Women in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey

In this lecture, Dr Emily Hauser (University of Exeter) thinks about why women matter in the Homeric poems, focusing in particular on: (i) the scene in Book 6 of the Iliad where Hector outlines what he sees as the appropriate behaviour for men (war) and for women (weaving); (ii) the reasons why women do in fact matter in Homer (e.g. driving the plot, providing a different experience to the world of men, direct interaction with men etc.); and (iii) the difficulty of recovering the experience of women from the archaeological and literary record.
This lecture is part of a larger course on women in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. The full course can be found here: www.massolit.i...
MASSOLIT works with university academics to produce short video lectures in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It is available to schools and colleges on an institutional license as well as via private subscription: www.massolit.i...

[@anzaeria]

Dr Emily, thank you for a very interesting lecture. It is interesting and good to see the significance of women in the Homeric epics despite the constraints placed on them due to their roles in society (with regards to mortal women like Penelope.) With a character like Penelope in The Odyssey, there is only so much that she can do due to her position (as the lonely wife of Odysseus.) However, it is clear that she is using her wit and making use of any means available to her to keep the suitors at bay. So basically doing whatever she can within the restrictions imposed on her character. And then when we come to the immortal female characters like Circe and Calypso (who operate outside of the conventions of society) we see more freedoms and an extended ability to control their own lives and their own destinies. And also the ability to deal with any strangers or guests who are intruding into their respective homes and dish out punishment where appropriate. In Circe's case, she would turn any visitors into animals.

[@zainhartono7193]

Andromache is trying to implore Hector, her husband not to forsake his life and leave either his wife and child as well as the city itself leaderless. But Hector counters that no one can escape death if it is fated and no one can escape fate, that it is the duty of men to die for their country, their home, and for women to be that home for which it is defended.

[@arielanonymous7270]

Where can a person find the follow up modules?

[@MASSOLITeducation]

Hi Ariel, the rest of the lectures can be found at www.massolit.io

[@shama7710]

Has anybody told her she looks so much like Blake Lively?!