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How gender is portrayed in The Odyssey
Women in ancient literature
Women's role in greek literature
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Recommended: How gender is portrayed in The Odyssey
Calypso and Circe, Important Women of Homer's Odyssey
Of all the themes in the Odyssey, the one that seems to stand out is Odysseus's struggle to return home. There are many reasons why his journey is deterred, the most obvious being the women he encounters. Of the women, their are two that truly represent "the different aspects of creative and destructive feminiinty." (Taylor, 571)
Calypso is a woman who carries the "true appeal" of a woman, beauty. She offers Odysseus eternal life, and an end to physical suffering. With her, he will be able to keep his identity as a man and enjoy the different pleasures she can offer. She seems like the most tempting offer for Odysseus besides his wife, but he denies her offer. "Odysseus refuses Calypso's offer of bodily immortality for the same reasons that he resists bodily death: in neither case could be preserve his whole being as Odysseus." (Taylor, 571)
I found his refusal to be quite commendable, though his excuse was not.
Circe's charms are also directed towards the same place, but not as blatently as Calypso's. She drugs Odysseus's men to make them forget their homes and then she turns them into pigs. Taylor describes this sequence of events as "significant because it represents the metamorphosis as a collary of forgetting one's native land. The transformation of man to animal is a vivid image of the lessening of human consciousness which forgetting one's origings implies." (Taylor, 572) He also states that the story suggests that "men who let themselves be drugged into a lower level of awareness by the destructive power of the enchantress, become no more than animals to be kept as the woman's pet." (Taylor, 572)
I found this quote to be quite interesting. It made me think of how this could relate to our own societies "fallen men" and also women. Many people today consume alcohol or recreational drugs and let it control their actions, even though if they were sober, they would not be behaving this way. Our society today is weak, just like in the story, to different "potions" that can affect their mental capacity to think straight.
(12.196) Without Circe’s warning, he would have been drawn into the song and perished. The food of the Lotus-eaters, like the song of the Sirens, causes those who eat it to forget everything they know. Those who ate the fruit had to be bound to the ship, like Odysseus must be tied to the mast in order to bypass the Sirens .... ... middle of paper ...
The problem of evil is a difficult objection to contend with for theists. Indeed, major crises of faith can occur after observing or experiencing the wide variety and depths of suffering in the world. It also stands that these “evils” of suffering call into question the existence of an omnibenevolent and omnipotent God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The “greater good defense” tries to account for some of the issues presented, but still has flaws of its own.
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
Although Homer’s The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus’s heroic quest to return to Ithaca, the women in it play an equal, if not more important role. The saying “behind every great man is an even greater woman” rings true throughout The Odyssey. In Ancient Greek culture, one’s glory is based off of the geras they acquire; for men that glory included women. In Penelope, Odysseus found the perfect match, both intellectually and hospitably; she is clever, cunning and faithful. Penelope, along with other mortal and immortal women such as Athena, challenge the view of women during this time because Homer presented Penelope as a strong woman rather than the submissive character she is expected to be.
These two female characters are especially enticing to Odysseus because they are goddesses. Though it is evident that Odysseus longs to return to Penelope in Ithaca, it sometimes appears that he has lost vision of what life was like with a wife, a son, and with thousands of people who regard him as King. Although his experiences on the islands of these goddesses were similar in that he was retained from Ithaca for the longest periods of his adventure, these goddesses and the ways that Odysseus reacts to his experiences with them represent two very different aspects of Odysseus' life and disposition in life. When Odysseus and his men arrive on Circe's island, they are still in fairly good shape. In Book X, lines 194-196, Odysseus says: "I climbed to a rocky place of observation and looked at the island, and the endless sea lies all in a circle around it." I believe this illuminates a very important aspect in Circe's tendencies. She doesn't seem to want to cause any real harm to the men, but wishes to encircle these men with her food, wine, and lust. She seems to be obsessed with lust and material possessions, and it is my belief th...
The great epic, Homer's Odyssey, is a tale of an adventure; a journey through the mind body and soul. Odysseus was strong throughout his voyage and was able to conquer his obstacles thanks to the help from the Goddess Athena. Athena provided physical and emotional support for this man, to get him on his way home to Ithaka. She also provided this same support for Odysseus' son, Telemakhos. Without her involvement, "The Odyssey" would not have turned out the way it did; because she plays such a crucial role in the story. It is understood that Odysseus is the primary character in this epic; concerning his fears and eventually returning to his home, Ithaka. The only reason this was possible is because he had the help of the clever and intelligent Goddess, Athena.
