Analysis Of Volumnia 's ' Coriolanus '

Sophocles’ Theban tragedy, Oedipus the King, is not sexist. The prominent play portrays both men and women justly. The events presented by Sophocles exemplifies a level of admiration and respect for women that was not ordinary in ancient Greece. This is predominantly achieved through the dialogue of Jocasta and Oedipus, illustrating a corresponding relationship. In addition, the behavior of Jocasta, analysis of other literature, as well as the bad fortune of the male characters reaffirm that the Oedipus the King is not sexist.

However, Valerius, like Cato, associates women with matters that are less substantial and not entirely connected to the empire as a whole. “No offices, no priesthoods, no triumphs, no decorations, no gifts, no spoils of war can come to them; elegance of appearance, adornment, apparel-these are the woman’s badges of honor.” The apparent connection between women and appearance shows that women in Roman society were something to be looked at or shown off. Women were the prizes of men and the better they looked or the more they had been directly linked to his status in society.

Misogyny pervades the picture Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles paint of Athenian society. In their literature, however, female characters catalyze plot by challenging this picture. Such characters--from Sophocles’ Antigone to Aristophanes’ Lysistrata--face grim consequences for acting independently. Clytemnestra and Cassandra from Aeschylus’s Agamemnon exemplify this archetype of autonomy and destruction. When they confront injustice, male characters perceive them as vindictive and hysterical. This paper will compare the standards of justice Aeschylus’s society imposes on men and women. I will argue that Clytemnestra and Cassandra are protectors of divine justice who reject subservience and thereby transcend the sexism of their society.

Homer’s Odyssey is an epic tale set in the world of ancient Greece - a world dominated by men. Admirable men such as Odysseus, the story’s protagonist, are strong, cunning, and wise; they have control over their lives and the people within them. In The Odyssey, the quintessential man is characterized by his authority, including control of the women who surround him. As is suggested throughout the novel, the patriarchal world would fall into disarray without the force of intrinsic male authority. Odysseus’s struggles with his wife, his son’s search for manhood, and the wiles of cunning women like Clytemnestra and Calypso highlight the disordering powers of women. These disordering powers justify, to the men within this world, the necessity

Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautus's 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the motivation behind nearly every action in the play, she is glimpsed only briefly, never speaks directly, and earns little respect from the male characters surrounding her, a situation that roughly parallels a woman's role in Roman society of that

The bad actions of Clytemnestra are immediately seen in a negative way but she, at first, has avenged her daughter’s murder. What the chorus thinks of her is that she is an imposing figure, she is not noble and her information is unreliable. She is kind of underestimated and misjudged. She is presented as the bad woman but it is clear that the aim of Clytemnestra is taking her revenge. Aeschylus’ portrait of Clytemnestra can be seen as negative and positive; on one hand she seeks justice for her daughter, on the other she is completely incurable for the act of murder. She does not hide from her actions, instead she freely admits her murder and embraces the power and authority. It is through the inversion of traditional gender roles, adopting masculine speech, behaviors and activities, that she achieves her revenge for the sacrifice of Iphigenia. On one hand Clytemnestra’s revenge may have been seen as an upsetting act but on the other hand it let people (the audience) reflect on the traditional gender role of women in society. The power of Clytemnestra can be also seen through the chorus speech. It highlights her authority even if the chorus

Where this evidence survives it usually portrays any women who had any role in public affairs as not behaving in a manner that was befitting of a proper Roman women. For example, Fulvia is presented as “a counter-example of correct Roman women’s behavior” by literary sources for reportedly imposing her will upon the senate, and getting herself involved in

In ancient Greece, it was crucial that men proved their masculinity in order to uphold their worth and earn them a place in social establishments. An important aspect of human life is a man’s masculine identity and how it plays a role in society. However with this idea of masculinity came limitations that were not to be crossed. Ancient Greek epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, both function to provide their own view on masculinity in society through the reverse sex similes. In the Iliad the crucial role of Achilles as a warrior and his association with maternal protection, as represented through it’s reverse sex maternal similes, ultimately proves problematic. This intrinsic part of man to fight on the battlefield to win timê and kleos is ultimately

The Roman epic of Virgil's Aeneid describes the hardship and misadventures of Aeneas and the Trojans quest from Troy to Italy. Like Homer’s famous epics, the Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s narrative style and structure portrays similar attributes in the finding of Rome. Aeneas encounters several women on his journey who play a significant role throughout this epic in assisting or destroying his journey to Rome. His representation of female characters provides the readers with a better understanding of gender politics and reasons why some female leaders failed. Each of Virgil's female characters demonstrates a combination of traits throughout the epic; however, such behaviors of these women tend to develop unwanted conflict due to emotions.

