Gilgamesh: His Road to Virtue
Herbert Mason’s book, Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative, depicts how a man evolves into a human being who experiences emotions he has never felt before. Gilgamesh begins the tale as a heartless man, but his friendship with Enkidu enlightens him, which allows him to become a virtuous person. Initially, Gilgamesh acts like a god. He feels untouchable and emotionless until he forges a friendship with Enkidu. This deep human connection between the two men is then lost, marking the start of Gilgamesh’s journey where he acquires the traits of three cardinal virtues: fortitude, justice, and prudence.
In the beginning, Gilgamesh is not a just person and fails to respect other people. He “ was a tyrant to his people,” overworking them with no regard for them as human beings (Mason 15). He is oblivious to the world around him and does not understand how every choice that he makes consequently affects others. Gilgamesh’s behavior changes for the first time when Enkidu is hurt during their quest. Gilgamesh shows grief and appeals to “his mother and to the elders…to save his friend” (Mason 48). It is then, when he knows that his friend is close to death, that he is able to express compassion for another person. In addition to becoming a just person, Gilgamesh also gains wisdom.
Gilgamesh originally lacks the wisdom he needs to make good decisions and does things because he feels that he is privileged, regardless of if they are right or wrong. Mason illustrates this stating: “He demanded, from an old birthright, the privilege of sleeping with their brides before the husbands were permitted” (15). In addition, his lack of knowledge allows him to believe that he can somehow escape death and the sorrow that it brings. By the end of the story, however, Gilgamesh comes to the realization that death is inevitable. Although Gilgamesh has to surpass obstacles in order to gain wisdom and show respect for others, he shows courage throughout the story.
The last virtue that Gilgamesh demonstrates is fortitude. He seeks out Humbaba in order to show his people that the “boundaries set up by the gods are not unbreakable” (Mason 30). Even though he shows courage here, it is somewhat misguided. His lack of fear and misconception of death prevent him from taking Enkidu’s pleas to avoid Humbaba seriously. He tells Enkidu that he will not be discouraged “ with fears and hesitations” (Mason 30). It is not until he experiences Enkidu’s death that he is aware of his own mortality. This realization strikes fear into his mind and body, but also gives him a renowned sense of courage as he embarks on the quest to seek immortality. Unlike the other virtues that he acquires, Gilgamesh doesn’t gradually obtain courage. He is constantly immersed in a tug of war with himself as he realizes what he fears the most and struggles to overcome it.
The suffering that Gilgamesh endures is all for the greater good. He changes for the better and eventually makes sense of the sorrow that he feels. Enkidu and Gilgamesh’s friendship, although short, allows Gilgamesh to evolve as a human being and learn from his experiences. He is now susceptible to the “special grief” of being human (Mason 54). Overall, Gilgamesh becomes a more virtuous person by showing courage and justice. He also gains wisdom from his friendship with Enkidu and through the journey that he endures alone.

Work Cited
Mason, Herbert. Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.