The Role Of Athenian Women In Oedipus The King

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Kirk Ormand is an assistant professor of Classics at Oberlin College. In the article titled “Oedipus the Queen: Cross-gendering without Drag”, Ormand explores the Athenian women through the perception of Athenian men. However, Ormand does not try study them (Athenian women) through their portrayed characters (Clytemnestra, Antigone, Cleopatra, etc.) on stage. The reason being the fact that these characters aren’t portrayed by women. Therefore, the only get the men’s exaggerated and/or completely false view of the women of that time period. Ormand, instead, looks at the male characters to find what defined femininity at that time. This is quite interesting because one might think that the closest thing to understanding a woman in that time period, regardless of …show more content…

Thus, in his (Heracles) case, his feminization had more to do with a lack of self-control. In Oedipus the King, Ormand presents the idea that Oedipus suffers a similar condition to Heracles. He (Oedipus) is very much likened to a young bride much like Heracles. It is, however, Creon, the truly feminizes him. Creon takes swift control over Oedipus’ actions much like an Athenian man would for an unmarried woman. Ormand offers the idea of Oedipus in his current state isn’t fit to rule and so Creon steps up; stating Oedipus is the master of nothing. Moving on, Ormand states that ancient Athenians might have had gender specific social cues. For instance, women were more likely to gossip or masturbate (due to the belief that women had a lack sexual self-control). Ormand also notes that in comedies play upon the fact that the true gender of would-be imposters would keep recurring. In Ormands conclusion, he sums up the idea that in this ancient Greek period sexuality had no connection to the down fall of the character. The fall of each tragic hero was due to their shift into more passive

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