Womens Roles in Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the...

Changing Womens Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautuss 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the motivation behind nearly every action in the play, she is glimpsed only briefly, never speaks directly, and earns little respect from the male characters surrounding her, a situation that roughly parallels a womans role in Roman society of that†¦show more content†¦The woman is a harlot seen only once and -- at least in the N.K. Sandars translation -- is not even given a name. She becomes and remains what Harris calls an object of male control (226). Each time she is spoken to, she is referred to as woman, as if this is her name, and is commanded to complete a task. For example, when the tr apper takes her to find Enkidu, whom she is to seduce, he says to her, Now, woman, make your breasts bare, have no shame, do not delay but welcome his love (Lawall 20). This woman, as Harris has written, is not as much a real character as an object, and one of male pleasure at that. While many might see her role as completely demeaning, however, it also marks the beginning of literary womens use of sex as a weapon. What we must remember is that, no matter that it comes about by way of a mans commands, the harlot changes Enkidu from a ravenous wild man into the more human companion of a king. Only she has the power men need to transform him into a character that will benefit, instead of rebel against, the society they have created. In Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, not only does the most prominent female character receive more respect from men, but readers -- unlike those of Gilgamesh -- are able to see and understand what she is feeling. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the most significant woman featured is referred to as the lady and represents a