More handpicked essays just for you.
Roles of women in greek mythology
Roles of women in greek mythology
Different gender roles in greek mythology
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In The Odyssey, Homer tells the epic tale of a man’s (Odysseus’) heroic journey, a journey where women play a large role in the development of characters and complications in the journey, specifically Penelope, Athena, and other mothers, deities, and creatures. The most prominent woman in the epic tale is Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. The point of Odysseus’ journey home is so that he can be reunited with his wife and take back control of his palace, overrun by the suitors. Odysseus’s son, Telemachus, try’s to gain authority within the suitors but finds this difficult and goes on his own journey under the influence of yet another female, Athena, the goddess of wisdom. The main point of Homer’s The Odyssey focuses on the adventures of Odysseus as …show more content…
he returns home, with complications from the Sirens and Circe. No other female character in The Odyssey is as prevalent and complex as the wife of Odysseus, Penelope.
She represents some of the motherly/womanly characteristics prescribed in Ancient Greece. Penelope also deeply grieves her lost love, which supports the importance of Odysseus’ return home from Troy. It takes the presence of her son, Telemachus, to bring her to her senses, stating: “Ulysses is not the only man who never came back from Troy, but many another went down as well as he.” Book One. It isn't until this part in The Odyssey that the roles of women in Ancient Greece truly shine through. Telemachus takes his role as the male leader and takes control of his mother telling her to “busy herself with her daily duties…as ‘he’ is the master” because he wants to take control of his father’s …show more content…
throne. Mothers are important figures thought The Odyssey. They are seen as givers of pity and sorrow rather than supporters of their sons and husbands. This can be seen when Telemachus takes control of his mother in Book One. In The Odyssey and in Ancient Greek life, women are seen as needing to have a male hand to guide and control them, because they almost always appear to be lost or grieving. The dependence of mothers on their son’s is made clear in the case of Anticlea (Odysseus’ mother) with her statement that she died because of longing for Odysseus’. She cannot even exist without her son. For the mothers of Ancient Greece, the entire purpose for existence is to “look after, nurture, and protect their sons and husbands.” (Article Myriad) The Sirens, Circe and Calypso represent the ultimate seductress in The Odyssey.
The Sirens are a number of women, winged creatures who are considered to be alluring but dangerous in some way. When Odysseus and his crew encounter The Sirens in Book Twelve, they are so seductive that they delay them in their journey home. The same goes for Circe and Calypso: the incredibly beautiful goddess and goddess-nymph. When Odysseus and his crew first encounter Circe, she does everything she can to help them. She is such an excellent hostess and helps them with their journey after they leave. However, Calypso is a dominating goddess who holds Odysseus captive in hope of him loving her eternally and marring. She also delays them in their journey
home. Homer’s The Odyssey offers readers a complex image of the Ancient Greek life: masculine domination over women. Homer clearly presents a story of the epic hero who longs to returns home, but the description of the intervening of women is much less complete. Men are free to do whatever they please, but women are held to the strict social codes of Ancient Greece. This is also an explanation for the theme of women as either mothers or seductresses. The role of women is most fully represented by Penelope and the major role she played in her husbands return home.
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.
The great epic, Homer's Odyssey, is a tale of an adventure; a journey through the mind body and soul. Odysseus was strong throughout his voyage and was able to conquer his obstacles thanks to the help from the Goddess Athena. Athena provided physical and emotional support for this man, to get him on his way home to Ithaka. She also provided this same support for Odysseus' son, Telemakhos. Without her involvement, "The Odyssey" would not have turned out the way it did; because she plays such a crucial role in the story. It is understood that Odysseus is the primary character in this epic; concerning his fears and eventually returning to his home, Ithaka. The only reason this was possible is because he had the help of the clever and intelligent Goddess, Athena.
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.
Divine intervention is often an integral part of ancient epic poetry as seen in Homer's The Odyssey. The role of the goddess Athena was an essential part of Odysseus's journey back to Ithaka. Athena also played a vital part in Telemakhos's life before the return of his father. Even Penelope is impacted by the help of the "grey-eyed" goddess, often inspiring Penelope to hold off the suitors as well as putting her to sleep when a situation became too difficult. Athena demonstrates that she is a critical component of development within the father Odysseus and his son Telemakhos as well as guiding Penelope as a beautiful mother waiting for the return of her husband.
The women presented throughout The Odyssey provide a respectable representation of women in ancient Greece in general. There are several women introduced in The Odyssey, all of various backgrounds and social classes. The most notable women or type of women in this epic include goddesses, Penelope, and the housemaids and servants.
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.
The power and influence of women is symbolized in Odysseus’ encounter with the dead in Hades. In the Underworld, Odysseus meets more women than men. He meets his mother and then a “grand array of women” (334). They all were “wives and daughters once of princes” (334). All of them are the legendary women who were the mothers of the greatest Greek lineages. This symbolizes how Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a
The theme of women in the Odyssey is essential in establishing one of the if not the main message in the poem. The paradoxical messages give insights into the lives of the characters and generalizations into the reader's lives. Although this theme would have a noticeable affect on the poem in its absence, it is odd that in a story about war and adventure that they hold such dominating roles. In the setting of the Odyssey, women did not have a status that measured up to that of a man. However, whether seen as demonic or angelic they still hold in the example of Odysseus a significant role in the determination of the final fate of a man.
The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey reflects the faithful wife who waits twenty years for the arrival of her husband. Only a strong woman could sustain the stress, anxiety and confusion resulting from the chaos of a palace with a missing king whose fate is unknown. Her responsibilities and commitments toward the man she loves are particularly difficult to keep, under the strain of the situation. Although she does not actively pursue an effort to find him, her participation in the success of Odysseus' homecoming can be seen in her efforts to defend and protect the heritage, reputation and the House of Odysseus in his absence. As Odysseus withstands his trial, Penelope withstands her trials against temptations to give in to the many anxious suitors, to give up on her faith and respect for her religion, her husband and even her self. Penelope's strength in keeping the highest standards in her function as a wife, woman and mother contributes to the success of Odysseus' homecoming by keeping the home and family for him to come back to.
“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.
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.
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 would face 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.
In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey the first four books Odysseus, king of Ithaca and the hero of the trojan war, is not introduced, but rather instead Prince Telemachus, his son who has not lived up to his full potential. Odyssey is praised by many people and treated as a god but has been gone for 20 years after the disappearance of his war. Prince Telemachus has been alone his whole life which has had a negative effect on him. Since he has not had a proper role model Telemachus struggle to mature and confront problems. Everything changes the moment the goddess Athena steps in Telemachus life disguised as Mentes, she tells him to grow up and be a man as well giving him advice. Finally Telemachus is taking his power and using it to best ability
The “Odyssey” is an mythological epic poem by the author Homer. In this epic poem many female and male characters are played. Some female characters fall in love with Odysseus. One even taking care of him when he was a baby. There is also one that helps him to get back home to Ithaca, but also protects him. These women come in through the story very often. Three women are Calypso, Eurycleia, and Penelope that each have unique character traits and roles in the epic poem of The “ Odyssey”.
In Homer’s time, men and women were viewed very differently. The role of women has evolved in our society, however our culture still struggles with some of the same issues. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by the poet Homer and translator Robert Fitzgerald, the differences in how women and men are viewed in Homer’s time are exemplified. The epic poem introduces Penelope as the “ideal woman”. The role of women in Greek society was to provide for the men and they were perceived like objects by Greek culture.