The Epic of Gilgamesh/Resources

Overview	Structure	Themes	Characters	Legacy	Resources

Additional Resources for Gilgamesh

Names

• Epic of Gilgamesh
• Gilgamesh
• Enkidu
• Ishtar | Ninsun | Shamhat (the harlot) | Siduri
• Humbaba | Cedar Forest | Bull of Heaven | Scorpion Men
• Anunnaki | Enlil | Gugalanna | Inanna | Shamash (Utu) | Silili
• Utnapishtim and the Flood Myth
• Uruk | Eanna

Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences based on your reading of The Epic of Gilgamesh.

1. Describe Gilgamesh’s nature as he is introduced at the beginning of the epic.
2. What prompts the gods to create Enkidu?
3. How does Enkidu become fully human?
4. What is the significance of Gilgamesh’s dreams about the axe and the star?
5. Why does Gilgamesh reject Ishtar’s proposal of marriage?
6. What does Ishtar do after Gilgamesh kills the Bull of Heaven?
7. What prompts Gilgamesh to undertake his journey to find Utnapishtim?
8. What is the significance of the plant that grows under the water?
9. What does Gilgamesh learn from Utnapishtim about the possibility of immortality?
10. What is the final lesson that Gilgamesh seems to learn at the end of the epic?

Quiz Answer Key

Gilgamesh is introduced as a demigod king, two-thirds divine and one-third human. Though mighty and possessed of vast knowledge, he is also arrogant and oppressive toward his people, particularly the women. The gods create Enkidu in response to the prayers of the people of Uruk, who are suffering under Gilgamesh’s tyranny. Enkidu is intended to be Gilgamesh's equal, challenging his power and bringing peace to the city. Enkidu becomes fully human through his encounter with the temple harlot, Shamhat. Her lovemaking and instruction in the ways of civilized society awaken his human consciousness, leading him to abandon his wild nature. Gilgamesh’s dreams about the axe and the star foreshadow the arrival of Enkidu and the profound bond they will forge. Ninsun interprets these dreams as symbols of a powerful comrade who will bring help and support to Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar’s proposal by recounting the goddess’ history of ill-fated love affairs. He lists her former lovers, all of whom met tragic ends because of her fickle nature, arguing that he too would suffer the same fate. Enraged by Gilgamesh’s rejection and the death of the Bull of Heaven, Ishtar ascends the walls of Uruk and curses Gilgamesh. She then sets up a public lamentation for the Bull, further displaying her anger and thirst for vengeance. Gilgamesh embarks on his journey to find Utnapishtim, the survivor of the Great Flood, after witnessing the death of his beloved companion, Enkidu. He seeks the secret to immortality to overcome his fear of death. The plant that grows under the water represents a chance for Gilgamesh to regain his lost youth. However, when a serpent steals the plant, it symbolizes the fleeting nature of hope and the ultimate impossibility of escaping death for mortals. Utnapishtim teaches Gilgamesh that immortality is an impossibility for humans. He recounts the story of the Great Flood, revealing that the gods granted eternal life only to him and his wife as a unique exception. At the end of the epic, Gilgamesh, though failing to achieve immortality, seems to find a measure of acceptance. He recognizes the enduring legacy he will leave behind through his deeds and the city of Uruk, suggesting a shift in focus from personal immortality to lasting achievement.

Questions for Consideration

The following questions should help you begin thinking about the major themes, characters, and ideas in the primary text.

1. Explore the theme of friendship in The Epic of Gilgamesh, focusing on the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. How does their bond evolve throughout the narrative?
2. Analyze the portrayal of the gods in The Epic of Gilgamesh. How do they interact with humanity, and what does this reveal about Mesopotamian beliefs?
3. Examine the role of women in The Epic of Gilgamesh. How do they influence the actions and destinies of the male characters?
4. Discuss the significance of the natural world in The Epic of Gilgamesh. What symbolic meanings do animals, plants, and landscapes hold within the narrative?
5. Analyze the epic’s treatment of death and mortality. What does the text suggest about the Mesopotamian view of the afterlife, and how does Gilgamesh’s perspective on death shift throughout the narrative?
6. Dreams are so recurrent in Gilgamesh, and so important. They serve as a vehicle of communication between gods and mortals, anticipating events symbolically, but accurately. What narrative function do they serve? That is, why is it useful to know what is going to happen before it does?
7. Discuss the relationship between civilization and nature as characterized by Enkidu. Are these two forces necessarily at odds?
8. What do we mean by “civilized”? How is Enkidu “civilized”? What does he gain? What does he lose?
9. Discuss Humbaba as a metaphor. Is Humbaba a threat to Uruk; does its death serve society in any way?
10. Compare the tyrannical Gilgamesh from the epic’s beginning with the sagacious monarch of the epic’s end. How has Gilgamesh grown? How does his knowledge benefit his community? Has he satisfied his role as the epic hero?
11. One critic has called Gilgamesh a “tragedy of mortality.” Discuss possible meanings. Is there any evidence in the poem that the citizens of Uruk believe in an afterlife?
12. What is the significance of the flood narrative in the epic?
13. Discuss the ways that Gilgamesh’s quest was (un)successful.
14. View the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation called “Darmok.” How does "Darmok" help with your understanding of Gilgamesh and how myth works in our culture?
15. Is Picard’s account of the Gilgamesh legend accurate? Discuss the implications.
16. “Darmok” suggests a reason for the continuing importance of myth. Discuss your interpretation of “Darmok” and myth as important to our lives today.

Secondary Sources

• Damrosch, David (May 2017). "Epic Hero". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2018-08-17. How a self-taught British genius rediscovered the Mesopotamian saga of Gilgamesh after 2500 years.
• Ferry, David, ed. (1992). Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse. Translated by Ferry, David. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Foster, Benjamin R., ed. (2019). The Epic of Gilgamesh. Norton Critical Edition. Translated by Foster, Benjamin R. (Second ed.). New York: W. W. Norton.
• Freeman, Philip (August 2012). "Lessons from a Demigod". Humanities. 33 (4). Retrieved 2018-08-17.
• George, Andrew (1999). "Introduction". The Epic of Gilgamesh. New York: Penguin. pp. xiii–lii.
• Helle, Sophus, ed. (2021). Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic. Translated by Helle, Sophus. New Haven: Yale UP. Contains an introduction and essays.
• Marks, John H. (1972). "Gilgamesh: An Afterward". Gilgamesh. Translated by Mason, Herbert. New York: Mentor.
• Mitchell, Stephen, ed. (2004). Gilgamesh: A New English Version. New York: Free Press.
• Moran, William L. (1992). "Introduction". In Ferry, David. Gilgamesh: A New Rendering in English Verse. Translated by Ferry, David. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Pryke, Louise (May 7, 2017). "Guide to the Classics: the Epic of Gilgamesh". The Conversation. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
• Rugnetta, Mike (Presenter) (September 8, 2017). The Epic of Gilgamesh (Video). YouTube: Crash Course World Mythology #26. Retrieved 2018-08-17.

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