In Class Activity or Online Discussion: Gilgamesh Literary Quick Take
Overview
The literary quick takes are weekly discussions and in-class activities that I use to frame the text for the students. This is formative and graded based on engagement.
Literary Quick Takes
I use this for group discussion in both online and in-class formats. It is intended to allow students to explore the meaning of the text in relation to themselves and to engage in meaningful discussion with peers.
Gilgamesh is the quintessential hero; he the first recorded hero, and he is also the prototype for not only Joseph Campbell’s Heroic Journey, but also Ernest Becker’s Heroic Systems; it is also obvious how these theories apply once we consider it.
Please watch this breakdown of the Heroic Journey:
Do you have a favorite show, film, book, comic, etc., that is the perfect example of the Heroic Journey?
Please outline it using these steps from the lecture:
The first part, the Departure, includes the following stages:
- The Status Quo
- The Call to Adventure
- Assistance
- Departure
The second part, the Initiation, includes the following stages:
- Trials
- Approach to the Innermost Cave
- Crisis
- Treasure
- Result
The third part, the Return, includes the following stages:
- Return
- Resurrection
This breakdown can be brief (one or two complete sentences per “part”). Finally, please consider the values, or the “heroic systems”, that underly your heroic journey.