In novels and play writes such as Barbara Kingsolver’s, The Poisonwood Bible and Euripides, Medea, the theme Role of women arises: women in many societies are subjugated and displayed as the inferior gender, when they are truly the strongest; they carry all the pain and suffering of society, the wars and the deaths; thus they are the pedestal that keeps everyone up. In order to reveal theme Kingsolver and Euripides make use of literary devices such as symbolism, imagery and diction. Using all three literary devices Kingsolver reveals that women such as Orleana believe that they are just rag dolls that are pulled, pushed and just there, even so realize how strong they really are; that if it was not for them their children would not be able to live. Medea on the other hand represents all the pains and struggles of women and is attempting to inform all women that they have the power and must stand up for themselves.…
Patriarchal describes a general structure in which woman are dominated by men who are presented with power. A Patriarchal Society is composed of a male with dominated power structure throughout an organised society and in individual relationships.…
Sometimes men find it hard to break free from their mothers. The tragic play, Oedipus the King by Sophocles, has a complex and interesting set of events that revolves around Oedipus and his relationship to his parents. Oedipus is a young king who is facing many difficult challenges both mentally and physically. He has become aware that a terrible curse has fallen upon Thebes, that will only be lifted if the murderer of Laius, the former king, is prosecuted. Oedipus dedicates himself to the discovery and prosecution of Laius’s murderer, which ultimately doesn’t work out in his favor. Apollo once told him news that his fate was to kill his father and gain power as king by marrying his mother. Although Oedipus was abandoned as a child and throughout…
The social conventions of the ancient world are not widely known, making it more difficult to truly grasp and appreciate Antigone. If one is accustomed to life today, the more relatable or understandable factor in the play would be state oppression and civil disobedience. That is not to say that there is complete gender equality, but it has advanced considerably since the Classical Era. That is why my considerations of the work were enhanced. The oral elaborated on some of the customs and roles that women occupied and the work they carried out. How they were always with an appointed ‘guardian’ who controlled most aspects of the woman’s life, to make sure that she behaved, whilst the men could do as they pleased. Or how, an heiress would not…
Men are the main characters in “The Odyssey”, but women are highly influential in the epic as well. With a common theme throughout the poem(s) of: You can always find your way home, just don’t give up. In Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey”, there are many women that influence Odysseus but Penelope, Circe, and Athena mainly control his course.…
Temptresses use their feminine charms to reveal Odysseus’s promiscuous acts as well as his hubris. Calypso, a temptress in the epic, is a nymph who is “imprisoned” on the secluded, beautiful island, Ogygia. In Book IV, Odysseus is washed ashore on Ogygia and is there for seven years, continuously being tempted by Calypso. “True enough,/ Calypso the lustrous goddess tried to hold me back,/ deep in her arching caverns, craving me for a husband”(Homer IX. 33-36). Calypso’s attempts to make Odysseus her husband are in vain, but she manages to expose Odysseus’s immoral behavior demonstrating that he is susceptible to her feminine charms. During his stay on Ogygia, he displays these human-like tendencies and weaknesses: “Though he fought…
The famous feminist, Gloria Steinem, once said,”Women are not going to be equal outside the home until men are equal in it.” This central idea of equality is relevant to the story Antigone by Sophocles. Considering the circumstances of the story, the minor character, Ismene, is conflicted with standing by the beliefs that men are overall rulers and power over women. Ismene’s emotions and mood fluctuates through the story in a horrible manner. To tragedy unto despair is a major theme in Sophocles most famous tragedy, Antigone.…
In the book Antigone by Sophocles the author portrays an image of how society was back in classical Greece. This book gives us a idea of what a woman’s order was in society, family life, death rituals, politics and religion.…
These values and traits associated with femininity in ancient Grecian societies are demonstrated throughout Sophocles mythical account of a woman of Thebes named Anigone. He however recognized that these beliefs about women were not representative of how women of ancient Greece were and thus highlighted the strength and importance of the role of women in Grecian society through his epic poem, proving that despite popular ancient Grecian beliefs, women were as strong and courageous as men and were prepared to face the consequences of actions they believed to be honourable. All women were not foolish and blindly submissive. Though mythical, this traditional story provides some insight into the goings on of Grecian society as myths, as stated by Moya K. Mason, “often include some basic beliefs about life, society, and what roles men and women play in a culture.”…
The well-known play, Antigone, is a representation of classic tragedy written by Sophocles. The story’s protagonist, Antigone, is portrayed as a tragic hero whose efforts to keep her family close quickly backfire on her. When Antigone’s brother dies, she wants to face the consequences and do the right thing in order to respect her brother and properly bury him. Antigone’s sister, Ismene, also displays the heroic qualities that Antigone does when she attempts to save her sister for being prosecuted. The classic qualities of a tragedy are displayed in the story, and these can also be found in many other tragedies later in literature. The important qualities that a tragedy always has can help analyze other novels and stories later are the heroism of the protagonist and the emotional connection the audience will sympathize for the protagonist.…
By exploring the role of woman in Othello and other Shakespeare’s plays, this essay has demonstrated literature is most successful in dealing with a worldwide issue like gender role. A memorable play is a successful play. Gender inequality, a current critical subject, is an important theme found throughout the play. It has powerfully developed the readers’ feelings towards the subject and the play, making it unforgettable. Shakespeare’s plays are truly…
In the Fourth Century BC, a famous philosopher named Aristotle wrote about the qualities that a tragic hero must possess. Ever since that time, there have been many examples of tragic heroes in literature. None of those characters, however, display the tragic hero traits quite as well as Oedipus, the main character from the play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Oedipus is, without a doubt, the absolute quintessence of a tragic hero. His example shines as clear as a sunny summer day.…
Shakespeare's plays are one of the most successful literatures of all time. His plays addressed many important issues in the world. “Othello” effectively brings together critical themes of love, appearances, racism, jealousy and most importantly role of women in the Elizabethan era. Through the exploration of gender role in “Othello” and other plays written by Shakespeare, this essay will argue that literature is most successful when dealing with global issues like gender role.…
There is a lot that can be observed and argued from the events that occur in each of the stories in the Oedipus trilogy. “Myth and Investigation in Oedipus Rex” by Peter T. Koper, “Oedipus and Abraham” by Moshe Shamir, and “Oedipus crux; reasonable doubt in Oedipus the King” by Kurt Fosso are three particular articles that have an appealing academic approach to the Oedipus trilogy. In Koper’s article, he mainly expresses how there is uncertainty in the crime committed by Oedipus; murdering his father, King Laius. In Shamir’s article, he makes an interesting comparison between Oedipus and Father Abraham. Similar to Koper’s article, in Fosso’s article, he tries to argue how there is “reasonable doubt” evident in several parts of the “Oedipus…
It seems as if only the gods could be blamed for the tragic ending of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King. How could one not blame them, for they placed a prophecy on the king, his wife and their son, sending them to their dreadful doom. Perhaps there is more to be seen in this famous Greek tragedy. Perhaps the blame does not belong completely to the gods, but to the victims of the prophecy. Sophocles exemplifies this throughout the play using methods of symbolism, actions and words.…