Throughout The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer's The Odyssey women have played a major role in the progression of the heroic epic. From gods to queens and princesses, and even to harlots, women have influenced the future paths of the hero or heroes by influencing their thoughts and the decisions that they make. While some would view the women characters as objects of desire, danger, or even as comic relief, their roles in these stories extend much farther to include being sources of inspiration and images of authority. It is in these two afore mentioned stories that we see a woman's character portrayed as a leader, an object of desire, a manipulator, and, even at times, a source of comic relief.
             When considering The Epic of Gilgamesh, the first woman character of notable significance was the harlot, who the reader will see first off as a "tool" used by man, namely the trapper, so that he could remove Enkidu from his woods. There is, however, more to it than that, as is expressed in the line ". . . teach him, the savage man, your woman's art . . ."(Gilgamesh 64). This shows the inherent power that women have over men, often referred to as "feminine wiles", which is essentially woman's ability to manipulate a man through the utilization of his hormonal weaknesses. This power to control is seen throughout many different literary works and helps to establish the woman as a major role player in the society. This line also reflects how man views woman as the supplier of worldly knowledge, which is first depicted in the story of Adam and Eve (Gen. 3: 6-7).
             Another prominent female character was the goddess Ninsun. While she was not viewed as a "tool" of man as the harlot was, she was still viewed as very wise. This is shown through her interpretations of Gilgamesh's dreams when she says "This is a strong comrade . . . you will love him as a woman and he will never for...