Sumerian City States
City of Uruk
setting for
Gilgamesh
Anu – father of gods and god of the
sky (similar to Zeus)
Enlil – god of the air
Utu – sun god;
lord of truth and justice
Importance of Gilgamesh
Earliest known literary work.
Contains an account of the Great Flood and the story of a
virtuous man named Utnapishtim who survived (likely the
source for the biblical story of Noah)
Expresses values of ancient civilization – such as the belief
in divine retribution for transgressions such as violence,
pride, the oppression of others, and the destruction of the
natural world.
Gilgamesh serves as an early model of the archetypal hero.
Today’s Tasks
 Summarize The Epic of Gilgamesh’s Flood story
 Compare and Contrast the 2 flood stories (4
each)
 Answer the following questions:
1. Why do different cultures have similar
accounts of the flood?
2. What are the implications?
Vocabulary
 Epic
 Epic Hero
 Epic Elements
 Archetype
 Point-of-View
 Epithet (Homeric)
 Narrative
 Invocation
 Symbolism
 Simile
Mini PBL
 Imagine you were told that all of the Earth’s
inhabitants are going to be destroyed because they
were wicked, but you will be spared. You are given 3
tasks:
1. You need to build a vessel to withstand an unknown
natural disaster.
2. You need to decide what to save to bring into the
new world.
3. You need to create a plan to start the new world (i.e.
a set of rules or guidelines)
Free-write
 “Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half
their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy
tale.”
― Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn
 What does this mean?
Epic and the Epic Hero
 An epic is a long, narrative poem
detailing the adventure or journey of
an epic hero
 Epic Hero is larger-than-life; strong,
brave, loyal, virtuous; he has a tragic
flaw; unusual circumstance of birth
or is royalty
Elements of an Epic
 Epic Conflict: hero’s struggle; he must prove strength
through valorous deeds
 A Heroic Quest: search for something that is vital to his
being or of great value
 Divine Intervention: help from the god’s
Archetype
 the original pattern or model of which all things of the
same type are representations or copies : prototype;
also : a perfect example
 Can be characters, plots, symbols, ideas
Point of View
 Perspective or vantage point a story is told
 1st person—main character narrates
 3rd person—voice from someone outside the story
Epithet
 Stock descriptive words or phrases or characterizing
words or phrases
 Helps with memorization
 Homeric: compound phrases (man-killing Hector,
Grey eyed goddess Athena)
Narrative
 Telling a story
 Narrative poem: a story told in verse
 Examples: ballads, epics, & metrical romance
Invocation
 An appeal for supernatural
help
 Asking for assistance
 Divine Intervention
Symbolism
 Giving meaning to symbols within a story
 Using symbols to better understand the author’s
meaning
Simile
 A comparison o two unlike
things using like or as
 Epic Simile: elaborate
extended comparisons using
like or as
The Epic of Gilgamesh
 What do you remember from yesterday?
 Continue reading
Thursday: DGP Notes
Clauses
 Independent
 Can stand alone
 Every sentence must have one
 Does not begin with a relative
pronoun or subordinating
conjunction
 Dependent
 Cannot stand alone
 Begins with a relative pronoun
or subordinating conjunction
Sentence Type
 Simple: One independent
clause
 Compound: two or more
independent clauses
 Complex: One independent
clause plus one or more
dependent clauses
 Compound-Complex: Two
or more independent clause
plus one or more dependent
clauses
Thursday: DGP Application
 Identify sentence type & clauses
many students work on the
star our school newspaper
Project Presentations
 I will form groups
 Each person must discuss his/her paper and present the
creative aspect
 Group members will fill out presentation form
Make sure your name is on your form
 Presentations and forms will be counted as a class work
grade
The Epic of Gilgamesh
 What do you remember from yesterday?
 Continue reading
 Reading Questions
Free-Write
st
1
&
rd
3
 “A hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as
he has the nerve.”
― Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The
Ultimate Guide
 What does this quote mean? Paraphrase
the quote and make a connection to The
Epic of Gilgamesh.
12 Stages of the Hero’s Quest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer's_Journey:_Mythic_Structure_for_Writers
#1 Ordinary World
#2 Call to Adventure
#3 Refusing the Call
#4 Meeting the Mentor
#5 Crossing the Threshold
#6 Tests, Allies, and Enemies
#7 Approaching the In-most Cave
12 Stages of the Hero’s Quest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer's_Journey:_Mythic_Structure_for_Writers
#8 The Supreme Ordeal
#9 Reward
#10 The Road Back
#11 Resurrection
#12 Returning with
the Elixir
The Ordinary World
The hero, uneasy,
uncomfortable or unaware, is
introduced sympathetically so
the audience can identify with
the situation or dilemma. The
hero is shown against a
background of environment,
heredity, and personal history.
Some kind of polarity in the
hero’s life is pulling in different
directions and causing stress.
Call to Adventure
Something shakes up the situation,
either from external pressures or
from something rising up from deep
within, so the hero must face the
beginnings of change.
Refusing the Call
The hero feels the fear of the
unknown and tries to turn away
from the adventure, however
briefly. Alternately, another
character may express the
uncertainty and danger
ahead.
Meeting With the Mentor
The hero comes across a
seasoned traveler of the world
who gives him or her training,
equipment, or advice that will
help on the journey. Or the
hero reaches within to a
source of courage and
wisdom.
Crossing the Threshold
At the end of Act One, the hero
commits to leaving the Ordinary
World and entering a new region or
condition with unfamiliar rules and
values.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies
The hero is tested and sorts out
allegiances in the Special World.
Approaching the In-most Cave
The hero and newfound allies
prepare for the major challenge in
the Special world.
The Supreme Ordeal
Near the middle of the
story, the hero enters a
central space in the
Special World and
confronts death or faces
his or her greatest fear.
Out of the moment of
death comes a new life.
Resurrection
At the climax, the hero is
severely tested once more
on the threshold of home.
He or she is purified by a
last sacrifice, another
moment of death and
rebirth, but on a higher and
more complete level. By
the hero’s action, the
polarities that were in
conflict at the beginning
are finally resolved.
Returning with the Elixir
The hero returns home or continues the
journey, bearing some element of the
treasure that has the power to transform the
world as the hero has been transformed.