Enkidu In Gilgamesh

In Gilgamesh, Shamhat, a harlot, receives blessings and prestige through teaching Enkidu how to be an honorable, civilized man. She was asked to draw away Enkidu from the wild with her sexuality (7). She then taught him about sex, food, and drink as well as the idea of work related to manhood, “‘... [men] are engaged in labours of skill/ you, too, like a man, will find a place for yourself’” (George 2003: 12). Teaching Enkidu about sex, food, and drink is her job and is doubly important, because these are social expectations that Enkidu is expected to engage in. This is what is expected to her as a woman (George 2003: 7). Her role is particularly important, because she was the reason Enkidu comes to Uruk-the-Sheepfold. The hunters saw Enkidu

The true force of her fulfilling her social obligations is seen as Enkidu is dying. Enkidu begins to curse her for bringing him away from the wild, but Shamash, a god, reminds Enkidu that Shamhat did wonderful things for him by fulfilling her duty (George 2003: 58). A god praises her! She fulfilled her duties and then received praises from a deity. That in itself is powerful. However, this goes further. Enkidu is properly chastised by the god and begins to give her blessings like receiving luxury items, such as obsidian and lapis lazuli, and that she may gain favor from the gods (George 2003: 59). These blessings are a big deal, especially coming from someone who is close to the King. This is an elevation above other harlots or other ordinary citizens who, in the text, do not receive similar honor. Her praise and power come from her honorably practicing social

Penelope’s husband, Odysseus, was lost for twenty years after leaving for Ilion and the Trojan War. There was an expectation that Penelope honor her husband by not remarrying (Homer 2007: 100). Her job is to grieve for her husband and maintain his seat of power for either her son or husband. Penelope had numerous suitors vying for her attention and for Odysseus’s status. Instead of giving in, she honorably held them off. Penelope did so two ways. The first was by weaving and unweaving a funeral shroud for Odysseus’s father with this act itself, an honorable task for her to undertake (Homer 2007: 231). The second of tricks was to devise a contest. She told the suitors that she would marry whomever could string the bow and deliver an arrow through twelve axes despite knowing that they would be unable to complete the challenge (Homer 2007: 183,186). She knows that the suitors cannot do so, and therefore, she will not be forced to marry anyone and will stay honorable for her husband. Her husband comes back and slays the suitors. Then, they suitors descend into the underworld and relay the story to the dead (Homer 2007: 232). Farther on that same page, Agamemnon comments that Penelope’s virtue will give her fame, even going as far as to say that there will be a song of praise in her honor from the men of earth. She obeyed what was expected of her and held on to her honor.