ipl-logo

Alcestis, Heracles, And Iphigenia's Treatment Of Women

967 Words4 Pages

Women play an important role in Roman myths, and the stories told about them help offer insight into the lives of the Roman people at the time. Looking at Euripides Alcestis, Heracles, and Iphigenia at Aulis, as well as Homers Iliad the reader can examine the treatment of women and what that says about patriarchal and matriarchal roles of the time. These four stories have one main theme in common, women being used as a means of punishing the men around them. In these stories the reader sees both gods and men take away the women that they hold dear, to punish the men. This treatment can help to explain how women are valued in Roman society, and suggest that women are treated as expendable extensions of their patriarch. The story of Iphigeneia doesn’t paint a friendly picture for how women were valued in Roman society. Iphigenia’s life is …show more content…

Apollo offers the gift of a longer life to Admetus, on the one condition that Admetus finds someone for Death to take in his place. Admetus is unable to convince either of his old parents to die on his behalf, and so he turns to his wife and the mother of his children, Alcestis. Alcestis agrees to sacrifice her life so that her husband can live a longer one, leaving their children motherless. Alcestis sacrifices herself for her husband and acknowledges that this is a very important gift that he should not take lightly, “…it’s not possible to pay me back what I deserve (for nothing is worth more than a life) ...” (318-320). This sacrifice of Alcestis shows that in Roman society a good Roman wife will sacrifice everything for her husband, his needs come before hers. Alcestis’ sacrifice wasn’t saving her husband from an untimely demise or an unjust punishment from the gods; this sacrifice was purely because Admetus wanted to live longer than naturally

Show More
Related

Euphiletus A Husband Speaks In His Own Defense Summary

971 Words | 4 Pages

For many decades the issue on men and the way they treat their wife’s can be thought of as an interesting topic. Something in particular is the story of “Euphiletus, A Husband Speaks in His Own Defense”, and “North Slope of the Areopagus” which symbolizes the way Ancient Athenian men acted towards their wife. To add, in a way, how much women can have a major impact on men’s lives. Taking place around 400 B.C.E, the ancient Athenian murder trial rationalizes around the speculations of marriage, the roles women took part in ancient Greece, and the fears a husband faces after failing to closely monitor his wife.

Read More

Analysis Of The Primary Source: Roman Women Demonstrate Against The Oppian Law

879 Words | 4 Pages

Through the debate, we learn about the history of Rome culture, the Roman society, the view of women in the Roman society, and the roles they had. In 195 B.C.E., Rome was facing economic oppression from the war. Because of the monetary hardship, the Oppian law was passed in hopes to decrease conflict between the rich and the poor. At this time in Roman society, gender role distinctions and class distinctions existed, and gender roles greatly affected laws and the government. Women were considered weak and viewed as prizes of men that determined their status and place in society.

Read More

Analysis Of Whores, Wives, And Slaves By Sarah B. Pomeroy

1899 Words | 8 Pages

This paper will discuss the well-published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomeroy uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomeroy uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses.

Read More

The Submissive Women In The Odyssey

825 Words | 4 Pages

Meanwhile, Penelope is in Ithaka busy dealing with the suitors who vie for her hand in marriage, tending to her loom, and directing her serving maids at work. In Homer’s epic poem, women, and goddesses are treated differently than men and gods when it comes to their freedom, expectations, and image. One common occurrence in this epic poem is unequal freedom for women,

Read More

Homeric Hymns: Ancient Stereotypes Of Women

1499 Words | 6 Pages

The Homeric Hymns portray Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis and Hestia as strong females who uphold their own beliefs; challenging the “typical” gender stereotypes of the time period. Women in antiquity were expected to follow and uphold certain societal rules, most of these rules emphasized the gender stereotypes that women were perceived as being. The use of the goddesses powers challenge these societal rules and ideas about women. Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, and Hestia are portrayed in the Homeric Hymns in contrast to ancient stereotypical roles of women being confined to the household; as a result this contrast emphasizes that women can showcase strength, intelligence, and power within society. A women’s life in antiquity was constricted by

Read More

Oppression Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

780 Words | 4 Pages

In many societies today, individuals are led to believe that the concept of women possessing their own strength or independence is abnormal. As a result, women experience the world in a constrained way in comparison to men, even if they are in higher classes of society. However, these extensive aspects of females are contradicted in some ancient Greek literature. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as a vital and powerful force through the characters Penelope and Circe, who counter the normality of misogyny in Homer’s time. Penelope’s character displays how some women are able to exceed society’s standards and show strength and cleverness when it is necessary.

