Powerful Women In The Odyssey

Women in ancient Greece were not considered to be equal to men. This epic roves all of that wrong because woman hold big and important parts in the epic. The role of women in the Odyssey is very important. It's because of women that this epic went in the way it did. It was because of Odysseus' love for Penelope that he needed to come back to Ithaca, and Athena made his voyage home

In the Odyssey, the main characters portray the ideal male and female roles in their society. Men are supposed to be strong and respectable like Odysseus, and women are expected to be loyal and strong like Penelope. Although Homer shows that women are valued for their beauty, he also makes a point that they also must be

On Tuesday, February 6th, the Crockett House Firm charged the epic poem, The Odyssey, for representing the degradation of women, specifically, women being objectified and misrepresented. The Crockett House Firm wants these charges to be judges from a modern, American cultural context. The Crockett House firm is the prosecution and finds The Odyssey guilty of the charges. The Griffin House Firm is the defense for this trial and finds The Odyssey not guilty. I find the defendant not guilty on the charge of degradation of women from a modern American cultural context. The defense has shown through witness, textual evidence, and cross examination that the epic poem The Odyssey is not guilty.

Women are weak, helpless, and have no real purpose other than to serve men and take care of children. . . or so they were perceived in history. In the Odyssey, one can see that Homer’s portrayal of women challenges the depiction of women during that time period. Throughout the book, many women intervened in Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca, for better or for worse. One will see Penelope, Athena, Circe, and other women impact Odysseus’ expedition home. These women influenced the conditions of the journey by guiding Odysseus in different directions, and aiding him crucially. Their authority showed the idea behind an old proverb, which states, “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”. Throughout The Odyssey, the women exemplified their power during the course of Odysseus’ journey.

Homer’s, The Odyssey is an epic which was written many years ago. At that time, in Ancient Greek society, the dominant role was played by men and the women were considered and given an inferior position. But The Odyssey was often considered a women’s epic because women played an important role. Women in The Odyssey are portrayed as powerful, wise and controlling because they ensure that the illusion of male success will go on - they speak as men through women.

Circe’s aggressive display of hospitality is the opposite of the general standard of how women are expected to perform. For instance, when Odysseus’ men arrive at her island, she deceives them into eating a meal with “her own vile pinch, to make them lose desire or thought of [their] dear father land” (Homer 10.30-31). While other women are expected to welcome men with open arms, Circe disregards the common notion and goes against them. Her ability to control and manipulate the situation for her own benefit shows how she holds a strong authority over anyone who might wish to challenge her. Including her firm control, her knowledge and intellect causes her to have a great effect on Odysseus’ future. For example, with her ability to see what is to come, Circe predicts “destruction for [Odysseus’] ship and crew” (Homer 12.104-105). Circe’s knowledge controls the choices that Odysseus makes in order to avoid his downfall which proves how he relies on her guidance and wisdom. Her prediction determines the fate of Odysseus’ men and impacts the course of events that happens afterwards. As well as her knowledge, Circe uses her appearance to seduce Odysseus and keep him on her island. Generally, Circe is perceived as “a dominant figure that tempts and empowers men” (Phillips). While men are generally known to take advantage of women, Circe misleads and overpowers them for her own gain. Her need to show dominance helps build her strong and formidable character that has a vital impact on the lives of Odysseus and his men. Throughout the poem, Circe’s character establishes how women are able to conquer and prevail over others with their own strength and

They both uphold the general values society places on their sexes, but through their hardships they are able to gain a fluidity in these roles not often given in their society. Odysseus was able to express emotion without undercutting his masculinity, and was able to appreciate his wife for more than her domestic accomplishments. While Penelope became a paradigm of fidelity, she also embodied inner-strength as she dealt with the turmoil of her missing husband, rowdy suitors, and the destruction of her kingdom; which allowed Odysseus to come to appreciate her ingenuity and his marriage in

In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, there are many female characters who play the role of a villain. Calypso, Scylla, Charybdis, and the sirens are among the women with the largest, negative impacts on Odysseus’ journey home. Though some women, such as Athena, Eurycleia, and Penelope, are loyal to Odysseus throughout the poem. With such a wide range of female characters, they all contribute different things throughout the book, whether the impact of their actions is negative or positive. Regardless of the outcomes, Homer has quite a modern view of female representation in his poem.

The position of women in the societies of Genesis and the Odyssey grant them little power. Despite the pervasive gender hierarchy present in the ancient texts, Rebekah and Nausicaa wield their intelligence and wit to influence those around them. These two women utilize deception and indirect communication in order to alter the lives of prominent men as their means of exerting control within their patriarchal society. Due to their actions, these women become essential to the narratives of Genesis and the Odyssey, for Rebekah is integral to the perpetuation of God’s covenant through familial lineage and Nausicaa is fundamental to Odysseus’ nostos journey.

Women are greatly judged by their looks throughout the book. They believe that a woman is successful if any of her direct family have an important position (e.g. King, God) or is a heroic figure. Even though Athena and Calypso are very different, one evident similarity, is their ability to influence and control men. Athena greatly interferes in Telemachus’ and Odysseus’ lives by utilizing her intellect. Her power, influence and control on men can either be seen as a positivity or as a negativity. Her interference lead Calypso to let go of Odysseus, or he might’ve stayed there forever. On the other hand, had she not interfered so much, Odysseus might have been able to get back home much

Countless of these tearful songs have been written, describing the image of the woman behind a hero’s victory. In The “Odyssey”, Homer transforms the audience’s perspective about women significantly. All of them, whether beautiful woman or powerful goddesses, are occupied by sorrows. Especially, Penelope and Calypso--the two most influential women in both appearance and the complicated relationship with the guile hero. Although they have very different personalities and backgrounds--one is the queen of Ithaca, and the other is a magnificent goddess. However they are both caught in a same trouble--they expect too much from Odysseus, and they are striving for a hopeless purpose. They both undergo great sufferings, but neither of them is in control

To begin with, in the Iliad, a woman 's role depends on her beauty and position in the society, making them look more like a “prop”. For instance, Briseis used to be a respected princess and the wife of Mynes. However, her great beauty made herself became a reward between Achilles and other warriors in the Trojan War—she is no longer a dignified queen but a belonging whose role being manipulated by men. Another example is Helen. She was taken away from

To accomplish this analyzation I have structured this paper into an intro paragraph, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. The first body paragraph explains how Penelope’s forced marriage with Odysseus supports the patriarchy. The second paragraph analyzes Penelope’s character, and how the story diminishes her character to make men seem more powerful. The third paragraph dives into the relationship with the suitors and Penelope. I analyze how Penelope uses her situation to her advantage, and how that undermines the patriarchy. The fourth and final paragraph compares Helen to Penelope to show how the patriarchy is so quick to put cruel diminishing labels on woman. Finally I have a work cited page containing the Odyssey, where I found all the supporting quotes for my paper.

Malala Yousafzai once said, “We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.” Identifying the value of free speech is made far easier when it is not respected. In patriarchal societies women are often ignored or written off as unimportant. Especially within the social structure of the warrior culture, the thoughts, opinions, and beliefs of women are discredited. By becoming consciously aware of the lack of respect given to them, the women of Greece, Troy, and even Goddesses reclaim their power within a society actively damning them to be silent and weak. In The Iliad, by Homer, the characters Helen, Athena, and Hera assert that women may not have power, but by embracing the roles given to them, they are able to leverage their

Homer demonstrates how women in The Odyssey possess power over men. In the epic poem, is it seen how queen Arête has the upper hand over her husband and is the one in charge of making decisions. When Odysseus talked with Nausikaa about a way to get back home, she responded with: