The Role Of Women In 'The Odyssey And Game Of Thrones'

in a patriarchal society, women lie at the bottom of the social hierarchy. A patriarchy judges women for their beauty and innocence rather than merit and intelligence. Throughout the twenty-four books of The Odyssey as well as Game of Thrones, a modern day rendition of medieval society written by George. R. R. Martin, women struggle for power in society. In these societies, in order to be accepted and respected, women need to submit to society. Most of the women in these two plots are mothers and seductresses. In the Odyssey, Penelope plays the role of the mother, innocent to all and caring, on the other hand, the Ithacan maids, unloyal to to Odysseus, play the non loyal servants. Circe: the goddess of magic is the seductress. Convincing unsuspecting men into her household, only to experience physical transformations. In Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister, the oldest daughter of Tywin Lannister, represents the mother

When Odysseus is lost at sea, his housing staff remains. Within his staff there were fifty and some maids. Twelve of these maids slept with the suitors, doing this it went against both Odysseus’s will and his son, Telemachus. In response to what to do with the traitorous maids Telemachus says, “No clean death for the likes of them, by god! Not from me- they showered abuse on my head, my mothers too! You-sluts-- the suitors’ whores!” (22.488-490). To Telemachus a ‘clean death’ is a quick beheading, which is quite gruesome. For Telemachus to wish something worse upon these women illustrates how looked down upon they are. These women are traitors to the nobles of Ithaca, the worst possible crime. Albeit killing them quick, Telemachus hangs them, and lets their bodies blow in the wind. Not only is this horrific, it completely dehumanizes these women. Thus showing how being traitorous and non loyal as a woman had severe