Write a 3–4 page essay taking a position on ONE of the following topics: 1. e mortal and the divine. Choose any of the mortal characters from e Epic of Gilgamesh and discuss his or her relationship with the gods. (Your best bets are either Gilgamesh or Enkidu; Uta-napishtim is also a possibility.) Give three examples of your character interacting with or contemplating the gods and discuss what these episodes reveal about (a) the character and about (b) his or her society’s attitudes toward religion and toward what it means to be human. Consider physical, emotional, economic, religious, and other relevant factors. 2. Gender in Sumerian society. Choose any of the female characters from e Epic of Gilgamesh and discuss her relationship with the other characters and Sumerian society. (Your best bet is Shamhat; Ninsun and Ishtar are also possibilities.) Give three examples and examine what these episodes reveal about (a) the character and (b) her femininity as conceived by the creators of the epic. What do this character’s actions tell us about the roles played by women in Sumerian culture? Consider physical, emotional, economic, religious, and other relevant factors. 3. Life and death. Mortality is one of the major themes of e Epic of Gilgamesh, but what is the epic saying about it? Choose three scenes in e Epic of Gilgamesh that involve death or mortality, and discuss analytically what these scenes tell us about Sumerian ideas of death and legacy. NOTE: While it is not required, you should seriously consider reviewing the tablets that were not assigned for class to see if they contain scenes that will help you by providing additional examples and evidence.