The First Hero of the Western Tradition

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The First Hero of the Western Tradition

• The Epic of Gilgamesh
• 8/30/04

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The Epic of Gilgamesh

• Culture Mesopotamian
• Time c. 1200 BCE
• Author unknown
• Genre epic poetry
• Context urban, religious
• Themes friendship, heroism, importance of
  knowledge, value of civilization, acceptance of
  mortal limits.

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Important themes in Mesopotamian literature art

• Harshness of nature human life
• Ceaseless struggle between domestic/tamed and
  wild/untamed animals ( people?)
• Importance of cities

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Names to Know

• Gilgamesh, Enkidu, Shamash, Ninsun, Siduri,
  Utanapishtim, Ishtar, Humbaba, Uruk.

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Narrative Structure

• Introduction, spoken in first person by narrator.
• Narrators exhortation of reader(s)/listener(s).
• Description of Gilgamesh
• Problem Gilgameshs bad behavior