Week 3 Post 2

Week 3 Post 2 

    The story of Eriphyle is one long overlooked. She is not very well known in most people's idea of Greek Mythology. She is seen as a villain but was never given any background or had any evaluation of her own thoughts or motives beyond the surface level. She was persuaded by Polynices to convince her husband to fight in a battle they both knew he would lose. The only 'reasoning' she was given was that  Polynices bribed her with the necklace of Harmonia. Eriphyle's husband Amphiaraus, sought out his sons to avenge him. Their son Alcmaeon kills Eriphyle to avenge his father. Her story pretty much ends there, as the stories of her sons carry on.

    It is disappointing that Eriphyle seemingly exists only for the progression of the story and for there to be a 'bad guy' or villain. Nobody in the story sought out Polynices in any way to hold him responsible, even though it was his fault really. The lack of depth of her character lacks and the character arc is shameful. The use of her story and character puts the men in the story as the heroes and honorable victims where she is regarded for her mistakes as a murderer and villain. This once again furthers the agenda within mythology that women are responsible for the world's wrongs and men have to sort it out and end up as the hero time and time again.