Gilgamesh The Epic Of Gilgamesh - 1284 Words

In Tablet XI of Stephen Mitchell’s written adaptation of the well-known myth, The Epic of Gilgamesh, the main protagonist, Gilgamesh, has met Utnapishtim, the once mortal man turned immortal by the gods. However, before delving into Tablet XI of Gilgamesh, it’s important to understand what has happened before, in Tablet X. In Tablet X, Gilgamesh has traveled with Urshanabi across the Waters of Death to find Utnapishtim to figure out how to obtain eternal life as Utnapishtim has. When Utnapishtim and Gilgamesh first meet, Gilgamesh explains how Enkidu died and Gilgamesh was so overcome with grief that he stayed with Enkidu’s body for a week, hoping his sorrow could reanimate his friend. It isn’t until a maggot crawls out of Enkidu’s nose†¦show more content†¦Utnapishtim hears the spoken words and began constructing the ship with many people to help him. He repaid them in bulls, sheep, and alcohol and when the ship was built, he gave the people a feast and they â€Å"feasted as though it were New Year’s Day†. When the storm was underway, the gods tore through the land so viciously that when the Flood waters rose, even the gods were afraid and sought refuge in Anu’s palace. However, when they couldn’t enter because the gates were close, they â€Å"cowered like dogs†. As the storm continues, the mother goddess, Aruru, cries out for her children while the gods cry. After seven nights, the storm ceased and Utnapishtim cried out of happiness. However, the ship was caught on a mountain for seven more nights. At the end of the second week, Utnapishtim released a dove to find land, but the dove returned. Then, Utnapishtim set free a sparrow, but the sparrow returned. Lastly, Utnapishtim released a raven and as it found a place to land, it remained there and did not return to the ship. After the water had receded, Utnapishtim set free the animals and offered a slaughtered sheep to the gods. When Aruru came to the offering Utnapishtim had made, sheShow MoreRelatedGilgamesh And The Epic Of Gilgamesh988 Words   |  4 PagesThe maturation of Gilgamesh and his desire to acquire wisdom throughout his journey is quite apparent. By overcoming difficulties such as upholding Uruk, becoming friends with Enkidu, and various other scenarios, Gilgamesh proves that he did in fact grow up throughout the epic. As the epic starts, Gilgamesh is portrayed as a self-centered, self-admiring leader who believes that he is the only individual that can lead the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh believes that he is a god-like figure and often refersRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : Gilgamesh1013 Words   |  5 Pages Gilgamesh in 2015 Even though the epic Gilgamesh is thousands of years old, it is still read today. Why would the era of technology read an epic this old? 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