...about the Gender role in The Odyssey, specifically focusing on the women's role and how women's treatment by men can be indicated as sexist. They are usually identified by their looks and treated based on how their physical appearance is, and whether they have power over any men. She makes it clear that throughout Odysseus’ journey to the underworld, he spots and gets a glimpse of different variety of women. She says that throughout the Odyssey, they do not state anything about the women’s accomplishments in their lifetime, but only about their important son's, good looks and pleasingness, and their affairs with gods. She also talks about how women are known for their action and activity towards their sons and husbands, but never for the action and deeds of their own, or how they are, nor what accomplishments they did for themselves. Helene states that it seems in the book Odyssey, the only achievements women could achieve was being pretty and attractive to they eyes of the men. She proves throughout her paper that even Homer made it sound as...
Words: 1092 - Pages: 5
...Over time, the roles of both men and women have changed slightly, but in a lot of cases they still remain the same. In the Odyssey one can see there are unquestionably different expectations for men versus women during this time period. To this day, there is little information on Homer himself. Even though there is not much information about the author himself, it is known that “The epic poem Odyssey focuses on the Greek character Odysseus and his ten year journey from Troy to Ithaca after the fall of Troy (Trojan war).”("Odyssey by Ancient Greek Poet Homer.") This story takes place directly after the Trojan War. The society is still recovering from the war and tragedy. Although gender expectations are true in the early years that the Odyssey...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
...Kendra Perkins Matt Fox Eng 112 14 December 2011 The Odyssey: Comparison of Genders in Greek Mythology The Odyssey by Homer may be seen by many as a heroic story of a man on his journey home; however, there is an underlying story of the trials in the roles of men and women and the relationships between them. Men and women are portrayed differently in Greece, as in other societies. Men are considered to be the more powerful of the two and are responsible for the protection of their home. Women, on the other hand, are thought to care for the children and are also responsible for the supervision of both the interior and exterior of the home while the men are away. As a man, Odysseus showed great leadership in the war at Troy and was considered the hero at the Trojan War. His wife Penelope, on the other hand, exemplified the role of a woman and leadership in her daily duties of caring for the home and all of their possessions within. In her attempts to do so, she was overcome by suitors and was unable to stop them from partaking of all of their meat and drinks. This essay will explain the underlying roles of men and women in ancient Greece as well as modern day. The beginning of the novel takes place in Ithaka at the home of Odysseus. Suitors have overrun his home in the pursuit of marrying his “widow” Penelope. Telemakhos, son of Odysseus, felt it was a shame that these men would come into their home and eat and drink their house empty. Athena, daughter of Zeus, came to Telemakhos...
Words: 1775 - Pages: 8
...The role of women in The Odyssey Women weren’t taken seriously for much in human history. There were things that men were allowed to do, but women wouldn’t even dare to think about. Basically, they were puppets used by men and those who were rich. They were treated as the weaker gender, the gender who was not capable of doing a man’s job. In resume, they would be used and had to follow orders. In The Odyssey, Odysseus was known as an epic hero, a brave, challenging, intelligent man. No one actually saw him as the unfaithful husband. In his journey back to his sweet home, he had made love to two women. Those two women were Calypso and Circe, both beautiful and evil. His little adventures were seeing as sacrifices to save his crew. “And now...
Words: 485 - Pages: 2
...disapproval towards his own mother, which is ironic, considering the fact that Telemachus is her son. This is not just irony, but rather, a clear representation of female inferiority, since Telemachus is portrayed as the dominant figure who reprimands his own mother (the submissive). Furthermore, this reveals female inferiority through the idea that men are to give orders and criticism, and women are to receive them. This idea continues throughout this quote, especially when Telemachus says, “your heart was always harder than a rock!”. In any situation, it would be shocking to hear a son yell at his own mother. But, in a male-driven society within The Odyssey, it is not uncommon at all. Here, Telemachus openly criticizes his mother, and she is expected to accept it without challenge. This is, once again, a clear example of gender inequality, and how men can speak however they like, and women must accept that. Consequently, Penelope’s relationship with her son, Telemachus, represents how women are held to a double...
