Powerful Women In Homer's The Odyssey

In Homer’s The Odyssey, an epic hero named Odysseus goes through a 10-year journey to return home to his wife and son after the Trojan War. Throughout his journey, he encounters various women that affect his voyage one way or another. These women are classified as either mortal or immortal, and are portrayed as powerful goddesses, loyal wives, and enchanting seductresses. Athena is the best example of a powerful goddess in the poem. She is goddess of war, wisdom, and cleverness, and she gives instructions and magical protection to Odysseus Throughout his voyage. She defends Odysseys in Olympus, and helps him escape some obstacles in his journey. For example, he got Hermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus free after seven years of being held captive in her island, as orders from the gods. She sets him free to continue his journey to Ithaca. Athena is shown to be the most powerful and influential women in The Odyssey, she has power over all mortals, and ways of persuading the Gods to help Odysseus. She’s more dominant than

Circe is one of the main seductresses in the poem. She brought in half of Odysseus’ men and turned them into pigs with her wine. When Odysseus was unaffected by her magic, because of the plant that Hermes gave him, she immediately fell in love with Odysseus and he became her lover. Odysseus and his men stay in her island for a year before heading to the underworld. Calypso is another seductress in The Odyssey. She welcomes Odysseus to her home, the island Ogygia, and she keeps him under a trance for seven years as her lover. Calypso promises immortality to Odysseus if he stays in her island, and she refuses to let him go back home, only when Hermes comes and says to let him free as ordered from the Gods (“Calypso and Odysseus”). Both Calypso and Circe are obstacles in Odysseus’ journey, and for similar reasons. They are merely seen as objects and serve no other purpose than tricking Odysseus and becoming his