Week 1: Women in Greek Mythology (Pandora, Aphrodite, and Helen of Troy)

Hi, welcome to week one of my blog! This week, I primarily focused on editing my proposal, redoing my abstract, and finding advisors for my project.

After receiving notes on my senior project defense, I needed to make a few changes to my proposal, and this week was almost entirely dedicated to that. I researched the “scorned woman” trope, specifically how Euripides is often credited with writing one of the trope’s most popular examples, Medea. Another part of my research included how women were seen in Ancient Greek society. For the most part, women didn’t have much power, but when they did, they’re blamed for men’s downfalls. Dessa Meehan mentions this in her article, “Containing the Kalon Kakon: The Portrayal of Women in Ancient Greek Mythology,” with Pandora, Aphrodite, and Helen of Troy as examples. Despite Zeus giving Pandora the vase in the first place, Pandora is blamed for opening it. Even though she’s an Olympian, Aphrodite is often depicted as being dangerous and manipulative because she represents female sexuality. While Helen of Troy didn’t start the Trojan War, she’s often referred to as “the face that launched a thousand ships.” These examples show how women in Greek mythology are often blamed for mistakes made by men, and as I continue reading, I will look out for similar examples in Medea. 

Along with my proposal, I also had to redo my abstract. I had written one previously, but after changing my topic, I realized my previous abstract no longer fit. Once I changed my proposal and had a better idea of the direction my project was going, I was able to edit my abstract to more accurately reflect my project.

Now that I’ve finished my proposal, I’ve started looking for advisors again. So far, I’ve mostly been looking into professors and people working in film archives and museums. Once I have done more research and grown my list of potential advisors, I will work with my faculty advisor to reach out to them. 

So far, my plan for next week is to contact a few potential on-site advisors and continue reading Medea.