CCSS
R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.7, W.1, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6
The Doomed Quest
A famous king wants to live forever . . . and it might just kill him.
Based on The Epic of Gilgamesh
Art by Juan Carlos Ribas
CHARACTERS
*Starred characters have larger speaking parts.
PROLOGUE
N1: This is an ancient story—one of the oldest.
N2: It is the tale of a king named Gilgamesh
N3: Gilgamesh could sometimes be a cruel, selfish leader.
N1: He had never had a friend—until he met Enkidu.
N2: Together, they helped the city of Uruk [U-ruhk].
N3: But then Enkidu became very ill.
N1: And nothing would ever be the same.
SCENE 1
The Palace
© The Trustees of the British Museum/Art Resource, NY
This clay tablet is nearly 3,600 years old! It contains parts of The Epic of Gilgamesh.
N2: Gilgamesh sits on a golden throne.
N3: Two elders kneel at his feet.
Gilgamesh: How is Enkidu today?
Elder 1: Not good.
Elder 2: We have tried everything. His illness is a mystery.
Gilgamesh: Enkidu is like a brother to me. Heal him!
N1: The elders rush off. As they do, a teen girl and a young boy kneel in front of the king.
Gilgamesh: Why have you come?
Anisa: Our mother is dead. Our father went on a hunt days ago and has not returned.
Amar: We are running out of food.
N2: The king holds out a handful of silver coins.
Gilgamesh: Take these.
Anisa: Thank you, kind king!
N3: The elders rush back in.
Elder 1: Sir, Enkidu is calling for you.
N1: Gilgamesh hurries to see him.
N2: Enkidu lies on a pile of pillows. His skin is pale.
Enkidu: I fear this is the end.
Gilgamesh: No, Enkidu, no!
N3: Enkidu takes one last breath and dies.
N1: The king sobs over his friend’s body.
SCENE 2
The Forest
N2: Gilgamesh storms through the forest screaming.
Gilgamesh: Aaaaah!
N3: The two elders walk up slowly. The king stops.
Gilgamesh (out of breath): I have tried everything! Nothing stops the pain of Enkidu’s death.
Elder 1: You will feel better in time, I promise.
Gilgamesh: Everywhere I turn, I see death. How can I go on living knowing that I too will die?
Elder 2: Death is something we must all accept.
Gilgamesh: I do not want to accept death. I want to overcome it.
Elder 1: That is not possible.
Gilgamesh: There is a man called the Distant One who became immortal. I will find him and learn his secret.
Elder 2: The Distant One lives past the Great Mountains and beyond the end of the ocean. No human has ever traveled there.
Gilgamesh: Then I will be the first!
Elder 1: But the people of Uruk need you!
Gilgamesh: Nothing matters more to me than becoming immortal.
SCENE 3
The Great Mountains
N1: Gilgamesh stands at the bottom of the Great Mountains and looks up.
Gilgamesh: These mountains touch the sky. No human could climb them.
N2: Then he notices a dark tunnel cut through the mountains.
N3: As he walks toward it, two giant scorpions run out.
Scorpion 1: Who dares come here?
Gilgamesh: I am Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. I am on a quest to find the Distant One.
Scorpion 2: Your quest is useless. The dangers are too great. You cannot go through the tunnel.
Gilgamesh: Why not?
Scorpion 1: At the end of each day, the sun passes through this tunnel. Anything inside gets burned to a crisp.
Gilgamesh: So I will beat the sun! Nothing you say can stop me.
N1: Gilgamesh steps into the darkness.
Scorpion 2: Foolish man!
N2: Inside the tunnel, Gilgamesh pushes forward. Hours pass. Sweat pours down his face.
N3: He runs faster, his muscles aching.
N1: The king stumbles out of the tunnel and falls down just as the sun shoots in.
N2: He hears a familiar voice. It is the spirit of Enkidu.
Enkidu: My brother. Why are you on this quest?
Gilgamesh: Because I never understood how short life is. We are given so few years.
Enkidu: Perhaps years are not the best measure of a life.
Gilgamesh: I do not understand.
Enkidu: Gilgamesh, you are a king. Go home. Rule your city. Enjoy your life!
Gilgamesh: I enjoy nothing since you died.
Art by Juan Carlos Ribas; Jim McMahon/Mapman ® (Map)
The World of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh was written around 4,000 years ago. It takes place in the city of Uruk in ancient Sumer (present-day Iraq). Gilgamesh is likely based on one of Uruk’s actual kings.
SCENE 4
The Edge of the Ocean
N3: Gilgamesh walks up to a boatman at the edge of the ocean.
Boatman: What are you doing here?
