In reading the two ancient tales, Gilgamesh and Lysistrata, I have begun to question many of the social paradigms surrounding gender roles. While finding many differences, I have drawn several parallels between the ideas of these writings and our modern ideas of what it means to be a man or woman. These stories were very clear in illustrating men's positions of authority and the ideas of kingship, militarism, and heroism. Men were continuously expected to demonstrate the "tough guy" persona that is perpetuated throughout today's media. Conversely, particularly in Gilgamesh, the positive ideas of brotherhood and male bonding are represented. I have surmised that the role of women in society in both antiquity and modern times is very limited in its importance and that men continue to dominate all of the established power structures. However, in my reading, I have also realized that there seems to be one recurring theme that contradicts my last statement. In both Lysistrata and Gilgamesh, the female characters seemed to represent control over the male characters. Unfortunately, this one display of power is through the use of sex, of course. In this paper, I will examine the aforementioned themes and analyze their meanings relating to the text as well as contemporary examples.
             The epic poem Gilgamesh is the first heroic epic of world literature. The story tells of the arrogant and ruthless, Gilgamesh, a powerful figure of a man but a poor king. He tyrannizes his people, exhausting men in combat and claiming the right to sleep with any woman he pleases. The gods create Enkidu, a wild creature, to challenge Gilgamesh. After being tamed by the harlot, Shamhat, Enkidu enters the city to confront his now equal. After an initial clashing of two egos, Gilgamesh and Enkidu become friends. On an expedition, they confront the demon Huwawa in the Cedar Forest and the Bull of Heaven requested by Ishtar for her retribution. Enkidu falls ill soon...