Part A: FROM The Epic of Gilgamesh

Questions-

1. What kind of figure is Gilgamesh?

2. What become of his quest in this epic, and why?

3. What roles do the gods play in the story?

4. When his quest is completed, what is Gilgamesh's view of his fate?

Part B: FROM The Code of Hammurabi

Questions-

1. Of the hundreds of records of litigation that exist from the era of Hammurabi and his successors, not one specifically states that a dispute was resolved in accordance with Hammurabi's laws; some, in fact, record rulings that directly contradict those laws. This has caused some scholars to question why Hammurabi had these laws compiled in the first place. Why do you think Hammurabi had his laws compiled? (Do the prologue and epilogue to the laws provide any clues?)

2. What principles of justice and compensation are evident in these laws, and what kinds of recourse did society have against wrongdoers?

3. What evidence of social classes in Babylonian society do they provide?

4. How did women's rights compare with those of men?

5. What do these laws tell us about Mesopotamian views on sexual activity?

6. What do they tell us about power and authority within Mesopotamian families?