LITERAL ANALYSIS
Both The Odyssey and Paradise Lost provide their readers with an excess of complex characters to uncover and explore. As the stories unravel, one is able to look deeper into the characters and their nature, having influence and being influenced by the portrayal of gender. While no one can argue that different individuals will inevitably act and feel differently–especially males and females, particularly in classical literature–there are also many underlying parallels, with there being a semblance to the standard image of gender and the characteristics that come about as a result.
Analysis of the Male Characters:
Both Paradise Lost and The Odyssey present classical characters that define the male standard. As two of the greatest
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As a character that–to many–represented Greek mores, Odysseus expresses the traditional male values of his time, through both his nature and his actions. His prowess in battle evokes respect from both the readers and those around him, as seen in his final confrontation with his wife’s suitors. However, Odysseus is admired and well known even more so for his wit and intelligence; his mental capabilities are used more often than his physical ones to get him out of difficulties, such as his crew’s encounter with the cyclops. He is seen to be a “[great] figure–one who can endure without despair even the disfavor of the gods and can by strength of will and the guidance of reason eventually triumph against unbelievable odds” (The Study Club: Odysseus as a Hero). As such, The Odyssey sees him as someone who is able to perfectly balance brains and …show more content…
As the women from both epics fall into their respective roles, the female characters in these stories take into consideration the gender roles of their time period, and from that, their personalities are developed to display the standards of that