Homer's Iliad revolves primarily around the male characters of the epic poem, but the few women in the story play a salient role. Women are seen as nothing more than trophies for the intrepid works of men, but the roles they represent play a crucial role in the development of the plot and plot. Gender roles are a social construct that outlines the "appropriate" attitudes, behaviors, and actions of men and women in the context of society. They help define what is masculine or feminine and show how people should be viewed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Homeric epics, female characters are vital to the plot because they serve as a basis of comparison for men, as the outrage of their actions can be seen in contrast to that of a woman. Plus, they add depth and create a theatrical look. For example, the Iliad would not have happened if there had not been a fight over Helen. Historically, women are seen as the inferior gender, regularly deemed weak and inadequate. The female population has been continuously ostracized by society and its major decisions. In more recent years, the topic of gender roles has become a very controversial topic, as most people believe that women are treated unfairly compared to men. In the Iliad, women are written with little attention to character, and are brought into the story simply for plot, but in modern literature, female characters play a more integral and involved role in terms of plot, dissimilar to the female objectification shown in past literature. Masculinity in the Iliad is represented by men who gain a place as master, while femininity is encapsulated by women who have little say in decisions made in society and are used to being seen as the property of men. In today's literature, women are deeply embedded in stories and often play a heroic role, but in the Iliad women are complex characters written simply to enhance the plot and create drama. Take Helen for example. His story significantly changed the plot, as it indirectly started the Trojan War. Helen is considered the most beautiful woman in the world, which has led to conflict over her hand in marriage. She was already married to Menelaus, who was on the Greek side, but left him to elope with Paris, who was on the Trojan side. After the war began, Iris declared "...you [Helen] will be called the dear wife of whoever wins." This shows that while Helen has intense emotions and feelings related to her situation, she had no say in anything that happened. Another example of using the objectification of women for the purpose of writing is the characters of Briseis and Chryseis. When Chryseis was forced to be returned to her father, Agamemnon was angry, but agreed to prevent more of his men from falling to the plague. Following the agreement to return Chryseis, Agamemnon states: “But you must provide me with a reward at once. That I am the only Argive here, without some gift of honor it would hardly be right!”. The men of the Iliad believe that their courage in war deserves a reward, most commonly a girl. Without a trophy girl to fuel their pride, men feel inferior. Agamemnon sought to appropriate Briseis (Achilles' war prize) as compensation for his loss. This caused Achilles to fly into a fit of rage as he was insulted that Agamemnon had the audacity to try to steal what he believed.