Animal Similes and Gender in the Odyssey and Oresteia

Abstract

This thesis offers an overview of a selection of the animal similes within the Odyssey and the Agamemnon. I examine the ways in which the animal similes, reverse similes, and overall character portrayal are depicted within each work. I argue that these tools are used in order to reflect the genres of the two works and how neither completely adheres to the expectations of the gender roles, that is, what is expected of the male and female characters. The gender roles are more stable in the Odyssey as Penelope relies on her homophrosune with Odysseus, while the Agamemnon captures the chaos that occurs when the female does not remain within the female sphere.