Help!: What is the nature of the arguments posed to Gilgamesh by scorpions/Siduri?

[Rhondabee]

This is one of the Critical Thinking questions in Smarr. I need some help thinking this through....

 

The whole question reads: How valid are the objections to finding eternal life, which are posed to Gilgamesh by the scorpions and Siduri? What is the nature of these arguments?

 

Basically, the scorpions tell Gilgamesh that if he continues on his quest, he will die and that "these thoughts concern the gods, and them alone." Siduri echoes these thoughts, telling him that "...the gods bestowed on us the ways of death...the gods reserved eternal life for their delight..." and so he should accept his lot and enjoy the life he has.

 

I think those are pretty valid arguments, given that we can't change what we can't change, no?

 

But, I'm just not getting what he's after with "what is the nature" of the arguments. Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

[Michelle in AL]

This is just a guess, but I think the nature of the argument would be the essence of it, so I would say that it is man's neverending quest for eternal life/immortality, which is a theme that has repeated itself in epics throughout the ages. Kind of sounds like a simple answer though.

[Rhondabee]

This is just a guess, but I think the nature of the argument would be the essence of it, so I would say that it is man's neverending quest for eternal life/immortality, which is a theme that has repeated itself in epics throughout the ages. Kind of sounds like a simple answer though.

 

Thanks, that helps.

 

I've been trying to take one question each day, find a thesis, and fill out a graphic organizer so that ds will have some basic outlines to choose from later. I think we could morph it into an analysis of the differing views of life/death/immortality portrayed throughout the book, with this being the concluding thought of the author.

[mcconnellboys]

For me, it seems that man wants always to be in control of his own destiny, even his own immortality. Man is not satisfied to know that he may achieve immortality of the soul, through God (or in the case of Mesopotamians of the time, through the gods, perhaps, or through the fame that will live on after him, etc.). He wants to control it, himself.

 

Even when Utnapushtim tells Gilgamesh that he, himself, tires of immortality, he is still insistent on attempting to achieve it. I wonder sometimes if we mortals feel that by banishing death for even one individual we could banish it entirely from the world and somehow achieve godhead for ourselves....?

 

Oh well, just musing. I think the argument against achieving eternal life for the mortal body is valid in that it seems to hinder the soul from achieving its fullest potential. Human bodies were never meant to be immortal - human souls are, on the other hand, meant for more....