Athanasia Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal...

Athanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh â€Å"Will you too die as Enkidu did? Will grief become your food? Will we both fear the lonely hills, so vacant? I now race from place to place, dissatisfied with whereever I am and turn my step toward Utnapishtim, godchild of Ubaratutu† (Jackson â€Å"Gilgamesh Tablet IX† 4-9) Gilgamesh so much feared death that he threw away his honor as a warrior in order to obtain immortality. For centuries there have existed individuals who yearn for everlasting life. A journey that so many have traversed, but have failed in the attempt. The ideology surrounding immortality transcends time and a plethora of cultures. The theme, immortality appears in stories from the†¦show more content†¦The life that he once lived is shattered into pieces and he finds it difficult to return to his former glorious self; this is the first time in Gilgamesh’s life that he has ever felt the emotions of fear. Gilgamesh is afraid to die. The inevitable fate that has plagued humanity for ages, death, has now become the greatest barrier that he must overcome. The immense scope that separates death from eternal life is breached, this crossover leads to a paramount connection between the supernatural and mortal universe. Gilgamesh, two thirds god, and one third human is left at the intermediary. His metamorphosis will establish a sense of restitution in his life. Along these lines, even though Gilgamesh existed â€Å"thousands of years ago, he remains immortal in a sense that we still refer to him and his story† (Sadigh 85). Enkidu is a primary character in the epic, his death dramatically changes the personality of Gilgamesh. His metamorphosis and death makes evident the innate rhythm of life, which represents the link that he has with nature. With love, and self-realization, Enkidu eventually becomes a friend to Gilgamesh. Readers are able to see the merging of Gilgamesh’s divine stature with Enkidu’s wild nature, which in turn changes Enkidu from a simple beast to a figure that is larger than life (Harris 122). He essentially becomes an equal to Gilgamesh. Enkidu undergoes the following transformation: From the barbarian man that he once was,