The Epic of Gilgamesh Study Questions
THE COMING OF ENKIDU
1. What kind of king is Gilgamesh at first?
2. What is he supposed to be like?
3. What solution do the gods provide?
4. What kind of creature is Enkidu?
5. How does Enkidu become fully human?
6. How does he become civilzed?
7. When he has become a full human being, what does Enkidu decide to do?
8. What does Gilgamesh learn from his dreams about the meteor and the axe?
9. How do Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends?
THE FOREST JOURNEY
10. What is Gilgamesh’s destiny?
11. How does Enkidu know this destiny?
12. Why does Gilgamesh plan the “Forest Journey”?
13. Who is Humbaba? What is he like?
14. Why does Enkidu say that Gilgamesh is not afraid of Humbaba?
15. What does Enkidu propose to do?
16. What does Enkidu believe will be the outcome of the fight?
17. How does Gilgamesh respond to Enkidu’s prediction?
18. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu debate whether or not to fight Humbaba, what is Gilgamesh’s attitude toward death?
19. How does Enkidu’s description of Humbaba reveal that the giant is evil?
20. When the two first see Humbaba to whom does Gilgamesh ask for help?
21. In calling for Shamash’s assistance what does Gilgamesh reveal about himself?
22. How does Shamash help Gilgamesh and Enkidu?
23. Does Shamash’s role in the battle diminish the heroes’ achievement? Why or why not?
24. What does Humbaba do when Gilgamesh tries to enter his house?
25. How does Gilgamesh respond?
26. What advice does Enkidu give Gilgamesh?
27. Is Enkidu successful in convincing Gilgamesh?
28. How does Enlil react to the news of Humbaba’s death?
29. What differences between Enkidu and Gilgamesh are brought out through the battle with Humbaba?
ISHTAR AND GILGAMESH, AND THE DEATH OF ENKIDU
30. Who falls in love with Gilgamesh?
31. Why does he refuse her?
32. What creature comes to Uruk to punish Gilgamesh for his refusal?
33. What happens to this creature?
34. What does Enkidu dream that night?
35. What does this being do to Enkidu in his dream?
36. How does Enkidu describe the way people live in the underworld?
37. How does Enkidu feel when he wakes up?
38. How does Gilgamesh react to Enkidu’s death?
THE SEARCH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE
39. Whom does Gilgamesh decide to go visit? Why?
40. Describe Gilgamesh’s journey to find Utnapishtim.
THE STORY OF THE FLOOD
41. Why does Enlil suggest wiping out mankind with a flood?
42. How does Ea get around his oath not to tell anyone about the flood and still manage to warn Utnapishtim?
43. What does Ea tell Utnapishtim to say to the townspeople if they ask questions about his ark building?
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What part of this response is truthful?
What part of this response is misleading?
What does Utnapishtim take with him on the boat?
Who among the gods and goddesses in the heavens regrets the decision to destroy the world?
How do the other gods feel after they have unleashed the flood upon mankind?
For how long does it rain?
For how long does the boat stay anchored?
How does Utnapishtim discover that the waters have receeded?
Whom does Ishtar refuse to let partake in the offering of Utnapishtim to the gods? Why?
How does Enlil react when he discovers that someone has survived the flood?
What advice does Ea give to Enlil when Enlil gets angry about the fact that Utnapishtim had survived the flood?
What gift does Enlil give to Utnapishtim and his wife at the end of the selection?
THE RETURN
56. How does Gilgamesh try to prove that he is worthy of immortality? Is he successful?
57. What metaphor does Gilgamesh use to describe death?
58. How does Utnapishtim feel about his gift of immortality?
59. What secret does Utnapishtim tell Gilgamesh before he leaves to return?
60. What happens to the plant when Gilgamesh goes to take a bath?
61. Why does the snake shed its skin immediately?
62. Why doesn’t Gilgamesh go back to the bottom of the sea and fetch another plant?
63. What does Gilgamesh show Urshanabi when they return to Uruk?
THE DEATH OF GILGAMESH
64. Judging by his people’s reaction to his death, does Gilgamesh seem to have remained a bad king?