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The role of women in the odyssey
The role of women in the odyssey
Penelope story from the odyssey
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More handpicked essays just for you.
The role of women in the odyssey
The role of women in the odyssey
Penelope story from the odyssey
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Is Penelope powerful,weak, or just complicated? In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope is a character that is cast to the side as a grieving wife, but she is much more than that. Penelope is a strong character because she’s wise and thoughtful in her actions, and she has an unbreakable will.
The Loyal Penelope Loyalty is a trait for those who desire morality in their character. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, there are many examples of loyalty demonstrated through Penelope. The women in Greek culture aspire to always be loyal. Loyalty was one of the most valued traits in women of Ancient Greece, and Penelope in The Odyssey provides several examples of this.
In the book of The Odyssey Odysseus remained loyal to the idea of being back home with Penelope which differs from Penelope remaining loyal to their marriage. The Odyssey follows Odysseus' heroic journey back home to his people and wife. Odysseus faces lots of distractions along the way one being held back a year at Circe's island. You might be thinking, “But how dare he stay day and night with a woman when his wife has been nothing but loyal!”, and yes do believe I said the same. In book 10 lines 186-192, Odysseus said, “They made me feel a pang, and I agreed…to Circe's flawless bed and took the goddess knees in supplication..
While Odysseus is disguised as a beggar, Penelope descends the staircase to present herself to the suitors in an alluring manner. Penelope’s actions towards the suitors are bizarre, for having scorned them for so long, the sudden act of eliciting gifts and stares appears vastly out of character. While Athena had casted a spell over Penelope’s beauty, Penelope herself casts a spell over the suitors for them to pay heed to her words, drawing a parallel to Athena’s cunning wisdom. Like her dream of an eagle slaughtering her beloved geese, Penelope’s actions suggest ambivalence towards the suitors that contradicts her trope of “the faithful wife”. Penelope, although loyal, has conflicting thoughts about the state of her husband’s absence and
Yet, her manipulation is inspired by her loyalty to Odysseus and to the keeping of his household. Loyalty, as previously mentioned, is one of the most admired virtues in Homeric times. Not only is she expressing her loyalty, but Odysseus admires her trick himself. He “glowed with joy” when he finds out about it, further proving that what she does is
One of the challenges Penelope encounters is not knowing when or if Odysseus is going to return home. Ten years after leaving for Troy all the men from other kingdoms return except for Odysseus and his men. Penelope has no idea why Odysseus has yet to return and can only assume the worst. As the years pass by there is still no sign of Odysseus and his men. Penelope needs to deal with the suitors and take care of the people who live in Ithaca.
Yes, Penelope struggles greatly with a very important decision throughout the course of the story. In the background of the main plot, Penelope struggles with a very important decision throughout the time Odysseus remains lost at sea. After many years without Odysseus’ return, the prospect of a new marriage inclines itself onto Penelope. The sons of the noblest families come to live with Penelope in order to court her for marriage.
"The Odyssey," an epic poem attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, stands as a timeless testament to human resilience, adventure, and the intricate web of relationships that shape our lives. Within its verses, the role of women emerges as a complex and multifaceted aspect of the narrative, offering insights into the societal norms and values of the time, as well as the agency and influence wielded by female characters. Despite living in a patriarchal society, women in "The Odyssey" play pivotal roles, shaping the trajectory of events and embodying a spectrum of virtues and vices. At the forefront of the narrative is Penelope, the faithful wife of Odysseus, who epitomizes the enduring strength and resilience of women. Throughout the long years of Odysseus' absence, Penelope faces the relentless pressure of suitors vying for her hand in marriage, yet she remains steadfast in her fidelity and devotion to her absent husband.
The first conversation between Penelope and Odysseus begins with Odysseus still disguised as a beggar. He told Eumaeus in book fourteen that he had heard word of Odysseus coming home soon with mass amounts of treasure in tow (pg 454, line 350, book 14). The swineherd refuses to believe him, but Penelope has been said to be listening to every wanderer who claims to have seen him in their travels (pg 450, line 141, book 14). Like with the others, Penelope meets with him herself, desperate for any word of her long lost husband. She admits to this so-called stranger that she can no longer “escape marriage,” further proving her loyalty to her husband (pg 515, line 170, book 19).
The epic poem The Odyssey was written and narrated by Homer. Odysseus exploits on a 20 year voyage to Troy, where he is away from his wife Penelope and son Telemachus for all that time. In these 20 years, Penelope adapts to being without Odysseus, and advances to being the head of the house in Odysseus’ absence. In The Odyssey, women are portrayed as weak and unintelligent, they are only there for the man’s pleasure. After examining the three female characters in The Odyssey, Penelope demonstrates characteristics through her actions, words, and thoughts that she holds the most power.
In Homer’s Poem, The Odyssey, Penelope is the exceptionally patient and clever spouse of the infamous hero, Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. One poignant factor of Penelope’s character is her patience and devotion which is displayed throughout the poem. With her husband absent for a great majority of her life for the later of twenty years and his location unknown, Penelope stays, patiently awaiting Odysseus’ return, all whilst preserving their estate and raising her son by herself. Throughout this time, she had many persistent suitors in pursuit of her, abusing her husband’s absence.
In an epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus struggles to come back home while his wife, Penelope, faces barbarous suitors who plague her house to court her for the marriage in order to claim the kingship of Ithaca. With an absence of the man of the household and a son who is not old enough to rule over the country and handle the domestic complications, Penelope endeavors to keep the household orderly and civilized. In order to prevent further chaos in the household, Penelope maintains her role as the Queen of Ithaca and Odysseus’s wife through her loyalty and cunning. For a woman who does not know when her man will return home, Penelope is extremely strong to keep hope and wait for her husband; thus, her unwavering loyalty to her husband
However, these contrasts between their personal thinking built most of valuable points in Odysseus' epic journey, and making a more intense story. To some extent, these women are not foolish at all because at least they are successful at leading people to believe that waiting is meaningful. The whole story happened during the dark centuries of women in Greece, when their value was limited behind men. However The “Odyssey” gives an opportunity to horror their role, also rejecting all erroneous preconceptions about the woman. Penelope -- a typical woman who represents for an image of a devoted wife, a mother of family and she is also an image of how women was treated at Greece.
The impoverished people in Brazil are battling growing rates in obesity; however, even the obese population in Brazil are fighting undernutrition. On the other side of the world, Asia’s obesity rates are dramatically increasing because of social media and nutrition transition. The poverty-stricken citizens of Brazil have gone from underweight to obese due to the lack of healthy options. Asian countries have gone from consuming unprocessed foods to processed foods. The main cause of consumption is nutrition transition and social media.
World Literature Paper – Role of Athena and Penelope in The Odyssey Homer’s, The Odyssey is an epic which was written many years ago. At that time, in Ancient Greek society, the dominant role was played by men and the women were considered and given an inferior position. But The Odyssey was often considered a women’s epic because women played an important role. Women in The Odyssey are portrayed as powerful, wise and controlling because they ensure that the illusion of male success will go on - they speak as men through women.