GNED 15

REVIEWER
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH  Enkidu – A wild man created by the
gods to challenge Gilgamesh, who
1. BACKGROUND OF THE EPIC OF becomes his best friend.
GILGAMESH  Shamhat – A temple prostitute who
 Its Writer civilizes Enkidu.
 Ishtar – Goddess of love and war,
 The Epic of Gilgamesh was not scorned by Gilgamesh.
written by a single author.  Utanapishtim – The immortal survivor
 Developed over centuries from earlier of the Great Flood who tells Gilgamesh
Sumerian poems around 2100 BCE. the secret of life and death.
 The most well-known and refined  Ninsun – Gilgamesh’s divine mother.
version is credited to a Babylonian  Humbaba – The monstrous guardian
priest and scholar named Sin-leqi- of the Cedar Forest.
unninni, who lived around 1200 BCE.  Shamash – The sun god who aids
Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
 How It Was Preserved
 Written in cuneiform on clay tablets.  Themes
 It was widely circulated in ancient
 Mortality vs. Immortality –
Mesopotamia and neighboring regions
Gilgamesh’s quest centers on coming
and was part of royal and educational
to terms with human death.
libraries.
 Friendship – The bond between
 The most complete version we have
Gilgamesh and Enkidu is central to the
was found in the ruins of
story.
Ashurbanipal’s library in Nineveh
 Power and Responsibility –
(modern-day Iraq).
Gilgamesh begins as a tyrant but
 After disappearing for over 2,000
grows into a wise ruler.
years, it was rediscovered by
 Civilization vs. Nature – Enkidu’s
archaeologists in the 19th century.
transformation from wild man to human
reflects this theme.
 Historical Records
 Legacy – The story asks what endures
 Gilgamesh was believed to be a real after death—deeds or immortality?
historical figure—a priest-king of Uruk
(an ancient city in Mesopotamia)  Setting
around 2700 BCE.
 He was remembered for monumental  Takes place in ancient Mesopotamia,
achievements, such as building Uruk’s especially in Uruk, the Cedar Forest,
massive city walls. and the wilderness.
 After his death, he became a  The settings are both real and
legendary figure and a judge of the mythological, blending civilization with
Underworld. (Worshiped as a divine untamed nature and the underworld.
judge of the underworld)
 Name appears in king list and legends. 3. PLOT (Briefly Expounded)
 Beginning: Gilgamesh is a tyrannical
2. CHARACTERS, THEMES, AND SETTINGS king. The gods create Enkidu to
 Characters humble him.
 Meeting & Bonding: Gilgamesh and
 Gilgamesh – The epic’s hero, two- Enkidu fight but become close friends.
thirds divine and one-third human,  Adventures: They slay Humbaba and
known for his strength and pride. the Bull of Heaven, angering the gods.
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
 Tragedy: Enkidu is sentenced to die.  (Born c. 484 BC, Athens [Greece])
His death devastates Gilgamesh.  Last of classical Athens’ three
 Quest for Immortality: Gilgamesh great dramatists, following
travels far to find Utanapishtim, Aeschylus and Sophocles.
seeking eternal life.
 Revelation: He learns that immortality  The most excellent historians
is reserved for the gods; he loses the
magic plant to a serpent.  Herodotus
 Return: Gilgamesh comes back to  (Born 484 BCE)
Uruk, wiser and accepting of mortality,  Greek author of the first great
finding solace in his legacy—the great narrative history. (The Histories)
city walls he built.  Called the “Father of History”,

