Death is something that almost all people have experienced. Whether it's someone you were close to or someone you barely knew, they evoke strange emotions. Being the different species that we are as humans and knowing that death is a part of life, everyone has conflicting opinions on this melancholy concept. The narrative Gilgamesh explains this idea to the reader by following the protagonist on his journey to truly grasp the meaning of such a bitter subject. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Gilgamesh, written by an anonymous person and translated by Herbert Mason, is speculated to have been constructed around 2000 BC in Mesopotamia, making it the oldest known work of world literature. Herbert Mason translated this epic so that it could be widely understood by the English-speaking community. The poem is about a king named Gilgamesh, who rules over a city called Uruk. He befriends Enkidu, who is represented as a symbol of nature and lives in harmony with animals. Enkidu once had animal-like traits, but later becomes human and accompanies Gilgamesh on a journey into the Humbaba Forest which ultimately kills him. Gilgamesh's view often fluctuates when it comes to the idea of ​​death. Gilgamesh's perspective on death evolves throughout the narrative and is shown in examples, such as when Gilgamesh is unaware of the fate of humans before meeting Enkidu. Furthermore, His opinion develops when Enkidu is killed due to Gilgamesh's poor judgment. Ultimately, Gilgamesh's point of view ends and when the serpent devours the flower it forces him to accept death as part of life. To be human, according to the epic, is to understand the fatal flaw that we as people are unable to overcome. First, at the beginning of the poem, the author illustrates the idea that Gilgamesh is naive to the concept of being human. condition, with death as one of the main characteristics. Gilgamesh embarks on an arrogant and futile quest, and decides to do so due to his lack of fear and knowledge of death due to his stature. When he goes to the cedar forest on his irrational quest, he responds to Enkidu's fear in a very arrogant manner due to Enkidu's logical view of the situation. Mason builds on the suggestion of Gilgamesh's courage when he begins to write about Enkidu paralyzing his arm when he touches the gate of the cedar forest: “Would you stay behind for this?… …Forget your fear of death. I will precede you and protect you… …Only the gods are immortal anyway / Gilgamesh sighed… …If I die / I will at least have the reward / Of making people say: He died in war / Against Humbaba.” The previous quote defends the idea that Gilgamesh did not personally experience the passing of a loved one in his lifetime; therefore, it reinforces the opinion that death should not be feared. Gilgamesh also protects Enkidu when Gilgamesh says he can protect him, which leads the reader to contemplate Gilgamesh's excessive pride that blinds him by the logical fear of dying. He believes that, except for the gods, everyone will eventually succumb to their own deaths, so why fear the inevitable? The evidence also raises the sense that Gilgamesh is unable to understand the meaning of death when he explains that he will have people's reward. praising him for dying fighting a wild beast. Talking about his death in a casual manner reveals Gilgamesh's lack of knowledge of his inevitable fate. Gilgamesh is unsophisticated when it comes to human death due to his blinding stature andof his protected lifestyle as king. This excessive pride and arrogance will get the better of him and encourage him to change his perception of the concept of death. Furthermore, Gilgamesh's developing view on death continues into his friendship with Enkidu. His relationship with his friend allows for his evolving understanding when Enkidu dies as a result of his senseless and irrational decisions, leaving him with a lasting impact and forcing him to experience the hardships of death. Therefore, Gilgamesh's opinion develops rapidly. After Enkidu's fateful passing, Gilgamesh is frustrated by the death of his beloved companion and begins to undergo the grieving process. He is angry about death because of human mortality and how arbitrary it seems. He is also angry at himself for undertaking such an unreasonable quest that killed his friend as a result. His anger later turns into grief which becomes so intense that Gilgamesh begins to change drastically along with his opinions. Mason alludes to this transformation in the poem when he writes, “All that remains for those who suffer / is convalescence. No spiritual change of heart / Conversion, because the heart has changed / And the soul has converted / To a thing that sees / How much it costs to lose a friend who loved.” The previous quote greatly advances Gilgamesh and his point of view. He learns that facing death takes time which can change him as a person and his views, just like when Mason writes about converting his soul and changing his heart. His understanding of how easily inconsistent choice can affect human mortality led him to change his thought process. He realizes that life is fragile and more meaningful, more than he ever imagined. As a result of Gilgamesh's unreasonable decisions, he begins to realize that his actions can negatively affect others, which adds to his interpretation of death. In order for Gilgamesh to take his actions into account, he can further learn how they affect others. Contemplating his actions is linked to his understanding of death, so that he can be more careful and reasonable when it comes to risking something as delicate as human life. Finally, Gilgamesh ultimately realizes that death is inevitable and comes to terms with death in a bitter but happy ending. . He gains insight into the concept of death by learning that immortality is unattainable. Gilgamesh comes to the end of the transformation of his opinion on the fatal end of human beings when he reaches the end of his journey to bring his friend Enkidu back to life. He goes on a long expedition when he finally reaches Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim's name means "he who saw life", and he survived the great flood created by Ea. During the journey to Shurupak, Gilgamesh has only one thing in mind: to bring Enkidu back to life. He is not yet aware of the full meaning of death and believes he can resurrect a mortal. Utnapishtim tells him a secret about a flower that will grant new life, and Gilgamesh rushes to find it to rejoice with Enkidu once again. Mason supports this thought when he writes, “When he saw the pink and ambrosia rice plant / Bubbling in the water like a prism / Of sunlight, he grasped it… …His naked body shimmered and cooled, / The plant was gone; the discarded skin / Of a serpent was all he saw, he sat / Down on the ground and cried.” When Mason writes about Gilgamesh taking the plant in the previous quote, he shows his greed and desire for something extremely powerful, like immortality. Grabbing it quickly and forcefully, in that moment he forgets everything he has.