Women are dutiful and demure individuals, but when otherwise presented as not are then seen as malicious and villainous characters. The ideal woman contains only positive characteristics and, most of the time, are demure or strive to help the male counterpart, but most women contain some negative attributes and those filled with more negative attributes than normal are automatically assumed as being malevolent. More often this type of thinking is seen in older eras where women are more pressured to obtain a certain cliched persona; for example, in Ancient Greece women did not have rights and were seen second to their husbands and if a women displayed any confident characteristics and did not bow to men were then seen as malicious and negative …show more content…
For example, the seductresses in The Odyssey are the Sirens, compelling creatures that use their voice to lure men into their trap, who lured Odysseus, a warrior trying to get home from the end of a war to his wife and child, by using the “song of the sirens [that transfixed Odysseus]” while they were by “heaps of corpses rotting away” (Homer 272, 273). To explain, Homer includes the detail of the Sirens laying on dead corpses to show that Sirens are evil female creatures that lure innocent, unsuspecting men to their death by seducing them through the thrilling song. Also, it shows that women, through their suggestive and evil intents, lure brave and strong-willed men, like Odysseus, away from their journey; thus, showing the negative representation of female in which they hinder the journey of men by using their unfavorable characteristics. Circe, a magical trickster, is represented in a negative light due to her luring Odysseus’ men by falsely presenting them with “a potion” filled with delicious looking food, but tricked them by “[stirring] her wicked drugs” into the dish (237). This shows that Homer presents Circe, a female character, in a negative light by labeling her as a trickster and describing her actions as something corrupt. Also, with Circe poisoning the crew of Odysseus it shows that female …show more content…
For example, Penelope, the faithful wife to Odysseus, is seen as having a positive archetype due to her staying faithful to Odysseus and not marrying the suitors, a group of individuals trying to marry Penelope, but she is seen as completing negative deeds, such as making promises to the suitor to marry one of them once she finishes her tapestry, but “by night...she would unravel all she’d done” (96). To explain, this shows that even though Penelope may seem innocent she, in actuality, is a scheming monster who leads men on and then betrays her promises. Alas, showing that Homer presents women in a negative light and showcases their true, evil nature and their sole intent to trick and hinder men’s
Judged by modern Western standards, the treatment of women by men in Homer's Odyssey can be characterized as sexist. Women in Homer's Odyssey are judged mainly by their looks. 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. The way women in The Odyssey are treated is based on appearance, the things men want from them, and whether the woman has any power over men. During Odysseus' journey to the underworld he sees many different types of women. We hear about their beauty, their important sons, or their affairs with gods. We hear nothing about these women's accomplishments in their lifetime. Odysseus tells how Antiope could "boast a god for a lover,"(193) as could Tyro and many other women. Epikaste was called "that prize"(195) her own son unwittingly married.
Women are often treated as tools to accomplish men’s goals because of this authority and are seen as beings who cannot live without the support of men. In The Odyssey, Penelope, Telemachus’ mother, is used by Telemachus to show his authority as the man of the house by sending her away to her room by his “masterful words” (Homer 186). By doing so he is also warning the suitors who have come to take advantage of the xenia he and his mother provided to them. While Penelope is strong by refusing the passes of the suitors, she maintains the vulnerable image by weeping for Odysseus who has been gone for ten years (Weimer 1). In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Shamhat the Harlot is used as a tool to seduce Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s male partner and friend. Ninsun’s reaction to Enkidu brings to attention to her worries of Gilgamesh being taken away from her, showing that relationships between men were held in much higher regard than mother and son relationship (“The Epic Of” 51-52). Men are depicted more powerful than women thus leading to supporting women, especially those they are related to.
In the first section of Odyssey, mortal women are presented to us as controlled by the stereotypes and expectations of the culture of the day, and it is only within that context that we can consider the examples Homer provides of women to be admired or despised. He provides us with clear contrasts, between Penelope and Eurycleia on the one hand, and Helen and Clytemnaestra on the other.
Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each—through her vices or virtues—helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600).
