Roles Of Women In The Odyssey Essay

Role of Women in Homer's Odyssey

Was Homer in keeping with this tradition in the Odyssey?

That naturally depends upon what you argue the tradition is that Homer is in

keeping with. Let's look at some of the raw material in the Odyssey.

Language and specific incidents aside, is the nature of woman as depicted in the

Odyssey in any way revealing? And what is it in human nature we scan for when

excavating for gender bias? And how do we separate systemic bias from

innocent ignorance? I heard a woman author yesterday morning describe

difficulties male writers have when writing about birthing--no matter how hard

they try, they usually get some of it wrong. So, what do we look for? Sexuality?

Emotional quality? Intellect? Drive for power? Need to control? Capacity for

labour? If we detect differences in the text how do we distinguish between three

possible conclusions. One, differences in treatment reflect the underlying

Homeric thesis that women are "different but equal in nature," Two, different

treatment of men and women in the text reflect a thesis that women are

"different and unequal in nature" -- arguments about misogyny fall in here but a

host of other interpretive possibilities are possible too. Three, the different

treatment reflects simple ignorance. How much do we attribute what we discover

to male authorship -- or female authorship?

In beginning, we might look to the gods for a clue. The adultery between Ares

and Aphrodite for example is evenly represented -- both parties are to blame --

both are shamed -- both are banished. Although there is some "locker room talk"

between two of the male gods that they would willingly lie in chains several

layers thick to be beside Aphrodite.

Sexuality among mortals is another key to this poem and this question. Women

and men are represented differentially in this regard -- The herdsman Eumaios --

Odysseus brother by "adoption" recounts how he came to Ithaka a captive of a

slave woman Phoinikia -- a woman who had been seduced by a roving seafarer

who, "...made such love to her as women in their frailty are confused by, even

the best of them." The god Artemis later kills Phoinikia for her "treachery?" I

think this example speaks volumes about male and female sexuality. Male

seducers are represented as boys sowing their oats -- part of normal living.

Seduced females are viewed as weak and treacherous -- a treachery that

woman in her "frailty" is unable to avoid. This is a very bizarre message.

The overt and easy emotional character of men and women is possibly one of

the reasons many find this poem so enduringly human. Whatever our

weaknesses and failings as humans men and women both are deeply moved by

thoughts of home; memories of old love; lost friends; lost youth; and death. Men

weep -- Odysseus prodigiously throughout the poem -- the poem is drenched in

tears -- and laughter too. The emotional overtones here are easy

and free -- it's an attractive and I think healthy world in that regard. there are

contemporary understandings of human nature that view the capacity for easy

emotional discharge as a key to thinking well, thinking rationally. Our intellectual

capacities can be stopped up, occluded by, unfinished emotional work. A good

cry, a good laugh, a good scream, is just what the doctor ordered. Retentive

individuals, cultures, genders, tend to act differently -- irrationally in some areas.

BACK TO ARGUMENTS

An alternate tack is to confront the "unequal in nature charge" -- misogynist in

particular claim head on. Far from evil -- women in the Odyssey -- Penelope in

particular -- present and offer that which is most prized in human life -- a

harmonious environment for living well -- the good life -- the community of family

-- and all that entails. That ideal -- that which Odysseus strives to reestablish

through his 20 year Odyssey elevates Penelope to the status of hero in this

poem. Her world and all that it represents stands as a commentary on, resolution

of, and alternative to, the effect of the war and violence brought by the males

into their world. This approach is core to any argument that represents women

as different but equal.

Were that this sort of analysis was that easy. Penelope's character is complex

enough. There is unease throughout much of the poem about how Penelope's

relationships will resolve. Two other mortal women loom prominently over these

uncertainties: Helen and Clytemnestra!

The seeds of doubt over Penelope are sown by the shade of none other than

Agamemnon who says to Odysseus in Hades that Clytemnestra will give "an evil

reputation to all women, even on one who does good" (p..201-202). The

possibility that Penelope might yet prove unfaithful builds suspense throughout

the narrative. Odysseus of course returns to Ithaka in disguise--in part on

Agamemnon. `s urging. Odysseus needed to know that Penelope was

faithful. There was a parallel earlier in the story in Haephaistos snaring of

Aphrodite with Ares.

Penelope is not always represented as having the best judgement. Telemaklos

her son notes, "...my mother is like that, perverse for all her cleverness: she'd

entertain some riff-raff, and turn out a solid man." (p. 379) And, the suitors as

shades recount how Penelope tricked and deceived them over a three year

period (p. 449). What is Homer up to? Why offer these seemingly contradictory

colorations to the otherwise idealized Penelope? Is it to build intrigue. Or does it

reflect a fundamental anxiety about and distrust of women--even with this the

best of women?

