Study Guide: The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Ed. Sandars, N. K. Penguin. London: 1972.
Name:
Gilgamesh King in Uruk
1. Describe Gilgamesh with some detail
2. What is implied by the narrator about the past and Gilgamesh’s achievements?
The Coming of Enkidu
3. In contrast to the previous section, what is different about Gilgamesh’s description? (p.
62)
4. Why do the people ask the gods (Anu and Aruru) for a challenger for Gilgamesh:
“create his equal; let it be as like him as his own reflection, his second self,
stormy heart for stormy heart.”
5. How does Aruru create Enkidu? (p. 62-63)
6. Describe Enkidu with some detail.
7. What is the old man’s/Gilgamesh’s plan to deal with the problems for the hunter
presented by Enkidu?
8. What is the significance of the lines that trapper says to the love priest:
“When he comes near uncover yourself and lie with him; teach him, the savage
man, your woman’s art, for when he murmurs love to you the wild beasts that
shared his life in the hills will reject him.”
Then, after they sleep together, the text says “And now the wild creatures had all
fled away; Enkidu was grown weak, for wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of a
man were in his heart.”
9.
Immediately after these lines, the love priestess says:
“You are wise, Enkidu, and now you have become like a god. Why do you want
to run wild with the beasts in the hills? Come with me. I will take you to strongwalled Uruk, to the blessed temple of Ishtar and of Anu, of love and of heaven:
there Gilgamesh lives, who is very strong, and like a wild bull he lords it over
men” (p. 65).
How has Enkidu become like a god? What is the text saying here? In what ways
does Gilgamesh “lord it over” his people. How are Gilgamesh and Enkidu similar
here, how are they different here?
10. When Enkidu hears about Gilgamesh and his actions, he is pleased that he can have a
friend that is powerful like himself, and he says that he is going to go and challenge him.
Why would Enkidu want this type of friend? (p. 65)
11. Describe Gilgamesh’s first dream and Ninsun’s interpretation of it.
12. Describe how the text terms the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
13. What other elements does Enkidu experience that make him human?
14. What is Gilgamesh doing in the city that makes Enkidu mad enough to decide to go and
challenge him?
15. Describe the confrontation between Enkidu and Gilgamesh.
The Forest Journey
16. Describe the power Enkidu is talking about one the first half of p. 70. What freedom and
power does Gilgamesh have?
17. How can we relate this description of power to our own lives?
18. What is Gilgamesh’s reaction to hearing about the temporal nature of humanity?
19. When Enkidu expresses fear at the prospect of facing Humbaba, what is Gilgamesh’s
response? (p . 71)
20. What does Gilgamesh say in his prayer to Shamash?
21. On page 74, again, to repeat a line of thinking, Ninsun prays to Shamash and asks why he
has given Gilgamesh a restless heart and moved him to go on a long, difficult journey. Is
this a valid argument about people’s motivation? Consider your own philosophical
ideals, those of various religions, divine inspiration/intervention, fate, etc.
22. What is Gilgamesh’s emboldening advice to Enkidu as they approach the forest of
Humbaba, the demon guardian of the forest. (p. 77)
23. With what is Humbaba associated? What alerts him to Gilgamesh’s and Enkidu’s
presence?
24. What does Gilgamesh say to Shamash in his prayer on page 81?
25. How is the method used to defeat Humbaba reminiscent of the things that we are told
make Gilgamesh famous in “Gilgamesh King in Uruk?” (p. 81-82) What would be
achieved if Humbaba was killed?
26. Perhaps connected to your previous answer, what do the heroes do after Humbaba is
killed?
27. What does Enlil do when he sees Humbaba’s head? (p. 84)
Ishtar and Gilgamesh, and The Death of Enkidu
28. What does Ishtar (the goddess of love and war) offer Gilgamesh?
29. What is Gilgamesh’s response to Ishtar, and what is his rationale?
30. There is a lot of conversation between the gods in this chapter. What do they talk about?
Characterized their attitudes, conversations, and stances on the issues of Gilgamesh’s
actions.
31. What is the result of these serious events (Humbaba, rejecting Ishtar, killing the Bull of
Heaven)? What is complicated about this result? Why must this result take place?
32. Why do you think that the rejection of Ishtar is immediately followed by heroic deeds
done by both Gilgamesh and Enkidu? What is author saying about the relationship
between divinity and humanity?
33. How does the rejection of Ishtar mirror/illustrate the opposite of the power and behavior
of Gilgamesh before he meets Enkidu, and tie into what Enkidu tells him on page 70?
34. On page 90, Enkidu curses the gates of the city. How does he characterize the curse he
feels he must suffer?
35. Why does Enkidu also curse the Trapper and the Harlot?
36. How does Shamash react to Enkidu’s curse on page 91, and what solace does Shamash
offer him?
37. Based on the description of Enkidu’s dream, what can we assume about the
Sumerian/Babylonian perspective on the afterlife?
38. With what metaphor for death does Gilgamesh conclude his lamentation?
39. In classic style of ancient Middle Eastern texts, what does Gilgamesh do to his hair and
clothes? Why does he do this?
40. In modern stereotyping of males and especially heroes, we expect no tears. How do you
react to the weeping of Gilgamesh in this chapter?
THE SEARCH FOR EVERLASTING LIFE
41. Who is Utnapishtim, the Faraway, and why does Gilgamesh seek him?
42. Of what does the second Man-Scorpion remind us?
43. On page 97 Gilgamesh offers one reason for this journey, on p 98 he offers another.
What are the two reasons he is journeying?
44. Describe Gilgamesh’s journey to the garden of the gods (at least three things).
45. When Shamash sees Gilgamesh, how is Gilgamesh described?
46. What does the Man-Scorpion tell Gilgamesh about going through the mountain?
47. What does Shamash tell Gilgamesh about his journey?
48. What does Siduri tell Gilgamesh about his journey? (p. 102)
49. What is Siduri’s all-important advice to Gilgamesh?