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?
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