Gilgamesh's downfall

A detailed Summary of Gilgamesh's downfall


In "The Epic of Gilgamesh" the main character, Gilgamesh, is searching for immortality. This want is brought about by deep feelings held by Gilgamesh for his dead friend Enkidu. From this, Gilgamesh finds himself being scared of dying. This fear pushes Gilgamesh to search for the power of immortal life, which is believed to be held only by women because of the fact that they can reproduce. This takes him on a long and tiresome journey to a land where no mortal has gone before. The search by Gligamesh is fueled by the desire to play a part in reproduction. His journey begins at Mount Mashu, the mountain which describes a woman in the part that her "paps reach down to the underworld." Referring to two women's breast's hanging down. Before he may enter the mountain, he meets two half female, half dragon figures guarding the entrance. They begin asking why he has come; "No man/ born of woman has done what you have/ asked, no mortal man has ever gone into the/ mountain." This mountain is off limits to mortal beings, he should not be there Gilgamesh is alloud in and goe


s through twelve leagues of darkness before he reaches the golden garden of the goddesses. Upon arriving there he is greeted by Shamash, the Sun God, who tells him, "You will never find the/ life for which you are searching." This upsets Gilgamesh because he has traveled so far to now just "sleep and let the earth cover my head forever?" From leaving Shamash, Gilgamesh is sent to see Siduri. "Beside the sea she lives, the woman of/ the vine, the maker of wine..." and she does not want to allow Gilgamesh pass. Gilgamesh pleads with her that since he has seen her do not let him see death. She answers, "Gilgamesh, where/ are you hurrying to? You will never find that life for which you are looking." Once again Gilgamesh hears that what he is looking for does not exist. She tells him to enjoy life to its fullest because that is what a man is there for. That does not satisfy Gilgamesh and he wishes to know where to find Utnapishtim, the only man with eternal life. To find him, Gilgamesh must locate Urshanabi, the ferry woman. She then proceeds to take him over the Ocean

Some common words found in the essay are:
Urshanabi Gilgamesh, Mount Mashu, Siduri Beside, Utnapishtim Gilgamesh, Enkidu Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh Gilgamesh/, Sun God, Epic Gilgamesh, Dilmun Utnapishtim, Shamash Gilgamesh, gilgamesh left, life searching, urshanabi gilgamesh, gilgamesh traveled, mortal gone, immortal life,

Approximate Word count = 721
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • The Role of Women in The Gilgamesh ... Another example of how women can cause the downfall of men in Gilgamesh is when Gilgamesh meets Siduri, the barmaid on his way to find Utnapishtim. ... 729 words
  • Odyssey and Gilgamesh simampampdiff ... he is they treat him differently, all except Poseidon where recognition is Odysseusamp39 downfall. ... In the Epic of Gilgamesh aganoriss is basically Gilgameshamp39s life ... 845 words
  • The Women in Gilgamesh ... She served Gilgamesh as the interpreter of his dreams, and she acted as a mother ... and the result of their teachings always inadvertently led to the downfall of a ... 1268 words
  • Shamhat and Eve: A Comparison ... Enkiduamp39s action led to his death, it was necessary in order for Gilgamesh to become a better ruler. Similarly Eveamp39s influence over Adam led to his downfall. ... 269 words

Professional Essays

  • Oedipus Rex, Gilgamesh, Inferno ... discovering the truth and his unwillingness to listen to others brings about his downfall. ... In The Epic of Gilgamesh, we also see the values expressed that make ... 600 words
  • The Epic of Gilgamesh ... The people value the warlike strength of Gilgamesh because he can protect them from ... in the face of growing evidence as to his crime leads to his downfall. ... 1548 words
  • 3 Literary Works on What Is A Man ... discovering the truth and his unwillingness to listen to others brings about his downfall. ... In The Epic of Gilgamesh, we also see the values expressed that make ... 603 words
  • Examination of Selected Classical Texts ... For both Gilgamesh and Beowulf, and their respective societies, war was a way of life ... in the face of growing evidence as to his crime leads to his downfall. ... 1970 words
  • The Epic Tradition In The Story of Samson ... The Babylonian folk epic Gilgamesh or the ancient Greek Odyssey are appropriate examples of ... that causes the epic hero to be the reason for his own downfall. ... 1542 words
  • Oedipus at Colonus ampamp Kurtz in Heart of Darkness Gilgamesh in Babylonian literature is a prototype, and examples can be found in Norse ... in the face of growing evidence as to his crime leads to his downfall. ... 3333 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.