Circe and Calypso both manage to delay Odysseus for quite some time despite Odysseus eagerness to return home. They both are seductive in their ways and appear as temptresses throughout the epic. Circe is such an excellent lover that Odysseus stays on her island for a year, and even then is convinced only by his men to finally leave. Calypso also holds on to Odysseus for ten years despite his willingness to return back to Ithaca. These two immortals show the power that women exert over men in this book, Odysseus successfully evades and destroys all other distractions and monsters during his journey but falls victim in the presence of women. The Sirens also display man’s weakness, although they are unable to destroy man they definitely hold a powerful seductive supremacy over men. “INSERT QUOTE HERE.” Athena wants Odysseus to return home to Ithaca and Poseidon on account of Odysseus blinding his son, does not. When these two immortals are put to the test against each other, Athena prevails as Odysseus does manage to reach home eventually. However, women’s subservient role in society is still prominent in many ways. When Calypso is visited by Hermes it shows how powerless women are in society, “o
These women are describe as monsters because they serve the purpose to tempt men off their journey and settle instead of returning back home. “No crew can boast that they ever sailed their ship past Scylla unscathed, for from every blue-prowed vessel she snatches and carries off a man with each of her heads” (Odyssey 159). Syclla is describe as a female because she serves as a metaphor to travelers. Although she may not be a six headed monster that eats her victims, she does snatch, though, snatch men off their ship. She represent women on the islands that snatch men off their ship tempting them to stay on the island to live with them. Another monster that represent women role in tempting men to settle on the islands are the sirens. “Hears the Sirens ' voices; no welcome from his wife, no little children brightening at their father 's return” (Odyssey 158). The Sirens represent women that seduced men into staying on the islands with them. Once these men fell in love with these women, they soon forgot about their families at home and prefer to settle in the new island. Another huge temptation to the men on the voyage home was Circe. She was describe as a “formidable goddess with the beautiful hair and a woman 's voice” (Odyssey 160). Thus, revealing Ulysses attachment to the witch that tried to kill him and his men. Since Ulysses and his men stayed years in
“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view” (Ibsen). This saying also applied to the times of the Odyssey, an epic constructed by the blind, eight century B.C.E. poet, Homer. As one of the few representatives of ancient Greek social order, the blind, Homer witnessed women as substandard to men, regardless of their actions; many of them existed as seductresses, prostitutes, or slaves. He engraved into his poem women’s roles; the roles of women, as mothers, wives, seductresses, and goddesses are exemplified in this epic, when shown in comparison to the men of that era.
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.
Greek tragedy incorporates female characters that symbolize women in Ancient Greece. Through the portrayal of Antigone in the playwright, Antigone in Antigone by Sophocles and Penelope in the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, these two women play opposing roles depicting how they appear to society through their actions. In both of these stories, they embody the ideals of passionate women who are very loyal and brave. Through other female characters in each story such as Penelope and Ismene, we can construct a better view of traits illustrated by Antigone and Penelope.
The power and influence of women is symbolized in Odysseus’ encounter with the dead in Hades. In the Underworld, Odysseus meets more women than men. He meets his mother and then a “grand array of women” (334). They all were “wives and daughters once of princes” (334). All of them are the legendary women who were the mothers of the greatest Greek lineages. This symbolizes how Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a
By examining the women of The Odyssey one comes to one conclusion about women in Homer's epic. Homer's male characters in The Odyssey consistently treated women differently and unequally throughout The Odyssey. Concurrent with the time's belief that women held a subservient position in society to men, the male characters in The Odyssey often expected certain traits and actions that they didn't expect from men. Also all the societies and lands Odysseus visited that were inhabited by mortals were dominated by men.
This is shown as Odysseus is leaving and she asks him if he would want to be
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 image of seductresses is a recurring motif in The Odyssey. These women are a temptation to Odysseus. They attempt to keep Odysseus from accomplishing his goal: his homecoming. Circe is a bewitching goddess. She entices Odysseus’ crew into her palace with her enchanting voice. However, after she feeds them, she promptly turns them into pigs. Circe also succeeds in enticing Odysseus; he stays with her one year as her lover. It is so long that his crew declares that it is “madness” (326). They say that it is “high time” that Odysseus thinks of his homeland (326). Later on, Odysseus and his crew encounter the sirens. Knowing the danger they pose, Odysseus has all his men’s ears stopped up with wax. However, Odysseus wishes to hear their song; so he asks his crew to tie him to the mast. The song of the sirens is so sweet and enticing. Their “ravishing voices” almost make Odysseus forget his desire to return home (349). His heart “throbbed” to listen longer; he signals for his men to let him go free. The grea...
Women were often subjects of intense focus in ancient literary works. In Sarah Pomeroy’s introduction of her text Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves, she writes, “Women pervade nearly every genre of classical literature, yet often the bias of the author distorts the information” (x). It is evident in literature that the social roles of women were more restricted than the roles of men. And since the majority of early literature was written by men, misogyny tends to taint much of it. The female characters are usually given negative traits of deception, temptation, selfishness, and seduction. Women were controlled, contained, and exploited. In early literature, women are seen as objects of possession, forces deadly to men, cunning, passive, shameful, and often less honorable than men. Literature reflects the societal beliefs and attitudes of an era and the consistency of these beliefs and attitudes toward women and the roles women play has endured through the centuries in literature. Women begin at a disadvantage according to these societal definitions. In a world run by competing men, women were viewed as property—prizes of contests, booty of battle and the more power men had over these possessions the more prestigious the man. When reading ancient literature one finds that women are often not only prizes, but they were responsible for luring or seducing men into damnation by using their feminine traits.