GREEK LITERATURE BACKGROUND  Thucydides

 (Born 460 BC or earlier)
THE BASIS FOR CLASSICAL GREEK MYTH  Greatest of Ancient Greek
 Greek literature is deeply rooted in Historians.
mythology, which forms the foundation  Author of the History of the
of many classical works. Peloponnesian War.
 Myths were integrated into epic, poetry,
drama, and lyrics, often reflecting beliefs,  Three names tower above the rest
values, and explanations for natural and
cultural phenomena.  Socrates
 Literature and myths were interwoven  (Born c. 470 BCE)
with the actions and influences of gods  Whose way of life, character, and
and goddesses, especially in works like thought exerted a profound
The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Theogony. influence on ancient and modern
 Mt. Olympus, a many-ridged mountain in philosophy.
Thessly, was believed to be the home of
the gods, shaping much of the  Plato
mythological landscape.
 (Born 428 / 427 BCE)
WHO WROTE IT  Student of Socrates
 Author of Philosophical works of
 The three Authors that have survived: unparalleled influence.
 Aeschylus
 Aristotle
 (c. 525 - c. 456 BCE)
 One of the greatest writers of  (Born 384 BCE)
th
Greek Tragedy in 5 century BCE.  Greek philosopher and scientist
 Known as the “Father of Tragedy”  One of the greatest intellectual
 Wrote up to 90 plays. figures of Western history.
 Father of those who know
 Sophocles
 (Born c. 496 BCE)
 One of classical Athens’ three
great tragic playwrights.
 Best known of his 123 dramas is  Not listed in the slides but essential
Oedipus the King.
 Homer
 Euripides
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
 Author of The Iliad and the  Aphrodite
Odyssey, cornerstones of Greek
 Goddess of Love and Beauty
epic poetry.
 Irresistable goddess
 Hephaestus
GREEK GODS AND GODDESSES ROLES
 God of Fire
 Zeus
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 The chief  Ugly and Lame
 Lord of the sky.  Cast out of heaven
 Rain-god and cloud-gatherer  Highly honored as workman of the
 Wielded the awful thunderbolt. immortals
 An armorer and snitch
 Hera
 Ares
 Zeus’ wife and sister.
 Goddess of marriage  God of war
 Son of Zeus and Hera
 Poseidon  Delight in battles
 Zeus’ second brother  Ruthless and a coward
 Lord of the Sea
 Hestia
 Known as the earth-shaker
 Could always be seen carrying his  Zeus’ sister
trident -- a three-pronged spear  A virgin goddess
 Goddess of heart - the symbol of
 Athena (Pallas Athena) Home
 Daughter of Zeus alone.  Demeter
 No mother bore her.
 Fierce and ruthless battle-goddess.  Goddess of agriculture
 Pre-eminently the Goddess of the City,  Sister of Zeus
protector of civilized life.  Mother of Persephone
 Zeus’ favorite child.
 Persephone
 Hermes  Demeter’s daughter by Zeus
 Son of Zeus  Wife of Hades
 Graceful and swift and motion.  Queen of the underworld
 Zeus’ messenger
 Hades
 Known as The Master Thief
 Ruler of the underworld
 Apollo (Phoebus Apollo)  Rule over the dead
 Son of Zeus  God of wealth
 ‘The most Greek of all Gods’
 God of light, music, and poetry INTRO TO WORLD LITERATURE
 Artemis
DIFFERENCES
 Apollo’s twin sister
 Differences between Literature and
 Lady of wild things, Hunt-man-in-chief
History
to the gods.
 Known as Phoebe (moon) and Selene  Literature
(Luna in Latin)
 A form of written or oral work
considered to be an art form.
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
 History  A fictional tale, originally with religious
significance that explains the actions of
 Factual accounts or records of past
the gods and heroes.
event.
 Fairytales
TYPES OF LITERATURE
 A story featuring folkloric characters,
 Prose such as fairies, goblins, talking animal,
dragons, etc.
Fiction
 Any form of any narrative or Non-Fiction
informative work that deals with
information/events that are imaginary.  Form of any narrative, account, or
 Made out of nothing, symbolic, other communicative work based on
imaginary. facts.
 E.g., novels, short stories, films (etc.)  Comes out of something,
_____ straightforward, natural.
 E.g., bibliographies, histories
 Short Story _____
 A brief prose narrative. Can usually  Auto Biography
read in one sitting.
 It has few characters and a single plot.  A biography written by the author
about himself.
 Novel  Biography
 A long narrative prose that has more  A genre of literature based on the
characters and sub-plots. written accounts of individual lives.
 Drama  Essay
 A narrative prose intended to be  A short work of writing that treats a
played on stage. topic from an author’s personal point of
 Also known as play which is written in view.
scripts to be reenacted by actors.
 Diary/Journal
 Parable
 A book for writing discrete entries
 A narrative that illustrates a moral and arranged by date reporting in what has
spiritual value. happened over the course of a day or
 Fable other periods.

 A narrative that has animals as

characters of the story.  Poetry
 Aesop - Father of fables Narrative Poetry
 Poem that tells a story.
 Legend ___
 A story that reflects the people’s
identity or cultural values, more on
historical and less emphasis on  Epic
supernatural.  Retells in continuous narrative the life
 Myth and works of a heroic or mythological
person or group of persons.
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
 It is considered the oldest form of  A kind of poetry that originated in
literature. Japan.
 A three-line poem consisting of
 Ballad
seventeen (17) syllables (5,7,5).
 A songlike poem that tells a story,
often one dealing with adventure or FIGURE OF SPEECH
romance.
 A figure of speech is essentially a word or
 Metrical Tale phrase used in a non-literal sense for
 A narrative poem that relates to real or rhetorical or vivid effect.
imaginary events in simple,
straightforward language. 1. Simile
 E.g., The Road to Canterbury  A comparison between two things that
 Metrical Romance are really very different, but share
some common element.
 A long narrative poem that presents  Introduced by: like, as, as if, than,
remote or imaginative incidents rather similar to, resemble.
than ordinary, realistic experience.  Example: “Her smile was like
 E.g., Florante at Laura sunshine.”

