Question

the monster let out a deafening cry,
his roar boomed forth like a blast of thunder,
he stamped and the ground burst open, his steps split the mountains of lebanon,
the clouds turned black, a sulfurous fog
descended on them and made their eyes ache.
then shamash threw strong winds at humbaba,
the south wind, the north wind, the east and the west,
storm wind, gale wind, hurricane, tornado,
to pin him down and paralyze his steps.
he could not move forward, could not retreat.

-gilgamesh: a new english translation,
stephen mitchell

what conclusion about gilgameshs character can be drawn from this passage?

he embarks on a long, difficult journey.
he is a confident and compelling speaker.
he receives help from the supernatural.
he is a strong, courageous leader.

Explanation:

Analyze the passage details

The passage describes a battle scene where a monster (Humbaba) unleashes immense power, splitting mountains and darkening the sky. It then states: "Then Shamash threw strong winds at Humbaba... to pin him down and paralyze his steps." Shamash is a sun god in Mesopotamian mythology, representing a supernatural force.

Evaluate the options using evidence

Using Claim and Evidence, we evaluate each option:

• Option 1 ("He embarks on a long, difficult journey"): The passage describes a specific battle, not the journey itself.
• Option 2 ("He is a confident and compelling speaker"): There are no speeches or dialogue from Gilgamesh in this excerpt.
• Option 3 ("He receives help from the supernatural"): This is directly supported by the text. Shamash, a deity, intervenes by sending powerful winds to paralyze the monster Humbaba.
• Option 4 ("He is a strong, courageous leader"): While Gilgamesh is a leader, this specific passage focuses entirely on the monster's actions and the divine intervention of Shamash.

Formulate the final conclusion

Through Literary Analysis, we conclude that the intervention of the god Shamash to paralyze the monster provides direct evidence that Gilgamesh receives supernatural assistance during his quest.

Answer:

• He embarks on a long, difficult journey.
• He is a confident and compelling speaker.
• He receives help from the supernatural. (Correct answer)
• He is a strong, courageous leader.