Gender Stereotypes In Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh is one of the oldest pieces of literature that society currently possesses. One concept this book features – even though it is from a society that has long disappeared – is the concept of gender roles, or at least a rather noticeable difference between men and women. Most of the women in this epic, with the exception of Ishtar, are sympathetic towards Gilgamesh or Enkidu and attempt to assist either one or both of them. The women in this epic all exhibit at least one stereotype that people sometimes attribute to women, such as being “soft” or irrationally angry. Of course, these are only stereotypes perpetuated by a society dominated by men. That being said, these stereotypes are just that: stereotypes. Furthermore, it seems as though none of the women in this story have roles that one would deem “masculine.” Rather, the women work as tavern-keeps, temple prostitutes, or house-wives. However, one can argue that most of the women featured in this story either deliver messages important to the story’s meaning or allow the plot to advance where it would otherwise stop dead in its tracks. …show more content…
In Book I, Enkidu encounters Shamhat, the temple prostitute. Being a prostitute, Shamhat displays one of the most common women stereotypes that one might see throughout history Shamhat is seen as a sex symbol and is thus objectified for men. She is tasked with “domesticating” Enkidu through sexual intercourse (77). After seven tiring days, she offers to take him back to the city of Uruk. She even offers to give Enkidu half of her clothing so that he may look somewhat civilized (80). Of course, Shamhat was not required to take him back, or it was not explicitly said that she must complete any further tasks for Enkidu after domesticating him. Without Shamhat’s assistance, one can assume that Enkidu would be roaming the woods still until someone else found him, or until the gods decided to intervene