The role of women in "The Epic of Gilgamesh"

The role of women is a very important topic in "The Epic of Gilgamesh," and various women are chosen to represent various aspects of the mesopotamian conception of women. In the ancient times males were inessential to the preservation of life. "The Epic of Gilgamesh" shows how the inability of males to give birth causes a sense of despair and alienation. While the representation of women might seem confusing at first with its wide range …

…of Gilgamesh", and the female characters in the epic, women were valuable advisors, and had variable attitudes regarding sexuality, they control men's decision in some ways and brought both death and immortality in men's lives. According to Gerda Lerner, "Woman, in precivilized society, must have been man's equal and may well have felt herself to be his superior." (Lerner, 43) So women in ancient times considered to be equal to men and even superior than man. .