Gilgamesh_p1

History 3A

DeAnza College

Christopher R. Jackson

Primary source analysis paper #1: The Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh: http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/

The Epic of Gilgamesh, Reginald Campell translation. http://king-of-heroes.co.uk/the-epic-of-gilgamesh/reginald-campbell-thompson-translation/

You will read and evaluate the Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest piece of written literature. Consider the following when reading the book:

When was it written? Who wrote it? In what form was it written? What was its intended audience? (You might want to consult an encyclopedia for this information.)

Gilgamesh is the powerful king of Uruk, but he is not happy. How does the epic portray social roles in ancient Sumer? What does the epic say about the role of religion in society? What does it tell us about their sense of an afterlife? What is the role of dreams in the epic? What does this tell us about their sense of destiny?

What is the relationship between the king Gilgamesh and the wild man Enkidu? What, if anything, does this symbolize?

Do you see parallels between the Epic of Gilgamesh to other ancient literature, such as the Bible?

Typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides (this is usually the default for most word processing programs), approximately 700-900 words, to be submitted to the Turnitin website. The paper must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the date due. Note: before sending the assignment, you must rename the file in the following format: YourLastnameFirstname-papernumber. Example: JacksonChristopher-paper1. If the file is not properly named, it will not be accepted. If the file cannot be analyzed by Turnitin, it will not be accepted. Each worth 10 points. For help on MLA formatting, consult the Purdue Owl.

Please do not “borrow” material from the web without providing proper citations and enclosing direct quotations in quotation marks. Otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism, and the penalties will be severe.

Special Note on First Assignment: It is important that you read all of the comments that I write on your papers, not just the final points that each paper is given. For that reason, you will receive only one point for the first assignment. You will receive the rest of the points for that assignment (if any) when you e-mail me a one-sentence code that will be hidden in your paper when I return it to you along with my comments. The sentence will be grammatically correct, but it will stand out because it will not have anything to do with the paper or the comments on the paper. Simply copy that sentence and e-mail it to me, and I will reply with the rest of the points for that assignment.

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