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How do you think Gilgamesh is a changed man or king by the end of the epic? What experiences does he have and what life lessons does he learn that bring about this change? Gilgamesh experiences and learns a lot throughout the epic. However, I believe the most valuable experience and life lesson he has is due to his arrogance
At the beginning of the epic Gilgamesh meets his one and only friend Enkidu, an animal-like being, created by the gods, who learn to show love and affection by learning from a woman. Enkidu is there to not only guide Gilgamesh through his journey to try and find immortality but to show him and teach him love and affection, show Gilgamesh that even with how powerful he is his fate is declared for him and shows Gilgamesh you don’t realize how much you have until it's all gone. One lesson Gilgamesh learns is when he wants immortality, Enkidu who is created by the gods tells him that immortality is not his destiny and that the gods declared his destiny since the day he was born (Sanders). However Gilgamesh is in denial and believes he will find immortality and then have his name “written in stone (Sanders),” or in other words, he will become famous and his name will live on. However, at the end of the epic we find out that Gilgamesh does not achieve his goal of finding immortality and he dies. I believe this to teach Gilgamesh you can’t get everything you want and you never know if you’ll live to see tomorrow, so live every day like your last.
The main reason I think Gilgamesh has changed as a man and king by the end of the epic is when Enkidu dies he’s upset and he grieves. In the epic Gilgamesh says “I weep for my brother. Oh Enkidu, my brother, you were the axe at my side, my hand’s strength, the sword in my belt, the shield before me (Sanders).” Gilgamesh for once doesn’t feel arrogant, but he feels he’s losing the only thing he has, his best friend. At that moment Gilgamesh touches Enkidu’s heart, but he didn’t feel it beating, Enkidu had died. In the epic, it says “he began to rage like a lion, like a lioness robbed of her whelps (Sanders).” Gilgamesh is so upset that Enkidu is dead that his grief and sadness soon turn into rage. Gilgamesh says “how can I rest? How can I be at peace? Despair is in my heart (Sanders).” At this moment Gilgamesh learns the concept of love and affection toward his friend. He also realizes you don’t realize how much you have until it's all gone.
Hence this is how I believe Gilgamesh has changed as a man and a king by the end of the epic. Also, I think the most valuable life lesson he learns is about love and affection and how you don’t know how much you have until it's all gone. The experience that teaches him this lesson is the death of his best friend Enkidu. He also learns he can’t get everything he wants and you never know if you’ll live to see tomorrow, so live your life to the fullest. Even when Enkidu tells Gilgamesh his fate is declared for him by the gods, Gilgamesh decides to remain in denial and thinks that one day he will find immortality. Gilgamesh learns his lesson the hard way, by dying without making the most of his life and not living in denial.
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