According to Ellen Olliensis, how do virtuous women in the epic prove their virtue?

According to Ellen Olliensis, how do virtuous women in the epic prove their virtue?

• A. She leads the political process behind the scenes.
• B. She submits to the masculine plot to prove virtue.
• C. She challenges the male-led narrative.
• D. She is passive and irrelevant.

Answer: (B)

In this reading, virtuous women prove their virtue by submitting to the masculine plot and performing their roles within it. The idea is that virtue is demonstrated through self-control, loyalty, and piety within the social and narrative framework the epic establishes, rather than through overt political power or rebellion. By aligning with the male-centered storyline and supporting the male protagonists, these characters uphold the epic’s moral order and show their steadfastness in crisis. This makes virtue legible to the poem’s audience as fidelity to family, duty, and the larger goals of the male-led mission. The other paths—seeking political control, challenging the male narrative, or remaining passive and unseen—do not meet this particular standard of virtue that emphasizes submission to the established plot.

In this reading, virtuous women prove their virtue by submitting to the masculine plot and performing their roles within it. The idea is that virtue is demonstrated through self-control, loyalty, and piety within the social and narrative framework the epic establishes, rather than through overt political power or rebellion. By aligning with the male-centered storyline and supporting the male protagonists, these characters uphold the epic’s moral order and show their steadfastness in crisis. This makes virtue legible to the poem’s audience as fidelity to family, duty, and the larger goals of the male-led mission. The other paths—seeking political control, challenging the male narrative, or remaining passive and unseen—do not meet this particular standard of virtue that emphasizes submission to the established plot.