Double Standards Of Women In The Odyssey

Margaret Thatcher once said, “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a women”. This statement may be true in recent times, but, in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, as translated by Robert Fitzgerald, it is far from it. The Odyssey focuses on the double standards of women and the ideal and unideal qualities of them. The ideals of women in greek culture are high, and most female leads in the poem don’t fit into them, and most often, are perceived as a nuisance or “Roadblock”.

Only a few mortal or immortal women in Homer’s epic are shown as ideal, and these few are in a royal state. The poet introduces Penelope in the first book of the poem. He writes,

Down the long stairs of her house, this beautiful lady, with

Men in the poem are “Studs” when they have intercourse with women, yet if Calypso and Penelope were to have relations with men, they would be seen as “Sluts”. The reader’s first example of this is in Book five. In this book Odysseus is living on Calypso’s island, after many years, and for loss of better words, acting as her “Sex slave”. Zeus orders Hermes to soar down to the island and order Calypso to free Odysseus from her clutches. Calypso tells the god Hermes, “Oh you vile gods, in jealousy supernal! / You hate it when we choose to lie with men-/ immortal flesh by some dear mortal side” (5.124-27). This quote informs the reader that Hermes and other gods sleep with mortal women, yet they aren’t judged. In fact some gods do this i.e Zeus, Hermes, or Ares, and are still considered “Studs”. Calypso kidnaps Odysseus and has sex with him. She is then judged by the other gods, and some become jealous of her relations. The immortals believe that the goddesses should have intercourse with only their kin or fellow gods. The male characters in the poem are hypocritical because they believe that they can sex with other women. Yet, if a female character has an affair with a man, she's called a Wench or Tramp. Another example of this is the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope. While away from Ithaca, Odysseus shares intimacy with two immortal women. At home, Penelope

It began with Aphrodite handing over Helen to Paris of Troy because he chose to have the prettiest woman alive. This leads to the Trojan war. In the quote she is blaming everything on Aphrodite, and this may show that she can’t take any responsibility when questioned. The Sirens are simple creatures that lure men to their death with their song. They are pretty faces with horrible intentions, and they are there to kill passerbys. These characters are a few examples among the many female leads in The Odyssey. A majority of the women in the poem are not idealistic, but a fair number of them could be ideal compared to