A/N: I had to write this for school, so I thought I'd post it…I obviously don't own this.
Utnapishtim finished his story, hoping to impress on Gilgamesh just how impossible it was for him to attain immortality. But still, he gave him the choice to attempt it, telling him to stay awake for seven days, a nearly impossible feat for any mortal. If Gilgamesh were able to do this, the gods may close the one-third gap in his divinity. But he highly doubted that this would work. Even this accomplishment may be too small to convince the gods. He was the one man who had found favour with them, surpassing immortality as he had surpassed the waters that covered all other men.
The moment Gilgamesh sat, he fell asleep. Disbelieving, Utnapishtim turned to his wife, "Look at this fellow! He wanted to live forever, but the very moment he sat down, sleep swirled over him, like a fog." It seemed that the gods refused to grant Gilgamesh immortality. None were destined for it, even one who was mostly divine. Convinced that Gilgamesh would attempt to deny the fact that he slept, Utnapishtim told his wife to bake a loaf of bread for every day that Gilgamesh slept. It seemed a brilliant plan, one that would prove to Gilgamesh that no matter how hard he tried, immortality was nearly impossible to come by.
Seven days passed before Utnapishtim woke him, and, as expected, Gilgamesh attempted to state that he had stayed awake. It was human nature, he supposed, that one would lie when the truth was obvious; humans were far from perfection. He showed Gilgamesh the bread, proving that his quest for immortality was fruitless—he was unable to attain anything more than his current division of blood. Gilgamesh lamented about the common nature of death, only saying the truth that Utnapishtim had grown to appreciate fully in his achievement of immortality. Without death, one only kept living. For mortals, death was one of the most prudent stages of living—it ended their story.
However, he told Urshanabi to wash Gilgamesh, to make him look new and presentable, explaining that this was the last time he would be allowed on these shores. None would ever attain immortality, and he didn't want more men to disturb their lives in asking for it. He would no longer have access to the outside world; he would be without the influences of mortals, surpassing them as the gods had done.
None would gain immortality, for all were mortal and must die.