Gilgamesh Blog #5

Pages 48-65 are about Gilgamesh's quest for immortality. After seeing the dead body of Enkidu, and grieving for it for seven days, Gilgamesh felt the fear of death. "Gilgamesh wandered in the wilderness grieving over the death of Enkidu and weeping saying, 'Enkidu has died. Must I die too? Must Gilgamesh be like that?' Gilgamesh felt the fear of it in his belly." Page 48
Gilgamesh then decides that he will seek the son of Ubartutu, Utnapishtim, the only one who he could find out from how to avoid death. The basic theme that runs through these pages are man's insatiable thirst for immortality. Even after coming upon the Twin Dragon Scorpion beings, even after traveling 12 leagues in a pitch black cavern, and even when he had to cross the sea to get to the island, he didn't give up.
This quest takes place in almost every culture. Everywhere in the world, people have asked themselves the reason why we die, and why we cannot live forever. This reminds me of the Harry Potter books, and Voldemorts quest to be immortal and unbeatable. He goes to the extent of spliting his soul in pieces, just like Gilgamesh goes through countless treacherous adventures in his own odyssey for ever lasting life.