Ancient Greek myths provide stories that allow an understanding of the Greek’s lives during that time. These stories can reflect their morals and values within their society. Though reading the Iliad, we learned their importance of war and their heroic values. We can understand the importance they place on the Gods’ approval through reading Antigone. Throughout the other Greek myths studied in the class, women are continually portrayed as a degradation of man. Both “The Furies” and the Homeric Hymn demonstrate the demeaning portrayal of women. However, Homer’s writing focuses on the force and trickery used against women, while Aeschylus exhibits the unnecessary role of motherhood and the punishment used against women who stray from their gender…show more content… In this Homeric Hymn, it explains why Persephone has to stay in the underworld for a third of the year. Persephone was in a field with her mother Demeter, the goddess of harvest, when Hades forcibly took her into the underworld and would not let her return to her mother. Demeter became extremely upset, but there was nothing she could do. Finally, Zeus persuades Hades to release Persephone from the underworld. As Persephone was leaving for home, Hades gave her some pomegranate seeds, which she ate. Because she ate food from the underworld she is forced to spend a third of the year with Hades. Homer explains the capture of Persephone as, “Against her will he seized her and drove her off weeping in his golden chariot, but she screamed aloud, calling on Father Cronides, the highest of the gods and the best” (Homeric Hymns, 170). Hade used force and abducts her for marriage without considering what she wants. Both “The Furies” and “The Rape of Persephone” demonstrate male’s constant disregard for female rights and women’s expectancy to obey all men. Female lives are miserable due to their lack of importance to society and men’s ability to dominate them. “The Furies” displays the Greek’s belief that women are men’s property and this theme is repeated in Homer’s writing. Demeter learns from Hyperion’s son why her daughter was taken from her, “There is none other…show more content… When Zeus forces Hades to return Demeter’s daughter, Hades comes up with a plan to prevent her from leaving. He “gave her a sweet pomegranate seed to eat, and this he did so that she might not abide forever beside revered Demeter” (Homeric Hymns, 176). His trickery allows him to continue to control Persephone’s fate. Because she could not see through Hades’ motives, Persephone continues to suffer and be forced to live in the underworld. Her failure portrays her as stupid and foolish; reinforcing women’s inferior role. But, “The Furies” does not portray women in the same way, rather it shows them as cunning and innovative. Clytemnestra was able to find a way to kill her husband and gain control over the city, something extremely rare for a woman to accomplish. Society eventually punished her for not following the gender roles once Orestes murders her, but she was never portrayed as being unwise. She still was able to outwit her husband and achieve power for a short period of time. Athena was also able to create the first court system for the Greeks. The system she created has had great significance for thousands of years, making her exceptionally inventive and smart. While their culture suppressed them to property of men and required faithfulness, the women in “The Furies were not depicted as unintelligent. When men can trick women, it makes their
