Homeric Hymns: Ancient Stereotypes Of Women

In Greek epics, tragedies, and mythology women are portrayed in various ways. Women are mainly considered to be weak and less important than men, but there are some women who are shown to be strong and heroic, despite the reputation that was placed onto them in Ancient Greek civilizations. There were two particular women that were strong and took the roles of their husbands while the men left to fight in the Trojan War. These two women were Penelope, wife of Odysseus, and Clytemnestra, wife of Agamemnon. These two women were different in how they chose to rule while their husbands were at war and how they acted once they got back.

Stereotypes of Women in The Canterbury Tales Stereotypes of women have not changed throughout the years of history. Throughout the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer portrays women through negative stereotypes. Women are portrayed as selfish, lustful and immoral. In the Wife of Bath’s Prologue women are portrayed as selfish.

“let’s go to bed together, mount my bed and mix in the magic work of love…” (240). There were an abundant number of powerful female roles in The Odyssey. Every female role used their strengths differently; the most reoccurring use of their powers was for alluring men. Man’s greatest weakness is women, and with such powerful women, it causes temptation and conflict leading to a more interesting story.

For the 19th century America, the two sexes were to be separated into distinct spheres, the man’s public sphere and the woman’s private one. It was most common for the two sexes to spend their time mostly in the company of their own sex, and advices were given to the younger members of the society on the proper way of behaving according to one’s sex. Even though both sexes had to be instructed on how to perform in each other’s company, it was the shaping of a woman that needed to undergo through a series of instructions on the proper way to be a woman. A woman had to follow the rules of the Cult of True Womanhood to be considered proper and wife material. Fanny Fern in her writing appeals on and discusses the attributes of piety, purity, submissiveness,

Women in Elizabethan England, were not treated with as much respect as they should have been, but they were not treated as if they were not human beings. They were typically seen to be the weaker sex, mentally and physically and were thought to need a male figure constantly watching over them. If a woman was single, she was usually watched after by a father or an older brother, but if the woman was married it would be her husband’s job to take after her. Men were the ones that brought home the money. They were the head of the home and in charge of most decisions that took place.

The passive partner during sex, in the case of a man having sex with another man, was considered to be effeminate because he was being dominated and therefore taking the feminine role in sex. Women had a very low social status in Roman society because masculinity was so revered. When a man was labeled as effeminate, he lost his social status and privileges that came with being a man in society. In other words, any man who willingly took on the receptive role during sex with another man revoked his masculinity and privilege and took on the inferior status of women, so he were often ridiculed and scorned.

Women in the Puritan Society The Puritan life was extremely different than the world today. Men were superior to women in the Puritan society. Women were not only treated different in community matters, but in marriages too. Wives were expected to care for their children and their husbands (Deering). Puritan women were treated poorly and unequally compared to the Puritan men.

The 1930’s was primarily encompassed of the Great Depression. The stock market crash of 1929 led to a downward spiral of the economy, and many families were forced into unwanted unemployment. While men faced the harsh reality of being out of work, woman transitioned themselves to accept the responsibility of being the primary “bread-winners” of the family. While women were becoming dominant in the work force, their profound role in society was overshadowed by many outdated Victorian Era gender biases. Many companies continued to utilize and portray the wide array of gender assumptions through various advertisements.

Due to their continuously increasing population, the Incas had an endless demand for cloth. Every year a government official would inspect the ten-year-old girls in the town, and take with them only the best-looking so they could devote themselves to the state. The most beautiful of the girls were chosen for sacrifice to the gods, while others weren’t as lucky and labored for the state, learning trades like cooking and brewing. Mostly these women learned how to spin for cloth. After four years of effective indentured servitude these girls would be reassigned as concubines of the ruler or, if the ruler saw fit, as the wives of men the ruler wanted to honor.

Genders tend to be perceived as two clear-cut categories: Females and Males. Females are known to be fragile and dainty, growing up in dresses and playing with dolls. Males, on the other hand, are prided on being burly and strong, providing and protecting their family through hard labor. These stereotypes are just the tips of the iceberg in today’s society. From birth, humans are given guidelines to a life defined by their identity.

In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, the role of arranged marriages are delved into with the story of Zeus willing his daughter, Persephone, to marry his brother Hades. This myth brings up a variety of issues revolving around the societal views of women in ancient Greece. Zeus’s ownership of his daughter, Persephone, definitely reflects upon the role women held when it came to their own marriage decision, or lack thereof. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter can be read as a charter myth since the details of the myth directly reflect upon the ancient Greek practice of arranged marriages. While the Homeric Hymn to Demeter was published, arranged marriages were very prevalent in society.

Greek mythology is best defined by the gods and goddesses who have played the protagonists and antagonists that weaved the Greek tragedies and heroism that has shaped and influenced European culture from the beginning, and cultures all over the world ("Greek Mythology"). Although Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is one of the most prominent characters in ancient Greek mythology, her impact on the modern day world and the role of women in society, is her real influence. Aphrodite, proclaimed goddess of love and beauty due to her numerous romantic affairs, lead a life filled with passion, mischief, and the pursuit of eternal beauty. The poet Hesiod developed the most popular account of how Aphrodite came to be.