Gilgamesh's Search for Immortality

Gilgamesh started a journey to find immortality because he did not want to en up like Enkidu, dead. He has so much power and his ego is so high, meaning he is so selfish that he wants to find Utnapishtim, who is said to know what is the secret for living for ever, if desired. He, to be able to get there, needs to pass several different tasks or obstacles in the way. For example, he is afraid of lions, and he enters a forrest of lions. He needs to convince the twin mountains to open the gate, and as well, he does. He then arrives at a tavern, looking so bad that the owner closed the door. As he explained that he was Gilgamesh the king, who fought lions, bulls, Huwawa, and many other tough creatures, she opened. He explained his story, about the death of Enkidu and that he had mourned seven days and seven nights, because he was the companion. he had mourned so much that they said to him "Your face is bitten by hunger or by sorrow" pg 59. Obviously it was not by hunger, but because of his sorrow for Enkidu.He looked for someone to tell him where was this man who knew the way to live forever, and they told him he needed to pass through a sea in which only the gods had. "If I must cross the waters of death, I will." pg. 60. After crossing those waters he meets a man, which he seems to know of. "When I looked at you I thought that you were not a man, one made like me;I had resolved to challenge you as one might challenge a demon, a stranger-adversary. But now I see that you are Utnapishtim, made like me..." pg 65. This is the man that knows which is the secret of eternal life. This man was once mortal, but after surviving a huge flood, he and his wife were turned gods. After telling Gilgamesh his whole life story, this man sends Gilgamesh back home, but his wife convinces him of giving Gilgamesh the way to eternal life. He tells Gilgamesh abou the plant of life, the "How-The-Old-Man-Once-Again-Becomes-A-Young-Man" plant. It was underwater, so Gilgamesh dives in and grabs one. In his way back home, they stopped to rest. Gilgamesh decides he wants to shower, and leaves the plant nearby. A snake smells it, and sees it, and takes the plant away. Gilgamesh feels terrible because his whole journey had now been in vane, and returns to Uruk. There he tells the man of the boat "..Uruk, the city of Gilgamesh".