Another example of a temptress woman is Calypso, a woman whom Odysseus was portrayed as a prisoner for seven years and pleas with him to stay with her if she were to make him immortal. This would be until the all-powerful Zeus would send a messenger to have Calypso release him to go home “Go tell that ringleted nymph it is my will to let that patient man Odysseus go home” (page 385). This example shows the power a woman has with her seductiveness to hold a man for seven years and also displays where a woman falls in this portrayed hierarchy when Zeus (a male God) demands the return and she must comply. There are many other women Homer brings into the tale of “Odyssey”, but the most powerful and constant one is Penelope (Odysseus wife). Penelope plays two roles, both a temptress to her suitors and a faithful wife to her husband regardless of his many infidelities (two set of rules for men and women).…
In this chapter, Foley describes the ideas that other ancient Greek has about woman and how wrong those ideas were. He continues explaining that back in ancient Greek, people used to believe that men will always be superior to woman, and that the only role the woman had to fulfill was to take care of the men. Now he contrast those ideas with the role of women in The Odyssey; a clear example he gives is Circe and Calypso. Both of those goddess manage to control Odysseus while he was in their land. Odysseus was attracted by a unique virtue that only woman can have, beauty; it did not matter how strong or how smart Odysseus was, at the end he was captivated by the glorious looking those goddesses had.…
In the Odyssey women are normally seemed to be not as strong and hold significantly less power than their male counterparts. In essence it is historically proven that the males are the controllers and the females are in contrast, the controlled but one cannot simply forget that women are known to have exponential influences on the men around them. With that being said female sexuality seems to be dangerous and even fearful toward men which is why I feel like this is why Homer uses this “talent” that women have with their sexuality and multiples it within the story of the Odyssey in which he turns these influential powers and characteristics into goddesses. One can argue that men have this fear inside of them that they cannot control and this…
The remarkable and incredibly famous Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald contains a wide variety of characters and portrayals of these characters. Throughout the story, the reader is constantly meeting various figures who are represented in contrasting ways. Although the book is dominated by male characters and was written in a time when men were considered the superior gender, the poem does possess a group of female characters varying vastly in portrayals and reputations. Although some female characters are represented positively as clever, helpful and independant, some others are seen negatively as manipulative and foolish, and an overall problem for the male characters. Some females are seen only for…
Telemachos decides that she should not be present in the bow and arrow competition, that only men should be allowed to handle those types of events. He defines the fact that he is in charge of the belongings of the house and the house is yet under his power but not his and Penelope’s unified power. As he claims to be categorized with the men he wants to certainly play the role of one which would include demands and receiving obedience from a woman. The repetition of Telemachos’ statements, sending Penelope off to her bedroom shows him holding power. Penelope’s bedroom symbolically represents her emptiness and since there is nothing for her in the bedroom it shows that Telemachos is taking away her power as he holds his steady.…
Females who allow men to control them are regarded with higher esteem than those who transgress the beliefs of men. At a glance it may appear that women are inferior to men; however, with deeper analysis it becomes evident that the women in the Odyssey wield subtle powers that are often overlooked. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, is overwhelmed by suitors for most of the poem, but she proves her craftiness by keeping a possible marriage at bay.…
Homer’s description of women in the Odyssey reveals the Greek’s notion of fear in women’s beauty and of the prevailing power of men over women. Throughout the plot female characters, namely Penelope, Circe, and the Sirens, are portrayed as dangers that men overcome and devices that emphasize men’s strength. In the Odyssey, beautiful women bring danger to men with their seductive powers. The Sirens, with their alluring voices, try to lure Odysseus and his men away from their journey (190) and toward their deaths.…
Throughout The Odyssey, Homer enlightens us in the tribulations Odysseus faces as he fights to return home to his loving wife and son. He uses his mind and cunning abilities to outwit the creatures he encounters along the way. As we follow his travels, he faces many different types of women. Including Athena-the protector, Penelope-the loving wife, and Calypso-the devastatingly beautiful goddess-nymph.. These women are all so different, yet all so alike as well.…
Furthermore, Athena also provides Odysseus with tremendous support throughout his voyage. You can see during the war in troy, he was with Clypso, and only her asking her father to send Hermes to deliver him and then when Odysseus landed in the island of the Phaecians; Athena makes him look attractive, this way Nausicaa, a Phaeacian princess, would love him and be willing to help him back home. Athena also disguises herself so many times to assist Odysseus. For example, in Book 7, Athena disguises herself as a young girl, and helps Odysseys find the Phaeacians palace. Here you'll find our princess dear to the gods....…
If his wife had pulled that, she probably would not be alive. Odysseus’s actions are hypocritical because Penelope herself represents the idea of “home.” Throughout his grand journey, the only goal is to return home, which is presented as the whole city and house and wife and son. Penelope is really the only important guiding factor to Odysseus—even while cheating with Circe he speaks of his love for his wife. The journey traveled in The Odyssey is both physical and mental, somehow strengthening the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope.…
One of the most talked about social problems is gender inequality. This is a problem that has had a negative impact on women all around the world. Many people think this is a relatively new problem that has only been around for a few hundred years. But gender inequality has been around for thousands of years, even as far back as the ancient Greeks. In the Odyssey, gender inequality is expressed when Calypso is forced to allow Odysseus to leave her island by Zeus.…
The women in Homer’s Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles, deceive the men, in order to do what is right. Penelope and Athena contrast each other by displaying different portrayals of femininity. Penelope’s portrayal of femininity is old and outdated; a femininity in which a woman is loyal and submissive to a masculine figure. She is the perfect wife who is pushed to do everything her husband tells her. Penelope wants to live her life with her love and without any other purpose.…
In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus has several interactions with women on his journey back to Ithaca. No two women have the same exchange with Odysseus, but they all demonstrate different variations of the masculine-feminine relationship. Instead of the traditional masculine-feminine relationship, some women give Odysseus help instead, some don’t rely on depend on him entirely, but some however, swoon for him and give him her aid because of it. There is a strong masculine-feminine balance in the Odyssey, where the women are able to survive without depending on a man. The women all show individual versions of strength and all have contrasting relationships with Odysseus throughout his journey.…
The Odyssey, one of Homer’s renowned works, was composed in about the 8th century BCE. It has been told and read for generations, and it has also served as a foundation for many other stories. However, it can often brush aside the idea of feminism and put men on a pedestal, leaving modern readers questioning how the role of women 2,800 years ago bittersweetly relates to the role of women in 2018. Although The Odyssey portrays a few examples of female strength, The Odyssey generally downgrades women by demonizing them and making excuses for male behavior.…
The female characters in the Odyssey is very different from traditional view of women in ancient times. The works of Homer – Odyssey described the role of women in the Dark Age, it is a time where woman held an inferior position in compare to man and their role are basically limited to only childbirth and household duties. The Dark Age society portray woman as man’s servants and the idea of woman cannot accomplish anything without the help of man is common. But in the Odyssey, female character is rather distinctive. Female characters in the Odyssey are strong, influential and smart.…