Aphrodite Essay examples - 1167 Words

Aphrodite The image that has been produced over time about the Goddess of Desire, the renowned Aphrodite, is one of a longhaired beauty, riding atop a scallop shell to bestow her beauteous wonders upon the mortal earth and Olympus. This is an icon of femininity and perfection, the most stunning of the already statuesque gods and goddesses. Doves and sparrows are her counterparts as is the sweet and playful Cupid in later Roman myths. However, this seemingly flawless picture of delicacy and sensual delights is far from perfect. In fact, when looked at a little more closely, the mien of Aphrodite becomes distorted, her beauty playing out to actually be her curse. In the next pages we will delve into the true nature of the Love†¦show more content†¦The girdle is not simply an item of clothing; rather it is one that produces an impression of restriction and manipulation. A girdle is worn to make a woman’s figure appear more curvaceous and virile, it is meant to produce attrac tiveness. Correspondingly, Aphrodite is known as an opportunist with very skillful techniques. However her tactics are commonly childish which can only be expected when her weapon is an undergarment. Writes Stephen L. Harris and Gloria Platzner of California State University, â€Å"Aphrodite is variously redefined as a flirt who seduces men for the fun of it, as a mistress or lover, or as a whore. Consequently, she remains alluring, but her power is drastically diminished: in a world in which marriage is sanctified, she has no legitimate social place† (Harris Platzner pg. 98). So it is such that despite an outward presence of incomparability, Aphrodite falls despite herself into the common role of the beautiful temptress. The nature of her myth is much in the same trend as the biblical figures of Jezebel, Delilah and perhaps even Eve. Her femininity is her flaw and her curse. Perhaps it is unfair to put all of the blame on Aphrodite herself. After all mythical beings are designed to serve as a representation of the mortal race, only on a higher scale. The myth of Aphrodite, in the light of the symbol, is a statement on the calamity of the female race. That is to say that perhaps in the creation ofShow MoreRelatedAphrodite1027 Words   |  5 PagesAPHRODITE (a-fro-DYE-tee; Roman name Venus) was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. She was also a protectress of sailors. The poet Hesiod said that Aphrodite was born from sea-foam. Homer, on the other hand, said that she was the daughter of Zeus and Dione. When the Trojan prince Paris was asked to judge which of three Olympian goddesses was the most beautiful, he chose Aphrodite over Hera and Athena. The latter two had hoped to bribe him with power and victory in battle, but AphroditeRead MoreThe Characteristic Of Aphrodite871 Words   |  4 Pagesof the goddess that I chose is Aphrodite, a Greek mythology goddess of love, desire, and beauty. A characteristic that describes Aphrodite in a good way is joyful because she brought happiness and laughter to the mortals. Beauty is the second characteristic, she was very irresistible and brought beauty to everyone. An evil characteristic of Aphrodite is that she is disloyal. She did not love her husband, Hephaestus, so she decided to have an affair with Ares. Aphrodite is jealous, she did not wantRead MoreAphrodite: Goddess of Love702 Words   |  3 PagesAphrodite: Goddess of Love When anyone with a general knowledge of Greek mythology hears her name, their mind automatically shifts to images of beauty. Beauty is what Aphrodite stands for. She is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Aphrodite has a very loving, compassionate nature. Due to her nature, she has numerous powers. They include, but are not limited to, influencing birth, life, love, death and fate. She uses her beauty to her advantage and with it can leave her lover defenselessRead MoreAphrodite And The Victorian Era2248 Words   |  9 PagesAphrodite who is also referred to as Venus, was hugely admired in the Victorian-era and appeared to have kept much of her respected status that she had carried through with her from the 5th Century Greek and Roman mythology. Aphrodite from an early century is the goddess of love and beauty and is the subject to many art and literature forms in the Victorian-era. What Briton’s in the Victorian-era wrote about Aphrodite and how they illustrat ed her indicates what the average, educated Victorian-eraRead MoreEssay on Hera and Aphrodite1947 Words   |  8 PagesHera and Aphrodite. Two goddesses on two sides of the Trojan War. Both of them have their own personalities, and their own agendas. The two of them do have certain similarities. Both Hera and Aphrodite seem to believe in the cause they are fighting for. They do, however have very different ways about getting what they want. In The Illiad, both of these goddesses are on the opposing sides (as I stated before). Hera fights on the side of the Acheans, where Aphrodite has taken sides with the TrojansRead MoreAthena And Aphrodite : Greek Mythology920 Words   |  4 PagesAthena and Aphrodite, two of the most well-known goddess’ from Ancient Greek mythology. Athena is the goddess of war strategy and wisdom, she never married or had relationships. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty, she had a lot of relationships and had several children. Besides both of them being extremely popular and worshiped goddess’ it seems like these two goddess’ have nothing else in common. However, Athena and Aphrodite have a lot of similarities between the two of them. Some similaritiesRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Torso Of Aphrodite 870 Words   |  4 Pagespieces in the exhibit. In this paper, I will be describing The Torso of Aphrodite, using my own viewpoints and the elements of formal art analysis, in order to explain the uniqueness when compared to other pieces in The Classical World exhibit. The Torso of Aphrodite was constructed in the 1st century A.D. and is made entirely of marble. The torso used to belong to a life-sized version statue of The Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. From the moment I saw this piece, I knew I was attracted to it in aRead MoreAphrodite And Hera Mythology Essay817 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent. For example the goddesses were seen as insanely beautiful but also vain. Two examples of this are Aphrodite and Hera, who were beautiful but very envious. These goddess were viewed upon as selfish because of their habits of being jealous of mortal maidens. In Aphrodites case, she was jealous of the human, Psyche, because the mortals saw her as so beautiful that was even more so than Aphrodite herself. This led to Aphrodites temples being neglected and her favorite towns falling in ruins. InRead MoreAphrodite : The Standard Of Femininity And Mortality Essay2220 Words   |  9 Pages Aphrodite: the Standard of Femininity and Mortality in the Iliad In the story of the Iliad, an epic focusing on mortality and its flaws, the immortal gods often contrast with the tragic and heroic nature of the story . No god shows this more than Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexual relations. Her appearances on the battlefield are few and far in between, but when she does appear it leaves a lasting impression on our mind, since she acts so differently than the honor-filled men of the epicRead MoreHomers Relationship With Paris And Aphrodite1737 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst place† Under the leadership of Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon, the Greeks fight around Troy for ten years before finally succeeding in destroying the city and regaining Helen. But who was Helen and what was her relationship with Paris and Aphrodite? Is the Helen that is portrayed in pop culture today still representative of the one put forth by Homer in the Iliad? I will begin to answer these questions and explain how these relationships help to define her by utilizing source material from