Ninsun is the loving mother of Gilgamesh, although conforming to a stereotypical caring mother, she creates a sense of power, both as a goddess and as a woman, using this power to drive the plot forward. Ninsun demonstrates her influence through her wisdom as she interprets Gilgamesh’s dream “Soon you will met him, the companion of your heart. Your dream has said so” (84). As Ninsun reveals what Gilgamesh’s dream means, she paves a path for the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The friendship between Enkidu and Gilgamesh is essential in Gilgamesh’s quest to find eternal life, for it is the loss of a beloved friend that forces Gilgamesh to realize his fate as a mortal man. Without Ninsun’s wisdom to interpret Gilgamesh’s premonition hidden in his dream, the quest would not happen and the story would no longer be an epic, emphasizing her influential role as a mother and a goddess.
Moreover, as a caring mother, Ninsun
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Despite the immense power of Enkidu as a wild man who is meant to equal the mighty Gilgamesh, his phallic power is of no use against the power of women to seduce and rob him of his strength and bond with the animals. Concurrently, this demonstrates the courage of Shamhat, as she does not hesitate to act, despite the strength of wildness of Enkidu, she completes her mission and civilizes Enkidu. This act of bravery represents another type of power, supporting that the women of Gilgamesh are not weak, but can be more courageous than men, as Shamhat approaches Enkidu, something that the trapper cannot. Therefore, as discussed by A1, it is evident that women have a power that even the strongest of men cannot overcome, presenting that the women of Gilgamesh can be just as powerful as