Gilgamesh: Part I 1

MAN TWO: Who built the golden

ziggurat—the temple of Anu and Ishtar?

MAN THREE: What mighty man of fame

could do such things?

MAN ONE: It was Gilgamesh! Gilgamesh,

that’s who!

MAN TWO: Gilgamesh! No other human

being could have done such feats.

MAN THREE: At first he was a tyrant to

us, his people. But then he became a hero.

MAN ONE: All men must learn humility—

one way or another.

MAN TWO: Gilgamesh learned it through

his adventures.

GILGAMESH: PART I MAN THREE: Because he thought about

what he had seen in far-off lands, he came
THE ARRIVAL OF ENKIDU to know the things that make a person wise.

CAST MAN ONE: He went on a quest to learn

how a man might avoid death.
MAN ONE Citizen of Uruk
MAN TWO Citizen of Uruk
MAN TWO: Instead he returned having
MAN THREE Citizen of Uruk
learned how to live.
GILGAMESH King of Uruk
NINSUN Goddess Mother of Gilgamesh
MAN THREE: When he returned to Uruk,
EA God of Wisdom
he engraved his thoughts upon the stone
SHAMASH God of the Sun
tablets that still hang on the strong walls of
ADAD God of the Wind
our city.
ANU Father of the Gods
ARURU Mother Goddess
MAN ONE: He wanted his knowledge to
SHAMHAT Priestess to Ishtar
help his people improve their lives.
ENKIDU Beastlike Man

MAN ONE: Tell us who built the massive MAN TWO: And because of this, he was
walls of Uruk—those that shine out like counted wise among rulers.
copper for all men to see.

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2 Adventures in Literature

MAN THREE: Now read what Gilgamesh ADAD: (scoffing) Wisdom doesn’t make
has chiseled into stone. Hear his deeds. you a hero! Brute force does!

MAN ONE: Read what lessons he learned EA: I guess we will just have to see, won’t
about living—and dying. we?

MAN TWO: Read his adventures, so that NINSUN: I thank you, my fellow gods, for
you, too, may soak up a bit of his wisdom. blessing my son. But in spite of all these
blessings, my heart is sad. Gilgamesh is not
NARRATOR: When Gilgamesh was born, a god. He is two-thirds god and one-third
he was made two-thirds god and one-third mortal. And do you know what that means?
man. His mother was the wise goddess
Ninsun, and his father was the mortal king SHAMASH: Math is not your strong suit.
of Uruk, Lugalbanda. Before his birth the
gods gathered and blessed Gilgamesh with NINSUN: In spite of all my efforts, my
great power. son—my glorious son—must one day die.
(sigh) But let him be born all the same.
NINSUN: My son, Gilgamesh, is about to Perhaps he can find a way to overcome
enter the world. How can you gods bless death!
him?
NARRATOR: So Gilgamesh was born and
SHAMASH: I, Shamash, God of the Sun, quickly grew to the glory of manhood.
will give Gilgamesh beauty—manly beauty! When he was a young king, he was as
willful and fearsome as a wild bull—a
ADAD: I, Adad, God of Storms, will give supreme wrestler and warrior, who ruled
him great courage—manly courage! his people with an iron fist.

EA: I, Ea, the God of Wisdom, will give him MAN ONE: Sire, there are some
the greatest gift—the ability to learn from grumblings among the people.
his mistakes.
GILGAMESH: What is it now? More
SHAMASH: That’s it? You’re not going to complaining? Do you know what I did to
give him a real power? the last of my subjects who came to me
complaining?
EA: Wisdom is the greatest power of all!
MAN ONE: Yes, golden one. Their bones
ADAD: Wisdom can’t wrestle men to the are bleached white on the city walls. But I
ground and decapitate monsters. don’t bring my complaints, of course. Other
citizens are…concerned.
EA: Just watch! You’ll see. Gilgamesh will
be the wisest of men. GILGAMESH: About what?

Zachary Hamby © 2018 This is a preview item from the Gilgamesh story of the Adventures in Literature series. For a download
of the full product visit www.creativeenglishteacher.com or search for Zachary Hamby’s products online.
 Gilgamesh: Part I 3

MAN ONE: They—not me—say that you EA: Fellow gods, something must be done
are too hard on your people. about Gilgamesh. He is not a shepherd of
his people like a leader should be. He does
GILGAMESH: How so? not respect his people.

