Wrestling with Civilization

In Gilgamesh, both of our main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, transition between a civilized state and an
original/uncivilized/barbaric state – Enkidu when becoming a human, Gilgamesh when lost in mourning. Using
these episodes as the base for your analysis, what did the Sumerians think were the defining elements of
“civilization”? What are the essential characteristics of “civilization”, and how does one pass over from nature to
civilization? By what steps? What differentiates humans from their uncivilized predecessors? Are there any
advantages that non-civilized people have over their civilized counterparts? How might we use this information
to think about how Sumerians thought about their own history and their culture?
Topic Two: Wrestling with Immortality
Throughout Gilgamesh we experience numerous episodes which give us a peek into the world of the gods.
Much like the human characters, some are helpful towards our heroes, while others are neutral or act in
opposition to them. Using information in the text, construct an argument about how the Sumerians thought the
gods behaved and how they were different from, or similar to, human beings. What drives their (Ishtar,
Shamash, the gods creating the flood) interactions with people? What causes them to make decisions? Why
do they care about the humans they do care about? How can human beings ensure that the gods will be on
their side? What lessons about human existence and human relationships to the supernatural world does the
text mean to teach the reader?