What is humanity? As humans what do we strive for and most of all why are we here? Is there really a purpose or explanation on why we are here? In The epic while Gilgamesh ventures on his journey it seems that is seeking to answer all these questions. During Gilgamesh's expedition he learns many lessons that help him grow as a person and lets us know a little about the beliefs of the people who lived in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers in the second and third millenniums BCE. While reading this story we witness Gilgamesh's growing up, and his quest to answer questions about humanity, getting older, religion, life, and death. All of these are ideas that we may find evident in the meaning of The Epic, and may help animate the story.
             In everyone's life people experience changes whether they are drastic or diminutive. In addition to experiencing changes in our lives, we age and begin to understand some of the events that occur in our life. These are all aspects of getting older. In The Epic Gilgamesh is going through a time in his life where he is very depressed, does not see why his friend has died, and is not sure whether he will be die shortly. "Will you too die as Enkidu did?"(IX, 1). Gilgamesh then starts out on his endeavor to try to unearth the answers to his problems. While on his path to talk to Shamash he begins to try to understand reasons of why there is death in the world, and secrets to questions that humans do not know the answers to. "I come here to visit my elder Utnapishtim, the epitome of both life everlasting and death that is eternal" (IX, 59). His journey is extensive and very tough. Gilgamesh's quest helps him grow mentally and spiritually, and by the end of the journey he begins to understand life.
             By the time Gilgamesh is close to reaching his destination he finds out some of the reasons there is death in the world, and why his brother Enkidu has die...