In the books we have read this semester there have been many different female characters. The female characters have played a wide variety of roles, some are completely powerless such as Andromache and Marx's portrayal of women and others have held very influential roles for example: Hera, Cleopatra, and Darwin's portrayal of the female. My paper will discuss the importance of these powerful female characters, their effects on other characters, and an analysis of how these females are viewed.

According to Darwin, the female species holds the power of discrimination. The female chooses her mate between several males. By having this power of choice, the female causes the male to display his mental and physical powers. Darwin describes what males are like when displaying these powers:

"When we behold two males fighting for the possession

of a female, or several male birds displaying their

gorgeous plumage, and performing...