Gender Relationships
The Relationship between Dante and Beatrice
When Dante met Beatrice later after nine years since their early age meeting, he acknowledges that his love for her was almost instant. For Dante, Beatrice became the gateway for the Divine Love that he was seeking in La Vita Nuova. The relationship between Dante and Beatrice was spiritual and poetic, based on a love that was not adulterous in nature and a one-sided type of love (Jaeger 70). Yet the love that Beatrice had to offer served as a guide to heavenly bliss. Yet even in her beauty, Dante is drawn first to Beatrice’s sense of self, which gives him such great joy that he viewed Beatrice as a muse that idealized love, in a passionate way that however transcends physicality.
‘’ And when I perceived her, all my senses were overpowered by the great lordship that Love obtained, finding himself so near unto that most gracious being until nothing but the spirits of sight remained to me.’’(Jaeger 112).
The relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Enkidu is a brave and fearless young man who draws attention to many people. When Gilgamesh notices him, they immediately for a relationship of friendship. The relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is based on a mutual love for one another that seeks to help each other grow and become better individuals. This friendship changed both men, allowing them to become better heroes for the Uruk people and remain undefeated when working as a unit (Maier, 90)
Comparison/ Contrast of the Two Relationships
The relationship between Dante and Beatrice is that of heterosexual couples, a man and a woman whose love is based on emotional attachment, passion and unconditional commitment. On the other hand, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu as two male individuals who freely express love for each other is that of homosocial male couples. Unlike common misconceptions in the 21st century, the existence of same-sex relationships such as male and male pairing does not always equate to homosexuality. Given that Gilgamesh and Enkidu use their relationship for the purpose of friendship, mentoring and becoming better warriors, this is enough indication that there exists love relationships that are not attached to any sexual or physical connections(Maier, 97). This is unlike the love that Dante felt towards Beatrice, in a romantic and sexual nature as seen from his expression in poems.
Social and Cultural Implications
This seeks to remind us that personal relationships do not need to adhere to heteronormative values in the 21st century. There are different gender relationships, however, looking at the convectional heteronormative couples, the idea of same sex relationships is still viewed indifferently when compared to opposite sex relationships. Looking at our social and cultural constricts, it is becoming difficult to celebrate same sex relationships as they are easily graded as homosexual relationships. This is maybe due to our deteriorating social values and morals whereby we lack the most basic elements that serve as foundations to building solid relationships. The implication of this discussion connects to the development of better relationships at an early age and promote effective social transition for our young people to understand how to meet their diverse needs and expectations in a changing world.

Work Cited
Jaeger, C. Stephen. “The redemptive power of the face: from Beatrice (Portinari) to Bérénice (Bejo).” postmedieval: a journal of medieval cultural studies 8.1 (2017): 67-82.

Maier, John R. “Gilgamesh and the Great Goddess of Uruk.” (2018).

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