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Women have not always been given power equal to men. During Dark Age Greece, the times The Odyssey was composed, women’s roles were almost limited to childbirth and domestic duties. In The Odyssey, Homer foreshadowed how the perception and roles of women would change in the future. Although the main character in The Odyssey, Odysseus, is a man, he would have never made it to Ithaca without the presence of the female characters. All the women in this epic are unique to one another, but they all come together to create the picture of the ideal woman we all know today. First, the role of the dominating and demanding goddesses was to aid the mortals. For instance, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, helped release Odysseus from being held hostage …show more content…
Oenen declared, “By letting the axe fall on herself, she sacrifices her future with Odysseus, and gives life to the story of the Odyssey” (231). Even though Calypso held Odysseus hostage for seven years, she kept him out of harm, and she allowed Athena to devise a plan to get Odysseus home to Ithaca. As can be seen, the goddesses Athena and Calypso used their supernatural abilities …show more content…
In particularly, Nausicaa’s account with Odysseus by the river provided much warmth to Odysseus after his long encounter with Poseidon at sea. Nausicaa agreed to help Odysseus, a complete stranger to her; she gave him a mantle and a tunic to wear, olive oil to bathe in the river with, and something to eat and drink (246-247; 220-221,255). Pedrick stated, “…Nausikaa has overstepped a subtle boundary and has take on a responsibility belonging to another—her mother” (5). It was not Nausicaa’s responsibility to provide Odysseus with a delightful environment, but she did anyway. Odysseus said to her, “I owe you my life” (268; 505). Odysseus was very tired, and he had lost his raft while being washed up on the shore. This encounter with Nausicaa made him regain hope to continue his voyage home. Arete is also a faithful hostess to Odysseus on his journey home. When Odysseus arrived at the palace of Alcinous, Arete’s husband, she ordered her maids “to place a bed on the porch and spread upon it beautiful purple blankets and fleecy cloaks” (257). Arete also bathed Odysseus and gave him treasures to take with him on his journey home to Ithaca (268; 474-478, 490-492). Similarly, Penelope was the most loyal hostess of them all. Penelope provided meals for all of the suitors in her house for twenty years until Odysseus returned home. This took a lot of exertion on Penelope’s part to
Judged by modern Western standards, the treatment of women by men in Homer's Odyssey can be characterized as sexist. Women in Homer's Odyssey are judged mainly by their looks. If important men and gods consider a woman beautiful, or if her son or husband is a hero or has an important position such as king, the woman is successful. The way women in The Odyssey are treated is based on appearance, the things men want from them, and whether the woman has any power over men. During Odysseus' journey to the underworld he sees many different types of women. We hear about their beauty, their important sons, or their affairs with gods. We hear nothing about these women's accomplishments in their lifetime. Odysseus tells how Antiope could "boast a god for a lover,"(193) as could Tyro and many other women. Epikaste was called "that prize"(195) her own son unwittingly married.
For the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined. This book, much more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Achean's peacetime civilization. Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman. Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative. Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks.
The Odyssey was written near the end of 8th century B.C. by Homer. Homer wrote this epic poem in the Greek coastal region of Anatolia called Ionia. This poem talks tells the famous story of Ulysses journey back home after the Trojan war. In the surface the poem gives an interesting story about Ulysses battle against monsters and Gods, but after analyzing the story in depth one can find important information about Greek society in this time period. The Odyssey has the theme of women as monsters tempting men away from home and also the theme that men actually settle in a different area rather than return home. Historically, we are able to see that women were the reasons that many sailors prefer to settle on an island away from
Nettie was wanted by Mister because she was beautiful, her father wanted to get rid of Celie because she was the ugly, spoiled one. Celie believes she is ugly until Shug forces her to face her beauty, her smile, and her strength but still the Mister wanted to get rid of her. The reason Shug can get away is through her voice, her talent, and her attractiveness. But in The Odyssey some women are known for the deeds of their sons or husbands, and never for a heroic deed of their own, their personalities, what they do themselves. The only accomplishment women could achieve was being beautiful. Penelope, Odysseus ' queen, is paid attention to only because of her position. Because she has a kingdom, she has suitors crowding around her day and night. Being a woman, Penelope has no control over what the suitors do and cannot get rid of them. The suitors want her wealth and her kingdom. They do not respect her enough to stop feeding on Odysseus ' wealth; they feel she owes them something because she won 't marry one of them. One of the suitors, tells Telemachus "...but you should know the suitors are not to blame- it is your own incomparably cunning mother "(Homer 21). Even Telemachus doesn 't respect his mother as he should. When the song of a minstrel makes her sad and Penelope requests him to stop playing, Telemachus interrupts and
One important characteristic that Penelope and Odysseus share is their loyalty to each other. Odysseus failed to return home seven years after the Trojan war. Because he is assumed dead, 108 wealthy noblemen and princes invade his palace and refuse to leave until Penelope has married one of them. By marrying her, the suitors hope to gain control over Odysseus’s wealth and power. However, Penelope remains faithful to Odysseus. But, as a woman, she is powerless to remove the suitors from the palace. And without a man in the household, she is subject to her father’s decisions. However, despite his wish for her to remarry, Penelope clings to the hope of Odysseus’s return and remains faithful to him. She waits and gathers information by asking strangers who arrive in Ithaca about Odysseus. She goes through the stories of their encounter point by point, and asks about every detail while tears stream down her eyes. Although the suitors promise her a secure future, Penelope continues to wait for Odysseus. Without Odysseus, she does not believe that she will ever be happy again.
