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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the name of the city Gilgamesh builds?

2. Gilgamesh is ____________, while Enkidu is _____________.

3. Who do the elders send to protect Gilgamesh?

4. What happens to those who go to the cedar forest?

5. Who does Gilgamesh's mother pray to for protection for her son?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Gilgamesh's lamentations for Enkidu.

2. Discuss how Gilgamesh's desire to seek out Utnapishtim at all costs creates an immortal legend for the hero.

3. What does the flood and the salvation of one family represent?

4. What does Enkidu counsel Gilgamesh to do with Humbaba and why?

5. What two things does Gilgamesh dream about and what does his mother say they mean?

6. Why do the scorpion people finally agree to let Gilgamesh pass through the gates into the mountain paths?

7. Discuss Enkidu's interpretations of Gilgamesh's dreams.

8. Why is it significant that Gilgamesh cannot stay awake to pass the test Utnapishtim sets before him?

9. Describe the fight between Enlil and Shamash over which man will die - Gilgamesh or Enkidu.

10. Describe Gilgamesh's character.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of women in the Gilgamesh epic. The courtesan functions to lead Enkidu out of the woods and introduce him to civilization. This could be considered a good event or a bad event. Ishtar becomes enraged when Gilgamesh spurns her love. Ishtar does not easily let her anger go and calls down terrible curses on Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Essay Topic 2

Tablet 3, Column 6, Line 229 notes that Gilgamesh cries after an unrecorded address by the elders. Why do you think the young hero cries at this point? Is he behaving like a pouty child who is being prevented from having his way? Or does Gilgamesh have a moment of realization where the weight of what he has vowed to accomplish hits him? Epic heroes cannot back out of boasts once they are issued so Gilgamesh must follow through with his stated intentions.

Essay Topic 3

Many lines are missing throughout the story. Some are uninterpretable, while others have been destroyed by wear and tear or lost altogether. Discuss the impact missing lines have on the story. How do they affect understanding of events? How difficult is it for translators to piece together a complete story from different manuscripts each with missing lines?

(see the answer keys)

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