Essay on Womens Roles in Greek Society - 1201 Words

The 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 Greek society depict how people recognized women’s role in society, with Aphrodite representing a woman with power as a manipulative goddess and Helen representing a woman who was merely timà ©, a prize to be obtained. Aphrodite expressed her†¦show more content†¦Aphrodite is a symbol of that view of women in Greek society; however, Aphrodite not only uses her power of manipulation against men, but also against women. Aphrodite manipulates Helen in order to serve her needs. Helen is used as â€Å"an unwilling tool of Aphrodite’s ambition† (Allan 149). Helen is controlled from the beginning by Aphrodite, who causes Helen to fall in love with Paris. F.J. Groten discussed that Helen went with Paris because she was â€Å"under the spell of Aphrodite; Helen was deprived of her judgement and surrendered herself to the charms of Paris† (36). In Book III, when Paris comes back from a duel with Menelaus, Aphrodite goes to Helen to tell her to go to bed with Paris. When Helen refuses, Aphrodite threatens her exclaiming, â€Å"Cease to provoke me, lest I make thee more, the worlds aversion, than their love before; now the bright prize for which mankind engage, than, the sad victim, of the public rage (The Iliad 105). Helen has no choice but to comply with Aphrodite’s commands because Aphrodite is telling Helen to obey or she will make all people hate her. Aphrodite needs Helen to sleep with Paris because Aphrodite must keep Par is happy to maintain her end of the deal, which was to give him Helen in love. She is also taunting Hera and Athena with her power and ability to control the situation. Aphrodite brings out the manipulative trait that men see in women during this time period. They are aware of a woman’sShow MoreRelatedThe Evolution of Gender Roles and its Role in Society1505 Words   |  7 Pagesgender roles in society, stereotypes generally come to mind. Throughout history these stereotypes have only proven to be true. Major historical events have had a huge impact on the way men and women are seen and treated. In this way, women have always been secondary to males and seen as the fragile counterparts whose job is to take care of the household and most importantly, be loyal to her husband no matter the circumstance. Gender roles throughout history have greatly influenced society. 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