Gilgamesh: I am going to see the Distant One. Will you row me across the waters?
Boatman: I cannot. Taking you to the Farthest Shore means crossing the Waters of Death! If one drop touches your skin, you will die.
N1: Gilgamesh pauses to think.
Gilgamesh: I know how we can cross safely!
N2: Gilgamesh goes off to the forest with his ax.
N3: He later returns with a stack of wood poles, each 100 feet long. He places them in the boat.
N1: The two men take off. When they get to the Waters of Death, Gilgamesh gently lowers a pole into the water.
Boatman: Do not make even the slightest splash!
N2: Gilgamesh sticks the pole in the seafloor and uses it to propel the boat forward. Then he lets go.
N3: He does this over and over until they reach the Farthest Shore.
N1: There, the Distant One is lying under a tree.
N2: His hands are wrinkled. His long beard is white.
Distant One: What stranger is this?
Boatman: This is King Gilgamesh. He is on a quest to overcome death.
Distant One: Death comes for all. This is what it means to be human.
Gilgamesh: No! I want to be immortal like you.
Distant One: Do you? Everyone I care about dies. Yet I remain.
N3: The Distant One narrows his eyes.
Distant One: You have abandoned your kingdom for this foolish quest?
Gilgamesh: Yes! My people can manage without me. I will not go back until you share your secret.
Distant One: Here is what I can offer you . . .
N1: The Distant One pulls out a small, prickly plant.
Distant One: If you eat this plant, you will become young again.
Gilgamesh: Thank you! Thank you deeply!
Distant One: I hope you find peace, King Gilgamesh.
Art by Juan Carlos Ribas
Taking Risks
To reach the Distant One, Gilgamesh had to cross the Waters of Death. It was a huge risk: One drop of the water on his skin could kill him!
SCENE 5
The City of Uruk
N2: Back in Uruk, Amar and Anisa search for food.
N3: The city has been badly damaged in a battle.
N1: Buildings have crumbled. Small fires burn.
Elder 1: Without our king, the attacks on Uruk will continue!
Elder 2: Other kingdoms know we are vulnerable!
Elder 1: They want to take us over!
Elder 2: Our king has abandoned us!
SCENE 6
The Streamside
N2: Meanwhile, Gilgamesh makes his way home. He stops at a sparkling stream.
N3: Thirsty, he sets the prickly plant down to drink some water.
N1: When he looks up, a snake is slithering away with the plant in its mouth!
Gilgamesh: No! No! NO!
N2: The spirit of Enkidu appears.
Enkidu: You cannot escape death. You cannot stay young forever.
Gilgamesh: I must!
Enkidu: You can be upset—or you can stop wishing for something you can never have. Which will you choose?
SCENE 7
The City of Uruk
N3: It is a cold morning in Uruk. People rush about.
N1: No one recognizes the tired, dirty man walking through the streets.
Gilgamesh (looking up): How beautiful this temple is! I remember the day I built it.
N2: He then pauses to admire the gardens, the homes. It’s as if he’s seeing Uruk for the first time.
N3: In the town square, he finds his people preparing for battle.
Elder 1: The army must be getting close.
Amar: I am afraid.
Anisa: Me too.
Gilgamesh: Do not be afraid! I am back!
N1: All heads turn toward the king.
Elder 2: My king, did you find what you were looking for?
Gilgamesh: Yes, but not in the way I expected.
Elder 1: You have been gone so long. Our enemies are preparing to destroy us.
Gilgamesh: Let them know I will stop at nothing to protect my people! If I die in battle, this great city will live on after I am gone. In that way, I will be immortal.
N2: And Gilgamesh does protect his people. He also builds temples, plants gardens, and starts schools.
N3: By the time he dies many years later, Uruk is the largest city in the world.
All: All hail the king!
Shutterstock.com
A Sneaky Steal!
A snake took away Gilgamesh’s best chance at living forever. What do you think: Did the snake hurt him—or help him?
ACTIVITY:
Inference
You’ve just read “The Doomed Quest.” Now it’s time to do this activity.
What to do: Imagine that you’re Gilgamesh, writing in your journal after your quest. Make inferences to complete each sentence below. For clues, go back and look at the play.
Tip: An inference is something that is not stated but can be figured out from clues in the text.
After Enkidu died, I couldn’t stop thinking about
Hint: Look for clues in Scene 2.
I went to see the Distant One, hoping that
Hint: Look for clues in Scenes 2 and 4.
But for the Distant One, living forever had turned out to be
Hint: Look for clues in Scene 4.
I learned that there’s something more important than living forever:
Hint: Look for clues in Scenes 6 and 7.
