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Gender Expectations In Ancient Mythology

Decent Essays

In our current world, gender expectations apparent in our society be traced back to ancient mythology. Women of today find inspiration in beauty and fashion often unknowingly form ancient cultures. Similarly, popular masculine attributes are relatable to the myths of heroes and important gods. Basing current social standards upon mythological texts however creates problems. In striving to achieve such physical greatness people of this era are attempting to reach the impossible: to become a god or goddess of immortal standards themselves. By relating ancient myths to that of the current media, one can view the effect that the ancient world has upon the social standards apparent in our society today. Divinity in ancient mythology was not always …show more content…

If they, or at the minimum their leader does not fit into the standard and accepted body standards, then they are overlooked. Hephaestus, the Greek god of smithing fits into this category with his lame leg. Other than his leg, Hephaestus is often described and pictured as a fit and athletic looking male. As Homer writes in the Iliad, Hephaestus had a “massive neck and hairy chest” and “his shrunken legs moved lightly beneath him” (“Hephaestus”). This description makes Hephaestus appear as a strong man whose disability is apparent but does not fully take away his immortality. Similarly, characters in superhero stories with the unusual attribute of being overweight are frowned upon by society. Superheroine Big Bertha, otherwise known as the “Ample Amazon” uses her overweight characteristic to fight evil; her large size makes her bulletproof and gives her immense strength ("Overweight Superheroes and Supervillains."). However, Bertha’s large size is only apparent during her heroic adventures in the comic world. During her “regular life, she is a slim-figured supermodel who is famous throughout the globe for her gorgeous figure and looks. Characters similar to Bertha would find it difficult to gain popularity in the world today due to the prevalent body

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