Read More

Sweat By Zora Neale Hurston Summary

801 Words | 4 Pages

Anna Funderburk Ms. Thompson 1st Block AP English October 27, 2014 Short Story Analysis of Sweat Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston is clearly a feminist tale. Opening with Delia working hard washing clothes to provide for herself and her freeloading husband, Hurston tells the story of a strong, black woman trapped within the confines of traditional household roles and a corrupt marriage. Delia is finally set free after her husband, Sykes, is dealt a dose of his own medicine and is bitten by a rattlesnake he let loose in their house in hopes to be rid of Delia.

Read More

Leonard Bernstein Research Paper

765 Words | 4 Pages

Dying on October 14, 1990 at age 72 from Pneumonia, this composer was one of the first American-born conductors to receive worldwide fame. This composer has struggled a lot on his musical career and one the struggle this composer faced is after the summer at Tanglewood, Massachusetts this composer founded himself out of work and that he has to take odd jobs transcribing music. This American-born conductor is Leonard Bernstein. Leonard Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918 in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Read More

Comparing Homer's Iliad And The Code Of Hammurabi

704 Words | 3 Pages

The roles and social status of women in ancient times are being described by many well-known playwrights and poets. Yet, different works shows different opinions towards “women power”. In this essay, I am going to compare Homer’s Iliad and The Code of Hammurabi along with Sophocles’ Antigone.

Read More

The Objectification Of Women In Homer's The Iliad

1333 Words | 6 Pages

Known as an epic war poem, The Iliad delves into topics concerning masculinity, heroism, and bravery. Women play a modest but important role that forms the structure of the plot. Helen’s character aids in expanding Menelaus and Paris’ characters. Homer does not delve into the lives of women like he does with the men, speaking to the notion of inferiority between the sexes. Homer displays women as tangible items through male interactions with one another.

Read More

Sexism In The Iliad

1013 Words | 5 Pages

In book 1 Agamemnon and Achilles are having a conversation about Agamemnon’s wife and how he’d be okay with giving her up as long he got another “prize” even though he says, “…she is no inferior in beauty, in looks, or in character, or in her skills in hand work.” (1, 114-116). Agamemnon doesn’t see his wife as his soulmate but just an object he’s willing to give up because of an argument with Achilles. “Nonetheless I am willing to let her go if that is what’s best.” (1, 117-119).

Read More

Analysis Of Lysistrata By Aristophanes

1568 Words | 7 Pages

Introduction The purpose of this essay is to investigate the women’s role in Classical Greece society and literature (5th/4th century b.C.). Therefore, I decided to discuss and analyse one of the most controversial comedies of that time, “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes. This text shows how women, sick of their submissive and powerless position in the political scenario of Athens and Sparta, come on the scene and, through a smart stratagem, achieve their expected result.

Read More

Role Of Women In Ancient Egypt

1016 Words | 5 Pages

In the Ancient world, much like today, each society exercised, according to their custom, different treatment towards women. Today, unlike in the Ancient world, women enjoy more freedom, rights, and equality. In this essay, the status of women in ancient Egypt will be compared to the status of women in ancient Rome. Academic sources will be relied on to provide the necessary actualities when one investigates ancient lives and cultures. The legal status of women in society, the different roles that each unique nation’s women played, and the possible education permitted and occupations available to these women will be discussed, as well as, their domestic atmospheres will be critically compared in this short essay to demonstrate the different treatment (if there were a difference) of women in both these imposing periods of ancient history.

Read More

Essay On Role Of Women In Ancient Society

981 Words | 4 Pages

Over generations, the role of women in society has shifted and changed immensely, improving upon many aspects of rights and values that women have. The changes occurred gave women opportunities to provide ideas, to have the same rights as men, giving women freedom, leading to many contributions of many significant and valuable events. But from current roles of women being equal to those of men, how women stood in ancient society significantly differs and contrast with ours today. Throughout history, the role and significance of women were always outweighed by the dominance and influence of men. The role of women in ancient times varied throughout, depending on the place and area in the world, in which women had different roles and impacts on their own society.

Read More

Summary Of Erich Auerbach's Odysseus Scar

473 Words | 2 Pages

The appearance of stability of the Greek patriarchy is seen to be much greater than that of the Biblical nature because the jobs of the classes and sexes are clearly defined within Greek life where the variance in the lives Biblical tribes, due to their nomadic nature, sometimes masks the patriarchy within their society. The realistic depiction of the Greek daily life, while still far removed, is contrasted against the Old testament stories, which lack the peace of daily life. The final comparison between the two texts is how their styles represent the two basic types of ancient epics with the Homeric style being fully externalized, “displaying unmistakable meanings” (23), while the Old Testament has sayings with many meanings that require interpretation. The text finishes by stating that since the Homeric and Old Testament styles are starting points for the analysis, we cannot consider anything that pertains to their

Read More

More about Alcestis, Heracles, And Iphigenia's Treatment Of Women

Related Topics

Open Document