Gilgamesh: Grieving From Two Points Of View

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhnU9IYTD9c

Enkidu perseves a dream which results to be true about his death. In tablet seven Enkidu is scared and is fearing death. [Then Enlil said that Enkidu must die but Gilgamesh, the gifted, must not die.] Pg. 37 Was not Enkidu made as a replica of Gilgamesh’s powers? [They called the goddess Aruru saying to her: “You made this man. Now create another. Create his double and let the two contend. Let stormy heart contend with stormy heart that peace may come to Uruk once again” Aruru listened and heard and then created]. Why it that they say Gilgamesh has so many more gifts than Enkidu? Gilgamesh begins to feel guilt and sorrow when Enkidu falls sick. [“Why am I left to live while my brother dies? Why should he die and I be spared to live?”] Pg. 5 He is basically asking the same question as I am. I find it interesting and poetic how he repeats the same meaning of the text twice in different words. This is a sort of unusual repetition. Enkidu begins cursing everyone with his fear and anger of death. Enkidu begins cursing everything that made him more civilized and brought him to Gilgamesh. When I think of this I think of the effects of modernization on Indian tribes. Modernization is destroying lots of there beliefs and the first thing they would turn to cure is everything that modernized their culture. This however is natural for someone in fear of death. For example I’ve seen people with cancer act in similar ways, they want to deny death. It’s painful to see a loved one in this state, for I know it with my own eyes. Gilgamesh is watching the pain of his loved one. Seeing a person who you love die slowly and painfully eats you up inside, it is one of the worst feelings I have ever had. I could relate so much to this piece in the book. The ending of tablet seven was very abrupt. [After that Gilgamesh heard the death rattle.]Pg. 43 Although you know his death is coming, the grieving lasted so long that you don’t expect an abrupt death. His whole death in general was very abrupt. In any other story, the story would end without one of its main characters. In tablet eight you feel Gilgamesh’s pain towards Enkidu’s death. This is another part I could relate to. After my loved one passed after a long wave of pain, everyone felt it. Here Gilgamesh is making the whole city feel his pain. [The grief of Gilgamesh for you has been the cause of woe and wailing in the city.] Pg. 47 When someone is grieving everyone around that person can feel the grief. This book is very feeling conscious. Although the events take place a long while back, you can relate to them with your personal experiences.