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Role of women in ancient greek
Role of women in ancient greek
Women's roles in ancient greece
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“Women portray more than you think”
In ancient greek mythology in the 13th century men had different point of views of women. Men thought that they were far greater and better in nature because they should rule and women should be the subjects of men’s rule. The only thing women would take care of is their household and their families, which created major gender roles. On the other hand, in the Odyssey things are much more different, they portray women to have stronger powers than most men and overpower them. Some women are viewed to be goddess, monstrous, and are even more powerful than most men. Clytemnestra and Calypso in the Odyssey take a major role in this part, yet they both have their
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many differences and similarities. While some may believe that men are more stronger and powerful than women, both Clytemnestra and Calypso portray more than men think: they have stronger powers to make men do things without them realizing it, and have the power to manipulate them. First thing to remember, Calypso and Clytemnestra have a lot of similarities even though Calypso is a goddess and Clytemnestra is human.
In a way they both deviously show a skillful use of underhanded tactics to achieve a goal. They both trick men with their strong manipulating powers into doing things without them really realizing what they are doing. “The sweet days of his life time were running out in anguish over his exile, for long ago the nymph had ceased to please. Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay with her each night, for she compelled him (5.159-163).” Calypso using her strong powers compelled Odysseus into staying and being with her. She used her powers in a devious way to manipulate and control Odysseus. She had made him lay with her and do do things he wasn’t comfortable with just to fulfil her needs. Odysseus still honorable to his wife didn’t put any of his intentions into anything with Calypso. Calypso a women has much stronger powers to be able to get what she wants from Odysseus who is a …show more content…
man. It was Aigisthos who designed my death, he and my heartless wife, and killed me after feeding me, like an ox felled at trough (11. 476-478). I heaved up from the ground and got my hands around the blade, but she eluded me, that whore. Nor would she close my two eyes as my soul swam to the underworld or shut my lips. There is no being more fell, more bestial than a wife in such an action, and what an action that one planned (11. 492-498). Agamemnon is furious about what Clytemnestra had done to him, and he is telling Odysseus about it.
Just like Calypso, Clytemnestra had a devious goal to kill Agamemnon ,her husband, to be with Aigisthos. When he says that his soul swam to the underworld here he is using imagery to help you image how his soul would look like of you could see it. In a way, you can tell that his soul is wanting to get as far away from his betraying and horrendous wife. “I heaved up from the ground and got my hands around the blade, but she eluded me, that whore (11. 492-492),” by Agamemnon’s tone in this passage you can tell that he is fuming, furious, and frenzied by what she had done because he is using very nasty words towards her. He felt that not only did his wife turn on him, but the whole world did. You would think to yourself who would ever do such a thing? Also, towards at the end of the passage you can tell that Agamemnon was astounded and couldn't believe his own eyes that his wife would ever do him so wrong and treat him like that. Clytemnestra had been outlining to kill her husband when he comes back from war without him even noticing or realizing something. Just imagine someone you've known for years and are very close to that you can trust your life in their hands and then suddenly they turn against you and up up hurting and killing you in the most worst way ever. Women can be very devious and sneaky without men realizing it. Even though Calypso is a goddess and Clytemnestra is
a human they both have similarities in powering men in their own way. On the other hand Calypso and Clytemnestra have many differences. “Here you need grieve no more; you need not feel your life consumed here; I have pondered it, and I shall help you go (5. 169-172).” Calypso had decided to let Odysseus go after a long talk she had with Hermes. She had felt bad and compunction for making him stay with her for a long time against his own will. She told him that he can cut down high timber for a raft or flatboat so he can get back home to his family. Even though Calypso thinks only about herself and uses her powers to control men and in a way govern’s them she still has a heart and is commendable. In a way she had felt shamefaced for making Odysseus stay on her island with her for ages. Calypso always feels lonely and needs someone so she used her powers to get the men she wants and makes them stay with her. That is no way to deal with something, but that’s how Calypso deals with it. Unlike Calypso, Clytemnestra felt no grief or any hint of sorrow for killing her unblemished husband just to be with another guy. At the end she had gotten what she deserves by getting killed by Agamemnon's son. It’s true what they say Karma will always some back to bite you. We know both of these characters have powers of manipulating and controlling men , yet the other feels sorrow for what she has done and helps back in return. Overall, women in the Odyssey have far greater powers on overpowering men. Even though Calypso is a goddess and Clytemnestra is a human they both have similarities in powering men in their own way, yet have their differences. Women in the Odyssey can be very wise, devise, and have more powers than men think. They are just not for cooking and cleaning they are much more than you think. Just like the women in the Odyssey do you think women in the real world have far greater powers in overpowering men?
