There were many important themes in the Epic of Gilgamesh, but the most dominant theme is acceptance of humanity. Gilgamesh is an epic story about our hero Gilgamesh, who throughout the epic is searching for immortality. Gilgamesh was 2/3 God and 1/3 man. Gilgamesh investigates the possibility of immortality following the saddening death of his friend, his brother Enkidu. Gilgamesh, feeling the fear of the possibility of his own mortality searches for a way to preserve himself.
In The Epic of Gilgamesh the main character, Gilgamesh, is searching for immortality. He is in a constant struggle with accepting his humanity. He is in denial. He was so fixated on the part of him that was godly that he didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he was 1/3 human. "Me! Will I too not die like Enkidu? Sorrow was coming into my belly. I fear death; I roam over the hills. I will seize the road; quickly I will go to the house of Utnapishtim, offspring of Ubaratutu. I lift my head to pray to the mood god Sin: For.a dream I go to the gods in prayer: .preserve me!" After the death of his companion Enkidu, Gilgamesh begins to fear death. This fear pushes Gilgamesh to search for the power of eternal life. This takes him on a long and tiresome journey to a land where no mortal has gone before.
Gilgamesh comes to a mountain where he first encounters Shamash who tells him that he will never find the immortality that he is looking for. This upsets Gilgamesh but instead he keeps trying. He continues to search for Utanpishtim, the only person to receive immortality by the gods. "There is no permanence." In spite of the words of the king Gilgamesh is determined to find what he is looking for. He pleads for a chance to receive the gift of eternal life. Utnapishtim offers Gilgamesh a chance at immortality. If Gilgamesh can stay awake for six days and seven nights, he, too, will become immortal. Gilgamesh accepts these conditions and sits down on the shore; the instant he sits down he falls asleep.
