Reference no: EM132275555

JE Gilgamesh

Address one of these analysis questions. Answer in full paragraphs, revealing your own thinking and using the text to support your points. I will expect about a page to a page and a half, double spaced, with standard margins, per question (450 words).

1. Joseph Campbell, a great mythology scholar, describes four major functions of mythology, which are (roughly):

1. Constructing an image of the universe

2. Helping people understand the meaning of suffering (and redemption from suffering)

3. Validating a social or moral order.

4 Dealing with problems of human psychology and development. Which of these functions does the myth of Gilgamesh serve for the people of Mesopotamia and how? Of course, it may serve more than one function!

2. Describe Gilgamesh. What are his glories? What are his faults? What transforms Gilgamesh and Enkidu into friends rather than adversaries? What qualities of friendship are exemplified in their relationship? Are there any flaws in their friendship?

3. Look at the way Enkidu's transformation is described, especially upon his entry into Uruk. Are the riches of civilization being praised or
satirized? What supports your assertion?

4. How do the Sumerian composers of this epic seem to look upon the gods? Refer especially to the Bull of Heaven section and the Flood
story.

5. When Gilgamesh rejects Ishtar's advances, is he standing up for humanity or committing the mistake of his - and Enkidu's - life?

6. Does Utnapishtim sympathize with Gilgamesh's quest for immortality or mock him for thinking he can transcend the human condition? Does the poem end in an affirmation of human culture or in despair? Support your answer with evidence from the text.