Hera betrays Aphrodite several times throughout the novel, even after Aphrodite helps her seduce Zeus. Why do you suppose this is?
Hera is known to be jealous. She’s jealous of Aphrodite’s beauty and men’s attraction to her.
Hera is known to be the goddess of motherhood. Sad that she was so unkind to someone who had no mother.
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Hera is all about being in a structured marriage. Aphrodite is someone you cannot trust around other men. I also agree with the post jealousy is also a big factor. Hera did get Zeus, but she had help. Could it be Hera feels insufficient?
That rings true for Hera’s character. In mythology she’s pretty much “I’m the empress of you goddesses. get with the program.” Conniving is one of the goddesses’ biggest characteristics, so I think Hera almost can’t help herself. She has to betray. It’s in her nature.
Poor Hera, jealousy is not pretty. There’s so much anger and self hate in the woman, she can’t even love her own children. And watching Zeus be some an awful man, can’t be easy.
Hera was a victim who instead of identifying with a woman who challenged her “role or worth” chose to side with her oppressor. I was actually surprised that Hera asked Aphrodite for her help in getting Zeus to give up mortal women. He was constantly adulterous and yet she just stood by her man. She was most troubled by the fact that Zeus didn’t pick her for the apple since she was his wife. Hera was jealous of all Aphrodite was, everything she was not.
Hera was a very sad Goddess. She had an unhappy marriage to unfaithful Zeus. She was a terrible mother, and probably didn’t trust anyone. She was desperate when she approached Aphrodite for help. Once Aphrodite accommodated her, she no longer needed her. I’m certain that Hera was very untrusting of all beautiful women.
Helen: very succinct!! Poor Hera indeed.
Instead of fighting against the real enemy, misogyny, weak and insecure women like Hera take out their frustrations against other women.
Hera should have been referred to as the goddess of vindictive jealousy.
Hera feels really threatened by Aphrodite’s beauty and how easily she attracts attention. To her, Aphrodite represents everything that’s wrong in her marriage—Zeus’s constant desire and wandering eye. Because of that, Hera tries to control whatever she can, holding tightly to her role as Zeus’s wife since it’s one of the only things she feels she can still claim