If we look to another "best of women" Penelope's counterpart -- Helen -- to see

how Homer depicts her character in this regard, our anxiety only deepens. We

see her as formidable--a women endowed with priestly powers: a possessor of

secret mind altering recipes, and a capacity to interpret omens. Penelope may

stand as a commentary on the effect of the war and violence brought by the

males into their world, but where do we place Helen catalyst of one of the

gravest battles in antiquity? One must respects such charisma and charm and

power. One fears it too. Kirce and Helen actually share much in common.

All these "best of women" in the poem, Penelope, Helen, Arete and Nausicaa,

represent ideals for marriage. Odysseus hears Arete described on p.112 by

Athena: "no grace or wisdom fails in her; indeed just men in quarrels come to her

for equity. Suppose, then, she looks upon you kindly, the chances are that you

shall see your friends under your own roof, in your father's country." Yeah! If

Arete looks kindly -- if not -- will it be like the red queen -- off with his head?

That I suggest might be part of our anxiety.

In fact, if you look squarely at those women in the story who are capable of not

looking at you kindly: Calypso, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, and the Sirens. Here

we receive that overwhelmingly western and overwhelmingly modern message

of woman as femme fatale: that deadly admixture of lust and love, pleasure and

danger, pleasure and pain, pleasure and death pleasure and slavery. Women

consume, women demean, women destroy. Kirke's trance beguiles and

bewitches. The Sirens lure. Skylla devours.

Or, if we listen to the shade of Agamemnon, Odysseus' earthly equal, we are

exposed to some of the most troubling dialogue in the poem. Agamemnon's

condemnation of Clytemnestra is effectively a curse on all women: "...[she]

defiled herself and all her sex, all women yet to come, even those few who may

be virtuous." Agamemnon has a chip on his shoulder -- he was hacked to pieces

by his wife -- but still, we respect his perspective as the shade of a great king --

and counterpart to Odysseus.

Agamemnon then advises Odysseus thus: "...indulge a woman never, and never

tell her all you know. Some things a man may tell, some he should cover up.."

[repeat] Advice like this has been the warp and weft of contemporary male

culture.

And God help the 12 slave women who shamed Odysseus. To one of those who

shame, Melantho, who sleeps with Eurymaklos, Odysseus says, in response to

her impudence, "...let me tell Telemaklos how you talk in hall, you slut; he'll cut

your arms and legs off..."

These women who "dishonored" Odysseus were butchered in a most cruel and

heinous way. In a modern context the behavior against these women would be

viewed universally ..today...as a serious war crime.

Case closed? No.

In this question I find myself honestly confused by the Odyssey. Misogyny is

such a powerful term. And while one can build a case -- with examples such as

those we're drawn on here -- I do not find myself walking away from this poem

with that sort of taste in my mouth. Much to the contrary. Fundamentally, as I've

said earlier, this poem is so outrageously human. The emotional landscape so

rich. The tears so real. The feelings so honest. The laughter so genuine.

misogyny -- as a pervasive and systematic hatred for women doesn't work

here.

There are simply too many contradictions. For one thing Athena, a female

figure, a deity, a role model, a stand in for female virtue, an asexual one at that,

is allied not just with Odysseus--as she indeed is, throughout the poem, but she

is allied to Penelope too. The dream sent to comfort Penelope in her anguish

over Telemaklos' safety is but one example of this. Penelope's anguish is thus

real. She cares for her son and her husband and her moral position. If any of

those things were fabrications, deceptions, tricks, disassembly, evil, the gods would

not be deceived. Penelope is as virtuous as Clytemnestra vile. Women and men

are treated as made of the same moral stuff as men.

On a higher plain -- the Olympian plain -- there are several cool allusions to

gender balance that hint at mortal analogs.

Odysseus in addressing Nausikaa -- who he says he will invoke for the rest of his

days as if she were a goddess - "...may Zeus the lord of thunder, Hera's consort,

..." grant me...This invocation implicitly recognizes that Hera is at least coequal

to Zeus -- if not the ideal who is really in charge.

Menelaos addresses Telemaklos in a similar vein on p.271 "...may Hera's Lord of

Thunder see you home..."

Telemaklos addresses Helen, "...may Zeus, the Lord of Hera..."

Are these gender balances -- acknowledged in formal address significant?

These are not the appellations of a culture steeped in misogyny. These are the

appellations of a culture that recognizes and celebrates gender harmony as

much as it recognizes the mystery of the sexes.

If there is bias in the writing -- that comes from the tone of the oral and written

culture -- it is expressly male -- that does not mean misogynist. Pleasure and

fear where they do coexist need not equate to hate and anger. Turn the tables.

Women then as now have at least as much reason to fear men -- has that

sentiment translated as hate -- from women?

A pity more is not written about Princess Ktimene -- Odysseus' sister --

unfortunately Homer refers to her but once and has her given away to a Samian

prince. A great project might be to recover -- recreate -- construct the adventures

of Ktimene -- in story and song!