The Nurturing Role of Women

In Images of Women in the Gilgamesh Epic, Harris presents a convincing argument that analyzes the role of female characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He emphasizes the point that, “Women are regarded positively only when they assist Gilgamesh (and Enkidu) in their activities, when they nurture, advise, in maternal fashion”. Ultimately, he says, the role of women in the majority of The Epic of Gilgamesh is a microcosm for how Mesopotamian women led their lives in the real world.

Harris provides a very sound and structured argument for her reader, beginning with her general thesis that describes the purpose of women in the epic, and then following with an analysis of several female characters in the story. I think that the selection of the word “motherly” to describe most of the female characters is very appropriate due to the nurturing nature of the relationships between the women in the epic and Enkidu and Gilgamesh. Shamhat , who was told to “do for the man the work of a woman”, is a great example of a female character whose sole purpose was to aid in the development of Enkidu. She was maternal in a way that she allowed Enkidu to be transformed from a beast into a human-being, through the teachings of reason and understanding. We must not forget, that Shamhat is supposedly a prostitute, a figure that is looked down upon in Mesopotamian society, yet she manages to play an essential “intermediary role” in shaping Enkidu’s future.

Shamhat also brings about an interesting contrast between her role as a sexual catalyst and as a “facilitator of Enkidu’s socialization”. Shamhat’s character is unique in a way that she manages to interchange two purely feminine societal roles, something that no other female character in the epic manages to do. She is able to teach Enkidu the fundamentals of living, establishing her maternal role, yet she is also responsible for satisfying his sexual desires-establishing her role as a sexual employee. It is intriguing that in both of these cases, she is still fulfilling her “supporting” responsibility, further enforcing the normative female role in Mesopotamian society.