The Epic of Gilgamesh

A summary of the earliest known epic poem

Microsoft Word Version

Characters

Gilgamesh	The troubled king of Erech, a Sumerian city state. (The first epic hero)
Enkidu	A wild man sent to humble Gilgamesh who becomes his best friend
Inanna	The Sumerian Goddess of Sexual Love and the planet Venus (in Babylon known as Ishtar, in Greece known as Aphrodite, in Rome known as Venus)
Ziusudra	The Sumerian Noah who built an arc to survive a great flood sent by the gods

Key Concepts

Epic

Paragraph

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Epic of Gilgamesh

Writers group sentences into paragraphs to make their ideas clearer and more memorable. Paragraphing also makes writing easier to read.

A paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one main idea. Although shorter paragraphs tend to be more readable, a good paragraph may have dozens of sentences. Some sentences contain important details or supporting information. Supporting sentences can be of critical importance or they can simply add interesting “flavor”. Some sentences can work to transition between two paragraphs. All these sentences, read together, should generate a single idea, impression, or event in a readers mind.

Good writers will naturally have different ways of grouping their ideas together. Use a pencil (because you will change your mind and need to erase) to box together paragraphs or mark paragraph breaks with a “¶”. (This is symbol writers, editors, and teachers use to show how sentences can be grouped together.). USE SHORT, CLEAR, PHRASES to describe the main ideas of the paragraphs you identify. (There will probably NOT be 10 paragraphs in this piece of writing.)

Paragraph	Number of Sentences	Main Idea
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Epic of Gilgamesh

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Use a pencil to group these sentences into paragraphs using boxes or the ¶ symbol

When the story begins Gilgamesh is very troubled by the idea of death. In many ways he is a good, heroic king, but he is a boastful and arrogant tyrant. Worse, no one’s daughter, wife, or sister is safe from his appalling lust. The people cry out to the gods to humble their king. The Earth Mother makes Enkidu, a wild man, out of clay. Enkidu is sent to defeat Gilgamesh, but first he meets a woman, an expert in the arts of love. Sex with her calms Enkidu and brings him some wisdom. When they finally meet, the citified Gilgamesh invites the innocent Enkidu to an orgy where many women are waiting. Enkidu is disgusted by the idea and the two fight a ferocious battle. Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw; neither one can defeat the other. They become the best of friends. Their many adventures give Gilgamesh hope that at least his name might live forever. Their great deeds draw the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love. She eagerly offers herself to Gilgamesh, but he rudely sends her away, knowing that sex with her means eventual death. This insult cannot go unpunished. Inanna arranges for the Bull of Heaven to attack Gilgamesh’s city. The two heroes destroy the terrible beast. The angry gods then send a wasting sickness on Enkidu who dies and goes to the underworld. Gilgamesh is distraught, but more determined than ever to overcome death. Gilgamesh sets out on an exhausting journey to find ancient Ziusudra, the only man ever allowed to live forever. Ziusudra tells his own story. As a young man he heard the gods resolve to destroy mankind with a great flood. Ziusudra built an arc, saving himself, his family, and his animals. When the waters cleared, the gods rewarded him with eternal life, but Ziusudra will not offer much hope. Life is a gift of the gods who do not choose to spare anyone else from death. Ziusudra’s wife persuades him to reveal that at the bottom of the sea there is a plant that brings everlasting youth. Gilgamesh travels to the shore and is able to dive deep enough to find and take it. Just before he safely arrives home, the gods send a snake to seize the magical plant while Gilgamesh bathes. The hero is forced to admit defeat and accept that he will surely die someday. As a mercy, the gods allow the shade of Enkidu to visit Gilgamesh and describe the few joys and many sorrows of the underworld. The poem ends with a long list of types of people and how they fare after death

Name_______________________ Date__________________________

The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Gilgamesh stories were first written by ancient Sumerians. Centuries later they were compiled into a twelve-part epic by the Babylonians

