However, Mary Beard offers other ancient examples of women being silenced - literally in the case of Ovid's heroine Philomena, who had her tongue cut out by Tereus after he had raped her, so that she could not tell anyone of the rape.įor centuries, in Western society, there have been, and often still are, negative attitudes to women speaking out about rape.
This could, of course, have been a teenager's response to having his Mum interfere when he was having fun with the boys, plus a bit of teenage boasting and bravado. Telemachus chides her and tells her to go back to women's work, the loom and the distaff, because discussion is the business of men and of himself most of all, since holds the power in the household. The bard is singing of the difficulties Greek heroes have in returning home and Penelope, in tears, goes down to the assembly and suggests he choose a happier theme. Penelope, who has waited for years for Odysseus to return from his voyaging, hears from her rooms a famous singer entertaining the men who want her to forget Odysseus and marry one of them. Telemachus, son of Odysseus and Penelope in Homer's Odyssey, is still only a "wet-behind-the-ears lad" when he tells his "savvy, middle-aged mother" to "shut up".
So, she draws on Ancient Greek literature for her first telling example of the male response to an outspoken woman.
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Mary Beard is a renowned Classics scholar and she knows how to present an argument in Classical style. "When it comes to silencing women Western culture has had a thousand years of practice" Profile Books and The London Review of Booksĩ781788160605, A$19.99, hardback, 115 pages Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
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