Role of women in the odyssey. The Portrayal of Women in the Odyssey 2019-01-05

The Odyssey: The Role of Genders in The Odyssey

A very powerful woman is Arete. The first time this is shown is when Telemukus has to choose one of the suitors to be his mother. Athena, the goddess of wisdom,… 1721 Words 7 Pages For the Greeks, Homer's Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined. The Odyssey by Homer is said to have originated in oral tradition and only many years later been written down. While Telemachus is younger and his character perhaps not yet fully formed, it cannot be denied that he is of a fainter heart, and not a fearless warrior. Athena is a character who represents helpfulness.

The Role of Women in The Odyssey

The female characters now seem petty and unthoughtful. Following the prescribed role of a mother figure, Penelope mourns her lost love, seemingly oblivious at least at first, it seems to the attentions of the suitors. The nymph Calypso enslaves Odysseus for many years. One is a maternal instinct. Their roles have either been the crazy feminist or the obedient wife, with many other roles in mind.

Role of Women in The Odyssey

There have been those who have spent entire lifetimes working to break beyond the traditional concepts of women and power. Instead, women in the Odyssey are often described as either cunning, intelligent, sexually alluring, or powerful, dangerous and fatal. She does not see love past beauty and does not understand the kind of love that Odysseus and Penelope share. An old adage that pokes fun, yet is telling in its statement about how men view women. In Homer's Odyssey, Kirke, represents the catalyst who encourages Odysseus's transformation into a mature man. These examples speaks volumes about Homer's view regarding the inequalities between men and women in his epic. Women of this time were basically put in a box, and expected to never step out of line.

Women's role in essays

Usually, ancient Greek women were not educated, although in Athens, women were taught to read, at school or at home, simple facts on mythology, religion and occasionally musical instruments and as with most other places in ancient Greece, they learnt the basics of the household; spinning, weaving, sewing, cooking and other household jobs. Even in the modern era, women have just begun to receive their rights, many of which their male counterparts received long before. Homer uses this interplay to make the epic more interesting and develops an underlying theme of a battle of the sexes. A period of prosperity and upmost extravagance where the nobles rule, the peasants drool and men achieve greatness. Use our sample or order a custom written research paper from Paper Masters.

Role of Women in The Odyssey

While in the Odyssey they are more less equals. Finally, the good hostess and wife are portrayed by Penelope. Achilles, hero of the book The Iliad, is fighting in the Trojan War. And he has endured not simply because he is someone who is able to sweep away all adversaries by virtue of physical force, but because he is wise Odysseus, a man able to estimate what needs to be done, and improvise solutions. When passed in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote but surprisingly, some women didn't want the vote. As the reader gets to know Odysseus many sides of his character are exposed through the challenges he faces. Each of these portrays the role of women in a different way, some in complete contrast to the actual civilization of the period.

Women's role in essays

Helen provides a drug to help the men cope with their grief and forget. Odysseus was so infatuated with Circe that he remained on her island for a year, completely forgetting about going home until his men convinced him to leave. While on the other hand. Now return home; be wary, and say no word of me; nevertheless I would have you know that I am the Shaker of the Earth, Poseidon. Calypso and Circe are the evil and manipulative seductresses.

Role of Women in the Odyssey free essay sample

Sports were reserved purely for men, as were literature, politics and philosophy. 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. Such authors as Kate Chopin, Mary Wilkins Freeman, Marge Piercy, Edna St. As so the mortals are at the mercy of Gods. While, Ulysses may be the hero of the story who achieves his Kleos, but the real heroes are the once that go unnoticed.

The Narrow Role of Women The Odyssey by Homer

Based on these story lines it can be argued that loyalty is epic, and a loyal person should be considered the hero. She does not speak about the war at large, but the actions of Odysseus and his courage, and this is met with a positive response. Wollstonecraft responds during the 18th century political and educational people who did not believe that women need to have education. The need for war is something that must always be closely studied and analyzed, and going to war for the wrong reasons or without properly considering the consequences mainly the loss of life of both combatants and civilians is not heroic. Mothers need to look after, nurture, and protect their sons and husbands.