Homer's Odyssey is a story of the homecoming of Odysseus after the Trojan War. Odysseus left his wife, Penelope, and their young son, Telemachos, almost twenty years before the telling of this story to fight in the Trojan War. His absence places Penelope in a rather precarious position. Faced with many different circumstances, both good and bad, Penelope is on her own to decide the path she wishes to take. Depending on her decisions, the situations could either be filled with wonderful opportunities or perilous dangers. The strong character of Penelope is revealed by her decisions.
In the era of Homer, women played a very specific role in society, and even in literature. Women of this time were basically put in a box, and expected to never step out of line. If they did go against the arbitration of men, then they were faced with serious consequences. However, female characters play a huge role in both aiding, and delaying Odysseus’s journey home. I will proceed to analyze, and interpret the actions and intentions of every major female character in The Odyssey.
In Homer’s Odyssey Odysseus shows his yearning for adventure and that challenging himself brings him happiness through his actions not his thoughts. Even in the clutches of a raging cyclopes Odysseus’ accepts the challenge at hand and persevere through the loss of some of his men. “My name is Nohbdy,” he tells Polyphemus who is drunk from the liquor Odysseus had given him before. The giant “reeled and tumbled backward,”. He son fell asleep and the next stages of his plan fell into place. When the sharpened log was hot enough for his liking he and a few other men “bored that great eye socket,”(380). Instead of letting his men die while he cracked under the pressure Odysseus remained calm and allowed himself to think. Having achieved his goal of defeating the mighty cyclopes he rejoiced in his valiancy. Odysseus exuded happiness when most of his men got out alive. Odysseus’ habits of getting his men into seemingly inescapable predicaments continues on the island of Cersei. At the gate of the witch’s island his need for adventure takes the best of his judgement. Against the advice of Eurylochus Odysseus “rushes to save his men from the enchantress,” (387). Odysseus’ need for thrill and excitement draws him onto the island. He knows that he will suffer the same fate but makes a decision in the heat of the moment that could've made him unable to return home, but he wasn’t thinking of home, he purely wanted to get his men back. Throughout his journey Odysseus perfectly represents the bond between a man’s adventures and the challenges they bring to
...Five percent of Americans who are in a marriage or a committed relationship say they met their significant other online” (2). The reality of how relationships are started is through the traditional methods of meeting people offline. People like to meet others through introductions and referrals because it provides a sense of security. Due to the direction that society is headed, we are seeing more and more technological advances. These new advances are giving people the freedom to meet and integrate with others in the society in a safe fashion. However, we know that technology is not one-hundred percent safe proof. Because technology is not completely safe and is not always accurate individuals must use common sense to determine when a situation is not being used properly. Online dating sites through the technological advances are getting lots of recognition.
The women in The Odyssey are a fair representation of women in ancient Greek culture. In his work, Homer brings forth women of different prestige. First there are the goddesses, then Penelope, and lastly the servant girls. Each of the three factions forms an important part of The Odyssey and helps us look into what women were like in ancient Greece.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
Victoria agreed with the theme of the Odyssey having to do with loving one another and being loyal too. “The Odyssey takes itself less seriously than other epics; it is a great deal more fun, but also has a great deal more heart. It is a moral poem; it teaches us about civilization and human nature, how to live together in respect and harmony, how important are the virtues of love, home and family, and ultimately how happiness is a greater goal than any amount of fame and fortune; lessons that have not lost their relevance today”(BookDrum, victoriahooper). This quote shows that the odyssey is more than just a journey and Odysseus taking an adventure and trying to make his way home; it’s about during this adventure what his loved ...
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
Internet using has increased rapidly since (Fox, Anderson, and Rainie, 2005; Morales, 2009). According to current population survey data, 37% of U.S. households had at least one computer in 1997; by 2003, this number was 62%. Over the same time period, households with Internet access increased from 18% to 55% (Day, Janus, and Davis, 2005). Technology provides people a stage to meet with each other. There are lots of social networks, for example, Facebook, twitter, and Instagram. In addition, there are lots of certified websites for people to find the suitable daters. People can scan other’s information directly online and that is easier for them to make choice. Once people join a dating website, you can create your own profile before you start contacting with potential matches, and that is convenient because you don’t need to introduce your basic information when you chat with each daters. Most websites allow people to set up with individual information where he or she can find your personal interest, personality, body type, work, and physical attributes. In addition, the dating website provide a chance to include your personal photo in your profile. Before a few decades, people didn’t have lots of advanced technology. Therefore, it’s hard for them to have huge variety of potential matches. People should have face-to-face dating with each dater, and that would make them feel stress and pressure. Lots of women feel