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How Women Portrayed In A Patriarchal Society In Homer's The Odyssey

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How Women are Portrayed in a Patriarchal Society
Throughout the epic, The Odyssey by Homer, women are portrayed as corrupt and unreliable because of the patriarchal society at the time. Homer creates Calypso as an archetype for the seductress. Circe too is as well the archetype for a seducer. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, is shown as an archetype for a loyal wife, remaining faithful to Odysseus throughout his long journey. These women are characterized by their roles towards men. The Odyssey portrays Calypso as a seducer who falls in love with Odysseus and keeps him on her island for seven years. Calypso finds a connection with Odysseus but Odysseus does not have the same thoughts as her. Calypso does not want to let Odysseus return back on his voyage, as he is “racked with grief in the nymph Calypso’s house- she holds him there by force” (5.16). Odysseus cannot leave Calypso’s island because she is a character who is a seducer that entices him with love, forcing whoever comes to her island to stay. Although, because Hermes is a male character in this epic, he has more power and makes Calypso allow for Odysseus to leave. This shows how women are secondary to men because Zeus does not let Calypso be with a mortal, even though he can be with anyone he desires. Calypso is trying to appeal to Odysseus as a seductress so he will stay on her island with her.
Circe, the queen of Aeaea, is too a seductress, who too extends Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithaca. Circe takes advantage

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