The Epic of Gilgamesh Lesson Plan

What is your opinion of Humbaba? He is presented as a villain here, and he is an adversary to Gilgamesh and Enkidu, but do you feel any sympathy for him?

Humbaba is certainly presented as the adversary here, and we are expected to root for Gilgamesh and Enkidu. A few points to ponder however:

• We are told that Humbaba is "horrible," but we're not really told what he has done to deserve this label.
• In his exchanges with Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Humbaba might come across as manipulative or even outright dishonest. That said, Gilgamesh and Enkidu just showed up at his home with the intention of killing him. Should Humbaba be expected to treat them with fairness and honesty?
• He...