Collaborative Discussion Ms. Mileham will read one statement at a time from the handout, and then you will move to one side of the room or the other (the agree or disagree side). Take your handout with you. The whole class will engage in discussion about each statement. One student at a time should speak, and you should respectfully listen to your peers’ position, whether you agree with it or not. You will be given the opportunity to rebut, but that will be revoked if you are disrespectful. You must defend your position at least twice (Ms. Mileham will be keeping track). When you defend your position, provide evidence that supports your opinion. Your evidence can be from literature, history, current events, hypothetical situations, personal experience, etc.

Activator: Commit—Pass—Share 1. On your numbered index card, respond to the following question: What are the six phases of the Heroic Cycle? Do NOT write your name on the index card. 2. Pass index cards around the room multiple times, to the point that you don’t know where your index card ended up, and you don’t know whose index card you have. 3. Ms. Mileham will call a random number. If the number matches the number on your index card, read the answer provided.

Activator: Heroic Cycle

Epic of Gilgamesh An Introduction

Historical Context

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia means “the land between the rivers.” It is located in an agriculturally rich region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (also known as the “Fertile Crescent” or “cradle of civilizations”). It was located in the region known today as Iraq as well as parts of Iran.

Sumerian Society Sumeria was the first civilization in the region, therefore the first to have the Gilgamesh story. Sumerians were successful tradesmen and merchants. They were an advanced society that created the 12 month calendar, the first writing system (cuneiform), and ziggurats. The Sumerians worshipped numerous gods and goddesses. They believed that when one died, there was no afterlife, only emptiness.

Post-Sumerian Society Later, the Akkadians, Babylonians, Hittites, Assyrians, and Chaldeans took over the Sumerians’ cities and adopted their culture as their own. They all adapted their own version of the Epic of Gilgamesh as well.

Gilgamesh: A Real King While there is no evidence that the events in the epic actually happened, there was a Gilgamesh who ruled the Sumerian dynasty of Uruk in 2700 BCE. Kings during this time period were military leaders, builders, and protectors, who possessed qualities like strength, cunning, divine lineage, and immortality. Gilgamesh was one of the first epic heroes in oral tradition. As a result, he serves as an early model of the archetypal hero.

Importance of the Text The Epic of Gilgamesh, the first work of fiction ever recorded, was etched on 12 clay tablets in cuneiform around 2100 BCE. It is older than the Bible and the Homeric Epics. The epic was lost for over a thousand years until it was rediscovered in 1839 by 2 Englishmen in Ninevah, the once capital of the ancient Assyrian empire.

Epic Literature

Epic: A Definition An epic is a long narrative poem that tells about a larger- than-life hero, who represents the values of his society. The epic is the oldest literary form or genre.

Many epics share standard characteristics and formulas known as epic conventions, including: an invocation, or formal plea for aid, to a deity or some other spiritual power to inspire the poet the action beginning in medias res, meaning in the middle of things, and then a flashback that depicts events that took place before the narrative’s current time epic similes, which are elaborate, extended comparisons, relating the epic’s heroic events to simple, everyday events an elevated, formal style of writing passed down orally for generations by storytellers (bards) gods and goddesses having an active role in the story Conventions of an Epic

The Epic Hero Supernatural abilities or qualities Charged with a quest He receives help and hindrance from divine beings along the way Reaches a low point where he nearly gives up his quest or appears defeated Gains restitution, usually by regaining his rightful place Typically travels to a supernatural world, often one that normal human beings are barred from entering The hero embodies the values of his culture

Summarizer: Constructing Support Graphic Organizer Gilgamesh is an epic hero. EVIDENCE