Just an Ordinary Human Being

From the very beginning, Gilgamesh is introduced as the ultimate hero who has super-human powers. He is so powerful that he is thought of to be godlike and is described as being two-thirds god and one-third human. However beginning in Tablet IX, we begin to see Gilgamesh’s true colors unfold as he begins his quest for immortality. Although he seeks to live forever, he fails to understand that he is just an ordinary person like everyone else who just so happens to be physically strong and rather large. When his closest ally becomes ill and eventually dies, Gilgamesh becomes heartbroken. He exclaims, “Sorrow has entered my heart! I am afraid of death…” (Gilgamesh 70). Gilgamesh was once very strong without Enkidu’s existence. Why all of a sudden is he deteriorating into a weak soul solely because of the death of his best friend? This proves how powerful and strong Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s relationship is and this marks the first time we can clearly see Gilgamesh’s fears and weaknesses. In the opening tablets, no way could we have ever predicted the almighty Gilgamesh to be afraid of anything, but realistically, he is a very emotional and sensitive character that is just as ordinary as any other mortal being.

When in the tunnel within the mountain, he is embedded in darkness for a long period of time. This darkness enables him to find his inner self, and he struggles to do this until he eventually reaches the light on the other side of the mountain. He sees this beautiful garden and its vegetation. “…There was brilliance: he went straight, as soon as he saw them, to…the trees of the gods” (Gilgamesh 75). This marks the new beginning of a journey that offers Gilgamesh more than he would have ever imagined. It instills hope and happiness back into his life and eventually he is forced to realize he must enjoy the time he has on earth because he will not live forever.