Gilgamesh - Close Reading 1

“If I should fall, my fame will be secure…My fame will be secure to all my sons” (17).

Throughout the epic novel we find Gilgamesh constantly striving for a seemingly unattainable monument—everlasting fame. In this passage this is very much true. Although he is unable (and unaware at this point) to remove the very fabric of his existence, human mortality, Gilgamesh is motivated and inspired by glory to perform great acts of heroism. He appreciates immortality because it has blessed him with strength and reputation. For that reason, Gilgamesh spends his life searching for a way to achieve it and escape his mortal restraint. Gilgamesh derives his courage from a confidence in the legacy that will survive through his “sons,” which highlights both the ancient misogynistic culture and another historical form of legacy and fame: the transfer of reputation and wealth down generations of royalty. Though the author emphasizes Gilgamesh’s divine characteristics here in the beginning of the epic, we are reminded with diction like “venture” that Gilgamesh is led by human curiosity, aggression, and naivety. The human part of Gilgamesh inevitably sets him against nature in that he must face the undeniable fate of death as well as support civilization and the destructive impact it has on nature. Evidence of his human capacity lies in his triumphant challenge versus Huwawa, the guardian of the forest. Both “Forest” and “Cedar” are capitalized as a way of depicting the importance of nature as well as to personify it as Gilgamesh’s counterpart or opponent. In both cases Gilgamesh tends to destroy the precious products of nature and use the glory and wood obtained to serve civilization. Gilgamesh’s humanity is further indicated by the juxtaposition of his courage to Enkidu’s lack of such. Immediately prior to the passage given, Enkidu expresses his fear and caution to pursue a journey to the Forest, the very type of community Enkidu used to represent and protect. Since he has found companionship with the king of Uruk, and will soon embark on a mission to demolish nature’s resources, we see the complete transformation of Enkidu here.