Discussion — ideals of beauty OR Sappho

This week, we’re looking at ancient and Classical Greece and its culture. We’ve studied literature, philosophy, art, architecture, poetry, and music.

We’ve got two questions this week. You choose which one you want to answer.

1. The statues of Classical Greece set the standards of physical beauty for western civilization: broad-shouldered, slim-hipped, muscular, long-legged men. Women who are soft-bodied, neither too thin nor too fat, whose curves would not be threatening to men who already fear and distrust women (no Marilyn Monroes here!); whose hands modestly cover their genitals, and whose faces look down in submission. Faces with typically Caucasian (white) features.

Choose one portrayal of either a man or a woman (or both) from any Western culture in the last hundred years. It can be a painting, a photograph, an advertisement, any image, Compare it to what we have seen as the standards of physical beauty of Classical Greek art.

Do NOT choose an image from the Hellenistic, Roman, or neo-Classical period — those are time periods in which the art was influenced by classical Greek art. So you’d be comparing apples with apples. Give yourself something to work with!

Write at least a paragraph, of at least five sentences, comparing and analyzing the image you’ve chosen. You are looking at how the image reflects (or doesn’t) the classical Greek standards of beauty, as seen in their statues.

Include the image you’ve chosen as a comparison, and any classical Greek statues you are comparing it to specifically.

This next part of Question 1 is totally voluntary (in other words, you can do it or not, your choice, no questions asked, and no points taken off if you don’t answer this part of the discussion, but extra credit if you do): how have the Greek ideals of physical beauty have influenced and effected your own life?

2. Let’s talk about Sappho. There are a few things I want to talk about, so you’ve got your choice. Choose ONE of the questions below.

a. I’ve given you two translations of the same poem… what differences do you notice in the translations? To what would you attribute those differences? Is one translation easier for you to understand than the other? Why? Why not?

b. There are scholars who claim that Sappho was not actually a lover of women — not a lesbian, in other words, but that she wrote the way she did (in hetero-normative language) because at that time and place, women were not supposed to express the kind of physical, sensual and loving longing, desires and emotions that she makes so clear in her poems. What do you think is at the base of this claim? In other words, why do you think some scholars feel it appropriate to make this claim about Sappho? What do you think this indicates about the changing attitude towards homosexuality — from Classical Greece, where it was accepted, to today?

Directions:

Your post must be well thought out, and have some substance to it. Use examples/evidence to back up your statements. Include details from the readings.

Write at least a paragraph, of at least five complete sentences, in answer to the question you chose.

I prefer that your use the course materials and your own knowledge in your answer. However, if you do quote or paraphrase from non-course research sources, you must acknowledge those sources, MLA style (in-line/in-text, in parentheses, after your use of the that source). For print sources, include the author’s name, title of the source, page #. For web sources, include the URL, webpage name, etc. Failure to do this is plagiarism, and will earn 0 points. Use only academically valid and authoritative sources. In other words, NO Wikipedia, shmoop, gradesaver, sparknotes, etc.