The Epic of Gilgamesh
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Gilgamesh-1.pptx“THE” FIRST EPIC
One of the EARLIEST written TEXTS
The story of a LIFE CHANGING FRIENDSHIP
It’s…
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH (c.1200 B.C.E.)
BACKGROUND INFO:
According to the anthology introduction:
“The Greatest literary composition of ancient Mesopotamia, The Epic of Gilgamesh can rightly be called the first true work of world literature.”
“It began to circulate widely around the ancient Near East as early as 1000 B.C.E., and it was translated into several of the region’s languages.”
“Gilgamesh was an early of the city-state of Uruk in southern Mesopotamia; he lived sometime around 2750 B.C.E.”
SUMMARY IN A Rap SONG
WHAT makes this an EPIC?
Straight forward “history”
Gods
ADVENTURE
Physical and spiritual/ moral journey
Dreams & visions
HERO
This story is MEANT to be READ
There is a lot of repetition, which makes it MEMORABLE
Themes in literature
The theme in a story is its underlying message(s), or 'big idea.' In other words, what critical belief about life is the author trying to convey in the writing of a novel, play, short story or poem? This belief, or idea, transcends cultural barriers. It is usually universal in nature. When a theme is universal, it touches on the human experience, regardless of race or language. It is what the story means. Often, a piece of writing will have more than one theme.
When exploring a theme, think about:
What’s a lesson to be learned from this work?
What did a character or characters experience and change?
What does the literary work say about the world?
Possible themes in gilgamesh
Fears of death and mortality
Fate vs. Action
Conflicts between gods
Gods vs. man
Friendship and love
Hope and redemption
Wisdom through grief
Something else?
THE EPIC BEGINS
Gilgamesh who was a KING, PART GOD AND PART MAN burdened his own people, so they went to the gods for help.
The gods created Enkidu... “as a force of nature” (30.)
Before, Enkidu was WILD and lived with animals, was then TAMED, became part of the HUMAN WORLD, and the harlot taught him everything about being a MAN.
Enkidu kept Gilgamesh away from his bad behavior
THE FRIENSHIP BEGINS…and ENDS
Became friends very quickly
Enkidu civilized Gilgamesh by giving him EMOTIONS and LOVE
Set out on a journey and ran into trouble with the goddess of love, Ishtar.
Gilgamesh disallowed her tries of seducing him, so she asked her father to send a bull to kill them.
Every time the bull snorted, thousands of people fell in cracks and died-symbolizing an EARTHQUAKE.
The gods kill Enkidu and Gilgamesh is left heartbroken.
GILGAMESH GRIEVES
Gilgamesh couldn’t stop grieving over Enkidu and was terrified of his OWN DEATH and MORTALITY.
He went off, determined to find Utnapishtim, so he could avoid death.
At the end, he sees that he isn’t immortal, but he has to change his ways and take care of his city because life goes on, even after he dies.
As the anthology states, “CLASSICALLY EPIC IN ITS LANGUAGE AND STORY” (30.)
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH
WORKS CITED: Damrosch, David. “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Gateways To World Literature through the Early Modern Period. Vol. 1. Ed. Joe Terry. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 29-74. Print. TheMJMak. “The Epic Of Gilgamesh Song.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 12, May. 2012. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
