The Epic of Gilgamesh (Reader's Theater Script-Story Collection)

Introduce your students to the granddaddy of all epic heroes, Gilgamesh the warrior-king of Uruk. Bring The Epic of Gilgamesh, the world’s oldest known epic poem, to life with three student-friendly Reader’s Theater script-stories. Follow Gilgamesh as he develops from a cruel tyrant to a wise ruler through his adventures with his friend, Enkidu. Relive Gilgamesh’s epic feats—facing down Humbaba the giant protector of the cedar forest, taming the Bull of Heaven, resisting Ishtar the goddess of love and beauty, and journeying afar in search of immortality.

The Epic of Gilgamesh not only has timeless themes and exciting action, but it also gives insight into ancient Sumerian culture and increases knowledge of epic poems, epic heroes, and storytelling patterns like Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. This makes it suitable for use in the English-Language Arts or History-Social Studies classroom.

Each script-story comes with a 2-page teacher guide, complete with relevant background information, a story summary, name pronunciation guide, and instructions for using the story to teach important terms. This 42-page PDF download includes all three Gilgamesh script-stories.