The Greek poet Homer's Iliad is a patriarchal epic led by fearless men with a supporting cast of female characters. In Greek society, women are a valuable asset or obstacle to men and are the symbol of male pride. In the Iliad, Homer illustrates that these women have depth and that their emotions are intense and worthy of examination; however, it also highlights the fact that humans have infinitesimal consideration for their thoughts and emotions. Women are forced to stand like defenseless statues waiting to be rewarded, sacrificed or used in the bedroom. In the Iliad, women cause battles and men fight them. This story of doom and disaster is intertwined with a web of complexities that drive the game of war between these patriarchal societies. Understanding the ideas of masculinity and femininity represented in the Iliad is the way to understanding the complexities of Greek culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Mortal women are at the center of the Iliad. According to myth, the entire Trojan War begins with a woman. Paris, a Trojan prince, declares Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, the most beautiful woman, giving her a golden apple made by Hephaestus, the god of fire and craftsmanship. This pleases Aphrodite who in exchange gives Paris Helen, the most beautiful woman. The problem with this arrangement is that Helen is already married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta, and is being taken away from him. Paris' actions have hurt Menelaus' pride, which angers him and makes Menelaus want revenge. This launches the ancient world into a brutal decades-long war. Since both of these two men hold high positions in society, their personal pride symbolizes the honor of an entire nation. As a result, the Achaeans feel as if they have been dishonored by the Trojans' actions and seek to destroy them. Female Characters in the Iliad: The Context of Greek Culture In the third book of the Iliad, Menelaus and Paris fight one on one. They both use Helen as the reason behind their arguments; however, their obsession with Helen is not due to their love for her, but an obsession with their pride and honor. Women right now are treated as objects meant to be owned rather than people meant to be enjoyed and Helen is no exception. Their most important feature is their beauty and it is the only entity that defines their value. This is especially noticeable as Helen is watching the battle with the Trojan elders. These elders are mesmerized by her beauty and consequently cannot blame Paris for her actions: “who the hell could blame them? Ah, no wonder the Trojans and Argives under arms suffered years of agony all for her, for such a woman. Beauty, terrible beauty." Helen's beauty keeps her safe and is her only influence on men. This is the main difference between immortal and mortal women. Immortal women can have an opinion and exercise their free will while mortal women can only exercise their beauty. In the Iliad, Homer never fails to show the depth of the female characters and often shows how they feel. In fact, as Helen sits with these elders, she states: “death never came, so now I can only waste myself in tears.” Homer eloquently shows how women are treated in these ancient societies, showing the lack of consideration men have for female characters. Helen is so distraught she wishes she were dead, but that decision isn't hers either. It is at the mercy of men whosurround her, who instead of listening to her, decide to ignore her feelings and focus on the men on the battlefield. During the battle, Menelaus begins to overcome Paris but "Aphrodite took Paris away... and laid him in her bedchamber" and goes to find Helen. Aphrodite appears to Elena and tells her to go to Paris's bedroom. In the Iliad and Greek culture, male pride is demonstrated on the battlefield and in the bedroom. Elena is given no choice by Aphrodite but to go to Paris. When Helen is gifted to Paris, she doesn't have the opportunity to express how she feels about the situation. This event shows the general burden of female characters in the Iliad, instead of being treated as people with deep feelings, they are treated as a lifeless object to be owned by men. Female characters are at the center of every male conflict in the Iliad and the spiral of Achilles who rage against Agamemnon. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, must return Cryseis, the daughter of Apollo's Trojan priest Chryseis, whom he had kidnapped during a Greek raid. As previously mentioned, women are seen as symbols of male pride on the battlefield and in the bedroom, and Cryseis is no exception. Its value is determined solely by the fact that it was Agamemnon's prize. He won it during a war raid and his pride was deeply wounded when he had to return it. The entire encounter is similar to that of a child having his toy taken away and making a guess about the event. Agamemnon is a perfect example of this male phenomenon when he states: "but bring me another prize... look, my prize has been taken away!". These men are valiant warriors but when it comes to their possessions, especially women, they change completely and turn into children again. Just as in the conflict between Menelaus and Paris, Agamemnon is not in love with Cryseis; instead, he sees her as a lifeless object to be used for his personal enjoyment. Once she is taken away, Agamemnon asks for Briseis as a remedy for his wounded pride and as a method by which he can demonstrate his superiority over Achilles: "I will be there in person at your tents to take Briseis in all her beauty, your own prize-so you will find out how much greater I am than you.” This is a real insult to Achilles and affects Agamemnon harshly. His pride is deeply wounded and his privacy invaded since Briseis is an important part of Achilles' life Most men in the Iliad, have a slight emotional attachment to Briseis; however, later in the book he believes that it would have been better if Briseis had died on the day she was chosen as his prize, which shows that although he has a slight attachment, still sees her as an obstacle rather than an ally. Masculinity dominates femininity in the Iliad through the actions and reactions of men throughout the epic which display the patriarchal view of women as prizes and possessions. Like Helen, Briseis is also described as a character with deep feelings and emotions but ignored by men. When Briseis is first taken away by Achilles, she is given no choice in the matter and she “drags behind him, reluctantly, with every step.” Another example where this phenomenon is depicted is when Briseis is returned to Achilles in book 19. She begins a beautiful and powerful lament as "a goddess-like woman in her grief." Homer illustrates the agony Briseis feels due to the death of Patroclus and illuminates her harrowing past. Once again, the men fail to pay attention to the deep agony the women are experiencing as they “wailed in response”; instead the fraternal group “yes”.