Women in The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Depiction of Women in the Gilgamesh Epic
Depiction of Women in the Odyssey Epic
Comparison of the Two Epics
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Female characters have played a central role in both Gilgamesh and Odyssey narratives. Both epics were written at a time when women in literature were only responsible for domestic duties and childbirth. However, the two tales assign significant roles to the female characters. The women in both epics include human females and goddesses. However, despite their differences in mortality, the female characters have been equally awarded power in various forms by the authors. This essay will discuss how the two narratives deal with women and power by highlighting the centrality of women in the epics. Additionally, the essay will compare and contrast how the two epics treat female characters.

Depiction of Women in the Gilgamesh Epic

Women’s power in the Gilgamesh epic is shown in their ability to influence men greatly. The two lead characters in Gilgamesh’s epic are the men of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Furthermore, women in the epic were neither considered the wisest or strongest humans nor the most powerful immortals. Still, they played a significant role and were given extraordinary power in various forms. The women in the story were represented as gods (Ishtar), wise (Ninsun), and harlots (Shamhat).

In particular, the women’s power in the story was shown in their ability to influence significantly men, who were depicted as the wisest and most powerful beings. For instance, the goddess Ishtar was shown as one of the most powerful gods, remarkably because she managed to successfully manipulate men, both humans, and gods, to do what she desired. For example, when her father denies her the Bull of Heaven, she knows how to make him change his mind by explaining, “I have heaped grain in the granaries for the people; I made grasses grow for the animals” (Mitchell, 109-110). Due to her ability to influence men, her father gave her the bull.

Additionally, women’s power was shown in their knowledge. The women were not rulers but used their knowledge to be helpful to others and carve a place for themselves in Mesopotamia. Some women got power by using their bodies to seduce men to gain control, such as Shamhat (Mitchell, 81). Other women gained knowledge and power by being housewives who got the essential information from their husbands at the right moments. For example, Ninsun gained favor from the king because she only spoke when spoken to and provided him with wisdom and knowledge.

Depiction of Women in the Odyssey Epic

The Odyssey epic shows the power of women in various guises, such as intelligence, resourcefulness, perseverance, beauty, savagery, innocence, seductiveness, wisdom, and dexterity. In Homer’s novel, no woman is shown as powerless, regardless of age or status. The female characters in the epic use their feminine attributes and skills to wield influence indirectly, such as through supernatural means. The power was often exercised consciously and lethally. The women in the story wielded their power to destroy or protect the Odysseus household. For example, the goddess Athena supported Odyssey and his family (Homer, 89). The witch Circe had a year-long dalliance with him (Homer, 135), Calypso the nymph kept him prisoner for seven years (Homer, 224), princess Nausicaa and her family helped him when he swam ashore (Homer, 337), and Penelope, his wife, who managed to deceive 108 suitors and kept her household together for twenty years while her husband was gone (Homer, 469).

Comparison of the Two Epics

In both narratives, beauty, grace, and attractiveness played a significant role in exemplifying the power of women in their society. Women were shown to use their beauty and elegance to perform two distinct roles: either to be the epitome of goodness and purity or to depict everything vile, harmful, and evil. In both stories, some women, such as Calypso, were categorized into the evil category with a temptress quality, while women such as Penelope and Ninsun exemplified goodness. Additionally, in both stories, women were depicted to have a significant influence on men. They were commanding, powerful, and competent, which helped them easily manipulate the men. While in Gilgamesh, Ishtar used her power to influence both human and immortal males, Athena, Calypso and Penelope were shown to influence the men in the Odyssey.

Conclusion

Even though both stories showed that women have power that gives them the ability to handle more than domestic duties in societies, they still depicted women as submissive with subtle mastery. Positively, the epics did an exemplary job of showing variations in women’s societal roles. Unfortunately, the women’s power in the stories was dependent on men. This implies that the women were only as strong as the men claimed them to be, or their power was determined by their ability to influence the men. Conclusively, women had to manipulate, seduce, or submit to men to acquire that power.

Works Cited

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. (1996). Viking Publishers.

Stephen Mitchell. Gilgamesh: a New English Version. (2004). New York: Free Press.

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Women in The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh

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