Heather Smith
Teachers name
World Lit
05 September 2008
Without The Odyssey’s good and bad female characters, Athena, Calypso and Penelope, Homer’s epic tale would not have been as successful of a story because of their profound effect on the plot. The women not only play such vitals roles in the tale they also keep the readers interested enough to find out what will happen next. The women wielded their influence via womanly skills and goddess-like attributes: seduction, supernatural powers, intelligence, and beauty.
The roll of the goddess is one of a supernatural being, but more importantly one in a position to pity and help mortals. Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, is the most prominent example of a goddess. In the very beginning of the story, Athena is pleading for Odysseus’ return home. She is pleading with her father, Zeus, for his release. This action shows Athena’s initiative and nerve. She is the driving force behind arranging Odysseus’ release from Calypso and making sure the princess, Nausicaa, found him on the shore of Skythera. Athena shows cleverness and ingenuity. Throughout the first half of the book Athena assists him in his journey:”When you cane here to my strong home, Odysseus, under my tall roof, headwinds were left behind you. Clear sailing shall you have now, homeward now...” (192)
The next role is the role of the seductress. The seductress role is always perceived as dangerous and harmful to mankind. Calypso holds Odysseus captive as her lover and entices him with immortality. For the seven years while with Calypso, she protected him from Poseidon's wrath. Odysseus' seven years with Calypso was like seven years of feeling engulfed by his own codependency on a female. He both desires and despises the very union with the feminine he craves/despises, because within the relationship there is no arena for his masculinity except in