Modern Woman in Classic Greek Literature
Modern Woman in Classic Greek LiteratureModern Woman in Classic Greek Literature
What constitutes a woman today greatly differs from the idea of a woman in Classical Greek literature. To describe a woman today would include words like powerful,¹ important,¹ strong,¹ and successful.¹ These words would hardly describe woman in Classical Greek literature. Woman in Classical Greece were very restricted in the things they could do. They were not citizens and rarely held any property. Penelope, Odysseus wife in Homer¹s epic poem, The Odyssey is seen as a perfectly obedient and loyal wife. These are typical characteristics seen in Classical Greek Literature. She is one who stays at home and takes care of the house and her child. This representation of a woman, however, contrasts with Sophocles¹ Antigone since Antigone, the main character, defies this traditional role of ³woman² and plays the rebel instead. She is a representation of a modern woman in Greek literature. Furthermore, Penelope being the good wholesome wife, is not like Antigone in getting what she wants and being able to express her true feelings. Ismene, Antigone¹s sister like Penelope also plays the obedient role but gets nothing out of it, just more frustration and a tragic fate. Athena, goddess of war, wisdom and the arts, seen in The Odyssey, is also a representation of modern woman in Classic Greek literature. Though Penelope, Athena, Ismene and Antigone share a number of common characteristics and make similar determinations in regards to morality and family duty, their fates are no doubt different.
When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, Penelope was a young woman at the prime of her life having just given birth to her first child. She is beautiful, intelligent, and wealthy. Even after twenty years of never seeing Odysseus, she stays perfectly loyal to him and does not even stray. She is a model of marital fidelity. ³Mother wanted no suitors, but like a pack they came-sons of the best men here among them lads with no stomach for an introduction to Ikarious, her father across the sea² (Book II ln. 53). Though she is angry and frustrated that the suitors are there eating her out of house and home she does nothing to change it. Her suitors are rude and arrogant. She feels helpless but nevertheless takes no action. She feels as if the suitors ³squander everything² and that there is ³no strong Odysseus to defend us² (Book II ln. 63-64). Her narrow mentality makes her feel as though she is weak and vulnerable without her man. Even with approximately 20 years without Odysseus, she does not change. This just shows how the society was then. She doesn¹t rebel against them but just suffers in silence waiting for her man to come home. This would be considered incredibly weak behavior in modern times.
Somewhere along the line, a person will always hear the phrase a ³rebel without a cause.² However, Antigone does have a cause....
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