"If the hero is alone and can count on nothing but his own strength, he will never be able to enter his kingdom. He needs a woman's help" (Calasso. 62)
The need for a woman's help is seen throughout much of Greek mythology. At some point during a quest a hero must seek the aid of a female. Without them the completion of their trials would not be possible. Theseus had Ariadne; Jason had Medea; Odysseus had Athena, and clever Penelope keeping chaos at bay on the home front. Even Zeus and Apollo, the all powerful gods sought help from Thetis and Alcestis respectively. Mythology is infused with a necessity for the aid of a woman.
This concept still holds true through today. I have yet to see one action film or superhero movie where the hero makes it to the end without the aid of a woman. It is true that the women of today's films come across at first as a little more helpless and in need of saving, but by the end they play a vital role. Rachel Weiss appeared sweet and innocent in the beginning of the movie, but her knowledge and quick wit proved invaluable by the end. In any James Bond movie you can be sure to see the importance of having a woman on your side. In some way or another the heroine of a Bond film gives him a vital piece of information that he would be doomed without. This is just the case with all of the ancient heroes. Even though the names have changed the heroes and the women who help them live on.
