Epic Of Gilgamesh Analysis

Throughout the Epic of Gilgamesh, it centers the journey of Gilgamesh, the hero of the story, but I found many other supporting characters to be more interesting. With that in mind, I have chosen Shamhat, the harlot sent to seduce Enkidu, as the character I will be writing through a new perspective. As I will be writing through Shamhat’s perspective, it will go deeper into one of the many themes in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is a misuse of power, and explores a new theme, which is the sexual exploitation of the female body, and how this aspect is overlooked. While reading the Epic of Gilgamesh, the readers often sees the privileged misusing their power over the inferior, and Shamhat is just another example of that. In the story, Shamhat is described as a harlot, which is a prostitute/promiscuous woman. This description is already showing how the other characters view her and maybe even the readers, as someone who is inferior to many others, thus causing Shamhat to be taken advantage of. A piece of evidence from the story that shows Shamhat being taken advantage of, is when the readers are first introduced to her in the story. When a trapper of the wildness, is stricken with fear of the first sight of Enkidu, he asks his father for assistance, and this is what he says, “My son, there lives in Uruk a certain Gilgamesh. There is no one stronger than he, he is as strong as the meteorite of Anu. Go, set off to Uruk, tell Gilgamesh of this Man of Might. He will give