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The iliad and the roles of women
Women in the greek mythology 123help
Iliad women's role
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Women of the Iliad In the Iliad we saw women as items of exchange and as markers of status for the men who possessed them (Chryseis and Briseis, whom Agame mnon and Achilles argue over in Book I). We saw them in their normal social roles as mothers and wives (Hecuba, Andromache in Book VI). We saw stereotypical characterizations of them as fickle (Helen in Book VI), seductive, and deceitful (Hera in Book XIV). We see them as an obstacle that the male hero has to overcome or resist to fulfill his heroic destiny (Andromache's entreaties to Hector in Book VI). In all, the few times women show up in what is basically a story told in the male sphere, the story is nothing that subverts or calls into question the structure of the society that is being portrayed... or is there? To the extent that the Iliad has a moral lesson to impart to its readers, part of it would have to be that the behavior of Agam emnon and Achilles in the first book (and beyond) is excessive. Both men are so fixated on their own images as heroic warriors that they end up bringing woe upon themselves and the rest of the Greeks. Part of that behavior is the way they treat the wome n not as human beings but as emblems of their own status and martial prowess. Look carefully at what Agamemnon says to the prophet who declared that he had to give back Chryseis (Page 62): Now once more you make divination to the Dana ans, argue forth your reason why he who strikes from afar afflicts them, because I for the sake of the girl Chryseis would not take the shining ransom; and indeed I wish greatly to have her in my own house; since I like her be tter than Klytaimestra my own wife, for in truth she is no way inferior To those who already knew the stories of the Trojan War heroes (which all of the original Greek audience of the epic would), these words would be ominous ones. They would know that Agamemnon had angered hi s wife Klytaimestra (Clytemnestra),
The Role of Women in Greek Mythology In learning about the feminist movement, we studied the three articles, discussed and reviewed the different authors perspectives on the topic, and learned how important the role of woman in Greek mythology is. In presenting the feminist theory to the class, we analyzed the three articles, Women in Ancient Greece; Women in Antiquity: New Assessments; and Women in Greek Myth, and discussed how although the three articles provided different views on Feminism in mythology, they all essentially are aiming to teach the same basic concept. In order to understand the feminist theory, we have to understand the notion that although myths are invented and that they involve fantasy, the concept of mythology does not necessarily imply that there is no truth of history in them. Some of the humans may have lived while some of the events may have taken place. Most importantly, the social customs and the way of life depicted in the myths are a valuable representation of Greek society.
In the first section of Odyssey, mortal women are presented to us as controlled by the stereotypes and expectations of the culture of the day, and it is only within that context that we can consider the examples Homer provides of women to be admired or despised. He provides us with clear contrasts, between Penelope and Eurycleia on the one hand, and Helen and Clytemnaestra on the other.
Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each—through her vices or virtues—helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600).
...1997), or creatures that are “...Forever fitful and forever changing” (Darmrosch and Pike, 2009). Women are not without strength, as Virgil demonstrates in the Aeneid, as they are rulers of cities and goddesses, as well as objects of passion and the subject of war, in Helen's case. We can learn much about the nature of the balance and tensions between ancient peoples from their literature, and see how they have been characterized in the past, and how we can evaluate these characterizations from the perspective of a society that is progressively evolving in our definintions of gender and how we approach the stereotypes and idealizations of gender.
In Greek mythology, women are typically associated with everything natural and evil, such as passion, jealousy, anger etc… and in Classical Athens, society feared their union because they thought some sort of crazy ritual must be going on. Some of these characteristics are depicted in the Odyssey. In fact, the slaves are shown serving the suitors, obeying their commands to meet their needs (even sexually). Also, the beautiful nymph Calypso is a perfect example of how she seduces Odysseus, falls crazy in love with him and holds him prisoner for years. And, Circe transforms Odysseus’s
The society in which classical myths took place, the Greco-Roman society was a very patriarchal one. By taking a careful gander at female characters in Greco-Roman mythology one can see that the roles women played differ greatly from the roles they play today. The light that is cast upon females in classical myths shows us the views that society had about women at the time. In classical mythology women almost always play a certain type of character, that is to say the usual type of role that was always traditionally played by women in the past, the role of the domestic housewife who is in need of a man’s protection, women in myth also tended to have some unpleasant character traits such as vanity, a tendency to be deceitful, and a volatile personality. If one compares the type of roles that ladies played in the myths with the ones they play in today’s society the differences become glaringly obvious whilst the similarities seem to dwindle down. Clearly, and certainly fortunately, society’s views on women today have greatly changed.
