Gender Roles In The Eumenides

Aeschylus’ trilogy of plays, the Oresteia, deals with gender roles in ancient Athens, particularly through the chorus in the third play, the Eumenides. The expectation of women in Athenian society included caring for and watching over the home and family, and also listening to the men, as they were of higher status. The Erinyes in the Oresteia, however, are female characters independently willed and portrayed as violent and powerful. They later become the Eumenides, hidden underground and transformed. The transformation of the Erinyes into the Eumenides cements Aeschylus’ view of women and their role in society as the Erinyes transform from angry, bitter, and violent portrayals of women to more subdued, powerless, and hidden goddesses, symbolizing the traditional role of women as less important and home-staying citizens. The transformation of the Erinyes is ushered by Athena who …show more content…
Athena commands them to “not inflict [their] bloody stimulus,” no longer causing feuds within families (Aeschylus 155.859). This was the typical tactic of the Erinyes, however. Apollo places the blame on them that “stoning” happened as well as “heads are lopped and eyes are gouged out,” and the blame for much violence in Athens is placed on the Erinyes, further showing that women are violent and bad (Aeschylus 130.189, 130.186-7). These violent tactics listed by Apollo are older ways of finding justice and the Erinyes used them when acting on behalf of how they viewed family. Athena stands for a new form of justice through the court system, and this requires the end of the old justice found through the Erinyes’ power. This requires them to cease acting in the way they had and further forces the group of women to fit the social construct of a woman’s