When the story begins Gilgamesh is very troubled by the idea of death. In many ways he is a good, heroic king, but he is a boastful and arrogant tyrant. Worse, no one’s daughter, wife, or sister is safe from his appalling lust. The people cry out to the gods to humble their king. The Earth Mother makes Enkidu, a wild man, out of clay. Enkidu is sent to defeat Gilgamesh, but first he meets a woman, an expert in the arts of love. Sex with her calms Enkidu and brings him some wisdom. When they finally meet, Gilgamesh invites Enkidu to an orgy where many women are waiting. Enkidu is disgusted by the idea and the two fight a ferocious battle. Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw, neither one can defeat the other. They become the best of friends. Their many adventures give Gilgamesh hope that at least his name might live forever. Their great deeds draw the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love. She eagerly offers herself to Gilgamesh, but he rudely sends her away, knowing that sex with her means eventual death. This insult cannot go unpunished. Inanna arranges for the Bull of Heaven to attack Gilgamesh’s city. The two heroes destroy the terrible beast. The angry gods then send a wasting sickness on Enkidu who dies and goes to the underworld. Gilgamesh is distraught, but more determined than ever to overcome death. Gilgamesh sets out on an exhausting journey to find ancient Ziusudra, the only man ever allowed to live forever. Ziusudra tells his own

story. As a young man he heard the gods resolve to destroy mankind with a great flood. Ziusudra built an arc, saving himself, his family, and his animals. When the waters cleared, the gods rewarded him with everlasting life, but Ziusudra will not offer much hope. Life is a gift of the gods who do not choose to spare anyone else from death. Ziusudra’s wife persuades him to reveal that at the bottom of the sea there is a plant that brings everlasting youth. Gilgamesh travels to the shore and is able to dive deep enough to find and take it. Just before he safely arrives home, the gods send a snake to seize the magical plant while Gilgamesh bathes. The hero is forced to admit defeat and accept that he will surely die someday. As a mercy, the gods allow the shade of Enkidu to visit Gilgamesh and describe the few joys and many sorrows of the underworld. The poem ends with a long list of types of people and how they fare after death. 1. The main idea (or theme) of the Epic of Gilgamesh seems to be . . . a) How a good king should behave to his friends and subjects b) The importance of good judgment, wisdom and kindness c) The importance of love between friends and between men and women d) The gods cannot be controlled and all men must die

2. “When the story begins Gilgamesh is very troubled by the idea of death.” Which of the following would NOT be a correct way to revise the above sentence? a) When the story begins Gilgamesh is very troubled. He is troubled by the idea of death. b) Gilgamesh was very troubled when the story began. The idea of death was upsetting to him c) When the story begins Gilgamesh is very troubled. The idea of death. d) The idea of death is very troubling to Gilgamesh as the story begins. 3. “Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw; neither one can defeat the other.” Which of the following would be the best revision of the above sentence? a) Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw where neither one can defeat the other b) Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw where, neither one can defeat the other. c) Gilgamesh and, Enkidu battle to a draw where neither one can defeat the other d) Gilgamesh and Enkidu battle to a draw where. Neither one can defeat the other. 4. “Their great deeds draw the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love.” Which of the following revisions of the above sentence best preserves its meaning? a) Their great deeds reveal the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love. b) Their great deeds attract the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love. c) Their great deeds hide the attention of Inanna, the goddess of love d) Their great deeds repulse the attention of Innanna, the goddess of love.

5. “Gilgamesh is distraught, but more determined than ever to overcome death.” Which of the following revisions of the above sentence best preserves its meaning? a) Gilgamish is upset, but more determined than ever to provoke death b) Gilgamesh is delighted, but more determined than ever to cheat death c) Gilgamesh is very distressed, but even more determined to defeat death d) Gilgamesh is deluded and more determined than ever to suffer death. 6. In this summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh, which events are told in the past tense? a) The Earth Mother makes Enkidu out of clay b) Ziusudra tells the story of the Great Flood c) The heroes save their city from The Bull of Heaven d) Enkidu dies of a wasting diease. 7. “Ziusudra’s wife persuades him to reveal that at the bottom of the sea there is a plant that brings everlasting youth.” Which of the following revisions of the above sentence best preserves its meaning? a) Ziusudra’s wife makes him tell Gilgamesh about a plant that brings eternal youth b) Ziusudra’s wife dares him to tell Gilgamesh about an aquatic plant of youth c) Ziusudra’s wife makes Gilgamesh tell Ziusudra about a youth preserving plant d) Ziusudra’s wife tells Gilgamesh about a plant that brings everlasting youth.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Word Bank

Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
summary	summarized, summary	summarize	summarily
revision	revised	revise
	aquatic		aquatically
	everlasting		everlastingly
revelation	revealed, revealing	reveal	revealingly
preserve, preservation	preserved, preserving	preserve
event	eventual		eventually
hero	heroic,		heroically
waste	wasting, wasteful, wasted	waste	wastefully
tense
	distraught
determination	determined	determine	determinedly
defeat	defeated	defeat
draw	drawn	draw
deed		do
attention	attentive		attentively
draw
battle	battling, embattled	battle
trouble	troubled, troubling	trouble	troublingly
idea	ideal	idealize	ideally
beginning		begin
death	dead	die	deadly
epic	epical		epically
importance	important		importantly

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Across

1 (v) to look at again - especially with an eye toward making changes or improvements in the written form, to change or amend

4 (adj) the quality of being under attack, constantly assaulted, challenged, or criticized

6 (v) to show what was once hidden, to uncover

10 (adj) having meaning or consequences

11 (v) to cause problems or difficulties, to worry or distract

14 (n) an accomplishment or action (usually something memorable whether for good or bad reasons)

15 (adj) extremely upset, unable to cope, overcome with emotion

16 (v) to shorten (to make a long story short)

19 (adj) that which makes someone slowly sicken and die

20 (adj) not immediate, something that will happen sometime in the future

21 (v) to make useless, to spoil or go bad, to destroy or kill

23 (n) a change in a verb form to indicate time (past, present, or future)

24 (n) start

Epic of Gilgamesh

Down

2 (n) a short version covering the main ideas and most important details

3 (n) problems or difficulties

5 (n) a tie, a situation where two opponents are evenly matched and neither one can prevail

7 (n) a sudden and enlightening insight, a surprising new understanding

8 (v) to pull towards, to drag or pull along

9 (n) a quality that resists surrender or giving up, the quality that allows one to persist despite frustrations or difficulties

12 (n) the end of life

13 (n) a concept or mental image, an understanding or clue

15 (v) to conquer, to subdue, to win over, to overcome

16 (adj) quick, without ceremony or care

17 (n) focus, directed and persistent care

18 (n) a fight

20 (n) a long poem describing heroic deeds which often reveals the character of a certain people or civilization, a significant adventure or tale of such an adventure

22 (n) a person who has accomplished difficult, daring, or inspiring deeds

Crossword Key (Definitions)

summary	(n) a short version covering the main ideas and most important details
summarize	(v) to shorten (to make a long story short)
summary	(adj) quick, without ceremony or care
revise	(v) to look at again – especially with an eye toward making changes or improvements in the written form, to change or amend
reveal	(v) to show what was once hidden, to uncover
revelation	(n) a sudden and enlightening insight, a surprising new understanding
eventual	(adj) not immediate, something that will happen sometime in the future
hero	(n) a person who has accomplished difficult, daring, or inspiring deeds
waste	(v) to make useless, to spoil or go bad, to destroy or kill
wasting	(adj) that which makes someone slowly sicken and die
tense	(n) a change in a verb form to indicate time (past, present, or future)
distraught	(adj) extremely upset, unable to cope, overcome with emotion
determination	(n) a quality that resists surrender or giving up, the quality that allows one to persist despite frustrations or difficulties
defeat	(v) to conquer, to subdue, to win over, to overcome
draw	(n) a tie, a situation where two opponents are evenly matched and neither one can prevail
deed	(n) an accomplishment or action (usually something memorable whether for good or bad reasons)
attention	(n) focus, directed and persistent care
draw	(v) to pull towards, to drag or pull along
battle	(n) a fight
embattled	(adj) the quality of being under attack, constantly assaulted, challenged, or criticized
trouble	(n) problems or difficulties
trouble	(v) to cause problems or difficulties, to worry or distract
idea	(n) a concept or mental image, an understanding or clue
beginning	(n) start
death	(n) the end of life
epic	(n) a long poem describing heroic deeds which often reveals the character of a certain people or civilization, a significant adventure or tale of such an adventure
importance	(adj) having meaning or consequences