Gilgamesh 3
In Gilgamesh, the tale of two companions and their epic journeys together, symbolism plays an important role in developing the story and theme. One such symbol is the so-called "How-the-Old-Man-Once-Again-Becomes-a-Young-Man" plant. As the name dictates, "new life may be obtained by means of it..." (Gilgamesh 80) Symbolically the plant is imperative to a complete understanding of the work. It represents Gilgamesh's quest for immortality, and ultimately, a new realization of his own humanity. Of course, to understand the extent of Gilgamesh's final transformation at the end of the epic, we must first understand his original character. At the start of the story, we are introduced to Gilgamesh through a series of varied descriptions. He is described as "him who knew the most of all men know..." (Gilgamesh 3) To the people Gilgamesh is known as
I found was a sign telling me to abandon my journey The simple man and the ruler resemble each other. Gilgamesh, two-thirds God and one-third man, still attempts to achieve his goal. He picks the plant, but while in a pool of water, a serpent steals it away. The plant being stolen serves two purposes. For one, it further exemplifies the theme that immortality is unattainable. the "strongest one of all, the perfect, the terror." (Gilgamesh 4) Although the descriptions are inherently contradictory, they offer a somewhat enlightened view of a man who is two-thirds God and one-third mortal. He is both revered for his intelligence, and feared for his power. In essence, he is both the protector and the terror. This image of Gilgamesh portrayed at the beginning is important
Some common words found in the essay are:
, Gilgamesh One's, own humanity, two-thirds god one-third, gilgamesh's quest immortality, gilgamesh's quest, strongest perfect terror, thorny seize, god one-third, quest immortality, magic plant, two-thirds god, strongest perfect, perfect terror,
Approximate Word count = 584
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)
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