Empowerment Of Women In Gilgamesh By Stephen Mitchell

In the story Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell, I have learned that women was recognize as powerful objects. The story tells me in ancient Mesopotamia that men based their perspective on women for what we have and not our mind set. The women in the story are mention when you first open the books and is continue throughout the entire story line. The first woman was a prostitute name Shamhat, who was sent on a mission to change the life of a beast named Enkidu. In the story, Gilgamesh called Shamshat “one of the priestesses who give their bodies to any man, in honor of the goddess” (p.12). A priestesses to me sounds like a woman priest, someone who ordains people of the church. A priest have power over his members, leading others and being held on

There are ups and downs with the women in the story but never the less they are all powerful women. Sex played one of the roles of empowerment for women in Mesopotamia. Another was the knowledge of women, later in the story, Gilgamesh sought out for directions and obtained insightful details from a women named Shiduri. The story announce her as “possibly a goddess, who brews beer in a tavern at the edge of the ocean” (p.49). She gave Gilgamesh advanced on living and how one may get over the sorrow he feels. The story says Shiduri told Gilgamesh, “let music and dancing fill your house, love the child who holds you by the hand, and give your wife pleasure in your embrace” (p.50). She was telling Gilgamesh to be happy with life and appreciate where he’s at in the moment. There was more women in the story and each had its own significant story line in Mesopotamia. The story may lack respect for women but maybe that was the culture in ancient Mesopotamia. As a reader I still felt that women was exalted for their beings and actions. The story of Gilgamesh does not forget the influence of women in