The role of women in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the descent of Ishtar into the Underworld

What do the Epic of Gilgamesh and the descent of Ishtar into the Underworld tell us about how these ancient cultures viewed women?

Write at least one paragraph, of at least five sentences, and be specific about which story and which female you are discussing.

For example, in the Enuma Elish, the goddess Tiamat is what might be termed a neglectful and vengeful mother. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is a woman (variously known as a temple prostitute, a priestess, and a harlot, depending on which translation you read) who is given the task of turning Enkidu from a man-animal to a man. In the story of Ishtar's descent into the underworld, the goddess is by turns capricious, imperious, and jealous.