Theme Of Gender In The Epic Of Gilgamesh And The Mahabharata

Shamash on the other hand seems to be one of the most powerful women in Gilgamesh. She is the sun god, and is who Ninsun gives offering to when Gilgamesh needs help. Shamash is also a great representative for all the women in Gilgamesh. I say this, because Enkidu curses Shamhat until Shamash steps in to give him the words of advice to not do that (130). Women definitely start to show their power when they start sticking up for each other.

I feel as though all of the books show different characters from different places having to deal with their own struggles also having different beliefs such as religion. But what all these books seem to have in common is gender bias against women. Women play pretty important roles in the books we have read this year.

The story starts off with Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, who is one third man and two thirds god. This story is about a man's quest for immortality in addition to the importance of boundaries between the realms of animal, man and gods. Women symbolize the importance of locative boundaries in the text. These boundaries are set by the harlot Shamhat, Ishtar, Siduri, the tavern keeper, Ninsun and Utanapishtim's wife. By giving women this role of wisdom and boundary enforcement, The Epic of Gilgamesh reflects how Mesopotamian society actually valued women.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, gender plays a very significant role, because while women were not the most powerful gods nor the strongest or wisest of all humans, they still had tremendous influence over others around them, and even today, over those who study and learn about the women of the time of Mesopotamia. Though the main characters of the story, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, are male, women did not necessarily play a minor role. One particular issue that is demonstrated among several others in the Epic of Gilgamesh is the status of women. Since this is a story of women's status many years ago, it is indeed an interesting issue to discuss,

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. Aruru, Shamhat, Ninsun, Ishtar, Siduri, and Utanapishtim’s wife all contribute to Gilgamesh’s journey, and in the end, provide Gilgamesh with the necessary tools in order to transform his character. These women in The Epic of Gilgamesh are essential to the plot, and provide both wisdom and perfection, but can also bring temptation and destruction if given the power to do so.

For thousands of years there has been a strong distinction between the roles of men and women. Often times in stories there will be women that are only mentioned for their beauty and charisma. Hardly ever will you see pages upon pages being spent talking about the true character and accomplishments of women characters. Even though stories like The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of Genesis were written thousands of year ago, (when stories were told mostly told from a males perspective) the light shined on women in the texts show them as wise, strong, and greatly influential beings. In The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Book of  Genesis, the writer shows the women as bringers of knowledge,  guidance, and care to the men in the texts that are lacking thereof.

Throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh, women treated the men like gods. When Shamhat was sent to seduce and recover Enkidu, she did so without any struggle or fight. After she had successfully turned him from his animal ways by spending six days and seven nights laying with him, she praised him. “You are so handsome, Enkidu, you are become like a god” (The Epic of Gilgamesh 107), She then uses her own clothing to dress him before leading him to food and shelter. Because she saw him as a god, she sacrifices her own clothing to clothe

In addition to providing guidance, women also play powerful roles. Take Shamhat for example. She uses the power of sex and curiosity to lure Enkidu away from his wild environment. After having sex for seven days and seven nights, Enkidu was no longer able to return to live amongst the animals and was forced to learn the ways of civilized life, which Shamhat taught him. It is easy to see that at this point in the epic, Shamhat clearly possessed the upper hand over Enkidu. He

The Epic of Gilgamesh chronicles the life of the great warrior and hero Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is not great hero because he is moral. In fact he is feared because "a goddess made him, strong as a savage bull, none can withstand his arms" (1). This phrase underlines the terrible power of femininity, in the view of the Mesopotamian culture that produced the text. On one hand, the female principle is responsible for creation. On the other hand, the female principle also has the ability to destroy: the epic takes a largely dim perspective of humanity, and often, by extension of women, because the source of all creation is a goddess, Aruru. Aruru creates but she also generates suffering.

Changing Women's Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales

Honor is defined as a high respect given to an individual that brings credit. To receive honor is paralleled to being crowned with jewels and being regarded as a role model to all. The society that the Iliad portrays is “centered on the battlefield of achievement and its rewards” (Homer, xxi). The figures in Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, partake in events that will allow them to “receive more honor and more material rewards” even if it means that they must indulge themselves in heightened risks that could end in death (xxiii). Hector, one of the most pivotal characters in the poem, illustrates the lust for glory and ignorance of everything else that holds just as much importance. As his character is strengthened, it can be seen that every

Loyalty was another characteristic that the females shared and displayed in these novels. They were loyal to their goals and didn't stray away from them. Devasmita and Shahrazad being females in their time ran by in a male society was rough. They were expected to do whatever they were told especially in the household. When they would not do what the males wanted, it was a shock for a female to do this. Being loyal in those times were hard and for them to show they had the power to do that displayed their strong will.

Women in literature are depicted differently based on the culture in which they are immersed in. Although almost all literature has a male protagonist, the women are always prevalent in the stories or journeys of these male characters. The ultimate role of the female is to enhance the male protagonist’s image or character itself. The female character introduces predominantly evil, chaos, temptation and desire, but also subtle themes of strength, loyalty, intelligence, patience, and determination. These women are often depicted negatively and seen as property to the men in which they are married to or in love with. Within different women there are also standards of beauty that are set. Mostly in the Ramayana, a female outsider versus the cultured women are very different, reinforcing beautified norms for women. All of these topics will be discussed to answer the overall question, what roles do women play in literature?

In Sundiata, the role of women is defined only in relationship to men who hold a high position in society and to show obedience towards them because it is a part of Islamic traditions. In order for the king to protect his city, the

Here, women in the patriarchal system are depicted as being strong and autonomous. They were considered to be an important part of the society, and were thus allowed to argue for their rights. The people of the period placed Śakuntalā on a high pedestal, giving her power and independence (Thapar 15). Unlike most other societies, women like Śakuntalā had the opportunity to make something of themselves. Women were not the inferior individuals that would come about in future communities.