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The characterization of women in the Odyssey
How were women portrayed in greek mythology
How are the women portrayed in the odyssey
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In the epic The Odyssey the women play a major role, every woman in the play is not only portrayed as beautiful and intelligent, but also cunning and deceptive. There is so much more to each woman than what you can just see from the outside. Homer shows the audience how women are powerful, in their own tricky way.
The women in the epic are not always the innocent ones. Homer shows us how there are two sides to the story. The play portrays men as being swines, no matter if they are gods or mortal. However Homer also shows us how women can be evil and tricky themselves. “I tell you this-bear in mind, you must-when you reach your homeland steer your ship into port in secret, never out in the open . . . the time for trusting women is gone forever!” pg. 264 line. 512-518 This quote is repeated throughout the epic by Agamemnon. In the epic Clytemnestra had been having an affair while her husband, Agamemnon, was away at war. When he returned Clytemnestra helped her lover figure out a way to kill him. She was the one who had took advantage of him and tricked him.
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They add a whole new element to the story. In the epic Calypso has held Odysseus captive on her island. Odysseus had been so miserable and had pined for his home and family every single day he had to stay on the island. “Now he is left to pine on an island with grief in the nymph Calypso’s house-she holds him there by force.” pg. 153 line. 14-16 Calypso uses her power to keep Odysseus. She had not tricked him, but she had kept him against his
The women were generally less defined than the men, but that is due to the fact that none of the women could be considered main characters, except perhaps Penelope. The woman all served a point, and were there to add to the plot or to compliment another character, like Penelope and Odysseus’s connection. Homer wrote women to help the plot along, but not be a major point or character themselves. The women are very important to the Odyssey, and the poem would not of been able to read the way it did if the women played no role. The poem illustrates women as important people, but only for the sake of a man. Homer wrote according to the greeks pyramid of social standing, where women were lower than men, but he still allowed women greater roles, and even gave them important tasks to fulfill, like Penelope and her suitors, or Helen and her elopement with Prince
The Greek interpretation of what makes a man “civilized” and what makes him “savage” is a recurring theme throughout the ancient epics, battle narratives, and dramas, including Aeschylus’ Agamemnon. In this first installment of The Oresteia, the chorus of Argive elders expresses keen outrage at the killing of Agamemnon, which suggests that they equate savagery with the madness they see in Clytemnestra: “just as your mind is maddened by the bloody deed, the blood-fleck in your eyes is clear to see” (1426-1427). In many places throughout the play, however, Clytemnestra proves that she does not fit the description of savage that is defined in Homer’s literature, for example and instead gives evidence that she is a very complex, rational woman. The chorus ignores the many admirable qualities of their queen —her skill at running the estate and her compassion for those who have suffered, among other things— simply because she is a woman. These qualities may not entirely excuse Clytemnestra from taking a life, but they combine to form a more noble picture of the queen than the chorus chooses to portray. Clytemnestra has relatable motives and displays empathy and respect for many different people, including the husband who she just killed, which sets her apart from the classical Greek definition of a savage —a designation forced on Clytemnestra by the chorus, but not necessarily to be believed.
...e. Odysseus’ experience with Calypso reflects his strength and diligence, though he cries all day everyday. How ironic. Calypso seems to represent womanly jealousy. She knows he has a wife waiting in Ithaka for him, yet she continues to retain him for her own selfish happiness. She seems to be a little unsure if she is greater in beauty than Penelope when she assures Odysseus that she exceeds Penelope by far in that area. It seems that she knew what his reply would be and merely wanted to hear it from his mouth. Typical.
The women presented throughout The Odyssey provide a respectable representation of women in ancient Greece in general. There are several women introduced in The Odyssey, all of various backgrounds and social classes. The most notable women or type of women in this epic include goddesses, Penelope, and the housemaids and servants.
Homer's great epic, "The Odyssey" was written several thousands of years ago, a time in human history when men played the dominant role in society. The entire structure of civilization was organized and controlled by men; It was an accepted fact that women held an inferior position in society. Society was constructed as if women were around only to serve the men. The involvement of women in any circumstance was almost completely dominated by what the men allowed. The women were valued in society, only they were not given important roles or any decision making power. It is as if they held no power in the ancient Greek society. This is why Homer's Odyssey is very unique, Homer put women into roles that were previously unheard of for women to possess. Unlike in The Iliad, where women served merely as an object to men; female characters of Odyssey are distinctive because they possess personality, and have intricate relationships with the male characters of the Odyssey. By characterizing the women in "The Odyssey", a reader may come to some conclusions about the role of women in this epic. Along with the belief that women played a secondary role to men in society, the female characters displayed certain traits that could not be exhibited by the men. Athena demonstrated the most intelligence and valor out of all the characters in "The Odyssey." The male characters play the most significant roles in this epic, but without the support of the females in "The Odyssey", Odysseus would not have made it through his journey.
