ipl-logo

The Deception Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

1278 Words6 Pages

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. While Rebekah and Nausicaa differ in their specific reasons for their deceptions, they …show more content…

Rebekah uses her expertise with words to protect Jacob after the deception with Isaac’s blessing. First she instructs Jacob to “flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran” because Esau is “planning to kill you” (Gen. 27:42-43). Then Rebekah approaches her husband saying, “I am weary of my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women such as these, … what good will my life be to me?” (Gen. 27:46). As a son of a prominent patriarch, Jacob is unable to simply run away from his family. Rebekah guarantees Jacob’s escape from their residence in Beer-sheba by using her exasperation with the local women as the reason for him to leave. Through her complaints and sensitivities about preserving the bloodline, she successfully convinces Isaac to send Jacob away immediately to find a wife among their own people. Similarly, Nausicaa twists her words to deliver a message to Odysseus in a roundabout way. She employs framing when she voices the gossip spread by the townspeople, saying “Now who’s that tall, handsome stranger Nausicaa has in tow? ... Her future husband-to-be, just wait! ... Good riddance! … She only spurns her own- countless Phaeacians round about who court her, nothing but our best” (Od. 6.303-312). The use of framing brings about two-fold …show more content…

Both women instigate deceptive techniques as well as indirect communication in order to achieve their goals. Rebekah works through Jacob and deceives Isaac into giving her favored son the final blessing, designating Jacob as the one whom which God’s covenant will be fulfilled. She also assures her son’s safety from Esau’s rage by persuading Isaac to send him to her brother’s land to find a wife there. Comparably, Nausicaa tricks her fellow Phaeacians into believing she and Odysseus have no connections, thus safeguarding against destructive rumors to both of their reputations. In addition, she cunningly conveys to Odysseus her availability and desirability without stating it outright. As a result of their wit and exploits, they contribute to the motion of the stories in Genesis and the Odyssey. They are the essential links that continue the narratives, for without Rebekah there would be no lineage of God’s people and without Nausicaa Odysseus would not have been able to make it home. These women are revolutionary by the fact that they worked within their patriarchal system instead of against it, and thus profoundly impacting the lives and paths of prominent

Show More
Related

  • The Portrayal Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    1148 Words  | 5 Pages

    There are different ways for women to be portrayed in the Odyssey. They can be disloyal, sexual, and loyal woman that gets used for these things. Could you ever grasp a point of how you would feel if you were the one being portrayed? In the first section of the Odyssey, women are presented to us as controlled by the culture of the day, and it is only within that area that we can consider the way Odysseus provides women to be admired or despised throughout his journey.

    Read More

  • Representation Of Women In Hesiod's Theogony By Euripides

    725 Words  | 3 Pages

    While Hesiod and Ovid often emphasize women's passive roles, the Odyssey and Medea highlight women who actively shape their destinies, either through intelligence, defiance, or manipulation. Expression of Power: The power dynamics between men and women in these texts are multifaceted. In the Theogony, women's power is mostly derived from their relationships with male deities. In contrast, the Odyssey and Medea showcase women who wield power independently, often challenging or circumnavigating male authority.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Homer's The Odyssey

    954 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Athena And Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

    1380 Words  | 6 Pages

    World Literature Paper – Role of Athena and Penelope in The Odyssey 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.

    Read More

  • Women's Role In The Odyssey Essay

    522 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Use Of Lies In Homer's Odyssey

    1063 Words  | 5 Pages

    Depending on the circumstances and on the relationship he has with the person he is talking to, Odysseus can guide them into doing what he intends through his clever wording and lies. He often uses his lies for his individual welfare, such as keeping his identity secret or receiving help. Other times, Odysseus lies for the well-being of others, by giving them hope and happiness. Odysseus’s utilization of lie not only reveals his resourcefulness in his cunning, but also his thoughtfulness for others. Odysseus’s lies, which might be seen as only a way to conceal his identity, actual discloses aspects of his and other character personalities we would otherwise not

    Read More

  • The Submissive Women In The Odyssey

    825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Soon after Kalypso gives Odysseus permission to leave, she tries to convince him that he should stay. She tells him that she is better than his current wife and she is not any “less desirable than she is” (5.220). This lures Odysseus in and he agrees with her saying that “death and old age being unknown to [her], while [Penelope] must die” (5.227). During this scene, Kalypso is using her beauty, sexual appearance, and immortality to lure in Odysseus. This image of women constantly succeeds in attracting men.

