Treatment Of Women In The Odyssey

Penelope was left behind when Odysseus left for the trojan war, but he didn’t come back after that. Penelope had to take care of their son, their estate, and their servants for 20 years. On top of all of that she had suitors demanding her attention. In all of this she stayed strong and independent, and despite the pressure of the suitors she stayed loyal to Odysseus, even when she didn’t even know if he was alive or not. Penelope’s character is also very clever and sly. She told the suitors that she would remarry after she finishes her weaving project, but each night she undoes everything she did that day. When the suitors find out about it they demand she choose someone to remarry. Penelope uses her intelligence and slyness again as she tells them whoever wins an archery contest using Odysseus bow, which only he could use, she would marry. Penelope is also very kind, which we see when she interacts with the servants and her son. Penelope is a very well portrayed character and she is needed in the story to be someone Odysseus could always be someone to come back

As the request is made of his own mother she simply abides to her son’s wishes, “She bathed now, put on some fresh clothes,” (Homer l 17.60). All throughout the Odyssey Penelope shows her strength to ward off suitors and she manages to live without her husband for years. Remaining faithful the entire time to her husband Odysseus she discloses to her maid, “Eurynome, don’t try to coax me, care for me as you do, to bathe myself, refresh my face with oils. Whatever glow I had died long ago… the gods of Olympus snuffed it out that day my husband sailed away in the hollow ships,” (Homer ll 18.201-206) presenting to the reader that she lost all desire for anyone else when Odysseus’ left for war. This further substantiates the Greek view of how women should remain loyal at all times forsaking others. Lastly Penelope is rewarded for her lasting devotion to her husband with his return. In these characters and their specific roles in the Odyssey the Greeks’ insisted upon their women to accept such roles in their culture of certain hypocrisy when compared to that of their female counterpart. Without Athena’s support Odysseus would have never reached Ithaca and Telemachus would not have been pushed into becoming a man. Without Penelope’s loyalty, devotion, and support Odysseus’ efforts in his journey home would have held little merit of reward. What is most important to note is the male character of Odysseus plays the most prominent role in the epic but

Women are weak, helpless, and have no real purpose other than to serve men and take care of children. . . or so they were perceived history. In the Odyssey, one can see that Homer’s portrayal of women challenges the portrayal of women during that time period. Throughout the book, many women intervened in Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca, for better or for worse. One will see Penelope, Athena, Circe, and other women impact Odysseus’ expedition home. These women influenced the conditions of the journey by guiding Odysseus in different directions, and aiding him crucially. Their power and authority show the idea behind a quote by Groucho Marx, which states, “Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife”. Throughout The Odyssey,

Odysseus must now face the other suitors in order to win Penelope. He must rely on physical strength to get past this task then to face Penelope and convince her it is really Odysseus. After defeating the other suitors Odysseus was cleaned up and made to

‘The Odyssey’, like other epic poems, is patriarchally centered. The poem is focused on “godlike” Odysseus and his laborious journey home (Homer __). In Ancient Greece, the time of Homer, women were commonly viewed as part of oikos headed by the male kyrios. They were expected to be submissive, domesticated, and viewed as their master’s property. This raises an important question in the context of this epic: are women only secondary characters that blindly follow the decisions of their male counterparts or do they have the ability to make their decisions freely? Homer, a forward thinker for his time, allowed the reader to make this judgement by including two paradoxical characters: Penelope and Calypso. Penelope, the “faithful” wife of Odysseus, spends most of her time crying and longing for her husband. She is compliant and passive, never making a decision without her husband (homer __). Calypso, on the other hand, takes her sexuality into her own hands. She traps Odysseus in Ogygia and attempts to force herself on him, showing that she does not follow the norms of being an obedient woman. Through the inclusion of Penelope and Calypso, Homer is able to address the view of women in typical epic poems by both accepting it and challenging it in order to redefine what is expected of epic tradition.

