Writing ( it has some reading )

Select the Activity question you wish to respond to. Make a copy of the question to begin your Activity. Post your response to theActivity 1: Gilgamesh Forum in Blackboard. Please title your response "Activity 1." I will comment on your Activity on the Forum, and send you your grade privately, by email. If you choose the Double Credit option, you must indicate that at the top of your essay and you must develop your ideas and supports substantially more fully than for a single credit Activity. A double credit Activity should be at least 500 words in length; it may be more.

The chili peppers indicate the degree of difficulty of each Activity. One chili pepper is pretty easy. Two chili peppers are more difficult. Three chili peppers indicate a challenging Activity. However, your grade does not depend on the number of chili peppers, but on how well you deal with the Activity you select.

1)originally, Enkidu was part animal and part man. Discuss how the harlot transformed Enkidu into a human being by first seducing him and then luring him to civilization. Develop your ideas by referring to specific incidents in the story.

2) As he lies dying, Enkidu curses the harlot, and then revokes his curse and blesses her. Do you think he was better off in his natural, animal, state, or as a civilized man? Support your opinion with specific examples from the story.

3) Underworlds are generally places of the dead, and/or of underground divinities. These places are dangerous and difficult for living persons to enter and hard to leave. Why does Gilgamesh go to the underworld, and what does he learn there? Use specific examples from the story to support your main points.

4 )There are actually TWO underworlds in the story of Gilgamesh: 1) the underworld that Gilgamesh visits seeking immortality and 2) the terrible underworld of death that Enkidu sees in a vision as he is dying. Examine each underworld closely and then try to explain why you think there are two such different "underworlds" in this ancient story. Do they have different purposes? Is one only for immortals? Use plenty of specific examples from both underworlds to support your ideas.

5-Compare the characters of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Who was the more heroic? Why? Begin with an explanation of what YOU consider heroic and see if it is similar to what is considered heroic in the story. Support your argument with plenty of specific examples from the story.

6 -Gilgamesh and Enkidu's greatest adventures are against monstrous primary forces of nature: Humbaba and the Bull of the Sun, which are creatures of the gods. Discuss the role of monstrous creatures in  Gilgamesh  and pay attention to their close connections to the gods. Support your discussion with specific examples from the story.

7 Make a list of all of the female characters in  Gilgamesh . Write a brief description of each and what she does in the story. Can you get any general ideas about the roles of women in ancient Sumeria from this? Explain, using specific examples from the story.