Comparing Penelope And Calypso In Homer's Odyssey

In order to redefine what is expected of female characters in epic poetry, Homer includes the character of Calypso. The “powerful and beautiful” nymph is known for “clinging” to Odysseus and yearning “to possess him” in order to “charm him into forgetting Ithaca” which provides a direct contrast with Penelope’s attitude towards men (Homer, p. 332). When introducing Calypso, Homer’s word choice is strategic: he wants to immediately characterize her as an authoritative and dangerous character. By doing so, he is able to immediately identify Calypso as a woman who does not let the constraints of her expected role hold her back from taking control of the epic hero for her benefit. Calypso also challenges the cultural rule that men choose their

Penelope, the martyr of the submissive woman, does not always behave as she is expected. When her son belittles her by asking, “Mother, why begrudge our singer entertaining us as he thinks best?” Penelope is “stunned” and turns away to leave with “her son’s masterful words pressed to her heart” (Homer, p. 340). As a female character, she is supposed to accept that since her husband is gone, her son is her ‘master.’ Even though Telemachus had previously lacked being a powerful individual, he is finally assuming his conventional role of the man of the house. Penelope does not blindly accept this as is expected of her character, but is rather shocked and confused, showing that she is capable of her own opinions. It is also important to note Penelope finally standing up for herself against her suitors. She tells the men that they “must wait until” she finishes “this robe” while in fact she is spending every night unweaving it (Homer, p. 345). This is an important and characterizing moment for “clever” Penelope, as she usually spends her time crying or on her loom without much of an opinion (Homer, p. 345). In this moment, she shows that she can exist outside of the constraints of Odysseus and that she is not afraid to fool her suitors for her own benefit. While being a constant reminder of the emphasis on women being secondary to their male counterparts, Penelope has moments where she is defiant and shows that there is more to her than meets the eye, similarly to