Although women occupied an entirely different position in society compared to men, they too held a certain sphere of influence and power; they simply exerted it in ways that were distinct from men’s strategies. By examining the character of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, one can see just how women exerted their power and influence in The Odyssey and to what ends. Penelope uses clever cunning and sexual charm to toy with men’s emotions and to meet her own needs while she is waiting for her husband to return from battle. The types of strategies and her relative success in using them will be examined in this essay. Athena is the daughter of Zeus who helped Odysseus throughout his quests.
Great Mother Myth |Myth: Nut |Religion or culture of origin: Egypt | What are the characteristics of the Great Mother? She was a source of life and produced nourishment from her body. How did the Great Mother protect or look after humanity? Nut was the goddess of the sky and all heavenly bodies, a symbol of protecting the dead when they enter the afterlife. She is also the barrier separating the forces of chaos from the ordered cosmos in the world Dying God Myth |Myth: Attis |Religion or culture of origin: Phrygian | How did the god die?
The overall judgment of women, as seen by the furies is that they are a powerful force, not to be reckoned with, but not exactly knowable or rational either. The sky gods, such as Zeus, use the spitefulness of the furies to rebuke the actions of men, particularly when they allow a woman to have more strength than they ought to posses. This is seen with Helen, who is not seen as a mere pawn (which she “ought” to be by the standards of the day), but somehow a deceitful woman for being beautiful, and having men going to war for her. (74 – 80). This misplacement of power and station is also seen with Clytemnestra.
The Venus Figurines’ Importance Beyond Cave Walls The Venus figurines of the Upper Paleolithic period are the powerful symbols of females in the Gravettian period. These women are faceless, with enlarged breasts, abdomens, buttocks and thighs made into portable sculptures in caves throughout Europe. The question of these figurines is, who could have made them? Are they a product of the modern male human whom is rising in this time period or are they the art of the woman herself looking down upon her body? What is their significance in the hominin’s Upper Paleolithic world?
In Gilgamesh Aruru the goddess who created Enkidu. Women are suited for the creation of a man being that they bare children. Her creation of Enkidu was vital to the fact that Enkidu’s role was to be the companion of Gilgamesh. Shamhat is the woman who seduces Enkidu into sleeping with her. This causes the animals to flee from him being that he know been exposed to humankind.
Danae, the royal virgin princess was the mother of Perseus after Zeus had visited the virgin by disguising as a shower of gold. Another hero would be Heracles, he was birthed in similar circumstances to Perseus, and was taken away to a foster family far away. This was another element to a hero narrative. There is little explanation about Heracles, however he fights the beasts and claims a kingdom, another important factor to a narrative. Orestes and Brasidas, were birth in different circumstances compared to Perseus and Heracles.
Moreover, Shamhat displays how women were used as instruments in Mesopotamian society. Shamhat then eventually had a hand in leading Enkidu to Uruk, which had a pivotal role in the story. Therefore, despite representing the way women were used as instruments in Mesopotamian society and the fact that she was never given a name or personal traits or characteristics; Shamhat dramatically affects Enkidu and the story of Gilgamesh as a whole. On another note, there are multiple female characters in the book that play motherly roles and give wise and intelligent guidance to the men. For example, Ninsum, Gilgamesh’s mother, is someone who he constantly seeks and
However, the idea of women being unequal to men is quickly dispelled by Webster who appears to mock the misogynistic characters of the play and indeed, very possibly the misogyny of society as a whole at the time. This is most apparent through his evolution of Vittoria as a character and also a symbol of the downfall of sexism. This is most striking when considering Flamineo’s comment that “[perfumes, when chafed] expresseth virtue, fully, whether true, or else adulterate.” Portraying a key theme throughout the play of a true nature disguised beneath a thin veneer of sweet nothings. This facade of Vittoria’s is first revealed to the audience through her manipulation of Bracciano in her dream sequence. Whereby her constant play on the word “yew/you” (“both were
Cyclopes having one large eye on their forehead, may be very strong and intimidating but lack of physical beauty to the gods meant one was worthless. While Hesiod may be proposing an attitude about the negative outcomes of incest in relationships, he also skims over the importance of the necessity of physical looks and perfection. Hesiod was most likely good
Many Greek mythological gods or goddesses have interactions with humans and affect their daily lives. Demeter, the goddess of grains, controlled the seasons for humans. An important titan, Prometheus, helped mankind forever by giving fire to humans. Both Demeter and Prometheus sacrificed their time and their relationship with the supreme god Zeus in order to improve the lives of humans, which is rare among most gods. By giving humans the means to grow crops and being able to withhold meat from sacrifices, Demeter and Prometheus set themselves apart form most gods, and in that regard they can be considered as cultural gods.