The Patriarchy Of Women In Robert Fagles The Odyssey

In the poem The Odyssey written originally by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, women are a key component to the story. In ancient Greek society “a woman’s place was in the home and her purpose in life was the rearing of children” (Cartwright). Ancient Greece was a patriarchal society in which women were often associated with weakness and thought of as subordinate in this male-dominated society. There are even debates to this day on whether Homer, the author was a woman, with a pseudonym because she could have been looked down upon by the patriarchy for being an author. This discussion alone displays how woman’s rights and voices could have been suppressed in their community. Even with these common images that are often connected with

women, there are several powerful women throughout this text. In The Odyssey I feel that Homer created several tenacious and powerful female characters that went against the ideals of the ancient Greeks original definition of the ideal women at that time.
Penelope is one of those strong women who is a very round and developed character.

She inhibits both qualities that contradict the average Greek woman: confidence, scheming, strength, and also qualities that appeal to this belief like submissive and loyalty. Penelope, even though she is often restrained by her son Telemachus, “so mother go back to your quarters. Tend to your own tasks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well. As for giving orders, men will see to that, but I most of all: I hold the reins of power in this house” (Fagles 1.409) she is a faithful wife and a good host. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus even when he doesn’t remain loyal to her. She grieves all throughout the text for her husband and has faith that he’ll return. Powerless to the suitors, she devised a scheme with her loom which was very clever and fooled the suitors for a while. Another time she was cunning was with her plan of the bow contest to win her hand, for she knew nobody would be able to string the

bow.
Calypso, the nymph, is known for her beauty. She is very hospitable to the messenger god Hermes when he comes to seek Odysseus from her, “tell me what’s on your mind. I’m eager to do it, whatever I can do… whatever can be done” (Fagles 5.101). She provides Hermes with food and drink and discusses the whole Odysseus situation with him. Calypso is very confident and stands her ground which isn’t normal to the women in ancient Greece’s behavior. Indignation sprung upon her after a conversation she and Hermes had and she claims he is stating double standards between mortals and immortals. She didn’t want to let Odysseus go and went on a tirade about how she was going to give him immortality and that she saved him, being a hospitable Greek citizen. Odysseus is taken captive and taken advantage of by Calypso but she lets him go and obeys because the god’s insisted.
Another one of Odysseus’ affairs, Circe the magical witch with full of malice is another significant female figure in the story. Circe is a gorgeous goddess who at first is hospitable but then ends up drugging Odysseus’ men which turns them into pigs. Her choice of turning the men to pigs serves the question of it being a gender conflict, “men are pigs” since Odysseus men have acted like pigs before. Later on Odysseus says “You’ll unman me, strip away my courage! mount your bed? Not for all the world. Not until you consent to swear, goddess, a binding oath you’ll never plot some new intrigue to harm me” (Fagles 18.379) to Circe and she then takes advantage of him for one year. Female power is often associated with Circe because she almost never submits to a man and is very influential and malicious woman.
Athena is one of the most notable characters in the story as she is one of the main characters we follow throughout the tale.

As the goddess of wisdom and conflict, she takes Odysseus’ side and helps him all across his journey through some difficult situations. Also, she tends to Telemachus as he develops into a man. She is depicted as a very strong leader who constantly is in disguise to mortals and is very confident. Athena is very persistent and takes leadership, for example, when she confronts Zeus to let Odysseus be freed from Circe. We learn that she is very clever and always has tricks up her sleeve just like Odysseus shown in this

passage:
Any man - any god who met you - would have to be some champion lying chat to get past you for all- round craft and guile. You terrible man, foxy, ingenious, never tired of twists and tricks- so, not even here, on native soil, would you give up those wily tales that warm the cockles of your heart! Come, enough of this now. We are both old hands at the arts of intrigue. Here among mortal men you’re far the best at tactics, spinning yarn, and I am famous among the gods for wisdom, cunning wiles, too. (Fagles 13.329)
Athena boasts his ego and it displays the common similarities between the two; they’re both tough and headstrong individuals. Homer’s connections between the two link the two prominent leaders, both male and female, who are very significant in the text but are similar to one another despite gender.
In conclusion, these four powerful women I have listed along with many other women in the text like Clytemnestra, Helen of Troy, and Arete are unique to the story of The Odyssey. Without these women who go against the traditional women values, we wouldn’t see some gender equality in the ancient Greek culture. Women having being seen as secondary at that time, were subjected with domestic responsibilities and the nurturing of children. However, these women show us the gender roles and depictions that compete with women’s standards back then.