The Odyssey by Homer is an intriguing and timeless piece of literature designed to connect with a wide range of audiences. Although at first glance it seems to be a male dominated epic, it’s filled with important women that play a vital role in how the story unfolds. The different kinds of female characters help us to understand where women fit in the progressive Greek culture of Homer. These representations of female power in The Odyssey can be shown by the women known as the wise strategists, the ones with dangerous sexuality, and the dependable family pillars. One representation of female power in this poem is the Wise Strategist. An example of a character such as this is the goddess of wisdom, Athena. She is one of the most important
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An example of a character such as this is Circe, the witch-goddess of Aeaea. She uses her enticing home and false Xenia to lure in Odysseus’ men and turn them into pigs. After battling Circe, Odysseus becomes her lover for a year and she makes him forget his ultimate goal of returning home. Because the identity within homeland was so important in Greek culture, Circe is portrayed as being particularly dangerous because she uses her femininity to make him forget this. Another example of a character with dangerous sexuality is Calypso, the beautiful nymph of Ogygia who keeps Odysseus captive for seven years. Calypso seduces him and takes advantage of the fact that he is alone (all his crew has died) and has lost all hope. However, Odysseus is an “unwilling FIND QUOTE” , and like Circe, she prevents him from finding a way home. When he finally gets help from Hermes, Calypso tries to manipulate him by comparing herself to Penelope; “Calypso’s final a priori comparison between her own beauty and Penelope’s… is also judged as sound reasoning, based on the assumption that there is no room for a real contest between goddesses and mortals” (Pontani). However, Odysseus sees beyond beauty and power, which she fails to do. As a last resort, she tries to manipulate Odysseus by using both her seductive and godly powers to offer him immortality on a magical island with a beautiful woman, herself. However, her dangerous sexuality fails her and Odysseus is free to return home to a type of woman that he really
An example of a character such as this is Circe, the witch-goddess of Aeaea. She uses her enticing home and false Xenia to lure in Odysseus’ men and turn them into pigs. After battling Circe, Odysseus becomes her lover for a year and she makes him forget his ultimate goal of returning home. Because the identity within homeland was so important in Greek culture, Circe is portrayed as being particularly dangerous because she uses her femininity to make him forget this. Another example of a character with dangerous sexuality is Calypso, the beautiful nymph of Ogygia who keeps Odysseus captive for seven years. Calypso seduces him and takes advantage of the fact that he is alone (all his crew has died) and has lost all hope. However, Odysseus is an “unwilling FIND QUOTE” , and like Circe, she prevents him from finding a way home. When he finally gets help from Hermes, Calypso tries to manipulate him by comparing herself to Penelope; “Calypso’s final a priori comparison between her own beauty and Penelope’s… is also judged as sound reasoning, based on the assumption that there is no room for a real contest between goddesses and mortals” (Pontani). However, Odysseus sees beyond beauty and power, which she fails to do. As a last resort, she tries to manipulate Odysseus by using both her seductive and godly powers to offer him immortality on a magical island with a beautiful woman, herself. However, her dangerous sexuality fails her and Odysseus is free to return home to a type of woman that he really