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How Did Gilgamesh Become Selfish

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"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything" (George Bernard Shaw). Gilgamesh is the king of Uruk in The Epic of Gilgamesh, from ancient Mesopotamia. He is the strongest and most handsome of all mortals at one third man and two thirds god. Gilgamesh starts out as a selfish ruler on a quest for eternal life, but eventually learns to seek quality of life over quantity. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh endures immoderation and selfishness, but eventually transforms into a strong leader.
To begin, in the first events of the story, Gilgamesh abandons his wealth and power as a king to go on a quest for eternal life, which is not for good. He believes that he can become immortal even though he is highly incapable because of his selfishness and carelessness. This shows that Gilgamesh is immoderate at this point in time. He does not understand that he is unfit to be granted immortality. "Why, O Gish does thou run about? The life that thou seekest, thou wilt not find" (The Epic of Gilgamesh). This shows that Gilgamesh will not receive immortality. He is selfish for abandoning his vast wealth and power to go on a quest for eternal life. …show more content…
Gilgamesh is tested by Utnapishtim, a god. He challenges Gilgamesh to stay awake for one whole week to prove his worthiness of immortality. As soon as the challenge starts, he falls into a deep sleep, riding his chances of eternal life. Now, Gilgamesh starts to face reality and learns that he will never be immortal. "Abandon your house and build a boat instead. Seek life instead of riches, save yourself" (The Epic of Gilgamesh pg. 23). He decides to put his quest behind him and focus on the rest of his life as a strong and powerful

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