Comparing Men And Women In Homer's The Odyssey

An epic poem about a man of twists and turns, Odysseus, the greatest hero in Ithaca who is known for his muscle and bravery. His son, Telemachus, a curious boy wanting to find his father, starts his journey across the seas of Greece. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the reader can believe two sides of the poem, realistic or nonrealistic. In Ithaca, where Telemachus lives, there are gender roles. Comparing men and women in situations can be very different on what they are, such as; viewing people for their sex and talking to them differently basing them on their sex. Viewing people differently for their sex is disrespectful. A woman can do just as much as a man can. Many think that women are delicate like a glass slipper, so they cannot do the things men can do. For example, if Telemachus were a girl, then the poem would change …show more content…
Telemachus already gets teased for his shyness. Specific plots in the poem would change if he were a girl. Such as how the suitors want to marry his mother, Penelope. If Telemachus were a girl the suitors would not listen to her because they would think she is not powerful and demanding. Infact, the suitors might even want to marry Telemachus, who is young, instead of her mother, who is elder. When Athena, Zeus’s daughter, disguises herself to talk to Telemachus so he does not recognize her as a goddess, she has to disguise herself as Mentor, one of Odysseus good friends. She thinks it will be easier to communicate man to man rather than man to woman. Another specific example from the poem is when Telemachus is going to set sail on his journey. Most of the men thought he would drown before he even set foot on the ship. The