Shamhat and Ishtar in The Epic of Gilgamesh

All of the works read thus far have female characters, including, but not limited to, Shamhat and Ishtar in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Anubis’ wife and the Pharaoh’s wife in “Two Brothers,” Tamar in “The Joseph Story,” Ruth and Naomi in The Book of Ruth, or Medea in The Medea. Using two different works and focusing on at least two female characters and no more than three, make a claim about how women were perceived in the ancient world. You should only use the texts chosen to support your argument; no outside research is to be used in this first literary analysis essay. Questions to consider: Are women powerful, intelligent figures? Are women considered emotional, perhaps to a fault? Are they viewed as helpers rather than leaders?