The Role of Women in the Iliad Essay examples - 1593 Words

The role of Women in the Iliad Throughout history, women have held many different roles in society. Men have traditionally been viewed as superior since the beginning of time. Homers Iliad is an excellent example of the suppressive role of women at this time. Women were treated merely as property and were used for producing material within the household. Paralyzed by their unfortunate circumstances, they were taken and given as if they were material belongings. In Homers Iliad, we conceive how women are introduced as suppliants to the masculine heroines. They are depicted as being inferior to men both physically and intellectually. Throughout the Iliad, women play a modest but important role that embodies their relative†¦show more content†¦I dont want to see the army destroyed like this. But I want another prize ready for me right away. Im not going to be the only Greek without a prize, It wouldnt be right. And you all see where mind is going. [Iliad 1. 119-129] Agamemnons speech is an excellent example of how women were employed and treated as possessions. He even goes as far as insulting his own wife, demonstrating the lack of respect men had toward women at this time. The marriage between Agamemnon and Clytemnestra did not involve love. He sees her as his property and does not respect her as is wife. Agamemnon agrees to give up Chryseis; however, he insist on taking Briseis, Achilles war prize. At this point, Achilles is so infuriated and dishonored that he nearly kills Agamemnon and pulls his troops out of the battle against the Trojans because he feels as though he deserves his prize. Briseis is rarely mentioned; however, her role is extremely important throughout the Iliad because it caused the rage of Achilles. When Agamemnon takes Briseis, he is humiliating Achilles and disgracing his position in the social order. After all, the heroic Achilles is only fighting to help Menelaus repossess his wife, Helen, who ran off with Pari s. Achilles responds to Agamemnons decision by saying: You shameless, profiteering excuse for a commander! How are you going to get any Greek warrior To follow you into battleShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Women in the Iliad Essay724 Words   |  3 PagesThesis Statement: Women play a major role in the Iliad. Examining the impact of female characters in an epic dominated by war and the men who fought it. Major female characters include Helen, Briseis, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera , Thetis and Chrysies. The Iliad is first and foremost an epic poem about a war waged by men. Even though there are no female warriors , apart from the goddesses, women play a major role in defining the course of it. The roots of the war can be traced back to the beautyRead More The Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Essay796 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Homer’s Iliad Homer’s Iliad is undoubtedly focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Nevertheless, it seems that the most crucial characters in the epic are female. Homer uses the characters of Thetis, Andromache, and Helen as a basis for comparison to the male characters. Homer wants his audience to see and understand the folly of his male characters in choosing war over peace, aggression over kindness, and honor over family. WhileRead More A Comparison of the Role of Women in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad3375 Words   |  14 PagesThe Role of Women in Odyssey and The Iliad The Iliad and Odyssey present different ideals of women, and the goddesses, who are presented as ideal women, differ between the two epics. The difference in roles is largely dependent on power, and relations to men, as well as sexual desirability and activity. The goddesses have a major role in both epics as Helpers of men. They have varied reasons for this.   One is a maternal instinct. This is displayed in the literal mother-son relationshipsRead MoreWomen in the Iliad Essay example616 Words   |  3 PagesCritical Review Essay Women In the Iliad The role of women in the Iliad is a subject that remains open to debate. Lefkowitz, in her article The Heroic Women of Greek Epic, argues that without the role of women in the Iliad the story would not have occurred (504 ). Lefkowitz points out that the Iliad opens with a description of a plague that was caused as the result of the capture of Chrysies by Agamemnon (504). Chryseis is the daughter of a priest named Chryses. Chryses wants his daughterRead MoreComparison between The Iliad and The Women of Troy Essay903 Words   |  4 PagesThe Iliad by Homer and the Women of Troy by Euripides are both Greek works of literature that look at the Trojan War from different perspectives. Book 6 of the Iliad illustrates that the ultimate glory is to fight for the city with no regard to the impact on the family. The Women of Troy focuses on the negatives that war causes, especially towards the soldier’s wives and children. Whereas the Iliad focuses on the battle itself and centers on the warriors, the Women of Troy focuses on the wrathRead MoreAnalysis Of Lysistrata And Homers The Iliad1120 Words   |  5 Pagestales, that the true depiction and discernment of the ancient Greek society comes to life. Ar istophaness Lysistrata and Homer’s The Iliad are examples of the ancient Greek tales that tell stories of the social, religious, cultural and moral theories that reflect the ancient Greek society. Through the societal aspects, like war, love, courage and the role of women, the ancient Greek story and definition of life gradually comes to life and reconciles the actions of the ancient characters. Since theRead MoreAncient Greek Perception of War, Role of Women and Children, and Immortals833 Words   |  4 PagesIn the Iliad, the oldest and greatest of the Greek epics, Homer tells of the wars fought between the Greeks and the Trojans. Much of this books main focus takes place during the Homeric period in which the Trojan War began. In a pre industrial society, Homer describes the way mortals and immortals sought their existence throughout the Trojan War. Homers style of writing in Iliad enables a modern reader to perceive how the Ancient Greeks thought of warfare, of religi on, and of the role of womenRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad 1352 Words   |  6 Pagesthis time, women have held many different roles in society. In the Iliad, Homer portrayed the role of women in his time as having a very suppressive role. Women during this period of time and especially in this culture are treated primarily as merely property and were used for producing material within the household. Women were often taken and given as if they were material belongings, due to their lack of choice and their unfortunate circumstances. However, apart from portraying women as pieces ofRead MoreThe Role Of Women And Their Influence On The War1446 Words   |  6 Pagesanother vital component in The Iliad is the role of women and their influence on the war and their association with different characters. Scholar Mary R. Lefkowitz, disputes that ladies had some freedom and were under the supervisions of man. The scholar inscribes: In the Homeric epics, women seem to have little independence; they were always under the guardianship of a man, whether a husband, father, or even a son. Wives must live in their husband’s cities; women like Chryseis or Briseis, who haveRead MoreEssay on Womens Roles in Greek Society 1201 Words   |  5 PagesThe Iliad uncovers the truth behind what Greeks believed to be the role of women in society. The Greek goddesses and the mortal women represent two sides that women had in society. The Greek goddesses held power over the war, whereas, the mortal women are there as prizes or timà ©. Aphrodite is the prime example of a goddess who held a lot of power, mainly by using manipulation, in the Trojan War. Helen represents the quintessential idea of a woman representing timà ©. These two portrayals of women in