Assignment : The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George , New York: Penguin Classics, 2003
Read The Epic of Gilgamesh - a Sumerian mythic narrative that is the oldest surviving work of its kind in the world. Originally composed between three and four thousand years ago in Mesopotamia, its basic themes of life and death, friendship and love, grief and loss, can tell us a great deal about the cultures that produced and preserved it, and can still speak to readers today. This paper is asking you to consider how.
What does this text tell us about life in ancient Mesopotamia?
Can you identify the social, ethical, & political values it communicates to readers?
What uniquely- Mesopotamian ideas are expressed in the Epic, and why might they make sense to its audience?
Consider the practical effect its lessons might have had, in order tounderstand why it might have been written and passed down through the generations.
The Epic was transmitted to each of the peoples that followed the Sumerians in that region, and it influenced the Assyrians, the Persians, and the Hebrews in various ways. Consider why it might have been translated and preserved for so long. What value might later generations have found in its basic themes? Can you find any parallels with other works?
Keep in mind that this is not to be a summary or review of the text - it is an analytical response paper, and the goal is to address specific themes of the text and place theminto historical context.
Your paper should be 3 to 5 pages in length.
Reference book: The Epic of Gilgamesh by ANDREW GEORGE
-three pages
-Paper should be formatted according to guidelines established in the Chicago Manual of Style.
-Details can be found on-line, but the main points are: one-inch margins all around, a 10-12 point font, double-spaced, page numbers in the corner, no title page or works-cited, and properly-formatted footnotes or endnotes. Citation style can follow MLA or APA guidelines.