Treatment of Females in The Odyssey and Now

1072 Words3 Pages

Throughout the course of history, society had stereotyped women, making it merely impossible for a woman to achieve her goals and desires in life. This had weighed them not as equals, and for this, they were given different standards by which to live. At this day and age, and during the ancient Greek times, women have always been treated as second best by biased men, although today’s society has started to understand this inequality better as time progresses further into the future. Even with society becoming more equal for women, females are still treated similar as to time of the ancient Greeks. Women still don’t have as much power as men, are still “blamed” for wrong doings and thought as untrustworthy, and are still used as “currency” or are taken advantage off.

Across the globe, women are starting to gain more political power and are able to have other jobs and rights, but this was only achieved recently, as women have always been second best. To start with, women were technically considered “slaves” or just above the standards of a slave. The main purpose of a woman was to cook, clean, raise a family, and to have sex or sometimes be raped, to please a mans needs. In Greece, they were seen as an object or property of a man, and were not given full rights, and in America, women were just given “all” rights not even fifty years ago. Plus, for women in power today or those who want to be, it’s still challenging to have the people vote for them, as people think that it’s different from the norm to vote for a female than a male. During the 2008 presidential election, Hillary Clinton ran against Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination, and it seemed that the country was more ready for the possibility of a bla...

... middle of paper ...

... this unspeakable thing, act as though they were the gods, and know that they could get away with everything. Men have seen women as slaves or property, and once you got one, they owned it in their eyes. The act of women using their bodies as currency hasn't changed, or the view to men that they are just property.

As modern society has begun to create complete equality between gender and race, women were still seen as second best, below their fellow man. As women of today, like the females of ancient times, still don’t have as much power as men, they’re blamed for wrong doings and untrustworthy, and their bodies are used as currency by men or are taken advantage off. Hopefully as the future progresses, these issues will be resolved and won’t continue for generations to come.

Works Cited

Homer, Robert Fagles (Translator), The Odyssey. Deckle Edge, 1997

Show More
Related

  • Treatment of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • What Is The Role Of Women In Herodotus

    1170 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Ancient Greece, women had little to no freedom in their lives. For instance, they had no role in politics, leaving that completely to men, were expected to stay indoors for the majority of their lives doing household work because they were under the control of a male relative, usually being their father or husband, and they were not allowed to study medicine. These standards were set by great writers such as Aristotle who wrote of women being inferior to men. He believed women were more emotional, which is why they would be useless in politics, and they were more deceptive and mischievous. Because only men were doctors, many women were dying during childbirth due to the fact that they felt uncomfortable about having a man handle their pregnancy.

    Read More

  • Double Standards In The Odyssey

    1887 Words  | 4 Pages

    Odysseus plans to tiptoe back into his hall through various schemes, one of which is to become beneficial and amiable to the maidservants. With this motivation, he offers to guard the hearth so that the fire won’t dwindle, but the response he receives is more than unwelcoming. Melantho, a beneficiary of Penelope, spurns him saying:

    Read More

  • The Astounding Alteration of Feminist Role in Homer’s The Odyssey

    1297 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history, gender discrimination has taken away countless lives of women, lowering the overall social status of women in society. For example, Salem witch trials, a series of unreasonably prosecution of women accused of witchcraft, in Massachusetts are an ancient example of gender discrimination towards women. The Odyssey by Homer exemplifies a modern vision of breaking free from the obsolete cultural expectations of the Greek society as well as the world, seeking for gender equality and demanding for a more egalitarian society. Despite the restrictions on the role of female in a typical patriarchal Greek society, Homer innovatively breaks the barrier that persistently favors males over females, which results in a unique influence on his male characters as well as a strong female attitude behind each line of the epic poem. This feminist aberration from traditional Greek values is portrayed through the intelligence of Penelope, the tenacious assistance of Athena for Odysseus in spite of Poseidon’s antagonism, and the imprisonment of Odysseus by Calypso.

