidu. Gilgamesh also had to fight off enemies such as Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven, while searching for his obsession. From the departure, the initiation, and to the return of his journey, made the Epic of Gilgamesh an archetypal quest story.