Final answer:
After battling Humbaba, Gilgamesh grapples with the realization that his victory does not bring him closer to immortality, while Enkidu feels a conflict between loyalty to Gilgamesh and guilt for their defiance of the gods. Both face the consequences of their quest for greatness and the recognition of human mortality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Following the battle with Humbaba, Gilgamesh might be contending with a mixture of pride and unease. He has just achieved a remarkable feat, defeating a monstrous guardian and proving his might as a warrior. Yet, within the recesses of his mind, there's a realization that this victory brings him no closer to his ultimate desire: escaping death. This moment of triumph is marred by the understanding of the futility in seeking immortality. He feels the weight of mortality, aware now more than ever of the fleeting nature of life and his own vulnerabilities.
For Enkidu, the battle with Humbaba may bring forth complex emotions. Once a creature of the wild, Enkidu has been transformed by his friendship with Gilgamesh, adopting human ways and engaging in acts of heroism. However, the battle's aftermath provokes a reflection on the cost of such transformations. A twinge of guilt for his participation in killing a creature of the forest may plague him, and there is a sense of being caught between the worlds of nature he once belonged to and the civilization he now inhabits. Enkidu grapples with reconciling his loyalty to his friend with the implications of their actions and their defiance of the gods, which foreshadows the divine retribution that soon befalls him.