Satyricon Essay

Women in Renaissance Italy faced rigid societal standards to which they were supposed to conform. They lived public lives, directed almost exclusively by other people in regards to significant decisions. However, this does not mean that a rise above the oppressive nature of the Renaissance was impossible. Several exceptional women were able to challenge their given positions in a society through their education, practices, seclusion, beauty, and roles. In an examination of several positions, through the Exhortations to Women and to Others If They Please by Lucrezia Marinella and the letters of Laura Cereta, a Renaissance feminist, women can be seen as accepting of their position in society or rebelling against it. Their lives and prescriptive writings show how one can either follow the role given to them or exceed beyond it and become an exceptional woman.

This paper will explore the historical research that indicates what roles women were allowed to play in Rome, including the Ellis textbook for some of the basic facts. Additional research information comes from another

Gender Politics encapsulates the hierarchy that separates men and women on an imaginary ladder based off of class or social status. In ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘10 Things I Hate About You’, men are portrayed as superior to women. Whereas women on the other hand are portrayed as subservient servants, and in many cases, more like objects than people. An example of Gender Politics clearly evident in the play, The Taming of the Shrew is when Katherine is bargained for by Baptista, without her consent nor say. This can be shown during Act II, Scene I when Baptista is convincing Petruchio to “woo” Katherine over along with a bribe.

Because Marinella could complete her formal education, she was exposed to the popularized literature, art, and political climate of Venice in the early renaissance. This allowed her to directly experience the misogynist arguments that would influence her feminist ideas. The Nobility and its respective advocacy for women serves as a direct response to Passi’s Defects of Women. In Lucrezia Marinella and the ‘Querelle des Femmes’ in Seventeenth Century Italy written by Paola Malpezzi Price and Christine M. Ristaino, Passi’s treatise is analyzed: Passi satirizes intellectual women, and comes to close to suggesting that women are different species. He asserts that women are like animals because both women and animals are devoid of reason and virtue (Malpezzi Price and Ristaino, 108). These claims of Passi set a precedent for the argument of Marinella in The Nobility. She focused primarily on the nature of women and argued that women were superiority of men. Commenting on the extreme nobility and virtue of women, Marinella contends that because women are the nobler sex, they inevitably perform their duties better

Shakespeare 's complex play Othello holds numerous pressing issues within its intricate layers that seem to leap out to modern society. One such issue seen by many is the representation of women. Women within the play can be characterized as submissive possessions and temptresses. This ideology, though commonplace in this time period, appears controversial to the modern eye as we deconstruct the characters of this play. This dominate patriarchal society present within the setting merely conditions this belief further as it is prevalent within the characters dialogue.

Even though Agamemnon made a success for his homecoming, what was waiting for him was her wife’s conspiracy with Aegisthus and his death (262-263). Namely, his nosmos was rather a failure and he also faced fate of his failed household. This Agamemnon’s gives a comparison with Odysseus future success for preserving his family and throne. Furthermore, Clytemnestra’s unfaithfulness and infidelity provides a foil to Penelope’s faithfulness and loyalty. Clytemnestra’s merciless and brutal actions, not sealing Agamemnon’s eyes while he was dying, adds contrasting characteristics between Odysseus and Agamemnon’s wives. Note that here, the story of successful vengeance for Agamemnon by Orestes gives a foil to Telemachus’ weakness and deficiency. Orestes here is depicted as a heroic example with murder of Aegistus after he comes of age (264). On the contrary to Orestes who saved his household and restored order in his family’s kingdom, Telemachus, as he came of age, couldn’t serve as protecting his household and repel his mother’s suitors in the absence of his father. In the light of comparing each heroic figures’ sons, the son of Achilles is also depicted as successful warrior with great strength and fame in the battlefield against Trojan, adding a foil to Telemachus’ unsuccessful position as a son (266).

In Shakespeare’s Othello, the role of women is greatly emphasized. The important characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Cassio, each have a women that stands behind him. These women each have an obligation to remain loyal and respect their husband's wishes, especially Desdemona and Emilia.

"Overview: Oedipus Rex." Drama for Students. Ed. David M. Galens and Lynn M. Spampinato. Vol. 1.

One of the oldest beverages known to man is wine, an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes. Wine has been enjoyed all around the world and Ancient Rome is no exception. Ancient Rome played an important role in its history. Wine carried religious, philosophical, and social implications for the Romans as it was a part of their daily life. The popularity of wine and drunkenness in Ancient Rome is clearly portrayed throughout poetry, art, literature and even laws. Although wine was eventually available to all, it’s implications for women were severe. An important connection between Ancient Rome and wine that is rarely discussed is the idea of denying women a right to drink. Today, it is not uncommon or distasteful for women to have a glass of wine but in Roman society, women’s overindulgence of wine was frowned upon. This paper will discuss women in Ancient Roman society and analyze sources from Valerius Maximus and Propertius to focus on how the role of wine reinforced the patriarchal system and oppression of women.

The excerpt analyzed from The Satyricon tells the events that unfolded at a feast hosted by Trimalchio, a prominent man

The female stock characters in Roman comedy tend to be traditional or stock characters. The primary role of these women is to be subject to the lust and desires of men. The protagonist tends to be a young man who wants to continue his relationship with a young woman for marriage or sex. This

In their lifetime it is common for a women to experience challenges arising from gender inequality. Through these texts this continuing problem is displayed in two contrasting time periods, being substantial to their plots. Issues related to gender are immensely important in “The Taming of the Shrew”, which centers on Petruchio "taming" Katherine and forcing

Intro – Begin by talking about how people often see Aeneid by Virgil as focusing on the events surrounding the Trojan war, but an equally important part of the story is the prevalent theme of duty. For instance, if one looks at Aeneas one can see his devotion towards caring for his people, and his persistence to follow his duty. Because of the emphasize that Virgil places on Aeneas devotion to his people and his duty to obey the gods, one can begin to theorize that Virgil believed duty was the most important quality a man could possess. Thesis: Often times, the Aeneid carries the reputation as a book centering around the founding of Rome, however, without the constant reminder of duty, one cannot fully view Virgil’s story as he intended.

In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Shakespeare includes two female characters ,Portia and Calpurnia, who are described and seen as two very different characters both personality-wise and by strength. Both Calpurnia and Portia have an affect on their husband's’ actions and also what they say reveals how strong they are as the feminine characters. As this play was written in the time of Ancient Rome, women were expected to have a certain role in Society . Of Course most women in the time of Rome would stay at home and take care of the housework that needed to be done and would care for their children. In this certain play, we see that very clearly as Calpurnia and Portia are the wives of two men of high importance known as Marcus Brutus, Roman

Written during the 1st century A.D., the Satyricon is often referred to as the first Roman novel. The novel has only survived for us in fragments, and for this reason it is impossible for the modern reader to reconstruct its plot completely. However, the Satyricon serves as an invaluable source of information about the daily life and language of the Roman populace. Petronius deliberately reproduces plebeian language and slang, offering a rare insight into everyday Roman life, which polished and refined works leave absent. Petronius focuses on the large social gap between the freed slaves and scholars of the time and how superstition can show that gap. The main scene that superstition is shown is during Trimalchio’s Feast.