Study
Questions and Essay Topics
Study Questions
1 Is the relationship
between Enkidu and Gilgamesh homoerotic, and, if so, is this an
important element of the story?
2. Compare and
contrast the role of the serpent in the Bible and in
Gilgamesh.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. What do Enkidu’s curse and
then his blessing of the prostitute suggest about the lot of women
in ancient Mesopotamia?
2. Why does Utnapishtim tell
Urshanabi that he is no longer welcome in his realm?
3. What does the story of Enkidu’s
education by the prostitute tell us about Mesopotamian views of
culture and civilization?
4. What is the significance of
Gilgamesh’s passage through the darkness beneath the twin-peaked
mountain?