Words: 1190 - Pages: 5
...Long Essay #1 09 March 2016 Ambiguous Roles Throughout centuries women have tried to be equal to men, from their position in the workplace to voting rights, women have struggled to obtain the power that men withhold. In the ancient society, many would say that women had no power, but after reading The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey it revealed that the role of women is actually very diverse. In some readings, women play little to no role at all, but in others, women demonstrate their power and play vital roles. During this era, women endured many difficulties which had ultimately shaped them into a submissive figure. While women were not the most influential gods, nor the strongest or intelligent humans,...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...Looking back over the expansive history of humanity, have the roles of men and women evolved? Not really. Women still work and watch over the house and such while the men go out to be breadwinners, but there’s still the underlying sexism that women are the ones who should be doing only the real woman’s work, raising the family, maintaining the house, etc. Men are still free to do as thy wish while no one bats an eye, whereas women are scrutinized for their non-conforming actions. This pushes females to morph, pressed by their situation, into more complex characters. A perfect example would be “The Odyssey” by Greek poet Homer. It’s very much an epic tale of male oriented heroic quests when, however, women play an incredibly large role as well. This epic tale revolves around Ulysses’...
Words: 1286 - Pages: 6
...In the epic Odysseus, readers see that men and women play very different roles in the Greek culture. Women can have very powerful roles that range from goddesses to queens. Many times in this epic, women display that they have control over men, and they can influence a man to do anything they want. But, men have different views on different classes of women, and they value high class women more than lower women. When a man and woman marry, the woman is expected to be loyal to him when he is away. The same act is expected of the men, however, showing that both genders are important in the Greek culture. Women are shown to be either very powerful or very mistreated depending on social class, whereas men are shown to be powerful, free warriors....
Words: 871 - Pages: 4
...The Essential Role of Goddess in Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey Just as women were viewed as inferior to men during Homer’s era, a first glance at Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey portrays goddesses as inferiors to gods. Despite the era’s bias to men, the goddesses are of equal importance to the plot of his stories as the gods. The goddesses play vital roles as either helpers or nightmares to men by often determining the results of an action. Homer did not establish the goddesses in his epics merely as minor structures to blend in the background. Rather, he established dynamic goddesses who were both powerful and intelligent. In fact, in many ways the goddesses controlled the gods by having an influence in their decisions and actions through manipulation, persuasion and guidance. By influencing the gods, the goddesses also played a large role as shepherds for human fate. The goddess’s constant intervention in the mortals’ lives was driven by favoritism, love or sexual desires, and their pity for the weak. Although the goddesses are often restricted from doing as they wish by the gods, they have proven, in many occasions, to overpower the gods through manipulation. Goddesses were often told what to do by the gods. Tasks such as delivering messages from Zeus were often carried out by Athena. Just as Hector told his wife, “Go home, attend to your own handiwork at loom and spindle, and command the maids to busy themselves, too. As for war, that is for men, all we...
Words: 1970 - Pages: 8
...Gender Inequality in The Odyssey In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, female inferiority and gender inequality are recurring motifs. As a woman during this ancient time period (approximately 700 to 750 BCE), it was common to be regarded as “a man’s property”, or in other words, to be held to a double standard. In his poem, Homer demonstrates the inferior role of women compared to men, through multiple female characters. One specific character that significantly captures the idea and role of female inferiority is Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. Through close analysis of Penelope’s character and her relationships with men, it is evident that women in The Odyssey are held to a double standard. Penelope’s relationship with the suitors reveals female...
