The Role of Women in The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay -- Foster, Literary An

The story starts off with Gilgamesh, the King of Uruk, who is one third humanness and two thirds god. This story is about a mans quest for immortality in accessory 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 cocotte Shamhat, Ishtar, Siduri, the tavern keeper, Ninsun and Utanapishtims wife. By bounteous women this manipulation of wisdom and boundary enforcement, The Epic of Gilgamesh reflects how Mesopotamian society actually determine women.The harlot, Shamhat, serves to establish the boundary between animals and valet de chambre. Enkidu, a creature on the sidestep between animal and man is selected by the gods to balance out Gilgameshs power. Gilgamesh process Shamhat to civilize Enkidu after a hunter complains to him about not macrocosm able to hunt properly. The harlot, made herself naked and welcomed his eagerness as he lay on her murmurin g love she taught him the womans art (64). Not exclusively did the harlot have sex with Enkidu she in any case gave him clothing, good food and booze causing Enkidu to become a man (67). This shows not only the locative emphasis of a mans role in society but also a womans role in securing that place. By civilizing Enkidu, the harlot manages to keep Gilgamesh in his place by establishing an equal for him.Similarly, some(prenominal) Ishtar and Siduri maintain the boundaries between humans and the divine realm by trying to keep Gilgamesh in the realm of man. Gilgamesh insults Ishtar with rejection and she then sends d avow the Bull of Heaven as revenge (85-88). after Enkidu and Gilgamesh kill the Bull of Heaven Enkidu insulted Ishtar further when he, tore out the Bulls rightfield thigh and tossed it in her face (88). ... ... Gilgamesh sleeps show that he is powerless oer sleep. Utanapishtims wife represents Gilgameshs inability to be immortal and the necessity of boundaries betw een the realms. Therefore, both Utanapishtims wife and Ninsun symbolize wisdom and the boundary between man and gods.Thus, the role of women in this story serves to keep animals, men and gods in their respective boundaries. The harlot represents civilization by winning Enkidu from wild man to civilian and lay him solely in the human realm. Ishtar keeps Gilgamesh in check by taking Enkidus life as a result of their disrespect while Siduri shows a womans wisdom by giving Gilgamesh his lot in life. Meanwhile, Ninsun gives Enkidu to Gilgamesh as an equilibrium as well as her prophetic knowledge. Lastly, Utanapishtims wife shows that Gilgamesh can neer be immortal and therefore must stay in his own world.