Question

read the excerpt from gilgamesh: a new english version.
gilgamesh dropped his axe, appalled.
enkidu said, \courage, dear friend,
close your ears to humbabas curses.
dont listen to a word. slaughter him! now!\
gilgamesh, hearing his beloved friend,
came to himself.

what is the theme of the excerpt?
○ one should ignore other peoples opinions.
○ battle requires tremendous courage.
○ soldiers must destroy their enemies.
○ encouragement offers powerful motivation.

Explanation:

The excerpt shows Gilgamesh is appalled, but Enkidu encourages him to act against Humbaba. Gilgamesh then finds resolve after this encouragement, which drives the core message about motivation from support. Other options do not fit: the text does not focus on ignoring general opinions, battle courage broadly, or soldiers destroying enemies specifically.

Answer:

Encouragement offers powerful motivation.