Taylor Healy
Essay #1
2/1/12
A Voice of their Own:
Analyzing the Female Perspective on Loyalty in the Iliad
In Homer’s epic poem The Iliad, men transform into savage fighters, leaving destroyed
battlegrounds, severed heads, and widows in their wake. All of this tragedy, instigated over the
“terrible beauty” (133, 190) of one woman. Considered a warrior’s ultimate prize, women are
swapped, conquered, and used as bargaining tools in a political and social world dominated by
men. Yet despite this pivotal role that women play, few are awarded the right to speak for
themselves in the poem. Women appear to passively accept the objectification as an aspect of
tradition, often glorifying the men who mistreat them and emphasizing little desire for a
monogamous relationship or a family. As the story is told through a male perspective, the
thoughts and actions expressed by women in the poem cannot accurately be assumed as their
own. Insights into the minds of prominent characters reveal that women do feel a sense of deep
attachment, proving that their true opinions are stifled by male authorship. Even some men
acknowledge the benefits provided by women aside from sex and glory and admit an
appreciation for the family unit.
The lack of women’s lines is evidence in itself that male bias taints the poem and
therefore must be read with critical eye. Women are instead depicted by the author to show deep
affection for the men who have torn them from their prior lives. After Patroclus’ death, “the
women he [Achilles] and Patroclus carried off as captives caught the grief in their hearts and
keened and wailed” (468,31-32). The likely possibility that the women feel resentment toward
their captors is ignored. The few women who do express their own opinions draw attention to
this oversight, showing a clear partiality towards loyalty and family over simply being thrown
around as property. Helen shows attachment to her previous life by describing her bitterness
towards her captor, Paris for compelling her to forsake, “my marriage bed, my kinsmen and my
child, my favorite, now full grown, and the lovely comradeship of women my own age” (134,
211-213). Helen finds strength in her anger to stand up to Aphrodite and hurl insults at Paris.
Only after being willed by the goddess, does she reluctantly retire to his bed.
Deprived of any personality and opinion and referred to as whores, the female characters
are assumed by modern audiences to be completely under appreciated, but this understanding
does not accurately illustrate the complexity of the male perspective. Despite the primarily crude
and dismissive manner in which they refer to women, male warriors reveal an appreciation for
female qualities beyond just serving as trophies. Having been away from their wives for years,
the Archaeans are described as, “green, defenseless boys or widowed women whimpering to
each other, wailing to journey back” because, “ Any fighter, cut off from his wife for more than
one month, would chafe at the benches, moaning in his ship” (109, 339-340). A crucial aspect of
masculinity is having complete control. This statement, however, challenges this control by
portraying man’s dependency on their female partners. When predicting the agony that will
befall Andromache as a widow Hector says, “Then far off in the land of Argos you must live,
laboring at the loom” (210, 542-543). This quote shows that men use the women they obtain to
earn money through weaving, thus providing further support for the family dynamic.
Hector and Andromache are a prime example of this idilic family. Their relationship
stands out as one of equal respect and love. While warriors such as Agamemnon are content
accepting, “a match for my desires, equal to what I’ve lost” (82, 160), Hector makes mention of
no other women. Upon returning from war, his most immediate concern is to find his family. By
placing sole importance on his wife, he awards her a degree of respect. Andromache is the only
woman to comment on her own relationship proclaiming, “Hector- you are my father now, my
noble mother, a brother too, and you are my husband, young and warm and strong” (210, 508510)! This seemingly monogamous relationship is a rarity in the poem and can be correlated to
Andromache’s unique personal strength. She exhibits sense of vigor and personality not seen in
any other women.
By witnessing a personal conversation between the family, the audience is given a sense
of the close dynamic and can imagine that Andromache would be upset, were Hector to
introduce alternative women into the equation. Hera is the only other woman whose expresses
desire for a closer relationship with her husband and is not discrete in admitting her jealousy of
Zeus’ other female partners. Zeus identifies this trait by criticizing, “Maddening one... you and
your eternal suspicions- I can never escape you. Ah but tell me, Hera, just what can you do about
this? Nothing” (96, 674-676). Zeus realizes that his wife longs for his loyalty, but flaunts the fact
that she is powerless in her demand. Although in Andromache’s case her husband reciprocates
and honors her feelings, this shared bond with a goddess magnifies the mortal’s desires for a
monogamous relationship. Helen, Andromache, and Hera are all prominent figures, allowing the
audience to believe that their emotions are justified. Due to the lack of female voice in the poem,
the audience must rely on these few women as models and infer that their sentiments resonate
with the average female population. The male’s claims that women worship them and feel no
allegiance to their previous lives should be analyzed simply as masculine glorification resulting
from male authorship.
Works Cited:
1. Homer. The Iliad. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990