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Female Characters In The Odyssey

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Female characters from various stories play a significant role in shaping its outcome. In the epic poem, The Illiad by Homer, women stir up further violence and conflict, the same thing they seem to be condemning. The epic poem takes place in the ninth year of a brutal war between the Archaens and the Trojans. The only way either side can make maximum further advancements is through the assistance of divine power. Gods and goddesses govern the fate of the battle, as their immortality and divine powers gives the upper hand to those whom side the gods are on. Throughout the course of this poem, it may seem that decisions of Hera may not influence or agitate the major conflict at all, however, a closer examination reveals otherwise. Being the wife of Zeus, Hera possesses the authority to fulfill anything she …show more content…

The plague was caused by a prayer from the priest of Apollo, Chryses, whom was refused his daughter by Agamemnon. Agamemnon offers an unusual demand of a girl that Achillies liked, Briseis, in compensation for the girl that he was returning to the priest. This unusual proposal enraged Achillies and hurt his pride, which makes him consider fighting Agamemnon. Just as Achillies begins to position him to fight, goddess Athena appears and says “Stop this fighting now, now. Don’t lay hand to sword” (The Iliad 84 Line 246). Goddess Hera sends down Athena in hopes of cooling Achillies’s anger, so this way neither of them can get hurt. After hearing her out, Achillies agrees with Athena, and fulfills the demands of Agamemnon. The love in Hera’s mind for both Achillies and Agamemnon signals her to stop Achillies, as he is a top warrior for the Archaens and possesses the full potential to hurt the commander of the Archaen army, Agamemnon. This displays her ability to resolve conflict, and not cause further

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