“None of the women and goddesses whom Odysseus encounters are a match for him” How far do you agree with this statement?

“There is nothing more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.”
Homer

Women in Ancient Greece were considered inferior to men. Not only they had very few rights but also were treated like slaves, men were dominant in the ancient world. Yet in the Odyssey women played extremely significant roles. Women weren’t characterised as fragile powerless structures in the ancient social world, but as dominant and authoritative god like people. They delighted and deceived the men, virtually being the dominant sex of the tale. But was any woman or goddess a match for the lion-hearted Odysseys?

In book 5, Odysseus encounters Calypso, Atlas’ daughter, when he is accidentally washed onto the shores of Ogygia. He spends 7 whole years on the island, where Calypso falls in love with him and disallows him to leave. Even when Zeus sends Hermes to command her to let Odysseus go she fights against it as the love for Odysseus is too strong. The protagonist is powerless against the Nymph and cannot leave without her agreement and her help. Although the stalwart Odysseus is immobilised on the island, he has Calypso under his arm. The Nymph tells Hermes that she will not help Odysseus but cannot resist that, she even offers him immortality in order for him to stay but the hero rejects it.

One of the qualities of Odysseus is that he is very intelligent and can trick anyone in order to achieve his goal. His communication skills show that he is very experienced with women and knows how not to hurt them. After Calypso tells Odysseus that she is superior to his wife Penelope he is capable of trickily answering to her without hurting her feelings and angering her. “My