Women in the Iliad Essay example - 616 Words

Critical 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 daughter back, so he offers a ransom to Agamemnon to try to get him to return his daughter. Agamemnon doesnt accept the ransom, so Chyrses prays to Apollo to help him. Upon Chyrsess prayer, Apollo sends a plague on the Greeks. Once the plague is†¦show more content†¦Murphy states that, these women do not provoke action on frivolous pretexts nor yet on behalf of the tribe or nation, for there is very little sense of nation in Old Icelandic literature (111). Murphy begins his article discussing what a taunter does. He states that taunters, ....fulfill a special need in such societies, namely to probe the qualifications of an unknown `hero, or to provoke the known hero into the kind of heroic act that society needs at a given time (105). He uses Aeneas as an example of an official taunter in the Iliad. Murphy then goes on to discuss the role of women in the Iliad. Murphy states that, Like the official taunters they do not themselves participate physically in the frequently savage fighting and feuding of the sagas which they often cause in a very direct and deliberate way by goading their men into curses of action sometimes very much against those mens good judgment and mutual friendship (111). Murphy then goes on to discuss another subject; he does not go into depth about which character may have played this role of an unofficial taunter. By interpretation one may infer that he is referring to all the women in the Iliad. Lets look at Briseis for an example. Briseis played the role of an unofficial taunter because she was the underlying reason for the feud between Agamemnon and Achilles. There wasnt much information given about Briseis in theShow 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 MoreEssay on The Impact of Women in The Iliad579 Words   |  3 Pages Women have always been recognized for their strong influence on the actions of men. 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In Metamorphoses Apollo takesRead MoreThe Role of Women in the Iliad Essay examples1593 Words   |  7 PagesThe 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 conceiveRead More Essay on Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible1544 Words   |  7 PagesRole of Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible Much is known of men in ancient civilizations, from the famous philosophers and mathematicians of Greece to the patriarchs and subsequent kings of the nation of Israel. It would seem, however, that history has forgotten the women of these times. 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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 Alessandro Baricco An Iliad And Trojan Women1071 Words   |  5 PagesThe Trojan War was fueled by the Greeks and Trojans hunger for honor and fear of disgrace. Yet, it is this same notion of glory that led to the demise of it’s greatest heroes. Alessandro Baricco An Iliad and Trojan Women share the stories of Achilles, Patroclus, Hecuba, and Andromache, and the consequences they faced when they valued their honor too highly. Both Achilles and Pandurus viewed their prestige as their social status, leading them to make selfish and impractical decisions to preserve theirRead 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 relationships