    Read More

  • Role of Women in the Odyssey

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Country's Equal Opportunity

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, women have been treated as inferiors by men. Due the supposedly weak anatomy their body, they have always been seen as weak and fragile, a description that can’t be farther from the true. Women have been proven to withstand a large amount of pain and have a stronger emotional stability. Just like racism, gender deferment has been less with the progression of time but it’s still a factor that is present in the everyday life of modern society. We can see this in the fields of work like science where it is rare to find a women scientist and how the technological world is mostly ruled by powerful male figures. Women have been oppressed since the beginning of time and have fought for their rights bravely and consistently, women went from not even being able to speak their own thoughts unless their husbands said so and being an incubator for male heirs to being inspirations to many people and fighting for what it’s right. We, as a society, have progressed in that way through the ages, even though, some women are still being oppressed daily on various parts of the world, it is something that we must overcome and we will, because this world is a better place with more smart, educated and outgoing

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In The Odyssey

    1018 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Relationship of Jesus with Women in the Bible

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout history and even today women are regarded as inconsequential. They are chattels or servants, a person without rights. In some present instances, women are struggling to show that they do have rights and can make a contribution to society if given the chance.

    Read More

  • Treatment Of Women In Ancient Greece Essay

    1762 Words  | 4 Pages

    When thinking of ancient Greece, images of revolutionary contrapposto sculpture, ornate lecture halls, and great philosophers in togas are sure to come to mind. As the birthplace of democracy and western philosophy, ancient Greece has had an inordinate influence on the progression of the modern world. However, the ancient Greeks’ treatment of women is seemingly at direct odds with their progressive and idealistic society.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Sexism In The Odyssey

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In The Odyssey Essay

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    Odysseus ' principles and characteristics are a prototype of an ideal Homeric Greek leader. Odysseus is noble, clever and loyal. Through his distress and blunders, he gains knowledge that was not only crucial for his survival but for his companions too. Odysseus’s cleverness constantly allowed him to avoid death because he relied on trickery, rhetoric and disguise. “The society depicted in The Odyssey is one where male values were dominant and where all socially relevant transactions took place between the male members of the community”. (Whittaker 39) While males’ dominance takes the forefront in society, their principles are continuously being challenged by the allurement of women. In The Odyssey, many instances of such seduction reveals

    Read More

  • The Role Of Disrespected Women In Homer's 'Odyssey'

    1526 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although Jason and Heracles both accomplished amazing feats, the way they treated women would make them the worst heroes in Greece because they besmirched the sanctity of marriage and disrespected women. Jason abandoned Medea, who loved him and sacrificed many things for his success, and Heracles was unfaithful and defiled many women in Greece, using them for his own pleasure. Although Odysseus had an affair with two other women, he can still be considered the best hero as he treated women with respect and relentlessly attempted to return home to his wife in Ithaca. As he was tempted by two beautiful and powerful women, he is considered to be the most loyal out of all the

    Read More

  • Treatment Of Women In The Odyssey Essay

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Theme of Women in The Odyssey by Homer In the Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, there are many themes that serve to make a comment about the meanings of the story. The theme of women in the poem serves to make these comments but also establishes a point of view on women in the reader. From this point of view, a perspective is developed into the "best" and "worst" in women. Achievement of this is through the characterization of many women with single notable evil qualities.

    Read More

  • Objectifying Women In The Iliad

    1643 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women have been treated as less then men since the beginning of civilization. Men were the providers, and women have always been their prizes. This is demonstrated repeatedly throughout history, but is particularly noticeable in the Iliad. The few times that the narration mentions women, it is to report them as a mans prize for something, thus depicting them as objects to be used at the mercy of men. This phenomenon of subjugating and objectifying women continues to haunt society today by placing women into inferior and sometimes demeaning roles. While women have gained some autonomy through feminist movements, society continues to show a resemblance to the past.

    Read More

  • I'm Just a Girl

    1700 Words  | 4 Pages

    Being a female and all it entails has not altered much since the beginning of time. Today, in the 21st century, we may be able to vote, hold property, and work, but the view on what it should mean to be a female has changed little. Women are expected to be thin, but still have curves, with long hair, makeup, and clothing that reveal their over-sexualized bodies. Women are also expected to be pure, to not flaunt their sexuality in society, but also not be a prude. If women do not conform to these specific requirements, set by society, then they are not respected nor are they considered to be an object of desire. All of these standards are set by men, as society is still highly patriarchal, despite the “progress” women have made. Even as children, the ideal woman is forced into our minds, with Disney princesses always looking perfect, and of course, their destiny is only achieved when they are rescued by a man, who they dutifully marry and live happily ever after with.

    Read More

More about Treatment of Females in The Odyssey and Now

Open Document