Staff room

Gilgamesh play

	To explore the idea of story telling and writing. An examination of the landscapes of Mesopotamia
	None (props if acted out)
	Individual, group or whole class

Remind the pupils of the story of Gilgamesh as presented in the Geography Story. Ask the pupils how they would feel going to a mysterious land. Remind them that Gilgamesh and Enkidu live in southern Mesopotamia.

What would you feel like if you had never seen mountains or such tall trees?
Would you go into a dark forest if you knew there was a monster there?

Ask the class (individually or in groups) to turn the Gilgamesh story into a play (which could be acted out). They should think about ancient story telling and writing. Since the original story was poetry they could make the speeches and descriptions rhyme if ambitious.

Think about their characters and how you can use words which would suit them.

The main characters:

Gilgamesh - the hero king of Uruk
Enkidu - the friend and equal of Gilgamesh
Shamash - the sun god who helps Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Humbaba - the demon who guards the cedar forest

Possible additional roles:

Story teller
Citizens of Uruk
The thirteen winds - sent by Shamash to help Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat Humbaba