Nika Chxartishvili: The Status Of Women In Western Culture
Throughout centuries, Greek mythology proved to be one of the most influential cultures in history, which is why we still see it in today’s media in Western modern culture. Exploring today’s media through Laura Mulvey’s lens of her theory of the Male Gaze, we were able to see how Greek culture affects the way women are portrayed in Western culture. Focusing on one specific female character of Greek mythology, we analyzed how Greek mythology is still present in modern culture. Additionally, we found evidence that female characters based on Greek characters are often objectified and sexualized for a male audience. Modern Western culture implements components of Greek culture which influences the way women are portrayed in the modern world.
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The author argues that Greek mythology influences language, arts, culture, and even science. Chxartishvili goes into detail to prove how names of heroes, gods and monsters are everywhere today in modern culture. Nonetheless, the extent of his study goes as far as to provide several different examples of where this can be seen but fails to go into deeper analysis. Marilyn Katz explores women in Greek antiquity. More specifically, it focuses on the status of women during the time period. The question of status of women is traced back to the eighteenth-century and the author takes note of its continuing force. Katz argues that status, which consisted of leading separate lives from their husbands, not being able to attend certain events within the city, and not having the opportunity to participate in government, was derived from the eighteenth-century debate over women’s place in civil …show more content…
The TV series, Olympus, characters are based off of Greek heroes and goddesses, princess Ariadne provides a remarkable example of the depiction of women in Western culture influenced by Greek mythology. Ariadne’s myth is one of love and tragedy, but in this show, she is depicted as a sensual and trickster young woman.
Throughout the show, Ariadne, daughter of powerful King Minos of Crete, wears extravagant and revealing clothes that emphasizes her sexuality. In media, clothes can be used to convey a message, and in this case, the purpose of her clothes seems to be specifically for men’s enjoyment. Moreover, this is a way of sexualization that objectifies the powerful role that the heroine Ariadne could have been.
Furthermore, the fact that princess Ariadne does not have a single scene where she is not flirting with a man also provides additional evidence that her character solely serves the purpose of men’s pleasure. Consequently, the lack of importance of her character fulfills part of Laura Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze which states that when women appear in media, their roles are unimportant and their main function is to be erotic for the audience or male
The author argues that Greek mythology influences language, arts, culture, and even science. Chxartishvili goes into detail to prove how names of heroes, gods and monsters are everywhere today in modern culture. Nonetheless, the extent of his study goes as far as to provide several different examples of where this can be seen but fails to go into deeper analysis. Marilyn Katz explores women in Greek antiquity. More specifically, it focuses on the status of women during the time period. The question of status of women is traced back to the eighteenth-century and the author takes note of its continuing force. Katz argues that status, which consisted of leading separate lives from their husbands, not being able to attend certain events within the city, and not having the opportunity to participate in government, was derived from the eighteenth-century debate over women’s place in civil …show more content…
The TV series, Olympus, characters are based off of Greek heroes and goddesses, princess Ariadne provides a remarkable example of the depiction of women in Western culture influenced by Greek mythology. Ariadne’s myth is one of love and tragedy, but in this show, she is depicted as a sensual and trickster young woman.
Throughout the show, Ariadne, daughter of powerful King Minos of Crete, wears extravagant and revealing clothes that emphasizes her sexuality. In media, clothes can be used to convey a message, and in this case, the purpose of her clothes seems to be specifically for men’s enjoyment. Moreover, this is a way of sexualization that objectifies the powerful role that the heroine Ariadne could have been.
Furthermore, the fact that princess Ariadne does not have a single scene where she is not flirting with a man also provides additional evidence that her character solely serves the purpose of men’s pleasure. Consequently, the lack of importance of her character fulfills part of Laura Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze which states that when women appear in media, their roles are unimportant and their main function is to be erotic for the audience or male