The Role of Women as Portrayed in Myths - 1527 Words

The Role of Women in Greco-Roman Society: As Reflected in Classical Mythology The Greco-Roman society was a very patriarchal society. This is reflected throughout the myths in classical mythology. By looking at the classic mythology we will see that the roles women portrayed are very different than womens roles in todays society. Although there are a few similarities to womens roles in todays society, their roles are more like those women in the past. We can see this by looking at the attributes of Greco-Roman female gods and looking at the roles women play in the myths. By comparing the roles of women in the myths with womens roles today we will see that the roles have many differences and few similarities. The first things we†¦show more content†¦The story of Pandora is one that shows how men found themselves superior and blamed women for the problems of the world. In the story Prometheus offered Zeus something that looked good but was bad on the inside. In return Zeus offered him something that looked good on the outside but was filled with lies, swindles, and other bad behaviors (Powell 115). To make a long story short, Pandora opened the jar and made the good life turn into labor, misery, and disease, with death in the end. I think that this showed that the Greco-Roman society blamed women for all of their problems. I think that this is different than the womens role in todays society. I think that men are blamed more for the problems of today. Even though you and I both know theyre mostly the fault of women. The story of Theseus and Hippolytus is another myth that shows the role of women in Greco-Roman society. In this story Hippolytus rejects Aphrodite to follow Artemis. In revenge, Aphrodite makes Hippolytus mother Phaedra fall in love with him. Phaedra, unable to control her sexual desire, makes her move on Hippolytus. After he rejects her, she hangs her self and leaves a note saying that Hippolytus raped her. When his father Theseus returns he kills him. This story s hows that the Roman-Greco society thought women were filled with lies and the cause of many bad things. This is different than womens roles in today society because today it is usually thought that more men lie to avoidShow MoreRelated The Role Of Women As Portrayed In Classical Mythology Essay1473 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the myths in classical mythology. By looking at the classic mythology we will see that the roles women portrayed are very different than women’s roles in today’s society. Although there are a few similarities to women’s roles in today’s society, their roles are more like those women in the past. We can see this by looking at the attributes of Greco-Roman female gods and looking at the roles women play in the myths. By comparing the roles of women in the myths with women’s roles today we willRead MoreRape Culture And Rape Myths1634 Words   |  7 Pages In this paper, I will discuss how living in a rape culture affects w omen and men, how does rape myths affect society and how we can change the negative effects of living in a rape culture and rape myths. In order to understand this, we must first define what rape is. Rape is unwanted sexual attentions or actions that are directed to a person. Rape can happen to anyone but it is most common to happen women. Rape happens to women around the ages of 16-24 and it is â€Å"considered to be at the greatestRead MoreThe Analysis Of Mythology Of The Environment And The Unconscious Mind978 Words   |  4 Pagesthe origins of mythology diversely interpreted and analyzed by the context of culture. Myths â€Å"symbolize† and â€Å"embody† human experience in relation to a cultures beliefs and values (Rosenberg, 1999). 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