A Greek woman has no personal wants or desire and she respects her controlling and powerful husband. A Greek woman is very dedicated to her family and everything she does is most likely for them. For example: A Greek women would have to watch her figure and cannot eat much besides small pieces of bread soaked in wine regardless of how hungry she might be. This is because she needs to stay in shape for her husband and also for reproduction. This hierarchal society occurs because of the different contributions women and men contribute to the society.
When referring to Greek Tragedy there were three prolific writers who influenced the theatre as we know it today; they were Aeschylus (525-456 B.C. ), Sophocles (496-406 B.C.) and Euripides (480-406 B.C.). Each of these three writes included the character of the chorus in their plays. The tragedies that they were writing drew on the same “reservoir of stories about the distant heroic past and its great dynasties and wars, especially those set at Thebes and Troy (Brown J.R. 1995).
In the Greek period, women were not aloud to have any of their own properties; such as land or houses. If a woman wanted to have something of her own during that period she was cast out and more then likely stoned to death. In todays society however, a woman who owns her own house or car is respected for being independent and being able to support herself. Today, women are looked up on as the “brats” that always get their way. Some people even go as far to try to prove that women get better treatment in some cases because of the sexual status.
Athenian men thought women were both morally and physically weak to an extent. Laws related to Athenian women suggest women were morally and physically weak. In Athenian Courts, women are debarred from participating in any political or legal processes and if they were involved in any situation of that sort, their identity would go unnamed, if they of respectful/honourable kind. Women were also seen as an asset to the oikos and always need to be under a guardianship of the kurios, which is usually either their fathers and later, after marriage, their husbands. And if a woman succumbs to acts adultery, this is seen as a great threat for the Oikos as the women can no longer be seen as honourable or chase, casting doubt on children’s legitimacy.
Artistic Themes from Ancient Cultures: Greece and Rome Tim Cason HUM/100 April 11th, 2011 James Kirk Artistic Themes from Ancient Cultures: Greece and Rome Gender Roles in Greece and Rome The history of Greece and Rome depicts the differences of man and women. The cultures of Greece and Rome repeatedly provide examples of the value of men and women, in most cases women were treated as slaves to men. The cultures of the two countries have similarities in the treatment of women’s roles, but there are some subtle differences that can be seen in art, law, plays, and attitudes. Greece In Greece gender roles were clearly defined, according to Athenian democracy, women, children, resident aliens, and slaves did not qualify as citizens. In Athenian only landowning males of over the age of 18 were allowed to be citizens (Fiero, 2011).
They thought that men should dominate the three systems of authority which included the state system, the clan system and the supernatural system. On the other hand, women should be dominated by both the three systems and men. It was a phenomenon of patriarchy and the concept of biological determinism of gender. For those supported feudal thinking reckoned that physical differences determine men and women proved women’s subordination. Even though women may be superior to men in terms of intelligence or bravery, women often being smaller in figure and weaker in strength than men, so they were considered as not valuable for taking the role of leadership.
While Antigone displays steadfastness, rationality and maturity as a woman, Ismene portrays the typical meek and mild role. The character of Creon, the mighty King of Thebes, emblematized the sexist male viewpoint of the ancient Greek world. Man vs. Woman Creon, Antigone's uncle and king of Thebes holds unfettered control over the laws of the state, and consequently, the lives of the people
Ancient Greece: Don’t Let Women Ruin Your World In modern society women are viewed as an active part of society receiving the same rights as men: the right to vote and to pursue any job they please. However, in Ancient Greece, the role of women was completely opposite: women had no role in politics, women with any wealth did not work, and they stayed inside running their households. Women in Ancient Greece received no rights, because they where viewed as inferior to men. The myth of the Golden Apple Contest demonstrates theses negative attitudes towards women and how just one women’s beauty caused fighting between two nations. The Trojan War was supposedly started by the myth of the Golden Apple Contest, and how Helen provoked the men of both nations to fight over her giving her the nick name “The Face That Launched Thousand Ships.” The Golden Apple Contest is the story of Eris, goddess of discord, throwing an apple into the wedding of Thetis and Peleus.
Women of the 17th through to the 19th century had access to power in many ways but were very limited by how society believed how a woman should be observed. Women had a challenge with expressing themselves in a patriarchal system that generally refused to grant merit to women's views. Women was seen as weak and passive. It was standard idea that she should be seen and not heard, chaste, silent, but obedient to her husband. They were to be completely placid never raising a hand in violence while men were strong, heroic, leaders of the household.
This very idea entangled my mind to explore Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre on this ground. Jane Eyre is the true representation of society’s attitude towards women in Victorian Age. A Victorian woman was not granted with personal freedom. They were bound to marry and raise children. Women were discouraged for their struggle of independence.