Essay on Women in The Odyssey - 702 Words

Women in The Odyssey In The Odyssey the main character, Odysseus, meets and entertains an impressive array of women. All of the women that he meets are very different and have different personalities and Homer clearly states his attitude towards each of the women. Some of the women are seen as essentially good or essentially bad. It is also clear that Homer adopts a sexist attitude towards the women in his novel. In The Odyssey women are generally portrayed as manipulative and deceitful and Homer is a sexist who holds a double standard of morality for men and for women. There is one thing that all the women, be they human or god, in The Odyssey have in common: they are all very clever. There are two ways that the†¦show more content†¦This type of behavior suggests that Kalypso does not love Odysseus because she would not let him live even though he wanted to. Kerke is another prime example of the deceitful woman. When Odysseuss men wash up on the shore. She lures them into her home by signing in an enchanting voice and gave them thrones to sit on and honey to eat. But as soon as they turn their backs Kerke adding her own vile pinch (Page X, 260), turns them all into pigs. The one man that stayed behind, Eurylokhos, says I saw cruel deceit (X, 285) when he finds out that this evil she-witch has turned perfectly good men into pigs. But Odysseus is much to clever to be tricked by this goddess and he eats a plant that allows him to resist the poison of Kerke. Once Kerke realizes that Odysseus has found her out she cowers under the sword of such a strong man but does not just turn Odysseuss men back into men. Instead she offers sex to Odysseus which is, of course, the typical seductive tactic of the woman. After Odysseus sleep with her he then forces her to turn his men back into men and after a year he leaves. Homer holds a double standard for the morality of men and women. In the beginning of the book there is a story about a king named Agamemnon. While Agamemnon was away Aigisthos stole Agamemnons wife and killed then killed him. But when Agamemnons son, Orestes, came of age he killed Aigithos and his mother. Zeus says Now he [Aigisthos] has paidShow MoreRelatedWomen in the Odyssey1646 Words   |  7 PagesWomen form an important part of each society, however their role and importance to its function are often times overlooked. Society is/was organized and directed by men. All of the most important positions and purposes within it`s routine were filled by males. This societal organization is often times reflected in many pieces of literature of various time periods, however there are texts in which contrary to the patriarchal society models, women are given substantial importance within the plot. Homer`sRead MoreThe Odyssey : The Role Of Women In Homers Odyssey966 Words   |  4 Pagesinteractions. 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Woman characters were valued but the only participated in affairs when they had the permission of men. The men, for the most part, directed the womens lives. The themes used in literature were on the subjects that men would be interested in; combat; warriors, and rulers. Domestic affairs, for the most part, were not noted. There is a immense contrast between the Odyssey and other epic poetry of the period. There are several women cha racters in