Theme Of Masculinity In The Odyssey

The Aeschylean Cycle and Homer’s Odyssey explore the futility of female legitimacy by asserting that women can only be valued when they adopt the mantle of masculinity.

The theme of female legitimacy is exemplified in the scene between Clytaemnestra and the chorus leader. Mocked, overlooked, and disrespected, Clytaemnestra is mistreated from her first appearance in Agamemnon. When she tells the chorus leader that the “men of Argos have taken Priam’s citadel” he doubts the accuracy of her announcement, but she simply responds scathingly, "The Achaeans are in Troy. Is that not clear enough?" (Aeschylus 28). With this blunt retort, Aeschylus demonstrates that in the face of conflict, Clytaemnestra chooses a more direct, masculine approach in order to be seen as a respected source of information to the chorus leader. Despite her best efforts to be respected through the use of masculinity, Aeschylus asserts the futility of feminine legitimization by having the chorus leader call into question her rationality and judgement. Again, she responds with a startling amount of blunt honesty, asking if he thinks her "some young girl, that [he find her] thoughts so silly" (Aeschylus 29). At this obvious contrast between Clytaemnestra and a young girl, her masculine behavior is emphasized and the chorus leader's respect for her begins to

grow. She then goes on to describe the war in a brutal way, using violent imagery such as "gather in their arms their dead, husbands and brothers; children lean to clasp the aged who begot then, crying upon the death of those most dear" and “even so the anger of these slaughtered men may never sleep" (Aeschylus 32). Aeschylus further highlights Clytaemnestra's adoption of masculine traits and takes it one step further by having her actively embracing the bloody nature of war. She demonstrates a high level of comfort with such blatant violence that, in the time period, is only associated with heroes, the most respected of Greek men. The chorus leader acknowledges this by remarking on how Clytaemnestra "speak[s] graciously like a prudent man" (32). By neglecting to respect her as a woman, only as a man, the chorus leader is not actually respecting her at all, thereby destroying her value as a human.
Typically, in Greek society, the epitome of masculinity is a warrior-hero: a man who dons armor while vanquishing foes and stabs first, asks questions later.

This is what makes the Odyssey so singular a poem. Odysseus, "the man of twists and turns", redefines the standard for masculinity with his clever and cunning ways. Therefore, within terms of The Odyssey, Penelope best represents the male archetype by having a "fine mind and subtle wiles" (Homer 77) (homer 97). By having a woman portray this new brand of machismo, Homer proves that no matter how masculinity manifests within society, women still must adopt this mantle in order to gain

respect.
Like Clytaemnestra, Homer writes Penelope to only be valued in terms of masculinity. However, unlike Clytaemnestra's search for legitimacy, Penelope's arc is focused on the stripping of said value whenever she deviates from her standard mantle of how she acts*. This is made obvious when the suitors discuss with Telemachus Penelope’s deceitful plan in which she unwove her veil each night for three years. There is a very clear dichotomy in how Antinous refers to Penelope before and after mentioning the suitors discovering the truth of her actions. In the beginning, he refers to her as the “matchless queen of cunning” (96), which Homer uses to demonstrate how Penelope is respected as long as she maintains a masculine sense of intelligence. One might argue that when Antinous makes claims such as how Penelope is to blame for their anger or how she “played it fast and loose with all [their] hearts”, Antinous is ridiculing her, and therefore not respecting her (Homer 96).