When Odysseus sailed off to Troy to battle, she made a promise to him. She promised that when the son, Telemachus, becomes a man by growing a beard she shall remarry. Penelope is a hero because even though she made the promise to her husband she did not marry because her love for her husband Odysseus was too strong, and she knew he was coming back one day. In The Odyssey, Homer stated " With eyes brimming tears she ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissed him..." (Applebee et al. 964). This quote proves that Penelope is a loyal wife, and is a hero to

Agamemnon had fought in the Trojan war, just as Odysseus had but when he returned home he was stuck down by his own spouse. When Odysseus meets Agamemnon in the underworld, Agamemnon recounts about his death when he states, “I lifted my hands and beat the ground as I lay dying with a sword in my chest, but that bitch, my wife, turned her back on me and would not shut my eyes or close my lips as I was going down to Death” (Book 11, Lines 439-443). This brief tale alludes to Adam and Eve in the book of Genesis. In both cases, the male figure’s downfall is a direct causation of their female counterpart. In fact, there exists a blatant dichotomy between the relationship of Odysseus and Penelope the relationship between Adam and Eve. As seen in the passage above, Eve was purely created to accompany Adam and to serve as his partner. In the context of the relationship, Eve causes a downward trajectory for the pair. Both Adam and Eve were living in the best conditions, in God’s hand-crafted garden, but this is stripped from them due to her inquisitive nature. In the beginning of the Odyssey, we see that Odysseus and Penelope are at a low point, but Odysseus utilizes the thought of Penelope to fuel his rise. These two relationships drastically differ from each other, but they also share some similarity. Both female characters are depicted as subordinate beings. In the Genesis,

In Homer's epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is an epic hero with an epic wife, Penelope. Penelope is also the Queen of Ithaca, a vital role indeed. Penelope's love and devotion towards Odysseus is proven when she waits nineteen years for her husband to return from the wine dark sea, rather than losing faith and marrying another man. Penelope's character is strong and solid, and her personality remains consistent throughout Homer's Odyssey.

It is believed that William Shakespeare once said, “Be loyal to yourself, and then just as surely as night follows the day, the loyalty of others will follow.” In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, he illustrates that loyalty is needed in order for society to flourish. Odysseus has been away from his kingdom, Ithaca, for more than 10 years. In society, loyalty is an important tribute to keep it strong and stable. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope must stay loyal to her husband to keep the society from falling apart.

“My heart was always full of fear that some man would come and cheat me with words.” The admirable Penelope stays faithful to her husband for over 20 years while he was on his quest. She remains ardent to him fulfilling the ancient Greek traditions on a wife’s faithfulness to her husband. Therefore, The wife is expected to stay abstinent until her husband returns. Even though Odysseus was perceived to be dead, she remained honorable.

Her actions of not believing or trusting show that Penelope has little role in the destruction of the suitors, as she has little motivation and courage after the years of waiting. “Resourceful Odysseus

She remains faithful in Odysseus’ arms. Penelope was loyal for over twenty years waiting for Odysseus to return

            There were far more restrictions placed on the women of the ancient world than on the men.  To many, this may appear to be an obvious fact.  However, the comparison of women to men in the Odyssey does not show such a discrepancy.  The women created by Homer had certain characteristics that set them apart from ordinary women.  Penelope was a woman who did not give in to the demands of her surroundings.  She suffered throughout the twenty year absence of her husband, Odysseus.  She maintained her dignity and her chastity through her refusal of the hoards of suitors that flocked to her home. Penelope represents the ideal woman for balancing her refusals of marriage and the preservation of her respect.  When ready to address her suitors, Eurymachus, a suitor himself, speaks out from the crowd in praise of Penelope.  He states, "Ah, daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope . . . You surpass all women in build and beauty, refined and steady mind" (18. 276,280).  The acts of Penelope would not have been allowed of an ordinary woman of those times.  Her loyalty to Odysseus was unflagging and quite contrary to Clytaemestra's loyalty, another character in the Odyssey, though she is never mentioned by name.

I am a sucker for a good myth or a fairy tale re-telling; especially when those tales twist the perspective and help you see famous fictional events in a new way. In this case, the story is based off of The Odyssey but told from the perspective of Penelope. It doesn’t have the same grand sense of adventure and daringness; however, it is still a fascinating and extremely compelling story. Homer portrays Penelope as loyal, patient, and the ideal wife, as he contrasts her to Clytemnestra who killed Agamemnon upon his return from Troy. In The Penelopiad, Penelope feels obliged to tell her story because she is unsatisfied with Homer's portrayal of her and the other myths about her sleeping with the suitors.

Women in ancient Greece had very few rights in comparison to male citizens. Women were unable to vote, own property, or inherit wealth. A woman’s place was in the home and her purpose in life was to rear children. Considering this limited role in society, we see a diverse cast of female characters in Greek mythology. We are presented with women that are powerful and warlike, or sexualized, submissive and emotionally unstable. In many myths, we encounter subversive behavior from women, suggesting, perhaps, the possibility of female empowerment. While produced in an ostensibly misogynistic and oppressive society, these myths consider the possibility for a collapse of male power and the patriarchal system. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey,