Role of Women in Greek Myth

The image of wowork force in ancient Hellenic life was insignificant compared to that of Greek men. A charwomans job was to take care of the children and to cook and clean unless she had servants or slaves that would do it for her. Yet, in Greek mythology, women were often written as major characters. long-familiar Greek plays contain many well-written, complex, female characters. Female individuals in Greek mythology were often seen as very powerful and fierce and were depicted by her wits, her beauty, or her bad deeds. To start off we have Helen of Troy, a lethal woman, thought to be one of the most beautiful in her time. She left field wing her economize Menelaus of Sparta for Paris of Troy and because of that and her beauty a 10 course of study war surged between Sparta and Troy she left behind the din of concussion shields and spears, as the war fleets armed. Taking with her a dowry of destruction, she strode swiftly done that citys gates, daring what must not be dared (Agamemnon 4003-408).Thousands of men died while she sat in her castle. It goes to show how powerful a womans beauty can be. We then have Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon and milksop of Argos. Clytemnestra was described as a woman with a mans heart (Agamemnon 11) she was depicted as a very brutal and unreliable woman but she was also very intelligent. Clytemnestra knew how intelligent she was and even prove it to the Argive elders, in line 351 of the play Agamemnon the y tell her she speaks wisely like a man of discretion. She becomes fixated on obtaining justice for her daughters wrongful murder, my mind never sleeps, and with the help of the gods I will get up things right (Agamemnon 912-913). Agamemnon had scarified their daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis to stop the storm he was in when he was on his way to Troy. So Clytemnestra murdered her husband to avenge her daughters death, her press of love. Clytemnestra felt that her act was justified and states in detail how she sweep awayed her husband without any shame or remorse. I stricken him twice and he screamed twice, his limbs buckled and his body came crashing down, and as he lay there I struck him again, a third blow for Underworld Zeus, the savior of the dead. I dont care if you praise me of blame me, it makes no battle to me (Agamemnon 1384-1403). Another woman who also became strong and fierce with her vengeance was Medea, her scintillation was as fierce as a bulls and she was round the bend like a lion whod just given birth Medea was a powerful witch and when she was wronged by her husband she used her powers for revenge.Medeas husband, Jason, left her for another woman he left her for a princess. And to that she stated close to of the time, I know, a woman is filled with fear. Shes worthless in a battle and flinches at the sight of steel. But when shes set about with an injustice in the bedroom, there is no other mind more(prenominal) murderous (Medea 267-271). After lots of gr ieving for her husbands swindling she decides to pretend to be on good terms with him and sends his new with gifts an embodied robe and a golden crown.She sent these gifts to her with her children however, using her powers she poisoned them so that the gifts would kill the new wife. Jasons new wife took the intricate robe and clothed it around her body, and set the golden crown upon her curlswhat happened next was alarming to see. Her skin changed color, and her legs were shakingwhite foam at her mouth, her eyes popping up, the transmission line drained from her facethe gold gripped tight, and every movement of her hair caused the lift to blaze out twice as much (Medea 1176-1214).Medeas nauseate for Jason was so strong that it wasnt enough to just leave him wifeless, she precious to give him a punishment far worse, that powerful hate for her x gave her the strength to kill her own children. Medea goes on by telling Jason that their childrens death is his fault and takes their bodies with her without letting Jason touch them or granting him permission to inhume them as his ultimate punishment for betraying her (Medea 1345-1463). Although the women in these stories are responsible for terrible things they demonstrate how much power a mortal woman had and the tinge this power had on men.It shows how fierce a womans pettishness could be and what they were capable of doing. These stories give us an insight on how women were viewed during this time. Aeschylus, diaphysis Meineck, and Helene P. Foley. Oresteia. Indianapolis, IN Hackett Pub. , 1998. Print. Euripides, and Robin Mitchell-Boyask. Medea. Indianapolis Hackett, 2008. Print. The Role of Women in Greek Mythology. subscriber Network. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. .