Women in Greek Literature

Paper Summary:

An analysis of Greek literature and how women fall into tragic roles. The author examines the female characters in Virgil's "Aeneid," such as the goddesses Athena and Dido and their role in assisting Aeneas. The author examines how the female presence and aid is viewed and discusses the characters of these women.

From the Paper:

"Women are not often thought of as tragic characters in Greek literature. When the average student of the classics is asked to rattle off the names of tragic characters from mythology, the names that would spring to mind are probably that of Oedipus and Achilles, rather than Jocasta (Oedipus' mother/wife) and Thetis (Achilles' mother). Yet in many ways, one of the main female protagonists in Virgil's "Aeneid" can be said to be a tragic character. She loves Aeneas, the main character of the story. She aids him in his quest in his escape from his destroyed homeland, the besieged city of Troy. The gods cause her to fall in love with Aeneas and the gods take him away from her, for all time."

More papers on Women in Greek Literature:

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• Analytical Essay # 118902 : "Portrayal of Women in "The Iliad "

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