Gender Roles During The Epic Of Gilgamesh An Epic Poem

Brandon Olmos April 4, 2017 Gender Roles In Gilgamesh, an epic poem, gender roles play a large role in the plot line. Even female goddesses had some key roles through this ancient epic. They might not have necessarily had the same strengths and duties to their male counterparts, but their roles were substantial. Even though the main characters in this epic, Enkidu and Gilgamesh, are male, women still had major roles in their tale. In the story of Ruth, Naomi and her mother-in-law defy gender roles and work for what they have in their place in society. The men in the epic obviously have a positions of power. For example, Gilgamesh in charge of Uruk. Uruk is a city that is really advanced for its time. It was the biggest and the†¦show more content†¦She is a minor goddess, and she definitely has a power role as she is the mother of a demigod. She has his ear, and can steer him in the direction that she wants. In the story of Ruth, Ruth also has an important role in the gender scheme. Ruth is the ideal woman. She is displays good virtue and morals. Ruth was originally married to Elimelech. However, Elimelech and his sons died, leaving Ruth to be a widow without any children. This story in particular deals with gender roles within family dynamics. Ruth originally has the typical family dynamic until the death of her family transforms her life. This was not the typical family dynamic in her culture, as she decides to marry out of her clan. Ruth is definitely not the typical woman as she marries a man from Judah, which is taboo for the two groups of people as they have their differences. She marries Boaz, who treats her well and appreciates her for moving with him. Boaz is affectionate man and shows his respect for Ruth by defending her from sexual harassment from his men. The fact at sexual harassment is the norm in that particular society speaks to how women were treated. They were treated like objects. Ruth was also put to work by Boaz to gut his fields, showing that women were used as tools. Even though Boaz was accepting, his father in law is not as accepting of Ruth, due to the fact that she isn’t like their people. However, even with all the odds against herShow MoreRelatedAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh1740 Words   |  7 PagesAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh â€Å"Will you too die as Enkidu did? Will grief become your food? Will we both fear the lonely hills, so vacant? I now race from place to place, dissatisfied with whereever I am and turn my step toward Utnapishtim, godchild of Ubaratutu† (Jackson â€Å"Gilgamesh Tablet IX† 4-9) Gilgamesh so much feared death that he threw away his honor as a warrior in order to obtain immortality. For centuries there have existed individualsRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Goddess Aruru, The Temple Prostitute, And The Unnamed Bride1206 Words   |  5 Pagesimportant women in the epic of Gilgamesh: the goddess Aruru, the temple prostitute Shamhat, and the unnamed bride. Each of these individuals give unique insight into the culture of the Sumerians in the time of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The goddess Aruru exemplifies that, despite being a deity, all women were subjected to certain constraints based solely on their gender and societal norms. Shamhat demonstrates that women held various functional roles in society, including roles within religion and religiousRead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk2127 Words   |  8 Pages In The Epic of Gilgamesh, women step out of their gender-specific roles where they are not only portrayed as the maternal figure but also the transmitter of civilization, the agent of knowledge and the intercessor. At the same time, they are depicted as the agent of destruction too. As such, although the females get a smaller portion of the narrative as compared to the men, they are indeed significant as they through their roles, they are able to guide and help the male figures in their heroic questRead MoreThe Epic of Gilgamesh2440 Words   |  10 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature. There actually was a King in Sumer by the name of Gilgamesh, who lived at about 2700 BC. The Epic casts Gilgamesh as a ruler and great hero and cast as being part man and part god. The story has Gilgamesh set off with a companion in search of cedar wood to bring back to their woodless land. His companion is killed during a violent storm. The Sumerian Epic blames the death upon the storm god, Enlil. GilgameshRead MoreWomen ´s Role in Litetraute1102 Words   |  5 Pageswomen can now be independent. From the first material The Epic of Gilgamesh to Inferno, women’s power and roles is getting stronger and more important. For the Aeneid, Virgil mentioned different people (gods, goodness, women, and mortal men) role that live in Aeneas. Each character has their own specific part for the impersonal fate staying in Aeneas. There are a few women in these characters. In the Aeneas life, women did play an important role. Like Venus, Lavinia, Penelope, and Juno, they can affect