Angelica Adams
Mrs. McMullen
English 200: World Literature
November 17, 2007
The Power of Woman Women are often thought of as mild, weak, and gentle creatures; with characteristics like these, how can a woman co-exist in the world of her more brazen counterpart and still be influential? The answer to that question is simple; by using their milder qualities women have been influential in the many bold feats of man. Women have made great impacts throughout history through the use their of intellect, sexuality, and passive demeanor. The women in the following works, “Oedipus the King”, by Sophocles, The Iliad, by Homer, and Confessions, by Augustine, were influential in politics, war, and religion all male dominated. Politics has always been a male dominated arena in which women have recently joined, or has it? While men have been in the forefront of many political accomplishments, it has been many times a woman’s idea that brought home such victories. One example of this is Jocasta. In the story of Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, Jocasta is the wife of the king, Oedipus. She is a very mild-mannered woman and gives no signs of being harsh and brash, yet and still she is the most powerful person in the kingdom. An example of her docility is when Oedipus is threatening to put Creon to death; she saves his life by asking Oedipus to believe him for her and the sake of the people of Thebes by being a voice of reason (635). Her influence is noted in the by a specific conversation between Oedipus and his brother-in-law, Creon, where Oedipus is accusing Creon of conspiring to overthrow his regime. Creon then asks Oedipus if he rules his kingdom with equally with his sister, Jocasta, and Oedipus responds to him “She receives from me whatever she desires”(633). With him saying that she receives whatever she desires he is admitting that if she wants something