The Demeaning Role Of Women In Homers The Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of two poems written by Homer describing the drama of the Trojan War, more specifically, the catastrophic journey of the hero Odysseus back home. Throughout the tales, female characters exhibit the many and diverse roles of Greek women, and also their significance in a world dominated by immortal beings. Like countless others, the goddess Calypso’s beauty and elegance could be the cause of circumstances both good and evil. Calypso is remembered most for keeping Odysseus as a prisoner for seven years still, she is often contrasted, even compared to the goddess Circe, who aided Odysseus after he defeated her. Beginning in book 5 of the Odyssey, the poet, Homer, presents Calypso as a seductive yet treacherous goddess;†¦show more content†¦The first introduction of Calypso is in book 5 of the Odyssey. According to Homer, Calypso has been keeping Odysseus prisoner on her island, Ogygia, for seven years. Calypso captivated Odysseus with her radiant smi le and beauty, and they have sex together, although Odysseus soon comes to wish for his circumstances to change. Homer introduces the hero to us in a less than heroic fashion. While suffering from feelings of loneliness, confusion, and despair, we first see the hero sulking on a beach. He can no longer bear being separated from his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, and he can no longer bear to be with the possessive goddess who has kept him all these years. For years, Odysseus has lived in Ogygia, an enchanted land of marvelous beauty, yet Odysseus longs to leave Calypso for the world of his home. â€Å"She found him sitting where the breakers rolled in. His eyes were perpetually wet with tears now. His life draining away in homesickness. The nymph had long since ceased to please. He still slept with her at night in her cavern, An unwilling lover mated to her eager embrace. Days he spent sitting on the rocks by the breakers, Staring out to sea with hollow, salt-rimmed eyes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (5.150-157) Later in the story, Homer introduces readers to another beautiful goddess Odysseus had relations with. The two goddesses who Odysseus extended affairs withShow MoreRelatedThe Changing Roles of Women in Literature from Late 8th Century B.C. to 4th Century A.D.683 Words   |  3 PagesThe Changing Roles of Women in Literature from Late 8th Century B.C. to 4th Century A.D. The changing role of women in literature from the late 8th century B. C. to the 4th century A. D. is evident in that women become even more subservient in later works. This is portrayed in the works The Odyssey by Homer and Sakuntala by Kalidasa. Women are treated more like slaves in Sakuntala, while they are seen more like equals in The Odyssey. However, in Sakuntala, women are given more responsibilitiesRead MoreLeda And The Swan Poem Analysis1260 Words   |  6 Pagesschemed phrasings and rhythmic lines piece together enchanting brief stories about the past, present, and future. Enlightening the audience of the mystical tales about Greek gods and goddesses that depict the cynical dehumanization and assault of women, and as well as the scenic mountains of Vermont, where an incident and the death of a young man is symbolic to the constant warfare that the soldiers endure daily. Likewise, allusion in the poems â€Å"Leda and the Swanâ€Å" by W. B. Yeats, â€Å"Out, Out---† byRead MoreThemes Of Penelope s Heroism1892 Words   |  8 Pagesan extension of Homer s The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, the descriptions of the women and their lives is written from a masculine perspective, and does not relay the true depth of the female characters role, especially not Penelope. The Penelopaid however, tells the story from the perspective of Penelope deep within the dark halls of Hades. The Penelopaid highlights the disparities in freedom of movement, respect, thought and action between the lives of men and women in ancient Greece, but Atwood