. This way, he will never be forgotten, and will always continue to live in the memory and stories of generations to come, very similar to Gilgamesh in the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh has a very similar tragic flaw, and that is his search for fame as well as his wanting to be remembered by men long after he has gone. He is always looking for some heroic deed to do in order to set his name in stone, as he calls it. I have not established my name on bricks as my destiny decreed; therefore I will go to the country where cedar is felled. I will set up my name in the place where the names of famous men are written, and where no mans name is written yet.(Epic of Gilgamesh p70). This passage is in regard to his decision to go and kill Humbaba just for the sake of becoming famous, much like the actions of Beowulf. He also says, Then if I fall I leave behind me a name that endures; men will say of me, Gilgamesh has fallen in fight with ferocious Humbaba. Long after the child has been born in my house, they will say it and remember.Indirectly, this quest for fame results in his death. After he and his friend, Enkindu, kill the Bull of Heaven, the gods get angry and kill Enkindu. Gilgamesh becomes so distraught and fearful of death that he spends his last days searching for the answer to immortality, but when he finds it, he loses it and son dies. Likewise, Beowulfs need for fame and feeling of invincibility leads to his death. When a ferocious dragon is threatening Beowulfs kingdom, Beowulf takes it upon himself to destroy it. Now this is more than fifty years after the killing of Grendel, so Beowulf is now an old man. But he still feels like he can do anything and he thinks that if he is going to die, he wants to go out in a memorable way. He is so sure of himself even at this stage in life that he refuses to take an army with him, which would have been the wise choice, but instead takes 12 other warriors to battle a h...
