Demeter cares for the earth in a way that no other gods did. She was actively involved with mortal affairs. However, she also cared for own, her daughter. She does what she feels what she must do in an act of revenge. These women demonstrate the complexity of the female in any era. Even in ancient texts, we see the female figure associated with the typical womanly things such as motherhood and fertility but she is also given characteristics that are strong, powerful, and dangerous. What these myths tell us about the role of the female is that it is constantly changing. The female is complex and while she will always associated with fertility, she should never be relegated to an inferior role. While we often see mythology as wild with fantastical elements, we should also realize its accuracy in targeting certain characteristics -- both male and female. The female is depicted differently in different tales and this difference reflects the nature of woman. Bibliography

Bullfinch, Thomas. Bulfinch's Mythology. New York: Random House Publishing. 1979.

Hesiod. Theogony....

Perseus Digital Online Library. Information Retrieved August 7, 2009.
Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Translated by Gregory Nagy. University of Houston Online.

Information Retrieved August 7, 2009.

Foley, Helen. Female Acts in Greek Tragedy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 2002.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Mentor Books. 1969.

Homer. The Iliad. Fagles, Robert, trans. New York: Penguin Books. 1985.

Evslin, Bernard. Gods, Demigods & Demons. London I.B. Tauris. 2006.

Lefkowitz, Mary. Women in Greek Myth. Baltimore: JHU Press. 2007.

Hesiod. Theogony. Perseus Digital Online Library. 2009.

Hesiod. Theogony. Perseus Digital Online Library. 2009.

Homeric Hymn to Demeter. 2009.

Foley, Helen. Female Acts in Greek Tragedy. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 2002.

Lefkowitz, Mary. Women in Greek Myth. Baltimore: JHU Press. 2007.

Evslin, Bernard. Gods, Demigods & Demons. London I.B. Tauris. 2006.

Evslin 48.