Women's role in "The Odyssey"

A detailed Summary of Women's role in "The Odyssey"

Women in the odyssey normally seem be regarded as weaker and less power holders than men; like women everywhere else during this period of time, women have the roll of the controlled, and men the controllers. Throughout history women have bee recognized as having very strong influences on men. This is the main reason why feminine sexuality is dangerous to men. It seems that homer takes the actual "power" that women have over men, and amplifies it in The Odyssey by turning these feminine characteristics into power goddesses. Feminine sexuality is frowned upon by the men because it is the most powerful aspect of women. Men fear what they don't understand and hate what they cannot conquer. This statement definitely applies to women's sexuality. In many cases men's only guard against feminine sexuality is suppression. By looking down upon or suppressing their sexual expression, it keeps their "power" to a minimum; it is a way of conquering them. Women's natural aspects!

are manifested in supernatural powers.

The treatment of women by Men in Homer's The Odyssey can be characterized as sexist. Women in Homer's The Odyssey are judged mainly by their looks. If important men and gods consider a woman beautiful, or if her son

Calypso, in the story to me was an actual, as well as figurative depiction of women and their sexuality. Calypso, was an extremely sexual person, and also a very powerful one. She was able to control even Odysseus and make him weep. The connotation being a woman's sexuality can be used as a control device. This is one reason it was looked so down upon.

Calypso and Circe are two very similar goddesses in the Odyssey who hold Odysseus captive. Both women lure men with their singing and beauty. The difference in the two is the way they hold him captive. Circe, at first seems to very evil to any man who comes to her palace. When Odysseus's men first come into Circe's palace she turns them all into swine. It is only after Hermes helps Odysseus, that he defeats Circe, and she asks him to her bed, and agrees not to harm him. One thing I thought was interesting was that Circe is portrayed as a "Lustrous goddess (X. 443)", after she has surrendered to Odysseus and follows all his demands. This is another example of the whole controlling aspect of the men. When Odysseus tells Circe that he wants to go home, she does not try to make him or his men stay against their will "stay on no more in my house against your will (X. 538)". She evens agrees to help him all that she can to get them back to their home.

One reason Odysseus is allowed to be so sexually free is because of the thought up nature of men. Men are always considered conquerors; they're judged in terms of their wealth and power. The more money, land, war victories, and even women, you have, the more of "man" you are. Which is almost the exact opposite of women.

When women were allowed to freely express their sexuality, they were able to make the men act out of character, like Penelope; simply flaunting her body around created the worst disturbance in men, throughout the entire book although it was not her fault that the suitors were acting the way they were, she as definitely indirectly responsible. The only reason the

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Approximate Word count = 1350
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History