MAN ONE: You take half their sons to ADAD: So what? He is the best warrior
work on the walls of the city, and the other that has ever lived. He knows no fear! As
half you send out to die in battle. god of wind, I gave him that skill!

GILGAMESH: See? I’m being generous! I EA: Yes, he is a blowhard, just like you. He
still leave them a third half of their sons. has no fear, but he also has no respect for
tradition! He uses the sacred drum however
MAN ONE: (sigh) You have your mother’s he wishes and calls out the army on a
skill for math, golden one. whim.

GILGAMESH: Dying to make my name SHAMASH: But look at the mighty city he
even greater is the highest honor a man can has created! As god of the sun, I especially
have! like how shiny it is.

MAN ONE: Of course. Of course. But they EA: Yes, a city that he forces his people to
say you dishonor their women, too—taking build up day after day. They are practically
their daughters and wives as your own. slaves. He does whatever he wants even
though it hurts others.
GILGAMESH: Are these women not in my
kingdom? If so, they belong to me! SHAMASH: But you have to admit, those
good looks I gave him have made him a hit
MAN ONE: (passionately) It is not right! It is with the ladies.
not wise! (catching himself) I mean, that’s
what these complainers say anyway. EA: A hit? He takes whatever woman he
wants, even if she is another man’s wife. He
GILGAMESH: (angrily) I am king! I decide is a beast, and he will meet a beast-like end
what is right and wise! if he is not stopped.

MAN ONE: Please, golden one. NARRATOR: The nobles of Uruk

continued to call out to the gods,
GILGAMESH: (roaring) I have spoken! complaining about their wild, impetuous
king. So finally Anu, the Father of the Gods,
NARRATOR: So the nobles of Uruk, decided that Gilgamesh must be stopped.
receiving no justice from their young king,
called out to the gods with mournful ANU: Mother Goddess! Goddess of
prayers. Creation!

ARURU: Yes, Anu?

Zachary Hamby © 2018 This is a preview item from the Gilgamesh story of the Adventures in Literature series. For a download
of the full product visit www.creativeenglishteacher.com or search for Zachary Hamby’s products online.
4 Adventures in Literature

ANU: You created Gilgamesh, but he has ARURU: Ugly, but strong. He alone can
become a tyrant that no man can stop! challenge Gilgamesh.

ARURU: Of course! He is perfection NARRATOR: Enkidu knew nothing of

perfected. I made him like a god, but I mankind, nor did he know man’s ways. He
lopped off a third—just to be safe. did not cultivate the ground but lived like a
beast. He ate grass on the hills like the
ANU: You did your job too well! Here is gazelle and lurked with wild things at the
your next task—make an equal opponent watering hole. He loved the beasts of the
for Gilgamesh, a being strong enough to field and felt perfectly contented in their
contend with him—stormy heart against presence.
stormy heart. Then the city of Uruk will at But little did Enkidu know that the gods
last know peace. had plans for him. He would have to go the
world of men and challenge its mightiest
ARURU: A being who can contend with king.
Gilgamesh? That is a tall order!
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
ANU: Then use me as your inspiration.
Pattern your creation after me. Then he will 1. How is Gilgamesh a tyrant to his
be truly great. people?
2. Is Ea, the God of Wisdom, correct—is
ARURU: Hmmmm. being able to learn from your mistakes a
powerful weapon? Explain.
NARRATOR: So Aruru conceived of a 3. What do you think will happen when
being in her mind, much like the gods. She Enkidu challenges Gilgamesh?
dipped her hands in water and pinched off
a bit of clay. She let it fall down into the
wilderness.

ARURU: Enkidu you will be called. More

beast than man you will be. You will have
the virtues of the god of war.

NARRATOR: Enkidu’s hair was long like a

woman’s, and his body was covered in
matted fur like the god of cattle. He
squatted and hunched along the ground
like an animal.

ENKIDU: Ah-roooooo!

ANU: You made that in my image? It’s so

ugly.

Zachary Hamby © 2018 This is a preview item from the Gilgamesh story of the Adventures in Literature series. For a download
of the full product visit www.creativeenglishteacher.com or search for Zachary Hamby’s products online.