after and dies. Enkidu's death so haunts Gilgamesh that he begins a journey to seek eternal life, and so Gilgamesh the mighty hero is transformed into Gilgamesh the broken mortal. The pursuit of immortality leads Gilgamesh to Utnapishtim, an ancient hero who had survived a tragic flood and was given eternal life by the gods. Gilgamesh, following Utnapishtim's advice, finds a plant capable of rendering him immortal, only to have it stolen by a snake while he sleeps.
             The roles of men identified in this story portray those of strength, power, and authority. Gilgamesh epitomizes the ideal hero in the eyes of his society through admirable physical strength, bodily perfection, and bravery. This admiration directly pertains to ancient Mesopotamia and the earliest Sumerian governments. Gilgamesh's image and qualities depict those of an ideal man. He controls a great deal of power and status, for he is believed to be two-thirds divine and one-third human. He also possesses power through his kingship. This demeanor actually seems to be more of a mask, however. Gilgamesh appears to be brave and valiant, but he has moments of extreme cowardness. It is a kind of "tough-guise.
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