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A Hero's Quest For Immortality Analysis

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A Hero’s Quest for Immortality Gilgamesh, just like any other heroes, receives a vision from the gods pertaining to his fate, “The father of the gods has given you kingship, such is your destiny, everlasting life is not your destiny.” It makes no sense at first but as the story progress, we found out that Gilgamesh was never meant to live eternal life. The quest for immortality is a common theme in mythologies. Heroes undergo challenges against gods and supernatural creatures in order to get the desired item that would restore one’s youth. The whole notion of going through all sorts of hardships and perils to achieve eternal life signifies a hero’s fear of death. The famous hero of Greek mythology, Achilles, is said to be invincible since his mother dipped him in the River of Styx, but he still failed to survive when the Trojan prince shot him in his heel. It goes to show that no matter how strong, wise and powerful a hero is, he or she cannot escape the inevitable knocking of death. But in order to get the desired immortal life, a hero must first prove that he or she is worthy to gain such privilege. According to Joseph Campbell, a person should undergo a quest away from his or her comfort zone to unleash one’s capability through challenges and temptations. If a person becomes successful in the given quest, it goes to show that the intending hero …show more content…

As Campbell said, “When we quit thinking primarily about ourselves and our own self-preservation, we undergo a truly heroic transformation of consciousness.” It is revealed to me that the whole quest of Gilgamesh for immortality is not pointless because he became successful in obtaining everlasting life in a sense that his legacy continues to live on. The kingship that the gods bestowed upon him is fulfilled as the people today still remembers and looks up to his unexampled

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