Role of Penelope in The Odyssey Essay

Ever wonder what it’s like to meet yourself from someone else’s perspective? Everyone has a different way of seeing and describing one person. One can see this in how characters’ change over time through the works of different authors. A great example of this is Penelope from Greek mythology. Many different authors have examined the character of Penelope and presented her character in different ways. Originally from Homer’s Odyssey, Penelope has been perceived in many different ways, including the feministic perspective of Margret Atwood in The Penelopiad. Penelope as a character was not only perceived differently by Atwood, but as well as in the poetry of Dorothy Parker , Edwin Muir , and A. E. Stallings . Throughout the authors’ works Penelope’s…

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…

The role of women in society is an issue discussed throughout The Odyssey by Homer, the Bible, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft. These texts all illustrate different roles for women in society; however, there are some common ideas between the texts. Since these texts were written at different time periods, The Odyssey first, then the Bible, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman last, a contributing factor to the differences in the views on the role of women in…

In The Odyssey, the reader is exposed to the role of women in ancient greek society. The Odyssey would have been recited during a time when women were considered to be inferior to men. This is present in the poem; but, in The Odyssey women are given more substantial roles. The women of The Odyssey are complex characters; they are not always weak individuals that blend into the background, they are powerful and wise. The female characters also display certain traits that could not be shown by the…

Imagine being a woman during the time of The Odyssey. Think about how woman were treated by the men of that time period. Woman during that time were expected to accept the things men did and not have a voice in many decisions. Even though they didn’t have a large role in making decisions, women largely influenced men’s lives in many different ways. The role of women in The Odyssey was menial, but had a large impact in the epic poem. Penelope had a very brief role in the poem, but it influenced…

Throughout the Odyssey Odysseus’ plays the “godlike” hero which set the standards for values and traits of the Homeric Greek man. Using his cunning intellect and valiant heroism to finds his way home after many trials and tribulations. During his travel home Odysseus gains knowledge about other peoples culture and about different lands throughout Greece. He learns from his own suffering and the mistakes he had made. Odysseus started his journey as the King of Ithaca and the warrior of all…

Homer described the female characters in The Odyssey differently compare to other epic poems. Before, the society were dominant by male and female’s roles were basically limited to only childbirth and household duties. The idea of the woman cannot accomplish anything without the help of man is common. Female characters in The Odyssey is rather distinctive. Female characters in The Odyssey are strong, influential and smart. In The Odyssey, women has the qualities that cannot be found on men. Men…

Limited yet Influential Role of Women in the Odyssey Typically, women in ancient Greece were not able to be influential due to their role in society. This can be seen when Homer portrays his female characters in a traditionally feminine role that limits their involvement in the story. Despite this setback, many female characters have found a way to be vital to the development of the plot by being mothers, seductresses, and helpers. In Homer’s Odyssey, the role of women is limited and narrow yet…

ancient Greece and is still apparent now. This can especially be seen in Homer's The Odyssey, one of the earliest pieces of literature that is still widely read today. The epic poem barely includes any women to start with, most likely because women weren't recognized as important unless their husband or father was important, or if they were what was classified as "beautiful." In addition to this, the few women that are included are continuously treated differently from or inferior to men,…

Throughout history the image of women has greatly changed due to the influences of strong female leaders. Up until about 40 years ago, women did not have equal rights to men in the United States. Although some gender bias still exists today, for the most part the world views the United States to be a country free for all. In ancient times women were very far from equal to men. However, in The Odyssey Homer portrays women differently than other men in his time. Due to this new outlook, women play…