Throughout the Iliad, Homer portraits the extent to which honor plays a role in the lives of Greeks and the manner in which they are willing to sacrifice in order to reach their goals. The Iliad is set during the Trojan War, a particularly long and bloody war, fought not over boundary disagreements, and not over political conflicts, and not to protect the nation. Rather, it was a war fought to defend the personal honor. The possession of women was important to a man’s standing and honor. Paris’ theft of Helen struck a huge blow to the honor of Menelaus and becomes the initial cause of the Trojan War. Consequently, Menelaus, the Spartan ruler, called upon his brother Agamemnon to gather the Greek forces to launch the war against Paris demanding the return of Helen and reinstating the honor for the king. The war lasted for ten years and cost innumerable Greeks’ lives and brought incurable pain upon their families. To Greek heroes, honor is more important than their life as much as that life would be meaningless without it, and they even willingly sacrifice their lives in order...
Unlike today where women are usually regarded as important as men are, the ancient Greek men were ranked much higher than women in the hierarchy and therefore there was quite a gap between them. This meant that men were able to order women around and information was available to them before anybody else. Men were regarded as smarter than women so they were chosen to do special tasks while the women were left to be servants. But men didn?t seem to understand women much at all. Some men believed that they were just ?Poor women?, ?Harping on trouble?, where really they were doing things that would have helped themselves as well as the people around them. Medea is expecte...
What would you expect to be the role of a woman in the society? Most of us will believe that women play an important role in our society. They give birth, take care of the family, listen to and are loyal to their husbands. This is how we usually think of women. However, Ancient Egyptian Literatures bring us to the complete opposite view of woman. They believe that women cause many troubles to their husband and society. They are treacherous and unacceptable. Women are portrayed as troublemakers, as shown through Eve from Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, who caused her husband got into trouble; Clytemnestra from The Odyssey, who betrayed her husband; and Ishtar from The Epic of Gilgamesh, who wanted to kill her lover when he didn’t accept her love.
Although the story is about Odysseus and his crew's trials to get home, the female characters each have an impact on their odyssey. Calypso, Circe, and Penelope are three very different women whose traits and personalities affect the roles they play in the Odyssey of Odysseus.
The Trojan War veterans of The Odyssey succeeded in defeating their enemies on the battlefield. The end of combat did not mean relief from burdens for them. War is cruel, but in it these men see a glory they cannot find outside. Achilleus’ death in war is treated with ceremony and respect. Agamemnon, having survived that same war, dies a pitiful death and Klytaimestra “was so hard that her hands would not/ press shut [his] eyes and mouth though [he] was going to Hades” (XI, 425-426). Dying at home meant being denied even simple acts of dignity. Reflecting back on it Hades, Agamemnon characterizes the veteran’s struggles when he asks, “What pleasure was there for me when I had wound up the fighting?” (XXIV, 95).
The representation of women within The Odyssey reflects the perception of women within modern society. The ideas of women over time have shifted into a more empowering sense of what is right for a woman how she must be represented within a culture. Within today’s culture the women of The Odyssey would receive backlash from those who would call the characters’ temptresses or seductresses, yet they represent so much more than that. The women of The Odyssey are strong, empowering, and loyal. To take the element of sexualization away from the characters allows a specific level of praise that should be given for being so liberating, loyal, and determined. Penelope, Calypso, and Clytemnestra are all representatives of the modern woman despite the
The role of women in society is often debated. In many ancient cultures, women were not granted the same rights that men had. When it comes to Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, women had very similar roles yet vastly different influences on society. The myths of these cultures helps us to see exactly what those differences are. This paper will examine the role and perceptions of women in Greek society and Roman society as exemplified by the mythology that guided these societies.
At times, women can take action to either preserve the reputation or emphasize the importance of some well-regarded man. In other situations, it is the actions of a man towards a woman that helps preserve or increase the influence that he has. Even symbolically, women have importance in defining the standing of man, as they highlight what made a man of value to the community. Neither the Greek nor Anglo-Saxon depictions of women are too positive; nevertheless, they are accurate depictions of the times these societies lived in and of a time when women were considered to be inferior to
The poem “Iliad,” by Homer, is known for its violence between men during a war, but under that violence, is the different type of women who play a significant role in the poem (Homer 189). This poem’s narrative seems to show a male dominated world between the Greek commanders. This male dominated world cannot happen on its own, thus the different background roles of women are needed in order to make sense of all this rage. As the University of Michigan article How Do Women Make Their Way Into This Cycle states, “They are seen as the objects of both lust and domesticity, yet they are also used to excuse war, cause conflict, and display the power of men” (www.umich.edu). The focus in this poem steers towards the rage between the men, but this rage most of the time is inspired and initiated by a woman. The women of Iliad play a significant role in the poem such as war prizes, male hero partners, and women gods.