Remarks on the Social History of Women Essay Example

ones that Greek women could connect with in any way.

The Amazon women were women who attained power; they were looked at as women who exhibited manly vigor. With all of the power that these women held, their primary role in Greek art was to show men defeating them. The lesson of defeat by men was instilled through this story. Another example of a powerful woman was that of the goddess Athena. She was a woman with power, brains, and beauty as well as the strength of her father Zeus. These attributes did not make her a role model to the young girls of Greece. Athena had qualities that no other woman during that time had.

She was seen as above all other women and a standard that could not be reached. Therefore she is viewed as a creation from the male mind rather than a role model to the women of Greece. Havelock’s article gives the reader an insight towards the role of women in ancient Greece. Her views on the subject seem to be very well thought out and carefully analyzed. The opinions that are shared really connect with many different works from the time. She not only looks at the visual representations upon the vases she is studying but she also does research into multiple literary works and beliefs of the era.

With this broad spectrum of detail throughout the culture her findings seem concrete. As she describes each of her views on her topic, it becomes evident to the reader that she has an extensive background in art history and expects that the reader also have a similar

knowledge of the subject matter. With this understanding her points come from an educated analysis rather than pure opinion. All readers must have a basic level of knowledge in art history since her ideas are a more in depth look toward the work.

With works of art being so subjective, especially older works that come from a time where society and culture are so different from our own, each person will always interpret details differently. Although Havelock’s ideas are well thought out and backed up with different examples, there is always a sense of doubt as to whether we are taking some insignificant detail and molding it into a meaning that it was not intended for. In the end the reader will make his or her own decisions as to whether the article is convincing or not.