Life Lessons in The Epic of Gilgamesh

Both Enkidu and Gilgamesh grow throughout the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and find what it means to be human. They learn the power of friendship and how to overcome obstacles. Gilgamesh becomes more human when he makes a friend that is equal to him and Enkidu gains a friendship with Gilgamesh after being shown what it’s like to be human.

Gilgamesh at the beginning of the book is introduced as a cocky, self-absorbed king. He isn’t loved by his people and is called out for being “out of control”. They claim he has gotten too full of himself and demand the Gods to find a solution. The Gods’ solution is Enkidu, an earthly creature, who for the first part of his life lives in the forest. Enkidu teaches Gilgamesh the meaning of friendship and when Enkidu dies Gilgamesh becomes sure that he will never die, he becomes scared of death. Before Enkidu, Gilgamesh wouldn’t have been scared about such a simple thing as death; he was arrogant and proud. But through the death of his friend, he learns that tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. So Gilgamesh transforms from this egotistical king to a scared immortal human. On the flip side that Gilgamesh taught and helped Enkidu become more human. Enkidu’s transformation was more physical than mental. Enkidu changed from a hairy beast who ate grass to a human. Enkidu’s change becomes apparent after he has sex with the harlot, Shamhat. He then leaves the jungle and is shown all the human extravagances. 

Where Gilgamesh wishes to be human forever, Utnapishtim tries to explain how life isn’t always good to be alive forever. Utnapishtim was granted immortality but he still ages. That means he has watched all his loved ones grow up, die and leave him. He envies Gilgamesh’s chance to grow old with his kingdom and then die and move one, compared to him who will forever have to live and watch everyone around him move on. Utnapishtim doesn’t know why Eau would give him immortality and give him the burden of watching life and death. 

I think the moral of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is to not take life for granted. Every second that Gilgamesh spent with Enkidu mattered and every second that we breathe and live matters too. As Abraham Lincoln said, “In the end, it’s not the years in our life that count; it’s the life in our years”. Gilgamesh teaches us that we don’t get to live forever so we have to cherish the moments we do live for. I enjoyed the ending of the story but if I were to change anything I would want both Enkidu and Gilgamesh to die and then continue their story in the afterlife. I think that the ending of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is a symbol by itself. Realistically we don’t get to choose when we die and we don’t get to choose who leaves us and that’s a hard lesson that Gilgamesh has to learn. 

In conclusion, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” is filled with lots of life lessons. The main one being friendship. Both Enkidu and Gilgamesh learn the power of friendship and grow in their own characters throughout the story.