    Read More

  • Oppression Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    In many societies today, individuals are led to believe that the concept of women possessing their own strength or independence is abnormal. As a result, women experience the world in a constrained way in comparison to men, even if they are in higher classes of society. However, these extensive aspects of females are contradicted in some ancient Greek literature. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as a vital and powerful force through the characters Penelope and Circe, who counter the normality of misogyny in Homer’s time. Penelope’s character displays how some women are able to exceed society’s standards and show strength and cleverness when it is necessary.

    Read More

  • The Portrayal Of Women In The Odyssey

    1401 Words  | 6 Pages

    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.     Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, bravely held down the front in Ithaca while her husband struggled to find his way back home. In Book 18, Penelope spoke to the ever-so-desperate suitors about what Odysseus “told” her before he left.

    Read More

  • Double Standards Of Men And Women In Homer's Odyssey

    145 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, the men and women has a double standard. Throughout the poem, the male characters such as the protagonist Odysseus are the ones fighting, leading and known as hero’s. On the other hand women are serving under the males and shown to be the seducers and prizes by Homer. Even a strong and cunning answer to a man.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In Homer's Odyssey

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    Women in The Odyssey Gender roles, specifically of women, were a little different back in 700 B.C. They played more of a typical role, expected to get married and have kids at a young age. They were expected to take care of the house and children, while their husbands were out fighting wars. However, while women in The Odyssey were greatly valued for their beauty, Homer reveals that they also had to be intelligent to be successful in their lives.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Whores, Wives, And Slaves By Sarah B. Pomeroy

    1899 Words  | 8 Pages

    This paper will discuss the well-published work of, Pomeroy, Sarah B. Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves: Women in Classical Antiquity. New York: Schocken, 1975. Print. Sarah B. Pomeroy uses this book to educate others about the role women have played throughout ancient history. Pomeroy uses a timeline to go through each role, starting with mythological women, who were called Goddesses.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey Essay: The Role Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    1255 Words  | 6 Pages

    In spite of the fact that Homer’s Odyssey is an epic story of a man’s gallant journey, women play a huge part throughout. Their unique yet controversial personalities, intentions, and relationships are vital to the development of this epic and adventurous journey of Odysseus. The poem by Homer was written at a time when women had an inferior position in society, yet that didn’t stop them from being any less influential. All of the women throughout the Odyssey possess different qualities, but all of them help to define the role of the ideal woman.

    Read More

  • Nostos In Homer's Odyssey

    922 Words  | 4 Pages

    Penelope and Odysseus’ use of tricks and deception are both a help and a hinderacne in allowing the former to avoid a second marriage and confirm her husband’s identity and the latter to attain nostos. Odysseus is wise not to tell his crew of Skylla, but should have divulged the contents of the bag of winds. Similarly, Penelope’s trick with the bed was harmless and successful, whereas undoing her work on the shroud has severe consequences when she is caught. As Homer’s Odyssey demonstrates, tricks and deception must be used wisely in order to avoid problematic

    Read More

  • Examples Of Patriarchy In The Odyssey

    1007 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Odyssey by Homer contains multiple moments where female characters are oppressed or fit into a patriarchy, but there are several moments where these character show signs of rebellion against this oppression. Applying a critical lense of feminism to these characters and relationships create complexities and conflicts within the novel that shine meaning on the world. The character Penelope offers many of these moments. Analyzing the actions, situation, and comparisons with other characters using a the feminist critical lense will show a more enriched version of Penelope and offer a deeper insight of the patriarchy, and how is affects the world.

    Read More

More about The Deception Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

Open Document