Why Woman Kill:
A Literary Analysis on Mike
Greenber’s “Zeus and Hera:
The Complete Guide” through
the Feminism Lens
by: Cj Boy F. Eltagonde & Mary Antonoitte T. Tamparong

“How ironic isit to glorify a
goddessof marriagewhom is
married toagod proudly geared
withinfidelity, discontentment,
anddisloyalty?”
“Howsadisit torealizethatthe
goddesssodivine iswithina
marriage thatshe’stheonly
one building, sustainingand
fighting for?”
“How do you thinkHera felttorepresentthedivineideal of ahappy
marriage andfamily, yetsheisexperiencingtheopposite?”

AUTHOR MikeGreenberg,PhD
TITLEOFTHEARTICLE “ZeusandHera:TheCompleteGuide”
DATEPUBLISHED August27,2020(Updatedin2022)
JOURNAL/MAGAZINE
PUBLISHED
MythologySource;Buzzfeed;
&TimeMagazine
NUMBEROFPAGES (unpaged)
DETAILSOFTHE ARTICLE ANALYZED

ContentsoftheArticle Analyzed
Introduction to Zeus and Hera
The marriage of these two Olympians
Mike Greenberg’s modern interpretation of
Zeus and Hera’s marriage
Summary of his article

A Summary to the Literatures
about Zeus and Hera’s Marriage
Greenberg contended that according to most Greek
mythological sources, marrying her sister, Hera, was not an
intention of Zeus to begin with. Before being entangled with
her, Zeus had first married the Titaness Metis, turned her to a
fly and swallowed her after receiving a prophecy that a son of
Zeus would soon overthrow him. He also courted Thetis, but
did not marry her when similar prediction was made. It was
also expounded that Hera was not initially open to marrying
Zeus, until he earned her trust with his tricks.

Greenberg has also presented the information that some
mythology writers claimed that the couple have enjoyed
their marriage for centuries, however a pair consisted by
a womanizing god and a jealous goddess had made a
path for more complex conflicts. In addition to the
background, numerous Greek mythologies have then
provided evidences of Zeus’ infidelity and affairs with
other gods, nymphs, mortal women, and even men.
A Summary to the Literatures
about Zeus and Hera’s Marriage

FEMENISM LITERARY CRITICISM
- aims to emphasize the anti-feministic biases of
Zeus and bring out a better understanding as to
what were the anti-feminism social upbringings
involved in the Greek mythologies referred by Mike
Greenberg.

Key Points we Disagree
or were not throughly
emphasized and
elaborated

01
In Greenberg’s interpretation, it seems
like he had failed to talk about Zeus’
acts and trickery to take advantage on
Hera’s emotion and trust, resulting to a
non-fully pledged marriage after her
being raped by him.

02
Greenberg argued that ancient Greek
culture naturally accepted that men cheat
on their wives often. Women on the other
hand are bound by the laws of monogamy
(the state of practicing only one sexual
partner at a time), yet husbands are
normalized to have mistress.

03
Mike’s interpretation to the fury and feisty
attitude that Hera is exhibiting was due to her
roles and ruling to her domain which is the
proper arrangements of marriage, which
contributes to flights of her jealousy, cruelty
and violence. Therefore we could conclude
that Mike is implying that validating internal
emotional factors were highly involved with
women’s actions. He also mentioned that Hera
has terrible temper

04
Greenberg have also emphasized
Hera’s attacks on Zeus’ affairs and
her stepchildren through reiteration
of evidences. It propagates the idea
that Hera is playing the role of an
antagonist in the story, even though
she’s also a victim.

05
Though not given emphasis, it can be
reflected in the article that Zeus had
objectified women in many ways.
Countless affairs were established
throughout the couple’s marriage which
have resulted to hundreds of children
Zeus have fathered mostly in an
irresponsible manner

06
Hera was manipulated by the divine
hierarchy, political status, and her
fear of Zeus power, imprisoning her
in unwanted chains with the worst
serial womanizer she have
encountered in her existence.

07
Hera is also deprived with the chance
to file divorce since ancient Greece,
women are not allowed to initiate a
divorce for it is a man’s decision to
make.

Femenistic Interpretations as to
why Hera exhibits cruelty and
violence
 Hera have seen herself in a losing game,
enabling her to develop a mechanism as a
response to these negative stimuli, however
her ways of expressing that she is being
oppressed was also unheard and oppressed
back instead by others.

Femenistic Interpretations as to
why Hera exhibits cruelty and
violence
 Hera’s longing for an ideal marriage set up
was kicking, and her husband’s infedelity
implies that she is deprived to have a voice
and to decide for their marriage journey.

Femenistic Interpretations as to
why Hera exhibits cruelty and
violence
 Hera have been trapped for a long time in a
very tidious and tiring relatioship with her
adoulterous husband whom she is
dependent on. We could assume that she is
trying her best to fix their married life to
lessen the burden.

We agree to Greenberg’s conclusion
that Zeus and Hera, as the king and
queen of the Olympus, were not
expected to have a loving relationship.
However, we stand firm in our
conclusion that their marriage had
been established and developed in a
gender-biased culture due to social
upbringings of the Greek culture.

CONCLUSIONS
Even in Olympian setting, anti-feminism biases were
present, such as being unable to :
 stand for themselves
 stand for their decisions for the relationship
 stand for their rights as wives
 find self actualization after being molested
 fight against their fears
 be free from social upbringings
 be free from stereotyping
 be free from biased norms and culture
 be free from oppression and unfairness

THANK YOU!