The Odyssey: Portrayal of Women How does Homer portray women in the epic, The Odyssey? In order to answer this question you must look at woman and goddesses as two separate groups of people who are "people". This is because they are portrayed in two separate ways. You see, a regular woman like Penelope is looked at as beautiful but has.
Both genders in The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh have a specific role to play. Women support and guide the men in the epic poems which also portrays them as wise beings. However, men are seen as superior to women and must show their strength and authority over others, even using women to accomplish their
Greeks had a misogynistic society, however women still had important roles in the Odyssey. Mortal women's most esteemed roles were either wife or mother. All the mortal female characters in the Odyssey existed to interact with a male, due to their beauty or sex appeal. But, the most powerful female characters in the Odyssey have other qualities such as cleverness which still play a role. Beauty is still one of the most important thing to Homer. For instance he starts a war using Helen of Troys beauty, and makes the two of the biggest obstacles Odysseus has to deal with love interests, Circe and Calypso. If you’ll remember he stayed on Circe's island an extra year longer of his own free will. However, Circe and Calypso are not mortal, so they already have the advantage. Homers non mortal women all have other qualities to them that allow them to help the plot along. Namely, Penelope, Queen of Ithaca and Odysseus bride.
Judged by modern Western standards, the treatment of women by men in Homer's Odyssey can be characterized as sexist. Women in Homer's Odyssey are judged mainly by their looks. If important men and gods consider a woman beautiful, or if her son or husband is a hero or has an important position such as king, the woman is successful. The way women in The Odyssey are treated is based on appearance, the things men want from them, and whether the woman has any power over men. During Odysseus' journey to the underworld he sees many different types of women. We hear about their beauty, their important sons, or their affairs with gods. We hear nothing about these women's accomplishments in their lifetime. Odysseus tells how Antiope could "boast a god for a lover,"(193) as could Tyro and many other women. Epikaste was called "that prize"(195) her own son unwittingly married.
The women in The Odyssey are a fair representation of women in ancient Greek culture. In his work, Homer brings forth women of different prestige. First there are the goddesses, then Penelope, and lastly the servant girls. Each of the three factions forms an important part of The Odyssey and helps us look into what women were like in ancient Greece.
Odysseus on numerous occasions, is unfaithful to Penelope. Penelope however, remains loyal to Odysseus and she is praised by greek society for it while Odysseus is never seen as adulterous for his disloyalty. However, one could argue that Odysseus’s relationship with Calypso is non-consensual, as she used her power over him as a goddess to control him and keep him on the island. In the end, however, Penelope and Telemachus are the main reasons Odysseus continues his journey home to Ithaca. The other marriage we are introduced to is the relationship between Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra. When Agamemnon returned from war, his wife and her lover murdered him. He sees this as a cruel act of deceit, despite the fact that he killed their daughter. Agamemnon views Clytemnestra, and other women as evil and untrustworthy. In book eleven he tells Odysseus, “So, there’s nothing more deadly, bestial than a women set on works like these, what a monstrous thing she plotted, slaughtered her own lawful husband!” Agamemnon makes this generalization and doesn’t take into consideration that he also cheated on his wife and probably murdered numerous
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.
... She was powerless to act otherwise. She was not a respected military leader like her husband. She couldn't bring him to court or change destiny in any other way. So, as a mother, she did what she felt she had to do. She acted for the justice of her child and her sex. When Agamemnon ordered the soldiers to put the bit in Iphigeneia's mouth before her sacrifice, it was because he didn't want to hear the cries of his daughter dying. Clytemnestra, however, forced her husband and the rest of Greece to hear the cries, the cries of the pained women and deal with the situation he did nothing to mend. For this she would be condemned, but because of her powerlessness, for this she was justified.
