Homer's Women: Empowerment from an Unlikely Feminist

1962 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Roles of women in greek mythology

Women have always been treated unfairly in society. Even in the modern era, women have just begun to receive their rights, many of which their male counterparts received long before. Women have their unique history and when looking back and learning of the histories behind people, including the background on women, the first place historians look are written works. Greek society is no different since much is known about it through Greek literature, such as the epics the Iliad and the Odyssey. However, Greece is known to have been no different from other societies of its time in regards to women. While works such as the Odyssey by Homer create powerful Greek women figures, they do not reflect the typical views or treatment of women during the time period they were written. Homer was very much the feminist of his time, diverging from the conventional views of women with his story. Women in his story are at times cunning and deceptive with men, shattering the old view of women as weak and helpless; yet at the same time, they assist men tremendously, sometimes even putting their own reputation at stake to help males. Through descriptions of iconic females and their actions, women in Homer’s Odyssey serve as both loyal allies and formidable foes for men, greatly influencing their thoughts and actions and contrasting the typical view of the author’s time that portrayed women as powerless. The true view of women during Homer’s age is a glaring contrast from the powerful women shown in the Odyssey. Overall, society looked down upon women. For a man to have a girl as a child was viewed as a disgrace and an embarrassment. Both the father and the husband looked at their women as objects, even calling a marriage ekdosis, a loan between the... ... middle of paper ... ...reatment from their male counterparts for ages. However, starting as far back as in Ancient Greece, Homer was one of the first to consider women as having a more important role in society, as powerful and even equivalent to men. Works Cited "Ancient Greece - Staff Room." Ancient Greece - Staff Room. The British Museum, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. . Cho, Anna. "History: Women in Ancient Greece." History: Women in Ancient Greece. Pace University, n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. . Doyle, A. "Unhappily Ever After?" The Problem Of Helen In Odyssey 4." Akroterion 55.(2010): 1-18. Literary Reference Center. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. Print. Mueller, Melissa. "Helen's Hands." Helios 37.1 (2010): 1-21. Literary Reference Center. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Treatment of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Greek Mythology

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Role of Women in Greek Mythology In learning about the feminist movement, we studied the three articles, discussed and reviewed the different authors perspectives on the topic, and learned how important the role of woman in Greek mythology is. In presenting the feminist theory to the class, we analyzed the three articles, Women in Ancient Greece; Women in Antiquity: New Assessments; and Women in Greek Myth, and discussed how although the three articles provided different views on Feminism in mythology, they all essentially are aiming to teach the same basic concept. In order to understand the feminist theory, we have to understand the notion that although myths are invented and that they involve fantasy, the concept of mythology does not necessarily imply that there is no truth of history in them. Some of the humans may have lived while some of the events may have taken place. Most importantly, the social customs and the way of life depicted in the myths are a valuable representation of Greek society.

    Read More

  • Important Role of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    1720 Words  | 4 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.  This book, much more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Achean's peacetime civilization.  Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman.  Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative.  Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men.  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.

    Read More

  • The Nature of Women Portrayed by Circe and Calypso in The Odyssey

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Homer's composition, The Odyssey, the roles women play are very significant. The best examples of the true nature of women occur when Odysseus encounters Circe and Calypso. These two characters illustrate the thoughts and feelings of how women how a woman feels and how they think. As the quote states, Circe and Calypso illustrate how women really can be crafty, intelligent, sneaky, disloyal, and cruel. In contrast to battles with men, Cyclops, or animals, sexual battles with women are sometimes much more difficult to win.

    Read More

  • Athena, and the Role of Women in the Odyssey

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homer's great epic, "The Odyssey" was written several thousands of years ago, a time in human history when men played the dominant role in society. The entire structure of civilization was organized and controlled by men; It was an accepted fact that women held an inferior position in society. Society was constructed as if women were around only to serve the men. The involvement of women in any circumstance was almost completely dominated by what the men allowed. The women were valued in society, only they were not given important roles or any decision making power. It is as if they held no power in the ancient Greek society. This is why Homer's Odyssey is very unique, Homer put women into roles that were previously unheard of for women to possess. Unlike in The Iliad, where women served merely as an object to men; female characters of Odyssey are distinctive because they possess personality, and have intricate relationships with the male characters of the Odyssey. By characterizing the women in "The Odyssey", a reader may come to some conclusions about the role of women in this epic. Along with the belief that women played a secondary role to men in society, the female characters displayed certain traits that could not be exhibited by the men. Athena demonstrated the most intelligence and valor out of all the characters in "The Odyssey." The male characters play the most significant roles in this epic, but without the support of the females in "The Odyssey", Odysseus would not have made it through his journey.

    Read More

  • Role of Women in the Odyssey

    1575 Words  | 4 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • The role of Women in Greece

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    Greek women, as depicted in their history and literature, endure many hardships and struggle to establish a meaningful status in their society. In the Odyssey, Penelope’s only role in the epic is to support Odysseus and remain loyal to him. She is at home and struggles to keep her family intact while Odysseus is away trying to return to his native land. The cultural role of women is depicted as being supportive of men and nothing more. Yet what women in ancient Greece did long ago was far more impressive than what men did.

    Read More

  • Female Role In The Odyssey

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in the Odyssey

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Sexism In The Odyssey

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sexism has occurred throughout history and has impacted women significantly.The Odyssey follows the narrative of a man and looks at love from the perspective of a man. The famed poem was written by an ancient greek man and until recently, has always been translated by a man. For these reasons, The Odyssey provides a great example of how love, women, and marriage have been perceived by society, especially men, in the past. By examining the sexist undertones and the perception of women and love from the men in the epic and comparing those to criticisms made today we can truly understand how far we have come as a society.

    Read More

  • Women and Deception in Homer's Odyssey

    1974 Words  | 4 Pages

    Lillian Doherty, Siren Songs: Gender, Audiences, and Narrators in the Odyssey (Ann Arbor 1995), esp. chapter 1.

    Read More

  • Portrayal of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    451 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Odyssey: Portrayal of Women How does Homer portray women in the epic, The Odyssey? In order to answer this question you must look at woman and goddesses as two separate groups of people who are "people". This is because they are portrayed in two separate ways. You see, a regular woman like Penelope is looked at as beautiful but has.

    Read More

  • Greek Women in The Odyssey

    425 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Women’s Role in Ancient Greek Religion

    2005 Words  | 5 Pages

    Scott, Michael. "The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece." History Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Homer's Iliad

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem “Iliad,” by Homer, is known for its violence between men during a war, but under that violence, is the different type of women who play a significant role in the poem (Homer 189). This poem’s narrative seems to show a male dominated world between the Greek commanders. This male dominated world cannot happen on its own, thus the different background roles of women are needed in order to make sense of all this rage. As the University of Michigan article How Do Women Make Their Way Into This Cycle states, “They are seen as the objects of both lust and domesticity, yet they are also used to excuse war, cause conflict, and display the power of men” (www.umich.edu). The focus in this poem steers towards the rage between the men, but this rage most of the time is inspired and initiated by a woman. The women of Iliad play a significant role in the poem such as war prizes, male hero partners, and women gods.

    Read More

More about Homer's Women: Empowerment from an Unlikely Feminist

Open Document