Question

What causes the flood in Epic of gilgamesh?

Answer 1

The flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh is caused by the Mesopotamian gods as a form of divine retribution. Gilgamesh's subsequent quest for immortality and transformation into a wiser ruler reflects the capriciousness of the gods and the human struggle against the inevitability of death.

Step-by-step explanation:

The flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh is caused by the gods, who decide to bring about a flood to sweep humanity away. In the narrative, the gods, especially the storm god Enlil, are portrayed as capricious and are known to bring about great destruction for reasons that can sometimes seem trivial to humans. Enlil, in one story, nearly destroyed the human race with a flood because the noise they made prevented him from sleeping. The flood serves as a central plot device in the Epic of Gilgamesh, highlighting themes such as the capricious nature of the gods and the quest for immortality, which the protagonist, Gilgamesh, embarks upon following the death of his friend Enkidu.

Gilgamesh is deeply affected by the death and perceived unfairness of mortality, which leads him on a journey for eternal life. However, he ultimately learns that immortality is out of human reach when a serpent steals a renewing plant from him. Through this, Gilgamesh becomes a wiser and more considerate ruler upon returning to his city, Uruk. The narrative of the flood in the epic is a reflection of Mesopotamian views on divine retribution and the vulnerability of humanity in the face of the gods' will.

Answer 2

Answer: The Sumerian hero Gilgamesh traveled the world in search of a way to cheat death. On one pf his journeys, he came across an old man Utnapishtim, who told Gilgamesh a story from centuries past. The gods brought a flood that swallowed the earth. The gods were angry at mankind so they sent a flood to destroy him.

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