Women in ancient Greece had very few rights in comparison to male citizens. Women were unable to vote, own property, or inherit wealth. A woman’s place was in the home and her purpose in life was to rear children. Considering this limited role in society, we see a diverse cast of female characters in Greek mythology. We are presented with women that are powerful and warlike, or sexualized, submissive and emotionally unstable. In many myths, we encounter subversive behavior from women, suggesting, perhaps, the possibility of female empowerment. While produced in an ostensibly misogynistic and oppressive society, these myths consider the possibility for a collapse of male power and the patriarchal system. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey,

Prose symbolizes the internal change in the figure of Menenius, but he remains immature and emotional. Menenius is nimble and tactical. He uses “my son Coriolanus” (V.ii.61) in front of the Volscians to endure his relationship with Coriolanus and to be perceived as his father instead than an ambassador of Rome, even though, he does not longer perceives Coriolanus as a son. His dialogue is more concrete and incontestable. “The glorious god sit in hourly synod about thy particular prosperity” (67), this notorious phrase not only symbolizes the feelings of Menenius, but also his tactic to convince other citizens and that pretends to use it against Coriolanus. Comparing Menenius’ tactics with Trump’s, it is clear that both individuals can penetrate and move masses of

CLYTEMNESTRA: I, of all people, know what it is like to be treated as a woman. To be treated like a women means to be seen as gullible, childish, dismissed, stereotyped, and to be constantly talked to in a condescending, patronizing tone. I knew exactly how I was treating Agamemnon, I was only treating him the way he treated me. Griselda, do you not see the injustice in this? He murdered our daughter for the sake of triumph and no one questioned him, however, when I murdered him, the chorus was outraged! The chorus accused me of being “mad with ambition, shrilling pride” (654).

Volumnia, unlike the other women in the play such as Virgilia, does not recoil from war and the battlefield. Instead, Volumnia both identifies with the war hero and delights in both his triumphs and his pain. In describing the pride she would gain from her sons' deaths in battle, Volumnia separates herself from the other women in the play who want nothing to do with war, "I had rather eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action." (1.3.20-21). Thus the pride that Coriolanus derives from his own wounds and wounded body is a product of his mother's pride in having a wounded son. Volumnia describes with pride Coriolanus's bloody brow, "Though you were born in Rome!' His bloody brow/ with his mailed hand then wiping" (1.3.31-32). The pride that Volumnia procures from her son's victories and injuries winds up reflecting itself on Coriolanus who describes these victories and wounds with equal pride. By the end of the first act, Volumnia's descriptions of mothering demonstrate the warlike spirit she has channeled into her raising of Coriolanus. The imagery she uses in Act 1 Scene 3 also separates her from the other women in the play. Volumnia speaks of "blood," "swords," and "death," while women like Virgilia speak of "sewing" and "butterflies."

Homer’s Iliad is undoubtedly focused on its male characters: Achilles, primarily, but also Hector and Agamemnon. Nevertheless, it seems that the most crucial characters in the epic are female. Homer uses the characters of Thetis, Andromache, and Helen as a basis for comparison to the male characters. Homer wants his audience to see and understand the folly of his male characters in choosing war over peace, aggression over kindness, and honor over family. While the behavior of these characters clearly speaks for itself, the contrasting attitudes and behaviors of the female characters proffer an alternative; in comparison, the reader can hardly fail to concur with Homer’s message that war, aggression,

In scene Act 4 scene 4 we see a contrast between Coriolanus’ usual manners. He enters the Volscian territory in a disguise. He shows sympathy for the citizens. ‘Tis I that made thy widows.’ He