She is always spoken of respectfully and is remembered for her heroic deeds. She is not degraded like many of the other women Odysseus sees in the underworld. Everyone worships her and speaks about her achievements with great admiration; she is truly admired, but because she is a goddess. Athena has control over men that most women in The Odyssey do not. Women 's lives depend on what men think of them, on the other hand, men 's lives depend on Athena 's opinion of them. Athena is "Zeus ' virgin daughter" and no one has used her in that way. She is too important to be used as being an enjoyment for men; they depend on her for their own welfare. Another woman that plays a big role in this epic is Calypso. Calypso a nymph, a child of Zeus, and lives on an island in the middle of the ocean. One day Odysseus is sent to her by the god of the sea, Poseidon, because Poseidon was mad at Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops. It is on this island that another woman is used as a sexual toy and is not thought of for her own achievements, but rather for her beauty, and the fact that she is the daughter of Zeus. Men in The Odyssey only value women who they can use for physical needs and wealth, such as the women in the underworld that Odysseus encounters, and Penelope. Homer shows us how men in The Odyssey consider women less important than men. The readers rarely hear of women throughout the book. When they do, they are shown
Unfortunately though, they were still placed at a level that was below man because he is depicted as being the root of the family. This fact not only holds true for The Odyssey, but in the ancient Greek way of life, too. For example, women did not have such a meaningful role in Greek drama as the men did. The parts of women would be played by men in the majority of the plays. The reason this took place was because all of the playwrights were men.
The goddesses such as Hera, Thetis and Athene are strong, powerful, and elegant. Aside from powerful, in Iliad the goddess Hera represents a nurturing and motherly side, and Homer writes, “I have come down to stay your anger but will you obey me? from the sky; and the goddess of the white arms Hera sent me, who loves both of you equally in her heart and cares for you” (7). In the Odyssey we have the two goddesses, Calypso and Circe whom Odysseus has extended affairs with and they are beautiful and embraced sexuality. Calypso had an egocentric and dominative character because she wanted Odysseus as her immortal husband (Bauschatz, 22). Women gods in the Odyssey and Iliad are elegant, strong, and wise while mortal women are property and subordinate as written in Hesiod’s Works and
In addition, women were depicted as symbols of lust, seduction, and evil who bring destruction to men, undermining the true values of women. Furthermore, women were expected to remain loyal to men while men have no expectation for themselves, which promoted gender inequality. Exemplified by these three elements, it is evident that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text depicting a society where women occupy subservient and inferior positions. The Odyssey exemplifies a society organized and controlled by men where males consistently treated women unequally, depriving them of true freedom. Homer’s male characters often saw women as second-hand citizens who had no true voice in society.
Calypso offers Odysseus a passive, peaceful life, “less eventful,” is how she describes it. She is offering a relationship where she will supply all that he needs. What then happens to the warrior hero who loves to share of his adventures as seen with the Phaeaceans ? A life with Calypso would have ultimately crushed the spirit of the man he had been. By sharp contrast, Penelope supported her husband in his efforts to help his friend, Menelaus in the Trojan War.
In The Odyssey, the poem seems to be a man world and have women portrayed as a muse or siren that lures men “When Calypso, that lovely Goddess, tried to keep me with her in hollow caves, longing for me to be her husband, or when, in the same way, the cunning witch Aeaean Circe held me in her home filled with keen desire I’d marry her, they never won the heart here in my chest” (Bauschatz, 22). In the Iliad, it has similar connections when it comes to portraying women compared to the Odyssey, but not quite. The Iliad has women like trophies or prizes. Agamemnon was threatening Achilles of taking Briseus from him “but I shall take the fair-cheeked Briseis, your prize, I myself going to your shelter, that you may learn well how much greater I am than you, and another man may shrink back from likening himself to me and contending against me” (Bauschatz, 6). In Works and Days, the Women have a duty in the household and getting married “Don’t put things off to tomorrow and then to the next day; no sluggish worker f ills up his barn, and neither does a man who delays. It is care that prospers the work; Do-it-tomorrow wrestles with ruin (Bauschatz,
The war had great influence on the murder of Agamemnon. While Agamemnon was away in Troy, Clytemnestra carried on an affair. Her lover and the affair were primary motives for Clytemnestra to kill her husband. Aegisthus, her lover, admits to being an influence on Clytemnestra 's actions; “To lure him to the trap was plainly women 's work; I, an old enemy, was suspect” (1718) His influence help to contribute to her act of disloyalty to her husband. This incident of an affair proves how she was conniving and had an outside motive. Clytemnestra can therefore be described as a cheater who longed for