Comparing Penelope And Calypso In Homer's Odyssey

In order to redefine what is expected of female characters in epic poetry, Homer includes the character of Calypso. The “powerful and beautiful” nymph is known for “clinging” to Odysseus and yearning “to possess him” in order to “charm him into forgetting Ithaca” which provides a direct contrast with Penelope’s attitude towards men (Homer, p. 332). When introducing Calypso, Homer’s word choice is strategic: he wants to immediately characterize her as an authoritative and dangerous character. By doing so, he is able to immediately identify Calypso as a woman who does not let the constraints of her expected role hold her back from taking control of the epic hero for her benefit. Calypso also challenges the cultural rule that men choose their

wives without any input from the women themselves. In her case, she forces Odysseus to be her companion and does not give him a choice. Odysseus is “an unwilling lover mated to her eager embrace,” parallel to how women at this time were forced to get married without any choice (Homer, p. 388). Homer’s word choice here is significant: he describes Odysseus as an “unwilling lover” making him the victim, while Calypso is described as having the upper hand with an “eager embrace.” The contradictory nature of these two descriptions functions as a way to characterize both Odysseus and Calypso. It is clear that Homer sympathizes with Odysseus and views Calypso as a dangerous character who should be feared. Calypso is also seen as the paradox of the domesticated woman, which is shown by the description of her house. The ideal wife, like Penelope, has a home that is well taken care of in order to please her husband. Contrastingly, Calypso’s home is described as being surrounded by “alder and poplar and fragrant cypress” trees, symbols of death (Homer, p. 386). This description makes Calypso seem malicious and designates her as a symbol of gloom. By creating this looming tone, Homer is purposefully causing the reader to believe that women who go against their expected behavior are a threat. Although he is redefining epic tradition, he is not allowing his views to go unnoticed. As a man in this time period, it is not uncommon or surprising that powerful women alarm him. The way he describes Calypso comes off as a type of forewarning against independent women whose behavior goes against the status quo. He is making it clear that he favors well-behaved women, as those who are not represent a form of darkness that cannot be controlled.
Although Penelope and Calypso are paradoxical characters, they both share attributions of one another.

Penelope, the martyr of the submissive woman, does not always behave as she is expected. When her son belittles her by asking, “Mother, why begrudge our singer entertaining us as he thinks best?” Penelope is “stunned” and turns away to leave with “her son’s masterful words pressed to her heart” (Homer, p. 340). As a female character, she is supposed to accept that since her husband is gone, her son is her ‘master.’ Even though Telemachus had previously lacked being a powerful individual, he is finally assuming his conventional role of the man of the house. Penelope does not blindly accept this as is expected of her character, but is rather shocked and confused, showing that she is capable of her own opinions. It is also important to note Penelope finally standing up for herself against her suitors. She tells the men that they “must wait until” she finishes “this robe” while in fact she is spending every night unweaving it (Homer, p. 345). This is an important and characterizing moment for “clever” Penelope, as she usually spends her time crying or on her loom without much of an opinion (Homer, p. 345). In this moment, she shows that she can exist outside of the constraints of Odysseus and that she is not afraid to fool her suitors for her own benefit. While being a constant reminder of the emphasis on women being secondary to their male counterparts, Penelope has moments where she is defiant and shows that there is more to her than meets the eye, similarly to

Calypso.