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Women portrayed in literature
Life in mesopotamia as a women
Women portrayed in literature
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Women portrayed in literature
Life in mesopotamia as a women
Women portrayed in literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Women portrayed in literature
In the article “Bag Ban Bad for Freedom and Environment” by Adam B. Summers, Summers writes to the public to inform how the ban of plastic bags in California is unnecessary because plastic bags are a small percent of the carbon footprint left on the planet. Summers uses different methods to support his claim. Summers uses statistics, expert opinions, and examples to support his claim. ADD MORE The first method Summers uses is statistics.
In this chapter Linda S. Sussman analyzes Hesiod’s exclusion of women’s economic role in ancient society. She argues that the issue is not the fact of women’s work, but the status and its perceived importance for society rather than its actual importance (Sussman, 1984, 82). Sussman believes that because of a major shift from a pastoral based economy to a grain raising economy it altered the economic roles of both women and men (Sussman, 1984, 83). By evaluating the works from Hesiod, Semonides, and multiple pieces of secondary scholarly sources, Linda S, Sussman illustrates Greek structures of class, gender, sexuality, and status.
Gilgamesh abused his power of being king when the gods made him king. With the hate Gilgamesh received when he arrived in Uruk he was cruel at first when becoming a king. When he also first became king, he was full of lust. “His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior's daughter, nor the wife of the noble.” and he also wanted to get rid of them “Gilgamesh said, ‘Trapper, go back, take with you a harlot, a child of pleasure.”
Always encountering success, Gilgamesh was once a tyrant to his people. Reflecting on his rule, he recalls that, “He demanded from an old birthright/the privilege of sleeping with their brides” (15). His triumphs fostered arrogance. To him, everyone else paled in comparison. When he experiences defeat, however, Gilgamesh grows as a leader, seeing the similarities between him and his subjects, their common humanity.
Meanwhile, Penelope is in Ithaka busy dealing with the suitors who vie for her hand in marriage, tending to her loom, and directing her serving maids at work. In Homer’s epic poem, women, and goddesses are treated differently than men and gods when it comes to their freedom, expectations, and image. One common occurrence in this epic poem is unequal freedom for women,
People of Uruk complain about the nature of Gilgamesh’ tyranny to gods as they can no longer tolerate the king’s unjust behaviors: “His companions are kept on their feet by his contests, [the young men of Uruk] he harries without warrant. Gilgamesh lets no son go free to his father, by day and by [night his tyranny grows] harsher. (Gilgamesh, I.166-170)” People rely on the king to protect their rights and the country, but Gilgamesh does the opposite by taking away their sons and daughters for his personal needs. The people of Uruk feel oppressed under Gilgamesh’s rule as Gilgamesh gives himself the right to sleep with women on the first night of marriage and to take away sons from the household to appease his appetite for war games.
The position of women in the societies of Genesis and the Odyssey grant them little power. Despite the pervasive gender hierarchy present in the ancient texts, Rebekah and Nausicaa wield their intelligence and wit to influence those around them. These two women utilize deception and indirect communication in order to alter the lives of prominent men as their means of exerting control within their patriarchal society. Due to their actions, these women become essential to the narratives of Genesis and the Odyssey, for Rebekah is integral to the perpetuation of God’s covenant through familial lineage and Nausicaa is fundamental to Odysseus’ nostos journey.
In Greek epics, tragedies, and mythology women are portrayed in various ways. Women are mainly considered to be weak and less important than men, but there are some women who are shown to be strong and heroic, despite the reputation that was placed onto them in Ancient Greek civilizations. There were two particular women that were strong and took the roles of their husbands while the men left to fight in the Trojan War. These two women were Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon. These two women were different in how they chose to rule while their husbands were at war and how they acted once they got back.
Gilgamesh is not a virtuous character because he mistreats women and he is impatient. One thing that has always been agreed upon as the sign of a virtuous character is treating the people around in a kind and considerate manner. Gilgamesh, however, treats the people around him, especially women, like objects to be used at his discretion. Gilgamesh rapes women as shown on page 101, “Gilgamesh leaves no girl to her mother” (Putchner et al). This quote means that Gilgamesh forces women away from their mothers so that he can do what he wishes to them, also known as rape.
Women’s roles were not really exciting; they were mostly in . the home, sometimes in religion and at times even confined to their own quarters in both ancient Rome and ancient Greece (Adkins 29). At home the women were expected to clean, cook, take care of the children, and take care of her husband's needs. The last area that must be looked at is men’s roles.
Different societies view women in different lights. Therefore, a woman’s position is greatly different from one society to the other. The societies in question do not necessarily have to exist at the same time. Even in the same time frame, two societies could exist, where one treat women as equals to men, and another that treats women differently than men, whether better or worse. The societies in question are: Mesopotamia, Greece, China, Rome & Europe, and this essay aims to study different societies’ viewpoints on women, and to compare and contrast them against each other.
Cultural Values A demigod named Gilgamesh, tragically loses his best friend, then he goes on a journey to find the secret of immortality. One could say that these specific cultural values work effectively for the Gods and the people of Uruk, such as rituals, war, and making sacrifices to make this culture successful. Commonly this culture mostly performs rituals for everlasting life or immortality. Gods are afraid of mortality and death itself.
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Relevant Truth for Today’s Society The Epic of Gilgamesh is set in Uruk, an ancient city of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer, now modern-day Iraq. The epic was said to be written by Sin-liqe-unninni, but it is based on five earlier Sumerian poems with no known author. The piece was difficult to translate, and there are two main version for the Epic of Gilgamesh. This is the result of the environment during the time the piece was being written.
Over generations, the role of women in society has shifted and changed immensely, improving upon many aspects of rights and values that women have. The changes occurred gave women opportunities to provide ideas, to have the same rights as men, giving women freedom, leading to many contributions of many significant and valuable events. But from current roles of women being equal to those of men, how women stood in ancient society significantly differs and contrast with ours today. Throughout history, the role and significance of women were always outweighed by the dominance and influence of men. The role of women in ancient times varied throughout, depending on the place and area in the world, in which women had different roles and impacts on their own society.
The roles that women play in the society and the images we have of them have not formed from biology and social situations but are deeply rooted in the myths, legends