Circe and Calypso both manage to delay Odysseus for quite some time despite Odysseus eagerness to return home. They both are seductive in their ways and appear as temptresses throughout the epic. Circe is such an excellent lover that Odysseus stays on her island for a year, and even then is convinced only by his men to finally leave. Calypso also holds on to Odysseus for ten years despite his willingness to return back to Ithaca. These two immortals show the power that women exert over men in this book, Odysseus successfully evades and destroys all other distractions and monsters during his journey but falls victim in the presence of women. The Sirens also display man’s weakness, although they are unable to destroy man they definitely hold a powerful seductive supremacy over men. “INSERT QUOTE HERE.” Athena wants Odysseus to return home to Ithaca and Poseidon on account of Odysseus blinding his son, does not. When these two immortals are put to the test against each other, Athena prevails as Odysseus does manage to reach home eventually. However, women’s subservient role in society is still prominent in many ways. When Calypso is visited by Hermes it shows how powerless women are in society, “o
However, his journey isn’t over yet. This last leg of Odysseus’s journey is perhaps the most important and crucial. Odysseus’s nurse and maidservant, Eurycleia is the first woman in Ithaca to know that Odysseus is back after she recognizes the scar on his leg while she is washing him. Eurycleia vows to keep his identity a secret. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope has stayed faithful to Odysseus for all the years that he was gone. Penelope was consistently unweaving her web to the delay the suitors. The reader even grows sympathetic for Penelope as “we see her struggle to make the virtuous choice about her marriage, despite pressures from her suitors, her son’s endangered situation, and her own uncertainty about Odysseus’s survival” (Foley ). Finally, Odysseus reveals his identity and Penelope is bewildered, but quickly embraces her husband after he tells her the secret of their immovable bed. It is the faithfulness of Penelope and nurse Eurycleia that insures Odysseus’s survival to the very end.
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.
By examining the women of The Odyssey one comes to one conclusion about women in Homer's epic. Homer's male characters in The Odyssey consistently treated women differently and unequally throughout The Odyssey. Concurrent with the time's belief that women held a subservient position in society to men, the male characters in The Odyssey often expected certain traits and actions that they didn't expect from men. Also all the societies and lands Odysseus visited that were inhabited by mortals were dominated by men.
Sexism has occurred throughout history and has impacted women significantly.The Odyssey follows the narrative of a man and looks at love from the perspective of a man. The famed poem was written by an ancient greek man and until recently, has always been translated by a man. For these reasons, The Odyssey provides a great example of how love, women, and marriage have been perceived by society, especially men, in the past. By examining the sexist undertones and the perception of women and love from the men in the epic and comparing those to criticisms made today we can truly understand how far we have come as a society.
This is shown as Odysseus is leaving and she asks him if he would want to be
Throughout the ten years of The Odyssey, Odysseus was determined to come home to his wife and son in Ithaca. During this journey he met two beautiful women, Calypso and Circe. Odysseus was forced to stay with Calypso, and was seduced by Circe. Both the nymph and sorceress were depicted as beautiful in Homer’s The Odyssey. However Odysseus chose to stay with his wife and take the difficult journey back to Ithaca. This illustrated his devotion for Penelope. Another primary evidence that supports how he loved his wife was that Calypso offered him immortality in exchange for his company. Odysseus chose to live a mortal life with a mere human over an eternal life with a beautiful nymph. Although Odysseus had an affair with Calypso, it can be understood that he was forced to do so, as the nymph would not allow his leave. Even during the seven years in Ogygia, Odysseus relentlessly searched for a way to escape in order to be reunited with his wife. Penelope also proved her faith to Odysseus, as she delayed her suitors advances back in Ithaca. The characteristic which makes Odysseus the most respectful and loving hero is his loyalty to his wife Penelope. His love for his human wife transcends the temptations of an alluring sorceress and a beautiful
Calypso has kept Odysseus as her prisoner for 7 years now, most which he was not entirely unwilling to be held captive. She warned Odysseus
The women in The Odyssey are a fair representation of women in ancient Greek culture. In his work, Homer brings forth women of different prestige. First there are the goddesses, then Penelope, and lastly the servant girls. Each of the three factions forms an important part of The Odyssey and helps us look into what women were like in ancient Greece.
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.