The Women of Homer
"Behind every strong man is a strong woman." Does this ring a bell? This common phrase has been around for years, and for years it has held it's truth, or so it seems. Just about every successful man (no matter what his success is) has had the influence of a strong woman in his life, whether it is a spouse or even a motherly figure. An example of this would be the wife of the famous artist Salvador Dali. When Dali first began his surrealist paintings in the 1920's it was not widely accepted, but with the understanding and supportive drive of his wife, Gala, he made it happen, and now he very well could be considered as one of the greatest oil painters in the 20th century. Tupac Shakur, who was a great musician in the mid 1990's, brought hip-hop to a stand still, and after his death he is remembered as a legend of his time, (sort of the Elvis of the 50's). Behind him was his mother Afenie Shakur, had it not been for her influence and the knowledge she implanted in him, he very well could have been another nobody slinging crack in the streets. These are only recent examples of a woman influencing a man, and in both of those cases the influence of women resulted in a positive-neutral outcome. There are however
Odysseus finds another case of beauty when he encounters the beautiful witch Circe. She is a witch that uses her beauty and her "spellbinding voice" to entice men into her quarters (237). Once inside, the men drink of her potion and are quickly transformed into wild beasts and held in her captivity as part of her militia, and are entitled to do as she wishes. Odysseus approaches Circe with the intent to kill her, but even though he is equipped and protected from the witch's potion, she still comes out as the victor. Instead of killing her as he had planned, he again falls under the "spell" of a woman's seduction, beds her and stays with her for a year, before he continues on with his journey. Penelope, who is Odysseus' wife, also demonstrates an example of positive influence on a man. She shows another character of a woman, which is love and faith. It is true that not all women show these characteristics, but the majority of strong women most likely do in one way or another. A faithful woman could be everything needed for a man to live for, or vice versa. When Penelope is mentioned in the story, you learn of her struggle in avoiding the suitors competing to wed her, but because of her love for her husband and her faith of his return, she deceives them as long as she can. This really shows how much love and affection that she possesses for Odysseus. Since Odysseus has felt this love he knows what he is missing out on, and this thought alone is a key factor in driving him home, and giving him the strength needed to overcome the trials of his journey. As is true with reality, a woman with great love and affection can give a man the courage needed to tackle any foe or fiend in the way of his goal. Beyond the powers of beauty and seduction, women can also hone a motherly and supportive characteristic as well. It's like th
Some common words found in the essay are:
Athena Penelope, Odysseus Odysseus, Odysseus Calypso's, Penelope Odysseus', Total Power, John Bobbit, Afenie Shakur, Odyssey Odyssey, Dali Dali, Tupac Shakur, positive influence, love affection, strong woman, athena penelope, woman love,
Approximate Word count = 1248
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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