Words: 1259 - Pages: 6
...Folktale Motifs of the Nausikaa Episode in The Odyssey In Book VI of The Odyssey, the tale of princess Nausikaa exhibits the folklore motifs of struggle, lust, persuasion, marriage, determinedness, and gender roles that are historically valued in Western culture. People perceive the episode of Nausikaa and the Phaiakians in different ways. Book VI is a wonderful representation of a "fairy-tale" encounter that simply allows those who are involved to experience hope and change. In the Nausikaa episode, innocence is almost lost, persuasion becomes a method for salvation, kindness is overabundant, and genuineness to the self is of great importance. Folktales have been used throughout history to pass along customs, beliefs, and ways of life. They have influenced society's structure and development, along with metaphorically reminding and teaching people about how things were in the past and should be in the future. In Book VI of The Odyssey, Odysseus is washed onto the shore of the island of the Phaiakians, is wakened by the princess Nausikaa and her maidens, and his encounters are filled with folktale motifs. These motifs are cliché elements that constitute the Nausikaa episode, are defined in nonfictional culture, and express the themes of persuasion, eroticism, forbidden beauty, social norms, and rebirth. John Arnott MacCulloch, a Scottish author whom wrote many works on mythology and folklore, describes folktales and relates their use in culture and The Odyssey's Book...
Words: 1624 - Pages: 7
...EXAMINATION OF DUTY AND SELF CONTROL IN THE ODYSSEY Aashna Jamal INTRODUCTION Under the rule of Zeus, events did not occur in isolation but in interdependence causing there to be a flux in the totality of events and the whole drama being played on a cosmic plane. The central theme of Zeus’s rule is the preservation of his “ oikos” or household management where the prevalence of order over Chaos is of utmost importance. In this paper, using the Odyssey as a case study, I will examine the thematic importance of the decisions taken by a hero in accordance to or defiance of self control and pietas and the consequences they lead to. These expectations are clearly marked out for the reader who waits in anticipation to garner the fate of the hero. I will analyse the themes of self control and pietas or duty in the Odyssey and discuss their special significance in this epic. I will then briefly talk about the Hindu concept of duty or Dharma with reference to the Ramayana. I however do not intend to use the concept of monomyth coined by Joseph Campbell also referred to as the hero's journey(which is a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world.) in comparing these epics. The example of the Ramayana will only serve my purpose of highlighting the theme of duty in mythologies across the world. Lastly, I will conclude with the importance of inspecting these themes because of their significance to the plotline. Georg Wissowa notes that pietas was...
Words: 3587 - Pages: 15
...theme is conforming to gender roles and expectations. Written over two-thousand years ago, Antigone is ultimately based upon the struggle of an individual person...
Words: 1098 - Pages: 5
...Penelope, Epic Heroine During Ancient Greece, when women were seen as property, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife in The Odyssey, stands out as a woman beyond that claim. In Odysseus’ 20 year absence, she reigns over Ithaca, creatively staves off suitors, and raises a son, Telemachus, all while being faithful and devoted to him. Many of these obligations are not unlike what modern women grapple with. However, what sets Penelope apart is that she is accomplishing them at a time when women were seen as property and unable to have reigning duties. "The hero is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations” (Campbell). Because of Penelope’s success in the face of adversity, she is a true heroine. Although inundated with suitors, she maintains her heroic loyalty to Odysseus in his absence. Contrastingly, her cousin, Clytemnestra, is unfaithful to her husband, Agamemnon, while he is fighting the Trojan War alongside Odysseus. Penelope knows that it is not conventional or acceptable to remain unmarried if one’s husband is considered dead, but her deep love and devotion to Odysseus keeps her inventing new means to avoid marrying any of the suitors. Because she is born to a prince and holds the royalty title, and anyone she marries will become King of Ithaca. For that reason, Penelope does not have to fear the same fate as Andromache, Hector’s wife in The Iliad. Hector was of royal blood, but Andromache was not; therefore, upon his...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...A hero is defined as many things. One who is selfless, one who shows compassion, one who not only leads others into battle but fights alongside them. In the greek parables, The Odyssey, by Homer and in Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles a hero is described as someone who perseveres on even when burdened by the weight of the unknown. The hero of The Odyssey is named Odysseus, a young man who overcame many trials to get back to his home in Ithaca, and the hero of Oedipus Rex is King Oedipus, a ruler who has his people's best interest at heart. The protagonists in these tales are both reputed to have heroic qualities and yet how they dealt with being receptive to new ideas, their humility, and their relationship with a higher power was what led each to...
Words: 1234 - Pages: 5
