• On page 141 we see the beginning of the dream sequence that foretells of Enkidu's death. Enkidu proceeds to experience a long, slow and painful death that is supposedly a punishment from the Gods. Why did Gilgamesh not have the same experience? because he was just as guilty if not more guilty than Enkidu was, in my opinion. Or was Gilgamesh's punishment intended to be the loss of his friend?—LK

• Why does Enkidu give into Shamhat so easily after cursing him just moments before? p.148—RS

• My question comes from page 150 where Enkidu dies. Gilgamesh says, "Don't let them take you from me." Was Enkidu's death predetermined by the Gods? Did they truly intend for him to die all along or is his death a result of actions performed under his own free will?—CD

• Do you think Gilgamesh loved Enkidu because of his words at the beginning of book VIII?—EC

• After Enkindu died Gilgamesh wanted immortality in a newfound fear of death. Do you think obtaining immortality would really ease his pain? pg 159—JP

• Are there any hidden ideas behind Gilgamesh reaching the end of the tunnel as both a mental and physical emergence?" pg 164—RA

• On page 187-188, Utnapishtim sets a dove, raven, and a swallow free once the flood is seemingly over. What do you think the symbolism of the birds is?—BH

• Is Enlil the "evil" god? On p. 189 he is angry that the humans survived.—SM

• One can obviously see the unique similarities among both the Epic of Gilgamesh & of the Bible, such as the Garden of Eden and the Great Flood. What I am curious to know is what is the great moral of the story? Why are both the Bible & the Epic of Gilgamesh so closely related? Which version came first? What strikes me in particular on pages 196-197 is the "marvelous plant" and how both stories tell of a serpent, the culprit in the loss of eternal life.—SC

• Does the snake that steals the plant that returns one's youth, symbolize anything? And does anyone really think that this plant will really help Gilgamesh get over the death of his friend Enkidu? Pg. 197—PJI

• What is the significance of Gilgamesh getting the thorn of immortality taken away from him by a serpent? (P. 198.)—ER

• Man cannot live forever. However, at the end, Gilgamesh proudly present his city Uruk: "said to Urshanabi, 'This is / the wall of Uruk, which no city on earth can equal. / See how its ramparts gleam like copper in the sun.../... observe the land it encloses: the palm trees, the gardens, / the orchards, the glorious palaces and temples, the shops / and marketplaces, the houses, the public squares.'"(p.198) It seems that Gilgamesh has recognized his city's and people's importance. Will he be a better king and become immortal in his people's heart?—KT

• (198-199) So why do you think the author decided to end the book with the same wording as the beginning. To show how life is cyclical or just for a full circle ending or what?—KW

• On pages 198-99, the story of Gilgamesh comes full circle with the description of Uruk's beauty and size. Is the main goal of the story to convey the story of Gilgamesh and how he came to take more pride in the city he governed and helped nurture or about man in general's need to cope with mortality or both?—KM