Socratic Seminar 1

The Role of Women in The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh was written by Gilgamesh about 4000 years ago in the city of
Uruk, in Mesopotamia. “Gilgamesh went abroad in the world, but he met with none that could
withstand his arms till he came to Uruk.” We can infer that he is very proud of physical being
and that he has learned about himself through the trials in his life. The story is about Gilgamesh,
who is ⅔ God and his quests with and because of Enkidu. As a result of these adventures,
Gilgamesh works to live on through his stories instead of becoming immortal. The Epic of
Gilgamesh was written for anyone enlightened enough to listen.
As enlightened human beings, we are able to look outside ourselves and see the
complexity of human interaction. Throughout Gilgamesh, the treatment of women and the way
they are looked upon shows them in various roles. It is very reflective of human nature. The
story begins with the introduction of a Harlot. “Ask him to give you a harlot, a wanton from the
temple of love; return with her, and let her woman’s power overpower this man.” This shows
how men were in control of a woman’s body and choices. Look a little deeper and you see that
she is also respected for her ability to change a man from wild to civilized. The second woman
in the story is Gilgamesh’s mother Ninsun, “who is well-beloved and wise.” She helps him
interpret his dreams and supports him. Ninsun saying, “You will love him as a woman and he
will never forsake you.” shows that women were seen as loyal and having a strong ability to
love. She helps him to understand that he can have a strong bond with another man and
embraces that man as her own son. Ninsun adopts Enkidu and instructs him to take care of
Gilgamesh. “I entrust my son to you; bring him back to me safely.” The third woman in
Gilgamesh’s life was Ishtar - the goddess of love, fertility and war; an interesting combination
and very telling of the attitude of man. In her description, Ishtar is in charge of love, life creation
and destruction, seemingly a very powerful woman. Yet, she is portrayed as selfish and
vindictive when Gilgamesh will not marry her and speaks ill of actions. “I will break in the doors
of hell and smash the bolts; there will be confusion of people, those above with those of the
lower depths.” The fourth woman that Gilgamesh meets along the way is Siduri, the winemaker.
She is a teacher and although he listens, he does not immediately learn. “You will never find the
life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life
they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day
and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe
yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your
embrace; for this too is the lot of man.” In her wisdom, she instructs him to be happy being a
man instead of searching to avoid death. It isn’t until much later in the story that Gilgamesh
comes to this conclusion on his own.
Coming to conclusions is really what the world is about. We take it for granted that
women are treated differently now than they were back then but really, are they? Today’s
women are both powerless and powerful. They are disrespected and respected. They are hated
and loved. For example, with the Harlot, she was not in charge of her own body. Today, as with
the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we see the same thing. Also with reference to the Harlot, she
helped civilize Enkidu; modern women can help create a more civilized world by sharing
thoughts, fighting for equality and ending discrimination. Gilgamesh’s mother was supportive
and wise, much like the moms of today. Ishtar, depicted as self-absorbed and vindictive,
exemplifies a “Karen”. Think of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. In 2022, Amber Heard
accused Johnny Depp of defamation of character and requested that the courts (i.e., the Gods)
punish him for his actions. And finally, Siduri was a teacher, instructing Gilgamesh to look inside
for his happiness instead of seeking something outside similar to Jen Sincero in her 2011
self-help series, You are a Badass. When considering all the similarities in treatment of women
in Gilgamesh’s time and ours currently, it is obvious that mankind has settled into the assumption
that women are the same as they always have been - they are the epitome of the nature of
(wo)mankind.
While the theme of the treatment of women stood out for me, other interesting points
covered in our class seminar were monotheism vs. polytheism, what actions made Gilgamesh
human instead of a God, and the afterlife in Mesopotamian culture. During this collective
process I learned that each person had their own viewpoints on the subject and that some subjects
can be tossed about for a long time whereas others fell quickly to the wayside. I thought that
communication worked really well overall. I liked how the ideas bounced around the room
feeding off each other's answers. The food was enjoyable as well. I think everyone should take a
turn in speaking about each topic. I feel that I was a good participant in the discussions,
potentially moving us along to other topics instead of getting stuck on one thought. Let’s ask
more in-depth questions for the next seminar. I know I will work harder to make my questions
more thought provoking.

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The Role of Women in The Epic of Gilgamesh

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