Essay about The Role of Women in the Epic of Gilgamesh

What if women ruled the world? The question does not seem so strange today as it may have back in 2500 B.C.E., an age when people tell stories of the Great King of Uruk--Gilgamesh. Although the story of â€Å"Gilgamesh† revolves around themes of masculinity and brotherhood--with its male prerogative, its composers develop several strong female characters which suggest women have great influence in a male-dominated, Mesopotamian society. The first female character that influences a man is the prostitute. She is left at the spring by the hunter so that she can sleep with Enkidu and make the other animals abandon him. According to the tale, Enkidu acts like an animal. Nonetheless he is drawn to the prostitute. She is wise and knows the nature†¦show more content†¦She pleads with Shamash the sun and moon god on her son’s behalf. She also adopts Enkidu and calls on the gods to protect him, but she places a charm on his neck and calls for Enkidu to protect his friend—Gilgamesh. This invocation eventually damns Enkindu and saves her son as they go on the quest to fight Humbaba and later the bull of heaven. Ninsun’s influence with the gods shields her son from death but sacrifices Enkindu. Enkindu realizes his fate as he lies on his death bed; â€Å"The gods have said that one of us must die†¦. .Enlil said I must die, for you are two-thirds god and should not die. . . I know they ha ve chosen me† (Mason 46). Ninsun does everything to protect her son, even if it means influencing the gods and sacrificing Enkidu. Another female that influences her man is Utnapishtim’s wife. She is a lessor character who lives with the wise man of Shurupak. She intercedes with her husband when Gilgamesh comes to him for the answer to eternal life. Utnapishtim tells him the story of the flood but Gilgamesh, overcome with tiredness from his journey, falls asleep. Utnapishtim is angered that Gilgamesh cannot stay awake. At this point his wife intercedes for Gilgamesh asking her husband to wake him so he can go back to his home. Instead, Utnapishtim tells her to bake a loaf of bread for each day Gilgamesh sleeps. Eventually Utnapishtim’s wife encourages him to have mercy on Gilgamesh; â€Å"His wife whispered to him; saying: He has come so far. HaveShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Women In The Epic Of Gilgamesh1189 Words   |  5 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh follows a tale of two brothers tasked with defeating an all-powerful beast, yet they aren’t the most important characters in this story . Without their wisdom and guidance, Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s journey would have ended a lot sooner, and Gilgamesh would have still rampaged in Uruk, never bringing peace to those who were below him. 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