Treatment Of Women In Gilgamesh Essay

The Portrayal of Women in Ancient Literature The role of women in ancient world literature reflects the values of women in a specific society in the era the piece was written. Authors in Mesopotamian, Hebrew, and Greek culture portray women in a negative light compared to male characters, with the exception of most divine figures. In the Mesopotamian epic “Gilgamesh”, the Hebrew Bible’s Genesis, and the Greek “Work and Days”, women are distinctly different than their male counterparts, with few similarities. Female characters, both human and divine, seem to have a witch-like effect on most of the men in their stories. Each author shares fairly similar assumptions about women. Overall, women are viewed as less than men, with the exception of goddesses and other holy female figures. In the epic “Gilgamesh”, the women are all holy figures in some way or another, …show more content…
Eve is deceived by the serpent into eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Hebrew culture portrays in as more gullible than men, as well as less intellectual. In contrast, women do have persuasive power over men, which is shown by Adam accepting and eating the fruit given to him by his wife. Eve is created second; she is made by God out of the bone and flesh of Adam. The creation of women second implies the second-class citizen mentality of females in ancient Hebrew culture. When God says, “…and he shall rule over you” (Genesis, 16) the second-class female mentality is displayed again. In ancient Hebrew culture, women are expected to be controlled by and obedient to their husbands. Compared to men, they are not as respected or valued. One of the only things women are praised for in Genesis is reproducing sons, showing they are valued a little, but when it involves a male in some way. Genesis represents women in ancient Hebrew culture as dependent on their male counterparts and as less

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