Throughout history, people have faced oppression for various reasons. Similarly, in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Mwindo Epic, and The Four Plays, the characters experienced oppression but managed to overcome it in their own unique ways. These central characters encountered oppression and found different ways to conquer it. Some sacrificed their lives, others used force, and a few received assistance from the gods. Nevertheless, all of them ultimately triumphed over oppression. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the story commences with the citizens of Uruk describing Gilgamesh as an excessively aggressive ruler: "No son is left with his father for Gilgamesh takes them all, even the children" (62).
Gilgamesh, a man of immense power, considers himself superior to others because he possesses a two-thirds god and one-third man heritage. However, this feeling of su
...periority fuels his arrogance and results in the misuse of his power. His arrogance manifests itself through his harsh treatment of his people. He subjects them to torment, oppression, and exhaustion in their daily lives and battles. Furthermore, he claims the right to sleep with any unmarried woman, insisting that he must be the first to lay claim as the bridegroom and that the husband should come after him (68).
The people of Uruk, tired of being oppressed and enraged, pleaded with Aruru to create someone who was as virtuous and innocent as Gilgamesh. This led to the creation of Enkidu, whose purpose was to free the people of Uruk from their oppressor. As soon as Enkidu met Gilgamesh, he immediately began fulfilling his duty. One example occurred when Enkidu encountered Gilgamesh on his way to sleep with a bride. Fortunately, Enkidu arrived just in
time to rescue the woman from being raped by Gilgamesh. By taking Gilgamesh on various adventures, Enkidu diverted his attention away from oppressing his people and helped him overcome his aggressive tendencies.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh form a strong bond, becoming lifelong companions. As a result of their friendship, Gilgamesh transforms, abandoning his selfish behavior and becoming less oppressive. When Enkidu dies, he liberates the people of Uruk from their oppressor. Gilgamesh is deeply affected by the loss of their powerful love and friendship. His grief eclipses the pride he once displayed with such confidence. This overwhelming sorrow leaves Gilgamesh frightened and confused, ultimately leading to his fear of death.
This causes him to embark on a quest for immortality. However, upon discovering the plant, Gilgamesh forsakes his own pursuit of eternal life and instead offers it to the elders of his kingdom. Thanks to Enkidu, the city of Uruk is liberated from their oppressor and gains a benevolent and remarkable leader. The Mwindo Epic provides a more profound illustration of tyranny. In this narrative, Mwindo's life is constantly at risk as his power-hungry father repeatedly tries to kill him. Shemwindo harbors a deep self-centeredness that prevents him from sharing his throne with his own son.
Mwindo is forced to leave his home and, while he is away, he rebels against his oppressor, Shemwindo. Mwindo believes that the only way to escape his oppressor is by killing him. He embarks on a mission to kill his father, but Shemwindo manages to evade him and the fight continues even in the underworld. Thankfully, towards the conclusion, Shemwindo decides to relinquish his power and gives it to Mwindo. Although Shemwindo does
not die, the oppression finally comes to an end.
Both Mwindo and the main characters in Blood Wedding experience oppression. Mwindo's relationship with his father is unchanging, but he manages to overcome the oppression. In Blood Wedding, the bridegroom is emotionally oppressed by his mother. This oppression stems from her fear of losing her only surviving son after the violent deaths of her husband and other son. Consequently, she becomes excessively protective and tries to confine her son at home. She makes him feel guilty for desiring to live his own life and marry. Despite his mother's disapproval, the bridegroom decides to marry in order to liberate himself from his overprotective mother.
To make matters complicated, it is to a girl that she doesn't like. This brings me to introduce Leonardo and the Bride. These two characters are oppressed because they have to suppress and hide their love for each other. Although Leonardo is married to another woman, he still loves the Bride which is clearly displayed by his actions towards his wife. He is cruel to his wife and tries to reignite the romance between himself and the Bride. Fortunately, he is victorious in trying to convince her that they belong together, by them running away together.
Despite Leonard and the Groom being killed at the end of the story, they were still able to express their previously oppressed love for each other. In the second play, The House of Bernarda Alba, there is also a significant amount of oppression. After her second husband's death, Bernarda Alba, an unpleasant and dominant woman, forces her household into a period of mourning. This mourning is supposed to last
eight years in accordance with family tradition. Bernarda has five daughters who are all in the prime of their lives but she has excessively sheltered and controlled them by forbidding any form of relationships.
The daughters in The House of Bernarda Alba are further isolated during the mourning period, leading to increased tension in the household. The use of color is significant, with the walls of the house painted white, a common practice in Spain to combat the intense sun. However, white holds a deeper symbolism in the play, representing purity, cleanliness, but also lifelessness, pallor, and emptiness. These characteristics accurately depict the constrained lives forced upon Bernarda's daughters. Interestingly, the family name Alba itself means white.
The white walls emphasize the black dresses worn by women in mourning who enter the stage, creating a strong contrast in colors. Black symbolizes death and can represent both the past and future deaths as a means of liberation from oppression. Wearing the same color removes the women's individuality, which is significant because Bernarda wants her daughters to remain unnoticed and suppress their true identities.
They present themselves as nuns, rather than as eligible young women. However, Adela chooses to discard her black mourning attire and dons her green birthday dress to venture outside and feed the chickens. The color green is often associated with Earth, youth, and fertility, making it a fitting symbol for Adela herself. Adela longs to break free from her mother's strict control and experience the freedom to live her young life according to her own desires. She exudes the exuberance of youth and is at a prime age for marriage and starting her own family.
The vibrant
green color juxtaposed against black symbolizes Adela's defiance of her mother's restrictions. It is revealed that Adela, the youngest daughter, engages in a forbidden romance with Pepe el Romano. She grows increasingly passionate, resisting her mother's authority and arguing with her sisters, especially Martirio, who also harbors feelings for Pepe. As tensions rise, the family confronts each other and Bernarda pursues Pepe with a gun. A gunshot is heard, leaving Adela to believe that Pepe has been killed.
Adela escapes and we discover that she has taken her own life due to sorrow. In this instance, the oppressor coerces her into suicide as her sole path to freedom. Adela attempts to defy oppression and express her uniqueness, but her efforts are in vain. These works explore characters who confront oppression and triumph over it in their own distinct manner. Gilgamesh's society presents him with a compassionate companion who teaches him empathy, Mwindo confronts his oppressor with strength, ultimately making amends with his father.
In "The Blood Wedding," a son's impending fate caused his mother to live in fear of losing him, resulting in his oppression. The characters Leonardo and the Bride had to hide their love for each other and ultimately chose to elope as a means of expressing their love. Similarly, in "The House of Bernarda Alba," the daughters faced oppression from their mother and responded with acts of rebellion. Tragically, one daughter lost her life due to the effects of this oppression. Thus, all these narratives depict protagonists who took extreme measures to break free from their oppressive circumstances.
