Andromache's Roles In The Iliad Analysis

In both the Iliad and Genesis, women play specific roles in their narratives. Two prominent characters, Andromache in the Iliad and Rebekah in Genesis, are both similar and different in their roles as women. It is apparent that both women have effects on their respective plots but they are brought about in different ways. While Andromache's effects are seen almost as a byproduct of her existence as a wife in the warrior culture, Rebekah’s effects appear through direct action. When Andromache first appears in the Iliad, readers see a woman who is begging her husband, Hector, to stay behind the gates of Troy in hopes of shielding him from the dangers of war. In this scene, Andromache’s role as the wife in a warrior society is introduced. In …show more content…
Moira is the notion of fate that rules the world and all the events that take place in the Iliad. While she has her own wishes, the fate of their world will ultimately trump those wishes. It is evident that even the gods do not control fate, for Zeus, the king of the gods, is found in book 16 saying, “Fate has it that Sarpedon, whom I love more than any man, is to be killed by Patroclus. Shall I take him out of battle where he still lives…?” (Il. 16.471-473). After conversing with his wife Hera, he finally decides that he should not change the course of fate that was already chosen for beloved son, Sarpedon. If Zeus is reluctant to change the moira of his own son’s death, it becomes evident that moira is something too immense for mortals like Andromache to have a considerable effect on. Even though she fears Hector’s death for her own sake as well as her sons, she cannot change fate’s path. Their lives in a world without Hector would mean slavery and death and she must face this moira if Hector’s moira is to die oFn the …show more content…
In the beginning of the Jacob and Esau story, Rebekah evidently favors her younger son Jacob over her eldest Esau. As the two sons grow older, Rebekah wants only the best for her son Jacob so she creates a plan to ensure that Jacob receives the blessing from her husband, Isaac, instead of Esau. This is where Rebekah emerges as a trickster and appears to have more influence over the plot than Andromache does. Her role as the schemer and the behaviors that the role entails is what aids in further plot development. For example, after this moment of deceit, Esau is enraged and Rebekah says to Jacob “Obey my voice; flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran” (Gen 27:43). It is important to note that even though she must watch her favorite son leave, she makes sure that her initial plan succeeds and that Jacob is given the upper-hand. While Andromache’s begging unintentionally leads to Hector leaving for war, Rebekah’s direct actions lead to the quarrel between brothers. Rebekah has more freedom in her role as the trickster to steer events than Andromache does in her role as a wife in the warrior