The Epic Of Gilgamesh
Gender itself, and more specifically the female form, serve to play an important, though sometimes contradictory, role in ancient literature. While women are not particularly well-known for being portrayed as lead characters within a plot of such ancient works, it is worth noting that many prominent Greek plays contain several women who not only play major roles, but are also very well-written, complex characters. Interestingly, women whom are considered insignificant to their male counterparts, and are often subjected to treatment that would be considered barbaric by today's standards, are the same women who come to represent knowledge, wisdom, and ultimately power -- typically by ...
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cushion-shaped rectangles of clay inscribed on both sides with wedge-shaped cuneiform writing" (George xv). Multiple sources of broken and partial tables have been discovered and translated over 2,000-year timeframe, and from these sources, two distinct versions of the epic poem were formed and still exist today: "The Standard Version of the Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic: 'He who saw the Deep' and the Babylonian texts sometimes referred to as 'Surpassing all other kings'. Despite several different translations of the texts, "Andrew George's gripping translation brilliantly combines these into a fluent narrative and will long rank as the definitive English Gilgamesh" (George back cover).
The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and his travels with Enkidu in quest of the secret to immortality. Taking into consideration only main characters in the translation, the number of male characters outnumber female characters by more than two to one, emphasing ...
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as he coupled with Shamhat" (George 8). Clearly a prostitute, the character of Shamhat appears submissive and obedient to men and serves no other purpose than that of sexual pleasure. This same viewpoint rings true again during the discussion of a wedding party when it is told that "the king of Uruk-the-Town-Square... he will couple with the wife-to-be, he first of all, the bridegroom after" and again when Enkidu is told by a passing stranger "how in Uruk Gilgamesh exercises droit de seigneur" (George 12, 15). Other female characters, such as Ishtar, the principal goddess of Uruk, leave the impression that women are emotional, irrational, and vengeful. Ishtar shows these impressions ...
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"The Epic Of Gilgamesh." Essayworld.com. October 11, 2013. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Epic-Of-Gilgamesh/103118.
"The Epic Of Gilgamesh." Essayworld.com. October 11, 2013. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Epic-Of-Gilgamesh/103118.
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