In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Lord Shamash urges Gilgamesh to attack Humbaba because Shamash strongly feels that Gilgamesh possesses the ability to defeat Humbaba in battle. Lord Shamash, in turn, plays upon Gilgamesh's ego in order to force him into killing his arch enemy.
The correct answer is "influence." To explore the influence, or effect of mythical literature on contemporary literature, a reader should identify key characters, settings, and plots.
