Questions on the Epic of Gilgamesh and Hammurabi's Code

Answer the following questions with complete thoughts, and refer to quotations from the texts to
support your arguments.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest epics. It tells the story of Gilgamesh, a powerful king
in ancient Sumer.

1.
Why is it necessary for the gods to send the heroic Enkidu to challenge Gilgamesh?

2.
What happens to the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu after their great battle?

3.
What is Gilgamesh's reaction to Enkidu's death?

4.
Who is Utnapishtim and why does Gilgamesh seek council with him?

5.
What has Gilgamesh achieved at the end of the poem? Is Gilgamesh a hero?

Hammurabi's Code is a collection of the laws and edicts of the Babylonian King Hammurabi. It
is not the first legal code in history, but it is one of the best preserved and complete legal codes
and reflects the social structure and religious beliefs in ancient Babylon. The page references are
from L.W. King's translation of Hammurabi's Code at the Exploring Ancient World Cultures web
site (http://eawc.evansville.edu/anthology/hammurabi.htm).

1.
What is the Hammurabi's purpose in writing these laws? Do the laws satisfy his purpose?

2.
In the Prologue Hammurabi states, "When Marduk sent me to rule over men, to give the
protection of right to the land, I did right and righteousness in..., and brought about the
well-being of the oppressed."(p.2). Is Hammurabi accurate in this assessment? Which of
these laws set out to protect the oppressed?

3.
What crimes incur the harshest punishments? Do you agree with those punishments? Are
they effective deterrents to the stated crimes?

4.
Is Hammurabi a wise leader? Do you consider him to be a good "father to his subjects "
as he professes in the Epilogue (p.21)?