The Allure of Vampires and Immortality :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

The Allure of Vampires and Immortality Humanity has always been fascinated with the allure of deityity and although in the beginning vampires were not a symbol of this, as time passed and society changed so did the ideas and perceptions surrounding them. The most important thing to ask yourself at this point is What is immortality? Unfortunately this isnt as easily answered as asked. The Merriam Webster Dictionary says immortality is the quality or articulate of cosmos immortal esp unending existence while The World Book Encyclopedia states it as the continued and eternal life of a human being after the death of the body. A more humorous definition can be found in The Devils Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce A toy which people cry out for, And on their knees apply for, Dispute, contend and lie for, And if allowed Would be right proud Eternally to die for. While all of these are accurate interpretations to some issue none of them encompass all of what immortality reall y is. The reason for this is simple there is no true definition or guideline by which to follow. Immortality means something various to each and every person on this earth. Down through the ages people dupe been immortalized by deeds, words, songs, poetry, and a number of other endeavors, but some have always sought the elusive Philosophers Stone the answer to true immortality Since the beginning of recorded history, everlasting life has been pursued by old and young, rich and poor. unitary need scarce look to the Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest story in the world, to discover where these roots lay. Gilgemesh, the mighty king and warrior, fearing his own demise, seeks out Utnapishtim, a mortal made immortal by the gods, in the hopes that hell reveal the secret of eternal life. The immortal tells the king of a flower, which when eaten, bestows eternal life. note that the answer is tangible and real, something that can be seen and held. Not immortality for the soul, but f or the body. In the end Gilgamesh fails at his quest, but he is all the wiser for his journeys. The Greeks, too, sought immortality, but it tended to be of a spiritual nature only, because generally the gods were the only ones considered to be true immortals.