1. Tuesday, January 17, 2012 RH.9-10.5. Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis Essential Question: How do the characters survive the test on the journey? What resources do they have to use to be successful? ①Quiz over tablets 1-7 ②Grade your group ③Make Student Folders ④Review Outline ⑤Begin reading in the text the story of Gilgamesh ⑥Tomorrow we will complete the reading ⑦HOMEWORK: Think about the analogies that story makes to biblical stories. Draw one allusion to any other religious text. Bring in a sample of that text. QUICKWRITE: Looking the buddy story of Gilgamesh and Enikudu do you have any friends where at first you started off as not liking each other but became close friends? If so write the story of your meeting. -If not choose another close friendship and tell me an adventure that you have experienced together.

2. Key to Quiz ①A ②C ③D ④C ⑤A ⑥C ⑦B ⑧A ⑨B ⑩A 11A 12C

3. The Epic of Gilgamesh Quiz Essay #1: Enkidu is civilized through his encounter with Shamhat, a prostitute. As opposed to our own society, what does this say about views toward sexuality and femininity in ancient Mesopotamia? Rather than being seen as a negative attribute, Shamhat's sexuality and its ties to the temple cement her importance in Mesopotamian society. She is a means to tame Enkidu as opposed to a means for him to behave like an animal. Throughout the poem, the role of women is unavoidable and important. Although Enkidu and Gilgamesh insult Ishtar, Gilgamesh specifically points out her temple to Urshanabi

4. Essay #2: At various points in the story, dreams foretell events to come. What do these passages reveal about how dreams were valued in Mesopotamian culture? What do they tell us about the dreamer's state of mind? It is obvious from the text that dreams were regarded as important markers that should be interpreted. It seems fair to say that the ancient Mesopotamians lent a good deal of credibility to them in their day-to-day lives. As Gilgamesh dreams of the meteor and the axe in anticipation of his meeting with Enkidu, he turns to his mother for an interpretation of his dreams. While she informs him of the imminent arrival of Enkidu, it could also be that Gilgamesh is lonely and looking for a companion. Enkidu dreams of the gods deciding his death and of what the underworld will be like. His state of mind is one of absolute fear of his defiance of the gods.

5. Wednesday, January 18, 2012 RH.9-10.5. Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis Essential Question: How do the characters survive the test on the journey? What resources do they have to use to be successful? ①Turn in Homework: Think about the analogies that story makes to biblical stories. Draw one allusion to any other religious text. Bring in a sample of that text. ②Take Reading Lexile Score Test ③Complete Reading in the Text ④2 nd PERIOD MUST COMPLETE GROUP RUBRIC QUICKWRITE: Looking at the buddy story of Gilgamesh and Enikudu do you have any friends where at first you started off as not liking each other but became close friends? If so write the story of your meeting. -If not choose another close friendship and tell me an adventure that you have experienced together.

6. Some Similarities The story about the goddess of fertility and her mortal lover who dies for her and is resurrected is universal, appearing in mythologies and religions of many prehistoric cultures. The goddess and her lover take on different names in different cultures, but the blueprint of the story remains the same. The Greek myth of Aphrodite and Adonis, which Ovid retells in the Metamorphoses and Shakespeare retells in Venus and Adonis, represents a late version of the same story. Some anthropologists would even identify Jesus as an embodiment of the same mythical archetype manifested by Tammuz and Adonis, because Jesus, like Adonis, is a young male god who dies and is resurrected Gilgamesh has the chance to follow the pattern set by Tammuz and to be the goddess’s lover, but he refuses. In a way, he is refusing his own mythology, standing apart from it. The literary style and tone of this tablet are playfully allusive, witty, vulgar, and blasphemous, reminding readers that this epic is literary rather than sacred.

7. Outline Death of Enkidu: Enkidu awakens from a chilling nightmare. In the dream, the gods were angry with him and Gilgamesh and met to decide their fate. Great Anu, Ishtar’s father and the god of the firmament, decreed that they must punish someone for killing Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven and for felling the tallest cedar tree. Only one of the companions, however, must die. Enlil, Humbaba’s master and the god of earth, wind, and air, said that Enkidu should be the one to die. Shamash, the sun god, defended Enkidu. He said that Enkidu and Gilgamesh were only doing what he told them to do when they went to the Cedar Forest. Enlil became angry that Shamash took their side and accused Shamash of being their comrade, not a god.

8. Outline The dream proves true when Enkidu falls ill. Overcome with self-pity, he curses the cedar gate that he and Gilgamesh brought back from the forbidden forest. He says he would have chopped the gate to pieces if he’d known his fate, and that he’d rather be forgotten forever than doomed to die like this. He will erect an enormous statue of Enkidu, made entirely of gold. Enkidu cries out to Shamash. He curses the hunter who first spotted him at the watering hole and says he hopes his hunting pits are filled in and his traps are unset. Weeping, he curses the temple prostitute too, who seduced him away from the animals. Shamash answers him from afar. He asks why Enkidu curses the harlot, since if it hadn’t been for her, Enkidu would have never tasted the rich foods of the palace, never worn beautiful clothes, and never known Gilgamesh’s friendship. Shamash tells Enkidu that when he dies, Gilgamesh will wander the earth, undone by grief. The next morning, lying in his sickbed, Enkidu tells Gilgamesh about another terrible dream. In the dream, he was all alone on a dark plain, and a man with a lion’s head and an eagle’s talons seized him. They fought furiously, but the man overpowered him and changed him into a birdlike creature. Then he dragged him down to the underworld. There he saw kings, gods, and priests, all of them dressed in feathers. He saw King Etana, whom Ishtar had once chosen to be King of Kish, and Samuqan, the god of cattle. All of them were living in darkness. Dirt was their food and drink. Queen Ereshkigal, the ruler of the underworld, sat on her throne, and Belit-Seri, the scribe of the gods, whose tablet tells everyone’s fate, knelt before her. Enkidu says the queen looked at them and asked who led them there. Enkidu tells the appalled Gilgamesh that he would have been blessed if he’d died in battle, because those who die in battle are “glorious.” He suffers for twelve more days then dies.

9. Thursday, January 19, 2012 RH.9-10.5. Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis Essential Question: What fundamental human questions is Gilgamesh asking at the end of this epic poem? Review high lights of the last part of the Epic and review questions Read Noah’s Arc pg: 60-63 – Compare/Contrast : Write all the similarities / differences between the two stories. – What major event happened that may be historical accurate and have spawned so many stories – UNIT TEST TOMORROW! 50 points! QUICKWRITE: Complete Quickwrite from yesterday and submit: Notebook Test

10. Notebook Test #3 ① Think about the analogies that the story makes to biblical stories. Draw one allusion to any other religious text DIRECTLY. ② What is the difference between Direct and Indirect characterization? ③ What is the natural cycle emphasis in the union between Gilgamesh and Ishtar? ④ Why were the Gods mad at Enkidu & Gilgamesh: Both what did “they” do in the story and what did this say about man verse the gods? ⑤ Enkidu tells the appalled Gilgamesh that he would have been blessed if he’d died in battle, because those who die in battle are “glorious.” – What does this say about Sumerian people, what are their cultural believes?

11. Outline ETERNITY AND MAN Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that he must live with Enkidu's death as he, himself, had to face the death of the world after the flood. THE PLANT IN THE RIVER Utnapishtim is finally fed up with his inability to convince Gilgamesh and calls upon the boat-man, Urshanibi, to come and take him back to the other side of the Sea of Death. Before Gilgamesh leaves, Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh a secret about an under-water flower that can make one immortal. Gilgamesh finds and harvests the plant. THE SERPENT While Gilgamesh is getting cleaned up in preparation for going back to Enkidu, a serpent crawls out of the water and eats the plant.

12. The Gods Enlil – his anger decides man’s fate Ea – helps Utnapishtim to survive Nergal, Ninurta – bring the rains The Annanuki – cause fires on the earth Shamash – hides the sun Ishtar – sorrows over the death of her creatures

13. Mesopotamian Beliefs First World Theme: Nature verse Civilization Examples: Enkidu verse Gilgamesh Common Motif throughout Early Civilization writing: The bond of man friendships.

14. Mesopotamian Beliefs The view of the gods presented – Interaction with humans Power to destroy/power to preserve Intercede on behalf of humanity Patriarchic Believe – Rejection of Ishtar – “year king” – Symbolic of the wheel of the year or cyclical nature of the seasons. – Gilgamesh separates him from this role, defining a new setting for meeting individual needs and searching for personal answers.

15. Story of the Flood Utnapishtim tells of a time when the earth “teemed” with people Enlil’s complaint Ea’s offering of help to Utnapishtim Utnapishtim’s actions The Gods bring the Flood waters Enlil’s anger continues and Ea’s rebuke Enlil’s reconciliation with Utnapishtim

16. Purpose of the Flood Story History the Mesopotamians Explain certain natural phenomena – Geography – Extinction of certain species – Violent weather Provide spiritual “food for thought” – Human mortality – Divine intervention in human affairs – Provides a basis for morality

17. Homework In your view, what does Gilgamesh realize about the desire for everlasting life and humankind’s mortality? Explain how key events in this section support your ideas.

18. Friday, January 20, 2012 RH.9-10.5. Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis QUICKWRITE: NO QUICK WRITE TODAY I will return your Buddy story, you have until Monday to rewrite it and turn it in.