Scared to Death

I don’t understand Gilgamesh’s reaction. He claims he was Enkidu’s companion and brother Enkidu “I grieve for the death of Enkidu, the companion.”(pg.59), but he isn’t showing it at all. He has now decided to search for immortality and escape death. He has abandoned Enkidu in the underworld, and won’t accompany him in the darkness of death. Enkidu, which did so much for Gilgamesh, is now destined to stay alone in the underworld, while Gilgamesh fights to escape death, forgetting his promise that two companions would prevail. He was so spooked by death, “…I saw a worm fall out of his nose. Must I die too? Must Gilgamesh be like that?” (pg.56) that he has decided to waste all his time and energy on something that is nearly impossible, like escaping death, instead of trying something that is equally hard, but less selfish, like trying to bring Enkidu back from the Underworld. Personally, I think Enkidu is being very selfish and disloyal to his brother and companion Enkidu, who had to die for something Gilgamesh also did.