Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Classics 2200 > Term 2 - Lec 11 (Women in Greek Myth) > Flashcards

Term 2 - Lec 11 (Women in Greek Myth) Flashcards

1
Q

What was the purpose of women in Greek myths?

A

= models for praise or blame

- everything written in patriarchal culture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are characteristics of the hero?

A
  • quest
  • sport
  • leadership
  • speech
  • activity sexuality (job to populate the world with hero’s descendants)
  • public sphere
  • kleos

–> AGENTS OF EXCHANGE (trades with other males to earn profit, establish bonds)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are characteristics of the heroine?

A
  • seclusion, silence
  • industry (via textiles)
  • maternity
  • silence
  • sexual chastity
  • private sphere
  • beauty
  • aidos (modesty)
  • -> OBJECTS OF EXCHANGE (marriage, POW)
  • -> Not heard or seen
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Describe the ideal male

A

Greek, aristocratic, free

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the roles available to girls?

A
  • daughter
  • wife
  • mother
  • certain religious (i.e. priestess = still domestic role, but higher status)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How does Homeric Hymn to Demeter exemplify female roles?

A
  • Demeter = mother figure (comes into conflict with patriarchal society and her husband which has other uses for her daughter)
  • Persephone = typical daughter
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How do Myths show the gender roles of a society?

A
  • myths reflect shared cultural values
  • shows anxieties about threats to establish socio-political order
  • myths show extremes of the idealized and demonized gender roles, but rarely realistic
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How is disorder represented in these Greek tragic plays?

A
  • disorder = transgression of prescribed gender roles
  • lots of strong female characters in tragic play = sign of disorder
  • **but transgression is somewhat allowed with gods, i.e. Athena, but not humans
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How are heroines portrayed in myths?

A
  • always in terms of their relationship to males in their lives who are the ‘true heroes’
  • not model for young girls
  • if they conform to societal roles = models, if not = whores, monsters
  • rarely catasterized
    (therefore lure of ascension doesn’t motivate them)
  • they achieve eternal life via survival of their kids
    (myths where their kids die are thus really tragic)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the expectation of a mother/daughter of a hero?

A
  • submissive, obedient, loyal no matter what
  • mother of a hero = aristocratic, chaste, chosen by a god
  • glory in giving birth to a hero but suffering and transformation too
  • suffer through not surviving encounter, suffering afterwards, or via sacrifice
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the result of being a wife of a hero?

A
  • marriage to a hero = deadly

- if hero killed in battle or usurped = wife is enslaved and dies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Who are models of the perfect wife?

A

PENELOPE (Odysseus)

ALCESTIS (Admetus)

PSYCHE (Eros)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the story of Alcestis

A
  • daughter of Pelias
  • marries Admetus
  • Admits treated Apollo well when he was enslaved to him
  • when it was Admetus’ time to die, Apollo grants favour that he could live longer if someone substitutes for him
  • Admetus’ parents refuse
  • Alcestis chooses to die in her husband’s place –> self-sacrifice demonstrating her love for him
  • -> becomes bride of Death
  • Heracles brings Alcestis back
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How is Penelope a model wife?

A
  • maintains chastity and household in her husband’s absence
  • raises son to manhood
  • uses weaving to defend herself and their home against suitors
  • facilitates Odysseus’ successful return via contest
  • shows she’s an equal in virtue/intelligence by testing Odysseus too
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the story of Psyche?

A
  • Aphrodite tells Eros to punish Psyche for her beauty
  • Oracle tells Psyche’s parents to give her as a sacrifice to a monster (bride of Death)
  • Psyche’s carried of by invisible creatures to a beautiful palace
  • mysterious lover visits her every night, forbidden to look at his face
  • jealous sisters visit and plants doubts about her husband’s identity
  • tell her to cut off his head
  • she finds out he’s beautiful, falls in love with him
  • drop of oil wakes him, he flies off, she hangs on until she can’t anymore, drops back to earth
  • Pregnant Psyche wanders the earth, doing labours given by Aphrodite (helped by gods or nature)
  • last task is to go to Underworld and get a casket with a beauty potion from Persephone
  • out of curiosity, opens jar, goes into coma
  • she’s revived by Eros, reconciled, becomes immortal
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How can Psyche’s story be related to that of other gods?

