Life After Death Anonymous College

The Epic of Gilgamesh focuses on the inevitability of death and the ways mortals can come to terms with their mortality. In the classical Babylonian epic, He Who Saw the Deep, Gilgamesh is a mighty king who longs to achieve fame and glory, unafraid of death. After the death of a beloved friend, however, he fears death and seeks to find a way to immortality. However, by the end of the epic, he realizes that death is not as scary as it seems and that his actions in life matter more than his impending death. In the more ancient Sumerian version, The Death of Bilgames, legacy is the most critical factor, and Bilgames is consoled by the promise that he will be commemorated even after his death. Thus, although Gilgamesh comes to terms with his mortality in both He Who Saw the Deep and The Death of Bilgames, the path he takes to come to that realization differs. The classical epic emphasizes death as the culmination of the quality of one’s life, while the more ancient version focuses on the legacy left behind.

In both He Who Saw the Deep and The Death of Bilgames, the inevitability of death is emphasized to a great extent, as well as living life to the fullest. Both life and death are tied together, and Gilgamesh initially realizes...