Comparing Pisan's and Plato's Views on the Roles of Women Essay

According to the ancient Greeks, men were superior to women and held more power. This can be illustrated in “The Odyssey of Homer” when Athene gives Telemachos

It brings up the question: what would a woman that only has a future to be a housewife or housekeeper do with an education? By not taking a woman seriously when she wants to attend school shows that it will be highly likely that an education would be of irrelevant use.

Furthermore, She provides a strong tone that evaluates the potential of a woman. She presents her speech with facts and with confidence and passion. Her tone is trying to motivate young women to act up and take action. Along the way in her speech she makes up a sarcastic tone by claiming that “[women]do not have executive ability, orderly minds, stability, leadership skills, and they are too emotional”(Chisholm, 149). The use of this tone provides affirmation that conveys young women to feel capable of doing anything that men can do. These words don’t define the potential of women nor their abilities. Women are strong, women can take anything, women are smart, women have leadership. Just like Chisholm, women have a voice to speak up and advocate for a change. Throughout her positives tones, she also presents an emotional appeal to the youth who are going to college and are struggling. In reality, some women don’t get the same opportunity as others.“...when a young woman graduates from college…she is likely to have a frustrating and demanding experience ahead of her”(Chisholm, 149). Women face challenges with their eligibility when applying to jobs. Looking for a job is not as easy for women, it takes time and persistence. Unlike men, who are seen as

Prior to and throughout the late middle ages, women have been portrayed in literature as vile and corrupt. During this time, Christine de Pizan became a well educated woman and counteracted the previous notions of men’s slander against women. With her literary works, Pizan illustrated to her readers and women that though education they can aspire to be something greater than what is written in history. Through the use of real historical examples, Christine de Pizan’s, The Book of the City of Ladies, acts as a defense against the commonly perceived notions of women as immoral.

The role of women in Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days is outstandingly subordinate. There are a number of times in Hesiod's text that despises women, being mortal, immortal, or flesh-eating monsters. The overall impression of women from Theogony and Works and Days, leads one to believe that Hesiod is a misogynist.

Throughout history, the roles of women and men have always differed to some degree. In ancient Greece, the traditional roles were clear-cut and defined. Women stayed home to care for children and do housework while men left to work. This system of society was not too far off the hunter gatherer concept where women cared for the house and the men hunted. Intriguingly enough, despite the customary submissive role, women had a more multifaceted role and image in society as juxtaposed with the rather simple role men played. Morals for the two were also different. Men obviously had the upper hand with women being the traditional passive.

Greek and Roman women lived in a world where strict gender roles were given; where each person was judged in terms of compliance with gender-specific standards of conduct. Generally, men were placed above women in terms of independence, control and overall freedom. Whereas men lived in the world at large, active in public life and free to come and go as they willed, women's lives were sheltered. Most women were assigned the role of a homemaker, where they were anticipated to be good wives and mothers, but not much of anything else. The roles of women are thoroughly discussed in readings such as The Aeneid, Iliad, Sappho poetry, and Semonides' essay.

Christine de Pizan’s view also aligns with Augustine’s medieval view of leadership. Machiavelli’s view, however, strays the farthest from Plato and Augustine. In The Book of the City of Ladies, Christine presents an allegorical city made up of great ladies from history. Allegorical characters Reason, Rectitude, and Justice guide Christine

That both genders have common ground as people. She goes on to describe how society is becoming more progressive, that whether or not people want to admit it, changes are coming and as time goes on women will be granted more equality. This change was already being seen but just needed further progression.

Marie de France lived in a time when social graces were paramount to a good reputation, lordships and to securing good marriages. A woman was considered less valuable if she lost her virginity; a wife was subjected to her feudal lord, father, brother or son after her husband’s death. According to Angela Sandison’s article “The Role of Women in the Middle Ages”, this was because in the Middle Ages the Church and the aristocracy controlled public opinion and the legal system. These authorities of the times believed a woman’s place was in a submissive role to a man. In The Lay of the Nightingale, we will see how this social and religious hierarchy will impact the behaviors of the three people involved.

After stating these points she continues on to discuss the importance of women having the same opportunities as men. One of the first opportunities being the choice to pursue the education she desires and not one that be designated to her, “The education that will fit her to discharge the duties in the largest sphere of human usefulness, will best fit her for whatever special work she may be compelled to do.” She states that, “The strongest reason for giving woman all the opportunities for higher education, for the full development of her faculties, her

The Iliad and Odyssey present different ideals of women, and the goddesses, who are presented as ideal women, differ between the two epics. The difference in roles is largely dependent on power, and relations to men, as well as sexual desirability and activity.

In Book 5 of Plato Republic Socrates and Glaucon have discussed that both men and women could become a guardian of a city. Socrates argues that both male and females although different in respect, can both become guardians of a city, just as both could become something else. Socrates points out that the main difference between everyone is that some minds are meant to become a carpenter, while another person is destined to become a doctor. Socrates concludes that here is not a pursuit relevant to city management where it belongs to a man because he is a man or a woman because she is a woman. Equality needs to be promoted, and that women must be able to pursue their virtues, whatever they may be. In the midst of their discussion Socrates presents the possibility that it could be a mistake to assume men and women could do the same job, when they are different in nature. Socrates compares a bald man to a longhaired man and argues that one or the other does not become a doctor or carpenter based on their hair, but by their craft, (454d). Socrates concludes that although men are naturally better then women, there are no pursuits that are relevant to the guardianship of a city. There is no reason that a woman cannot run a city because she is a woman, or a man because he is a man, (456).

Examining Pizan’s works proves to be interesting since she is the first western female to write about these particular issues. Her view of vulnerability of all was hardened further upon marrying her then husband, Étienne du Castel as he encouraged her to continue on her educational path as opposed to stifling her progress. Lastly her choice to want to remain an independent woman after her husband death led to her being a pioneer for feminism. According to Kate Langdon Forhan, she believes that Pizan’s awareness of human nature, view of prudence as self-interest, and functional view of the state are the main issues that brought Christine de Pizan to understand human nature as she does. By doing the things that men in her era were believed to be doing, she was able to come to conclusion of the understanding of vulnerability of all. She was aware of the vulnerability of every person within the political order and therefore takes that up as a theme she addresses in her works. Her response is that we need more justice within the society and the rule of law.

For Plato, justice is a virtue establishing rational order. Meaning each part has to perform its appropriate role and to not interfere with the proper functioning of other parts. Plato makes and argument for equal opportunity for women. He believes in it, and even though women tend to be weaker than men from a physical standpoint, this should not prove that they aren’t being educated for the same socio-political functions that men are taught. While the body itself determines gender, it is