A
  • Demeter attempting to immortalize little boy
  • Actaeon seeing Artemis
    = MORTALS CAN’T SEE THE DIVINE
17
Q

How does Psyche demonstrate a heroic model?

A
  • suffers
  • performs labours
  • goes to Underworld
  • becomes immortal
18
Q

Symbolic significance of story of Psyche and Eros?

A

= romantic allegory of spiritual growht
- once you know Eros, you will have to suffer for it at some point
= love is spiritual salvation but only through suffering

19
Q

Who are models of “The Glorious Mother”

A
  • Danae (Perseus)
  • Io (Epaphus)
  • Europa (Minos)
  • Alkmene (Heracles)
  • Aethra (Theseus) - Poseidon
  • Semele (Dionysus)
20
Q

Who are examples of Hero-Maidens

A

NAUSICAA
- helps Odysseus by bringing clothes, good advice (follow separately behind her), and directions home

ARIADNE

  • helps Theseus navigate labyrinth
  • abandoned on way home

MEDEA

  • Helps Jason get Golden Fleece
  • abandoned but gets revenge

ELECTRA

  • helps brother Orestes to avenge murder of Agamemnon
  • in Aeschylus/Sophocles, she has secondary helper role
  • in Euripides’ she plays the role of the hero and kills mom
21
Q

What is a Helper-Maiden?

A

= girl that helps the hero along the way

  • usually taken with the hero and agree to help in return for marraige
  • tension with obligations to her: usually never marry her in the end
22
Q

What is a Bride of Death?

A

= at a marriageable age, but die before married off

23
Q

Who are examples of Brides of Death?

A

PERSEPHONE

IPHIGENIA
- sacrificed by Agamemnon so that ships can sail for Troy (father that chooses public sphere over private)

ANTIGONE
- dies because she performs funeral ritual for her brother in defiance of ruler uncle Creon

PSYCHE

ANDROMEDA

  • sacrificed because her mom Cassiopeia brags she’s more beautiful than Poseidon’s sea nymphs
  • rescued by Perseus

CASSANDRA

  • Apollo’s oracle
  • killed by Cassandra when brought to Greece as Agamemnon’s slave
  • therefore refused to be bride of Apollo = instead bride of Death
24
Q

5 Categories of Transgressors? People in the categories?

A

AMAZONS

WITCHES

  • Circe
  • Medea

BAD WIVES

  • Helen
  • Clytemnestra
  • Medea
BAD MOTHERS
Agave
Clytemnestra
Procne
Medea

BAD DAUGHTERS
Ariadne
Medea

25
Q

Who are examples of Witches? Why?

A

Circe

  • daughter of Helios, lives on remote island
  • changes men into animals (i.e. Odysseus’ men)

Medea

  • granddaughter of Helios, in Colchis
  • drugs dragon for Jason, kills Pelias, murders princess of Corinth + her father
  • intelligent + Dangerous

–> Foreign, women, knows magic, descended from disordered branch of the divine (the Titans)

26
Q

Who are the Amazons?

Who were they subdued by?

A

= warrior women who shun male company and motherhood

  • subdued by heroic males: Heracles, Theseus, Achilles
27
Q

Who are examples of Bad Wives?

A

Helen

  • leaves wedded husband Melenaus with Trojan Paris
  • starts Trojan War

Clytemnestra
- while husband is away, takes his enemy as her lover and kills her husband when he returns and rules

Medea
- destroys husband’s household

28
Q

Who are examples of bad mothers?

A

Agave

  • mother of Pentheus, king of Thebes
  • kills her own son

Clytemnestra

  • prepared to kill son Orestes
  • mistreats daughter Electra

Procne

  • kills son Itys to get revenge at her husband for raping/mutilating her sister
  • gives Its stew

Medea
- kills children to get revenge on Jason

29
Q

Who are examples of bad daughters?

A

Ariadne
Medea

  • -> chooses her own husband (aka her father’s enemy)
  • -> kills her brother
30
Q

What is a Hero-Impersonator?

Examples of them?

A

= tries to outdo hero at their own game

  • doomed because male-dominated world
  • must either yield eventually or self-destruct
  • Atalanta
    (super fit, challenges men to a game for marriage, slows down to pick up apples and loses)
  • Agave
  • Clytemnestra
31
Q

Who are examples of Victorious Heroines?

A
  • Nausicaa
  • Penelope
  • Psyche

Classics 2200 (17 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions