The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

The Epic of Gilgamesh - Essay Example When he finds this immortal man, Gilgamesh is given two chances at immortality but fails in both quests noticing in his return to Uruk that mortal men have found their own means of immortality through works of art and civilization. As the summary proves, Tablet's XI main theme is human concern on mortality and immortality. Human search of immortality, a theme that has impregnated thousands literary works, is shown in the Tablet through its imagery. As for example, the exhaustive description of Uruk's wall. In this description of Uruk's walls, Gilgamesh shows his audience the strength of the same by pointing the quality materials used to make it. He also focus on its age by referring to ancient characters like the Seven Sages, an idea further emphasized by the repetitions found in this excerpt, which also appears word by word in Tablet I. This strong wall symbolizes man's victory over time and death thus leading mortal people to a kind of immortality achieved through their surviving works (art and civilization). The secondary theme, survival, is closely related with immortality, as men fight against nature/gods (symbolized by the storm) to prevent their own death. This is easily seen in the imagery of the storm described in Utanapishtim flashback story of the Flood. In spite of the fury of gods' storm (or nature in other cases), Utanapishtim and his men manage to survive thus breaking their fate of mortality. For having won their fight against the Flood, those men are rewarded with immortality, only preserved to gods or heroes. Finally, also related with the main theme of immortality by opposition, appears the theme of death. Death, personified, is an evil character that prevents Gilgamesh to fulfil his destiny; death prosecutes him and is always with him, as is shown in this hyperbole. "The Snatcher has taken hold of my flesh, in my bedroom Death wells, and wherever I set foot there too is Death!" (257-59, Tablet XI, The Epic of Gilgamesh) Death is shown as an evil character who is not easily deceived as it happens with Gilgamesh that fails his both chances at immortality, first by falling asleep and second by losing the opportunity to become young again. So in the case of Gilgamesh, death wins the battle as he finally succumbs to its clutches. But he and his people will be always remembered by the strong wall that have constructed around the city. However, the literary devices are not only used in relation with the themes but also with other purposes such as memorization,