As Gilgamesh wandered through the desert alone. He realized that in his mad state of mind that he was no longer a king, but a man who lost his way. He longed to bring Enkidu back to life, which would end his bitterness and his new found fear of death. Gilgamesh became so fearful of death that he began a quest to discover eternal life, “he yearned to talk to Utnapishtim, the one who had survived the flood and death itself, the one who knew the secret.”(55). A life which he could bring back to his friend. As he travels to find eternal life, he passes the scorpion monster and his wife, travels through the valley, and reaches the sea where he comes across a cottage where Siduri lived. He pounded on the door. As she opened the door she was struck with fear because of Gilgamesh’s appearance. She questioned who he was and he explained that he was a king and that he had killed Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. She took pity on him and let him lie down and rest.
At this point Gilgamesh wants to know how to find Utnapishtim. He is told there is no way to get there. He then goes to find the waters of death, he meets the boat man Urshanabi, whom he tells the same …show more content…
Utnapishtim’s wife asks him to give Gilgamesh something, so Utnapishtim tells him about a plant that is the key to eternal life “I will tell you a secret I have never told. Something to take back with you and guard. There is a plant in the river. Its thorns will prick your hands as a rose thorn pricks but it will give to you new life.” (84). Gilgamesh was dumbfounded, he had no words to express the good news he just received, all he could do was to hug Utnapishtim. Gilgamesh left to find the plant. “When he saw the plant of rich rose color and ambrosial shimmering in the water like a prism of sunlight, he seized it, and cut it into his palms. He saw his blood flow in the water”