As Gilgamesh accomplishes to put his name in stone as a hero, he doesn’t realize the price he will pay in the end. Through his loss and suffering he learns to use wisdom to win his battles. Gilgamesh and his brother Enkidu conquered the world, but when Enkidu dies Gilgamesh realizes that he is human. “My younger brother who seized and killed the Bull of Heaven, and overthrew Humbaba in the cedar forest, my friend who was very dear to me, and who endured dangers beside me. ” (39) He realizes that death would come to claim him too one day, that he too was flesh and blood.
Enkidu my brother whom I loved, the end of mortality has overtaken him. I wept for him seven days and nights till the worm fastened on him. Because of my brother I am afraid of death. ” (39) Gilgamesh feels lost without Enkidu and ventures on a great journey looking for a fountain of youth, so that he would not die like a common man. On his journey, Gilgamesh confronts the man scorpions and rather than picking up a weapon he used reason to conquer them. “I have traveled here in search of Utnapishtim my father; for men say he has encountered the assembly of the gods, and has found everlasting life. 37)
Gilgamesh is determined to find everlasting life but everybody he encounters says that he will never find what his heart desires. “You will never find the life for which you are searching. ” (38) He begs the maker of the wine not to turn him away; “do not let me see the face of death which I dread so much. ” (38) Death comes to Gilgamesh like all mortals, but both Gilgamesh and Enkidu live on through their legend written in the stone. Death was final to both of them, yet their story will never die.
