In the Iliad, women are depicted as items of trade and as markers of rank for the men who control them. The epic poem, predominantly viewed as “a male-controlled world”, concentrates centrally on the rage amongst men but it also happens that the bulk of this rage is influenced, instigated, and stimulated by women. Throughout the text, the men are portrayed to be the most powerful, but in actuality the most crucial characters in the epic are female, and the women are just as powerful as the men, if not more. The women use their physical appearance, experience, and metis to their own advantage, therefore constructing their own unique power. The existence of this power is a result of the actions and resolutions of the women as well as the conceptual,
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After helping Paris in his single combat with Menelaus, Aphrodite disguises herself as an old woman when approaching Helen. Homer’s contrast in word play when painting Aphrodites’ physical attributes portrays her to be creative in asserting power. The phrases “a withered hand” and “an old woman” and later on “beautiful neck,” “irresistible line of her breasts,” and “iridescent eyes” contradict each other (3, 412-413, 423-325). The beginning suggests that Aphrodite donned the disguise of an old woman whilst the latter suggests Aphrodite to be young and beautiful, which completely defies the original consensus of her being a crone. Aphrodite’s taking on an older human being disguise not only suggests a physical interpretation but also an intellectual one. Her disguise suggests that she is older, which also indicates that she is wiser, more experienced, and more knowledgeable. It suggests maturity and a possession of greater reliability. Furthermore, Aphrodites’ being physically attractive ties back to the fact that she’s a goddess, immortal and beautiful. Because Aphrodite is the child of Zeus, experienced, and beautiful, that causes her to be powerful and manipulative. They gives in to her metis. “Helen was afraid,” because of Aphrodite’s manipulations, leading her to sleep with Paris (3, 446). In
After helping Paris in his single combat with Menelaus, Aphrodite disguises herself as an old woman when approaching Helen. Homer’s contrast in word play when painting Aphrodites’ physical attributes portrays her to be creative in asserting power. The phrases “a withered hand” and “an old woman” and later on “beautiful neck,” “irresistible line of her breasts,” and “iridescent eyes” contradict each other (3, 412-413, 423-325). The beginning suggests that Aphrodite donned the disguise of an old woman whilst the latter suggests Aphrodite to be young and beautiful, which completely defies the original consensus of her being a crone. Aphrodite’s taking on an older human being disguise not only suggests a physical interpretation but also an intellectual one. Her disguise suggests that she is older, which also indicates that she is wiser, more experienced, and more knowledgeable. It suggests maturity and a possession of greater reliability. Furthermore, Aphrodites’ being physically attractive ties back to the fact that she’s a goddess, immortal and beautiful. Because Aphrodite is the child of Zeus, experienced, and beautiful, that causes her to be powerful and manipulative. They gives in to her metis. “Helen was afraid,” because of Aphrodite’s manipulations, leading her to sleep with Paris (3, 446). In