“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view” (Ibsen). This saying also applied to the times of the Odyssey, an epic constructed by the blind, eight century B.C.E. poet, Homer. As one of the few representatives of ancient Greek social order, the blind, Homer witnessed women as substandard to men, regardless of their actions; many of them existed as seductresses, prostitutes, or slaves. He engraved into his poem women’s roles; the roles of women, as mothers, wives, seductresses, and goddesses are exemplified in this epic, when shown in comparison to the men of that era.
In the era of Homer, women played a very specific role in society, and even in literature. Women of this time were basically put in a box, and expected to never step out of line. If they did go against the arbitration of men, then they were faced with serious consequences. However, female characters play a huge role in both aiding, and delaying Odysseus’s journey home. I will proceed to analyze, and interpret the actions and intentions of every major female character in The Odyssey.
Though not the focus of epic poetry, the female characters of this ancient genre play a central role, as they have a great influence on the male heroes they encounter. In a genre which idealizes manliness and heroism—that is, acts of courage, strength, and cunning— women are set in opposition to these ideals and therefore less respected. At the same time, women who attempt to take on more “masculine” roles are vilified. Here, antagonist is defined as anyone in opposition to the hero’s goals. Female agency—their free will and ability to wield power—is directly related to their role in epic poetry; that is, the more agency a female character has, the more antagonistic of a role she plays. This agency is often enacted through sexuality or supernatural
Greek tragedy incorporates female characters that symbolize women in Ancient Greece. Through the portrayal of Antigone in the playwright, Antigone in Antigone by Sophocles and Penelope in the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, these two women play opposing roles depicting how they appear to society through their actions. In both of these stories, they embody the ideals of passionate women who are very loyal and brave. Through other female characters in each story such as Penelope and Ismene, we can construct a better view of traits illustrated by Antigone and Penelope.
... All of Odysseus' maidservants exist to first serve Odysseus, then later to serve Telemachus and the suitors. Circe and Calypso exist in the epic to satisfy Odysseus by pleasuring him sexually, pampering him, and treating him like a God. Helen and Arete serve their husbands as loyal wives.
Penelope is the most important female character in the epic because Odysseus ' homecoming is centered on reconnecting with her. Ten years has past and Odysseus has still not returned from the war and is seemingly dead. Many suitors desire to replace him, by taking Penelope 's hand in marriage and Odysseus ' property. While unsure of Penelope 's attitude towards these suitors, readers are constantly reminded of her faithfulness to Odysseus. Although Odysseus does not know whether Penelope remains faithful to him, he still yearns to come home. “The expectations and limitations of the male and female roles in the Odyssey are accepted and never questioned”. (Whittaker 40) Society expects women in Penelope’s position to remain devoted to their significant other even after all these years and not knowing whether or not he is alive but are more forgiving to men who commit adultery like Odysseus. This situation once again brings up the question of a double standard modeled in The
Eventually Odysseus is set free over the demands of Poseidon. You can also look at Calypso and see how this goddess, nymph, has power. This is shown as Odysseus is leaving and she asks him if he would want to be immortal in return for him staying with her forever. This shows that she has power, more than many women, and can grant anyone immortality. Homer also describes her as lucky, that she is beautiful, but you can tell that inside.
Women play an influential role in The Odyssey. Women appear throughout the story, as goddesses, wives, princesses, or servants. The nymph Calypso enslaves Odysseus for many years. Odysseus desires to reach home and his wife Penelope. It is the goddess Athena who sets the action of The Odyssey rolling; she also guides and orchestrates everything to Odysseus’ good. Women in The Odyssey are divided into two classes: seductresses and helpmeets. By doing so, Homer demonstrates that women have the power to either hinder of help men. Only one woman is able to successfully combine elements of both classes: Penelope. She serves as a role model of virtue and craftiness. All the other women are compared to and contrasted with Penelope.
... those phaeacians who have helped Odysseus to return home. And for Calypso, she tried to offer Odysseus the immortal life and promising him to be his eternal wife, but Odysseus’s love for his wife Penelope pushes him to fight for his return
Goddesses play important roles protectors and guardians of men and are demonstrated as being wise and knowledgeable in Homer’s Odyssey. Circe knows the directions to the underworld, and Eidothea, Proteus’ daughter knew where Odysseus was and was able to outmaneuver her father by telling men of how he will try to shift his shape and sh