Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic of Gilgamesh Study Guide = in your textbook Please Answer in complete sentences. Neatness counts. Background pg. 18 Short Answer: 1. Mesopotamia is present-day ______. 2. What role did the gods play in Mesopotamians’ lives? 3. Look at the following relief. What qualities of Gilgamesh can you infer from this depiction of him as a “colossus.” "Prologue", pg. 19 1. What hints does the Prologue give about Gilgamesh’s quest? 2. What can you conclude about life in Gilgamesh’s day from the importance placed on the rampart, or defensive wall, and other city walls? 3. What quality sets Gilgamesh apart from other characters? “Battle with Humbaba” pg. 19-22 1. Why does the goddess Aruru create Enkidu? Why do you think Enkidu and Gilgamesh eventually become good friends? 2. What is the purpose of the speech in which Gilgamesh says, "If your heart is fearful throw away fear"? 3. According to Gilgamesh, what character traits are required to battle a fierce enemy like Humbaba? 4. Why is the battle with Humbaba classified as an archetypal battle? 5. At first, Gilgamesh is able to confront Humbaba face to face because…. 6. What does Enkidu mean when he advises Gilgamesh, "First entrap the bird, and where shall the chicks run then"? 7. Compared with Enkidu, Gilgamesh seems to be more…. 8. What important lesson does Gilgamesh learn after the battle with Humbaba? “The Death of Enkidu pg. 23-24” 1. Describe the mood of "Enkidu's Dream of the Underworld"? 2. In facing death, Enkidu experiences what emotion? Why? 3. The river "weeps for you" is an example of what type of figurative language? 4. Gilgamesh's description of Enkidu as "the axe at my side" stresses Enkidu's… 5. Gilgamesh's description of death as "this sleep which holds you now" is an example of what type of figurative language? (i.e., simile, metaphor, and personification) 6. "He began to rage like a lion" is an example of what type of figurative language? 7. Enkidu's death chiefly makes Gilgamesh aware of ______.

Paragraph Response: In a well-written paragraph using evidence from the text to support your ideas, answer ONE of the following questions.

Although friends, Gilgamesh and Enkidu differ in important ways. The king is a civilized man of the city, while his companion lived in the wilderness among beasts. The battle with Humbaba and Enkidu's dream bring out other contrasts between the two heroes.

1. (a) How do Gilgamesh and Enkidu differ in their willingness to fight and willingness to spare their opponent? (b) What do these disagreements suggest about their different natures? In the story “Gilgamesh”, Gilgamesh, the main character, and Enkidu differ in their willingness to fight and their personal natures because…….

2. Why do you think that Enkidu, rather than Gilgamesh, is marked for death by the gods and dreams about the underworld? In the story “Gilgamesh”, Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s archetypal sidekick, is marked for death by the gods (for many reasons) due to ______. o See yellow packet for required items in a typical paragraph – see essay checklist and then go to body paragraph section