Epic of Gilgamesh

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/epic-of-gilgamesh

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest known version?Written in Akkadian on twelve cuneiform tablets
2. What is the literary significance?Considered the earliest surviving great work of literature
3. Who is Gilgamesh and what makes him special?Gilgamesh is the king of the city of Uruk. He is two‑thirds god and one‑third human, giving him great strength and a powerful, sometimes tyrannical, personality.
4. Who is Enkidu and why does he become friends with Gilgamesh?Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods to live with nature. After he is civilized by Shamhat, he fights Gilgamesh but they become friends and learn to respect each other.

Cuneiform: An ancient Mesopotamian writing system characterized by wedge-shaped marks impressed on clay tablets.
Archetype: A recurring symbol or motif in literature that represents universal patterns of human nature.
Existentialism: A philosophical approach that emphasizes individual existence, freedom, and choice, often grappling with themes of mortality and meaning.