Lyric Poetry 2. Metaphor

 A poem that expresses the emotions,  A suggested or implied comparison
feelings, and observations of the writer. between two unlike things without
 Unlike a narrative poem, it presents an using as, as if, like.
experience or single effect, but it does  Example: “Time is a thief.”
not tell a full story.
___ 3. Personification
 Song  Gives human qualities or attributes to
 A lyric poem set to music and is an object, an animal, or an idea.
intended to be sung,  Example: “The wind whispered
through the trees.”
 Sonnet
4. Metonymy
 A fourteen-line poem focused on a
signle theme.  Substitution of the literal noun for
another which it suggests because it is
 Elegy somehow associated with it.
 A solemn and formal lyric poem about  Example: “The pen is mightier than
death. the sword.” (pen = writing, sword =
war)
 Ode
5. Hyperbole
 A long, formal lyric poem with a serious
theme.  Overstatement or exaggeration---not to
 It often honors people, commemorates deceive, but to emphasize a
events, responds to natural scenes or statement, often for humorous effect.
considers serious human problems.  Example: “I’ve told you a million
times.”
Haiku
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
6. Irony
 Statement of one idea, the opposite of Second Person
which is meant.
 Example: Saying “ What a beautiful  The narrator is involved in the story but
day!” during a storm. is not the main character.
 Uses you, your.
7. Oxymoron  Rarely used, but it creates a direct,
 Combining of contraries (opposites) engaging tone.
to portray a particular image or to  Example: “You walk into the room and
produce a striking effect. feel the tension in the air.”
 Example: “Deafening silence.”
Third Person
8. Apostrophe
 The narrator has no part in the story.
 Direct address to an inanimate  Uses he, she, they.
object, a dead person (as if present),  Allows for a broader view of the story.
or an idea.  Can be limited (focused on one
 Example: “O death, where is thy character) or omniscient (knows
sting?” everything).

 Why it’s important

FIGURES OF SPEECH
IMPORTANCE OF CHOODING A RIGHT  The POV determines what emotions
POINT OF VIEW (POV) and information are shared.
 It affects how relatable or objective
“We always see as a story unfolds from a the story feels.
vantage point, through the eyes of a  A mismatch between story and POV
authoritative narrator.” can confuse or disconnect readers.

 Choosing the right point of view is crucial

in storytelling because it shapes the SETTING IN A STORY
reader’s experience. “When and where the story happened. The
 The narrator’s perspective controls what writer helps us to enter imaginatively into the
the audience knows, how they feel about world by providing the details about it. Setting
the characters, and how much information can also convey ideas by serving as a symbol.”
they receive.
 Setting refers to time, place, and
environment in which a story unfolds.
 Types of POV  It includes:
First Person  The historical period (eg., ancient
times, the future)
 The narrator is the main character.  The location (e.g., forest, another
 Uses I, me, my. planet)
 Creates a personal, intimate  The social environment (e.g., rich vs.
connection with the reader. Poor, war vs. peace)
 Example: “I walked down the street,  Weather, time of day, and season.
unsure of what I might find.”
 GNED 15
REVIEWER
 Functions of Setting
 Establishes atmosphere and mood  Types of Conflict
(e.g., a dark, stormy night for
suspense)
 Without conflict, there is no story ---
 Helps us visualize the story world.
just events.
 Can symbolize something deeper
 Conflict reveals the character’s
(e.g., a crumbling house representing a
values, growth, and depth.
broken family)
 It pushes the plot forward and leads to
 Why it matters the climax and resolution.

 Good setting enhances believability.

 Helps the reader feel present in the
scene.
 Sometimes, the setting even becomes
like a character itself due to its
influence on events.

CONFLICT IN A STORY
“Three common conflicts: MAN vs. MAN, MAN
vs. ENVIRONMENT, MAN vs. HIMSELF.”

 Conflict is the driving force of a plot.

 It’s what creates tension and keeps the
reader interested.

 Types of Conflict
MAN vs. MAN

 Conflict between two characters (e.g.,

hero vs. villain, sibling rivalry).
 It can be physical, verbal, or emotional.

MAN vs. ENVIRONMENT

 Conflict between a character and

outside forces like nature, society,
or technology.
 Example: Surviving a storm, facing
discrimination, fighting the system.

MAN vs. HIMSELF

 Internal struggle within a character.

 Examples: A person battling fear,
guilt, or making a difficult decision.