The journey, the hero, the triumph, the defeat; all elements of some of literature's greatest works. Avid readers yearn to be transported from everyday life into a world where good conquers evil and the hero saves the day. Although learned readers know that the term hero has a multitude of definitions, not all being good, there is something in the journey and the obstacles and triumphs that draws us in and asks us to enter a world unlike our own. The ideas of the journey and the epic as well as the hero itself are the basis for this curriculum unit,
Teaching The Epic of Gilgamesh.
The unit will begin with basics of the epic, the epic hero, and the epic cycle. Then, we will look at the epic of
The Epic of Gilgamesh
and its impact historically and literarily. The time spent with
The Epic of Gilgamesh
will also allow for time to be spent looking at Mesopotamia and its impact on early civilizations. In the end, the students will not only read and learn about Mesopotamia and Gilgamesh but will also have a chance to write and act out their own epic adventures.
As a World Literature teacher at Hill Regional Career High School, I am challenged and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of world literature to choose from. In an effort to find a common theme and potentially find something my students can connect to, I began to consider focusing on the hero. The hero was not just the traditional "save-the-day" hero who wears a cape and tights but is the hero of literature including the Hemingway hero, tragic hero, and of course, the epic hero.
