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Introduction & Overview of The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous

This Study Guide consists of approximately 96 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Epic of Gilgamesh.
This section contains 257 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page)
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The Epic of Gilgamesh Introduction

Although several thousand years old and written on tablets of clay, the Epic ofGilgamesh continues to fascinate contemporary readers with its account of Gilgamesh, ruler of Uruk; his companion, the "wild man" Enkidu; and their exploits together. Generally recognized as the earliest epic cycle yet known— prior to even The Iliad or The Odyssey Gilgamesh was discovered and translated relatively recently. The Epic of Gilgamesh initially caught the attention of biblical critics for its episode of the "Mesopotamian Noah," that is, the character Utnapishtim, who, like his later biblical counterpart, was warned to build a great boat and stock it with animals and his family to avoid a disastrous flood. However, the epic is equally fascinating for the window it opens to the ancient and far-removed Sumerian and Babylonian cultures. Gilgamesh's struggle against the gods, the forces of nature, and his own mortality mirrors the always-contemporary endeavor to find one's...
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This section contains 257 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page)
Purchase our The Epic of Gilgamesh Study Guide
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The Epic of Gilgamesh from BookRags and Gale's For Students Series. ©2005-2006 Thomson Gale, a part of the Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved.
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