Gilgamesh Research Paper

Women in Ancient Literature

Ancient literature often seems like a “man’s world” in which women characters remain two dimensional and rather irrelevant. Examples come extraordinarily easily for this statement throughout the history of literature. Yet, the oldest written piece of literature “Gilgamesh” tells a different tale. In “Gilgamesh”, women characters service themselves to progress the plot, offer insight, and ultimately help the hero find his path. The women in “Gilgamesh” play a critically important role in the plot of the story, contrary to many ancient texts. Therefore, the women in “Gilgamesh” are the true heroes in this epic. Because “Gilgamesh” exemplifies an exceedingly ancient text and takes place in the ancient civilization

Despite earning a living as a prostitute, she completes a task that the great Gilgamesh could not have done himself; she tames Enkidu. Although the main deed of taming him transpired with her body, Shamhat proves her cleverness by going one step further. She says “Eat the bread, Enkidu, the staff of life, Drink the beer, the custom of the land” (107). By having him eat and drink man made products, she removes him further from nature and corrupts Enkidu more than Gilgamesh could have. Eventually she leads Enkidu to the city where he meets Gilgamesh. Shamhat on the surface appears much like the typical, two dimensional corrupt woman character, however, she completes her king’s bidding thoroughly through her cunning and takes advantage of being a woman. Without Shamhat, Enkidu would have remained wild and a threat to Gilgamesh. In some aspects, Shamhat deserves credit for saving her people from a wild, beast-like man and through this proves how heroic she

Through his journey to immortality, Gilgamesh meets the tavern keeper. The text makes sure that the pronouns do not go unnoticed in the sentence, “Gilgamesh said to her, to the tavern keeper” (139). This emphasis on the fact that the tavern keeper remains female eliminates all thoughts that Siduri exemplifies an important male character. The pronouns celebrate her womanhood and femininity while remaining as an important character who proves herself a crucial help to Gilgamesh in his journey as she directs him to Utnapishtim and advises him on how to cross the waters of death. She also offers wisdom to Gilgamesh that he does not grasp