In each case, a ritual cleansing marks an important moment in the story. The second half of the epic has Gilgamesh searching for immortality as he deeply mourns Enkidu's death and worries about his own. Gilgamesh learns in the end that death is the fate of all humans, this life is transitory and what passes for immortality is what one leaves behind. The Epic of Gilgamesh confronts a number of important themes, but none is more prominent than that of confronting one’s mortality. Gilgamesh loses the magic plant but transitions to accepting his mortality. Then, Gilgamesh is teased again with the idea of immortality in the form of the secret plant. Utnapishtim, in the Babylonian Gilgamesh epic, survivor of a mythological flood whom Gilgamesh consults about the secret of immortality. Enkidu is transformed, leaving behind the world of animals and nature and entering the world of humans. When the snake sheds its skin, it could be aging or getting younger. This plant could reveal secrets about longer life, if not immortality. ... even the plant of youth being stolen from him at the last moment by a serpent for no reason apart from that it was there. Then, he manages to lose it – to a snake. Gilgamesh bathes himself after acquiring the magic plant to achieve immortality. His transformation is almost complete. Responsibility Rather than presenting a challenge to Gilgamesh, the serpent’s actions allow Gilgamesh to free himself of his attachment to immortality. The gods decide to punish Gilgamesh by the death of Enkidu. Gilgamesh is close to learning his lesson of accepting his own mortality here. Since he had Conclusion English Coursework used the plant on himself, it was evident that he still wanted the plant for Enkidu. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a literary product of Mesopotamia, contains many of the same themes and motifs as the Hebrew Bible. So, Gilgamesh sets out to find the “plant that looks like a box-thorn” sometimes translated to a coral. He searches for Utnapishtim, an immortal man who survived the Great Flood, a … Of course, Gilgamesh fails that test but nevertheless Utnapishtim introduces Gilgamesh to a plant that can restore youth. After gilgamesh got the "immortality" plant and scratched himself with it he was bathing and a snake ate the plant. “Gilgamesh obtains the plant by binding stones to … Supposing the plant was actually effective, Gilgamesh would have logically dived back down to get more of the plant. He grabs the plant; but, instead of immediately eating it, he decides to hang on to it and take it back to his people. Because this is ambiguous, we cannot confirm that immortality existed in the form of a plant. Gilgamesh happily takes the plant for bring to his people in Uruk but the plant gets stolen by a snake along the way (hence the snake’s ability to shed its skin and rejuvenate). As soon as that happened Gilgamesh started to cry. The serpent in Gilgamesh’s story steals the plant from Gilgamesh, who now has no choice but to face his fate. This quote in the epic reveals an ambiguity. Death and Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh.