For Wednesday: Greek Myths and The Odyssey

There's no reading for Wednesday's class (and Monday is Labor Day), so just come to class so we can discuss some ideas that will help us appreciate what we discover in the first books of The Odyssey. Since this is our longest book, I suggest you start reading it just to get ahead. We'll discuss Books 1-4 on the following Monday, so try to get some of that read in advance. 

ALSO--don't forget that the first paper assignment ("The Mysteries of Gilgamesh," see two posts down) is due on Friday by 5pm. There is no class on Friday, but feel free to e-mail me with questions or concerns. I would prefer a hard copy as always, though if you have no other Friday classes I will accept an e-mailed paper. Just be sure it has an attachment, since an e-mail that arrives on time without a paper can still be late! 

See you on Wednesday! 

For Friday: Finish The Epic of Gilgamesh--last questions!

NOTE: You'll get a break from questions/reading next week--it's a very short week. As you can see on the calendar, there's no class on Monday (Labor Day) and no class on Friday (paper due). So all you have to do next week is show up on Wednesday, when we'll introduce some ideas for reading The Odyssey. 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: We get a brief snapshot of the Underworld through Enkidu's dream. What might this reveal about the Sumerian/Babylonian view of death and the rewards for a good (or bad) life? Do you think this is 'real,' or is his dream merely that--a projection of his fears? Any clues to tell one way or another? 

Q2: How does Gilgamesh respond to Enkidu's death? Does the poem mean this to be appropriate/moving, or excessive/bathetic? In other words, is this how a hero should react to the death of a friend or family member? Or is another example of his selfish, over-the-top behavior? 

Q3: Large portions of The Epic of Gilgamesh veer off of the main narrative to provide the true function of myth: to explain how the surrounding world came to be. One of the most surprising myths is the tale of the Flood, which predates the Biblical version by over 1,000 years. How does the Sumerian/Babylonian version tell the story differently? What is the 'moral' or perspective of this story--and how do the gods factor into it? Did it surprise you, or was it still more or less the same story as found in the Old Testament? 

Q4: Why does Gilgamesh fail on his quest for immortality? Is it simply because he's human and humans cannot be immortal (except for Uta-napishti)? Or does he essentially defeat himself? 

Paper #1 Assignment: The Mysteries of Gilgamesh

Short papers, like this one, are a way to explore a single, focused idea while the reading is still fresh in your mind. It’s designed as a kind of warm-up for the longer, critical papers, and should be approached as a first draft rather than something to endlessly stress over. Remember to get right to the point; don’t waste time with a lengthy introduction that dances around the subject. Hit the ground running by directly responding to the ‘conversation’ of the questions below...

ASSIGNMENT: As you’ve noticed reading Andrew George’s edition of Gilgamesh (or another version), the text is full of omissions and other lacunae that only hint at what might have been. If we could find one or more of these missing pieces, the story might change dramatically—or at least become more clear and understandable. To that end, I want you to choose one significant blank passage (of a few lines or no more than a page) and complete the passage in a way that is artistically satisfying or illuminating. Imagine not only what might have been there, but what should be there to satisfy a modern audience. Explain what lines/ideas are missing and explain why this is a significant and meaningful completion. Don’t make it too simple, either: consider how a hidden character motivation or a cosmic plot point might have been buried away in a crumbled tablet. In other words, help us (21^st century English speakers) read the ‘hidden’ Gilgamesh lost to the ages.

NOTE: If you have a different version of the text, discuss a passage that simply doesn’t make sense, or seems too abrupt or confusing. Explain what you think is missing and why it could be expanded on, changed, or added to. Even in the best translation, there are parts of the epic that simply don’t add up. Where are they, and what would a modern audience need to see/understand to appreciate the true story of the epic?

EX: In Tablet V, page  40 of the George translation, Gilgamesh and Enkidu are approaching Humbaba's lair. The text narrates: "One...they stole into...Humbaba...Gilgamesh opened his mouth to speak, saying to Enkidu...What, my friend...For Enil..." There's so much missing here, and it would be interesting to know how they snuck into his domain, what they encountered, if Gilgamesh required further encouragement, if Humbaba saw them, if they knew the gods were on their side, etc.

REQUIREMENTS

* No set page limit, but I wouldn’t go beyond 4 pages (pace yourself!)

* Quote passages from the text (don’t just summarize): examine the language to support your ideas

* Cite according to MLA format (no WC needed, since it’s only one work)

* Due Friday, September 6^th by 5pm [in my box, HM 348]

For Wednesday: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets V-VII

Answer TWO of the following for Wednesday's class (don't worry--I'll give you a shorter set of questions as a break for Friday):

Q1: When Humbaba is defeated he bargains with Gilgamesh, saying “Spare my life, O Gilgamesh…let me dwell here for you in [the forest of Cedar!] Trees as many as you command…” (V.42). Is it shameful/unheroic that Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay him at this moment, beheading him and ripping out his lungs? Or does the poem depict him as an evil and duplicitous creature? How does the poet want us to read this pivotal episode?

Q2: Based on Gilgamesh’s speech to Ishtar, what kind of goddess is she? What relationship does she (an immortal) have with the mortals on earth? Does this have parallels with other gods from the more familiar Greek or Norse traditions? What might this say about the Sumerian/Babylonian view of gods and their place in the world?

 

Q3: Enkidu’s speech in Tablet VII against death is one of the first ‘existential’ speeches in literature. What is the nature of his anger, and why is it particularly poignant and ironic? Related to this, why does Gilgamesh call it “profanity” (not meaning curses, necessarily, but maybe more like blasphemy)?  

 

Q4: If you were a member of Sumerian/Babylonian society, and this was actually your culture and your gods, would you feel comforted by the will of the gods? Do their actions in these tablets seem just? Does the poem explain why Enkidu deserves to die and Gilgamesh to suffer? Do the gods seem to be embodiments of eternal truths…or heroes and tyrants in a larger form?

For Monday: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets II-IV

For Monday, be sure to read the next three tablets/chapters (II-IV) and answer TWO of the questions that follow. All I'm looking for is a short answer, a few sentences, but enough that I can see that you're truly engaging with the question. Remember, that everything you write can be used again in your papers--and will also help you prepare for the in-class quizzes (see syllabus). 

Answer 2 of the following:

Q1: The tablets are full of "lacunae," or missing fragments, often to the complete detriment of the story. Which passage(s) do you feel are more impacted by what we don't have? How significant is it? In other words, how might this missing information change what we read or how we understand it? 

Q2: Why does Gilgamesh insist on going to fight the giant Humbaba, even though Enkidu (now his companion and advisor) is against it? If Humbaba has been placed in the forest to guard it by the Enil himself (the chief god of the Sumerians), what right does Gilgamesh have to invade him? 

Q3: The poem seems to place enormous importance on dreams and the manner in which they are interpreted. Enkidu’s coming is foretold in a dream, and Gilgamesh has many, many dreams before facing Humbaba. Do these dreams have a significant purpose in the poem, however? Are they merely placeholders, a repetition that makes it easier for the poet to recite the poem (since it was originally oral)? Or does it set up or establish themes or ideas that are developed later in the work?

Q4:  Why do both Gilgamesh and Enkidu lose courage at different stages of the journey? How does each one bolster the other's courage? What might this say about how the poem views this act: as one of courageous adventure or shameful hubris? Is it a heroic act in the first place; or do they merely convince themselves that it is for selfish glory?

For Friday: Read Tablet I from The Epic of Gilgamesh

A very small schedule change from the syllabus: I want to read  Tablet I for Friday's class, so we can slowly inch our way into this great epic poem. There are no questions on the blog to answer; just read it and we'll analyze it closely in class on Friday. 

If you have a different edition than the Penguin version, read the first 300 lines of the poem, or to the point where Enkidu sleeps with the goddess and becomes 'human.' It's only the first 5 or 6 pages of our book. 

If you don't have a copy of the book yet, please do! Check the library or at worse, look for complete texts on-line. But you will need a hard copy (or an Kindle version) to bring to class before long.

See you in class! 
 

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to English 3193, World Literature, or more appropriately known as "Legends and Lore." This is a class that will explore the rich literary heritage of myth and legend that extends from the most ancient literature (Gilgamesh) to much later works that definitively changed how we learned to write about heroes and romance (Marie de France). The goal of this course is to understand why we keep telling the same stories with slightly new variations, and why the original templates are compelling enough to still mean something thousand of years later. From Homer to Star Wars, we can see many of the same heroes, heroines, villains, magicians, weapons, curses, and quests. So what does it all mean? And does every culture do the same things with the same material? We'll have to find out.

To quote one of the great legends of mythology and folklore, Joseph Campbell: 

“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world” (Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, 1956)

Be sure to buy the following books as soon as possible, since we'll start reading next week! They should all be available at the ECU bookstore and none of them are too expensive. Please let me know if you have any questions at my office (HM 348) or via e-mail at jgrasso@ecok.edu. See you on Monday! 

Required Texts: The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin); The Odyssey (Penguin); R.K. Narayan, The Ramayana (Penguin); The Story of Hong Gildong (Penguin); The Saga of the Volgungs (Penguin); Marie de France, Poetry (Norton)