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Hesiod's Aphrodite: The Role Of Women

1284 Words6 Pages

Greek mythology is best defined by the gods and goddesses who have played the protagonists and antagonists that weaved the Greek tragedies and heroism that has shaped and influenced European culture from the beginning, and cultures all over the world ("Greek Mythology"). Although Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is one of the most prominent characters in ancient Greek mythology, her impact on the modern day world and the role of women in society, is her real influence.

Aphrodite, proclaimed goddess of love and beauty due to her numerous romantic affairs, lead a life filled with passion, mischief, and the pursuit of eternal beauty. The poet Hesiod developed the most popular account of how Aphrodite came to be. Titan Kronos severed …show more content…

Aphrodite portrayed women as jealous and superficial through her problem with Psyche and the creation of Pandora. The mortal Psyche was so beautiful that everyone came to praise and admire her. Aphrodite grew extremely jealous that no one was paying any attention to her anymore, so she planned to punish Psyche. Aphrodite told her son Eros (Cupid) to make her fall in love with an ugly, hateful beast, but instead Eros fell in love with Psyche. Once Psyche was his wife, she was never allowed to see his face or know who he was, so once she became aware of his identity, he fled. Psyche eventually came to Aphrodite for help. She gave Psyche seemingly impossible tasks which she finished with the other gods help. In her final task, Psyche opens a box Aphrodite tells her to get that puts her into a deep sleep("Psyche"). Aphrodite can't deal with the fact that another women could be prettier, so her first notion is to make the woman suffer. In today's society that mentality has translated into many girls hating and sabotaging other girls because they might be more beautiful. This thinking has impacted the role of women today by allowing men and other women to see some girls as jealous objects that only care about being a pretty trophy. The feminism movement is less progressive because of Aphrodite's examples because it shows women to only care about being the most beautiful and stomping on anyone who gets in the way and paying no mind to education and wisdom. This marks some women as unintelligent and less wise opposed to men who, stereotypically, don't care about beauty like the majority of women do. Aphrodite also contributed to the role women play in society by her help in creating Pandora. When Zeus wanted to get revenge on Prometheus, he instructed Hephaestus to create the first woman out of clay. Aphrodite made her beautiful so she could be Epimetheus' wife("Pandora"). Aphrodite

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