BookRags.com Literature Guides Literature
Guides
Criticism & Essays Criticism &
Essays
Questions & Answers Questions &
Answers
Lesson Plans Lesson
Plans
My Bibliography Periodic Table U.S. Presidents Shakespeare Sonnet Shake-Up
Research Anything:        
History | Encyclopedias | Films | News | Create a Bibliography | More... Login | Register | Help

Not What You Meant?  There are 13 definitions for Gilgamesh.

The Epic of Gilgamesh Study Guide

Print-Friendly  Order the PDF version  Order the RTF version
by Anonymous
About 96 pages (28,741 words)
Epic of Gilgamesh Summary

Bookmark and Share Questions on this work? Just ask!

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 place both in wider society and in the cosmos.

At the same time the Epic of Gilgamesh addresses these important metaphysical themes, it is equally a story of two friends, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and their devotion to one another even after death. All in all, the Epic of Gilgamesh contains everything we have come to expect from great epic literature: fantastic geographies and exotic characters; exhausting quests and difficult journeys; heroic battles with monsters, supernatural beings and natural forces. It is, above all, the gripping story of an epic hero who is driven to meet his destiny and who rises to every challenge with courage and determination.

This complete Introduction contains 257 words. This study guide contains 28,741 words (approx. 96 pages at 300 words per page).

Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our The Epic of Gilgamesh Access Pass.

More Information
  • View The Epic of Gilgamesh Study Pack
  • 13 Alternative Definitions
  • Search Results for "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
  • Add This to Your Bibliography
  • More Products on This Subject
    Gilgamesh
    the best known of all ancient Mesopotamian heroes. Numerous tales in the Akkadian language have bee... more

    Life and Death: A comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter
    Studies have shown that throughout the world, different cultures have similar and dissimilar views c... more


     
    Ask any question on Epic of Gilgamesh and get it answered FAST!
    Answer questions in BookRags Q&A and earn points toward
    discounted or even FREE Study Guides and other BookRags products!
    Learn more about BookRags Q&A
    Copyrights
    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.

    Join BookRagslearn moreJoin BookRags




    About BookRags | Customer Service | Report an Error | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy