Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, The Sirens...women are important to the telling of Odysseus' ancient tale. What kinds of roles do women play in The Odyssey? Which females hold the most power AND why?
Remember to include at least one concrete detail in your 200-300 word response.
Your second response must be posted by July 28, 2009. There is an error on the assignment sheet. Your second prompt is NOT due on July 21.
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Jauwan Thomas
ReplyDeleteThe roles of the women in the tale of Odysseus is different between them such as Calypso which starts off the whole part of the story because of her Odysseus is trapped with her and thus makes it impossibile for him to go home which causes men to come into his home and try to win his wife Penelope who is mourning because she does not know where her husband is. Also because of Calypso Telemachos is off to find of news about whether his father is alive or dead because he does not know because as stated before it is Calypso's fault. And Athena's role in the tale was mostly was try to help Odysseus get home because she felt that he being stuck on that island was not right.Also Athena's role was to help Telemachos find his father without her actually telling him he was alive also her role was to help both Telemachos and Odysseus in the end and make sure they got what they wanted in the end. Penelope role was to make Odysseus will to return even stronger because on of the main reasons he wanted to go home was because of his family because he loved her and she kept the story going because if she did not resist the men in her house the story would be over quicker and Odysseus would not have a place to return to. Circe role was to mainly point and help Odysseus in the right direction home and give him intsruction like when in the tale she tells him to go to the kingdom of the dead and speak to Theban Teiresias so he knew how to get home and what to do once he got there. The Sirens role was to mainly stop Odysseus from getting home and to lure him to his death but he resisted with the help of his men. Furthermore, the females which had the most power in the tale were Athena and Penelope because even though women like Circe and Nausicaa helped him Athena and Penelope had the most power of all. And this is because for one Athena helped Odysseus get home and helped him and his son defeat the men who fouled his household and cleared his name when the people set out to kill him after they heard what he did to those men in his house. And Athena had the most power because she helped Telemachos on his journey and not to be killed when the men who fouled his house wanted to kill him and gave him hope also and gave Odysseus hope also. Then Penelope had the most power because even though she was not a goddess she still made the will of Odysseus and Telemachos stronger so they can find each other and win their house back so her and the power of love between the family made it possible for Odysseus to return home and her sorrow of his dissaperance gave Telemachos the strength to go find his father. In conlusion,mostly all the women of Odysseus tale had a role in it which overall helped Odysseus return home and helped Telechamos be a man and look for his father and hold up the household in his fathers absence so the women in this tale have much to be credited for especially Athena and Penelope in this tale.
In The Odyssey, by Homer, the role of women in the story they play is the stereotypical role of staying home and cleaning up after their families, and taking care of the children, some of the women are maids for some of the wealthier families. For Example, Penelope says, “My dear guest, no one so discreet as you has ever come to my house of all visitors who have come from foreign lands. All that you say is right and true, and could not be better. I have an old nurse, a worthy sensible woman, who nursed that unhappy man and dandled him in her arms as a baby, indeed she took him from his mother when he was born! She shall wash your feet, although there’s little strength left in her hands. Come here Eurycleia! Get up you clever old dear and wash your masters years mate! (220).” This quote shows two sides. It shows how Penelope is a powerful women but she is also very thoughtful, and generous. It also shows how Eurycleia, the nurse, listens to Penelope and takes care of things for her and others. Throughout the story some women hold more power than others, like Penelope, she has servants such as Eurynome and Eurcleia. Some other powerful women are gods such as Calypso, who managed to keep Odysseus on her land for seven years. Circe, who transformed Odysseus’s men into beasts, and Athena who is very wise and can transform herself into anything she wants. Basically the mortal women play typical roles and the immortal women hold much more power.
ReplyDeleteJackie Cullen
In the book, The Odyssey, feminism is a very strong and powerful factor in the story. Unlike the women in ancient Greece who are treated like dirt and are inferior to men in their culture, The Odyssey has made out women to be the leaders, and most powerful beings in this novel, much so because they have many times in the story controlled or tricked men. There are three roles that women in The Odyssey play. First, the role of the helper or guide, who aids men and leads them to where or whatever they need. For example, one of the helpers to Odysseus was Nausicaa, for she saved him when he required it most, “If only Zeus Thunderer will grant me once more to see my home and my native land, then be sure I will ever remember you in my prayers, for you gave me life, dear girl” (Homer 97). Also, Athena was the guide for both Odysseus and Telemachos throughout the novel, especially when she pleaded with her father, Zeus, to grant Odysseus his freedom from that dreadful Island of Ogygia, “If all the gods now agree that Odysseus shall return to his own home, then let us dispatch our messenger Hermes Argeiphontes to the Island of Ogygia” (Homer 13). Secondly, occurring quite often in the Odyssey, is the role of the temptress, one who leads men to their death, attempting to sway them to follow her will. There are many seductresses in this story such as Circe whose powers of enticement tricked Odysseu’s men into feasting upon her enchanted banquet, which turned all of them into pigs except for Odysseus; the Sirens whose singing lures men into the depths of the ocean to face their death; Queen Clytaimnestra who committed adultery with a man named Aigisthos while waiting for her husband Agamemnon to return home from war and once he came back from battle, she and Aigisthos murdered Agamemnon; and most of all Calypso, the nymph, who sought to win Odysseu’s heart to make him immortal and forced him to remain on her Island of Ogygia without the hope that he would ever see his family again, “There I remained seven long years on end, and the imperishable clothes which Calypso gave me were always wet with my tears” (Homer 86). Thirdly, the role of the clever, loyal, and honorable woman, partly played by Athena, who due to her wisdom and intelligence used her disguises and craftiness to guide Odysseus and Telemachos in the right direction, away from harm.. Most of all Penelope, wife of Odysseus, is the most clever and loyal of any wife in the novel, The Odyssey, because for all those years that Odysseus was away she never gave in to the suitors. To elaborate on Penelope’s intelligence even more, she came up with this scheme to convince the suitors that since Odysseus is dead, she must spin a shroud for his father Laertes, “There she was all day long, working away at the great web; but at night she used to unravel it by torchlight” (Homer 25). Plus, even with the cleverness to pull off that scheme (until the suitors found out) she still was just as cautious and cunning to demand the winner of the bow and arrow challenge to answer the one question that only Odysseus would know, regarding the origin of their bed. In conclusion, the most powerful of all the women in the Odyssey, I believe, is Athena, not only that she is a goddess, but because she had the most effect on anyone in this novel, especially Odysseus and Telemachos. Even with all her forms, Athena had the power and wisdom to guide Telemachos and Odysseus, speak to Nausicaa in her dreams, change forms to provide assistance to those who needed it, and even convince Zeus to send the messenger Hermes. Without Athena or her great power, the whole story would have been drastically changed.
ReplyDelete~Erika Scholle~
In the Odyssey, I think that most of the women play maids or helpers for their husbands and all the men around them. They are also there to supervise the other women around them and make sure that everything is going in order. They are there to honor their husbands and also there to help them and support them whenever it is necessary. They might not have as much respect as the men in the book but they are very much needed for love, protection and also as a second brother or mother to their spouse or family. They try their best to answer to all the needs of the men around them and make sure they are comfortable and receive all the necessary requests. To me, I think that the Greek goddess holds the most power and they are feared more than just the maids. I also believe that the wives of all the brave men also hold the most power. The Greek goddesses hold a lot of power because of how the men and women see them. They know that the Gods also have a temper and they have the will to use their powers in a good or bad way. They also know that they wouldn’t like to get on their bad sides. For example, trident became angry with Odysseus and that was mainly the reason why it was difficult for him to return back to his home: Ithaca. This is what I believe.
ReplyDeleteBlessing Kuebee
All the women in The Odyssey, by Homer and translated by W.H.D. Rouse, are important. They help the male characters find their way through many of their obstacles. Now this is not to mean that the women are the reason the men are able to overcome their obstacles. This simple means that through many of their obstacles, the women help many of the men in ways that lead to the men’s success. From what I have read thus far, the three most important women seem to be Calypso, Athena, and Penelope. Calypso is important because she is the main reason everything is happening. Calypso is the reason Odysseus’s son has left his mother and native land to search for his father; and Calypso is the reason that Athena is down on earth, helping Odysseus get home and helping Telemachos find his father. If The Odyssey were a Ferris wheel, Calypso would be like the worker turning the Ferris wheel on. Staying with the Ferris wheel metaphor, Athena would be the hub of the Ferris wheel. She is what keeps everything and everyone from falling apart. She helps Odysseus when Poseidon tries to kill him (71, Book V), for example. Athena is the one who convinced Telemachos to stand up to his mother’s suitors and tell them to leave. She is also the one who convinced Telemachos to go look for his father. Athena is helping Odysseus and Telemachos find their way through their journeys and she is very important to the story. Penelope is very important too because she is kind of what is driving Odysseus to come home. Penelope, in the Ferris wheel idea, would be like the motor—she keeps everything going without even trying. Odysseus really wants to go home and see his native land and be reunited with his wife. Penelope is what keeps him going when he remembers all the bad things that are happening, and have happened, to him. Penelope is also one of the reasons that Telemachos goes to look for his father. Telemachos wants to bring his father home so that the suitors will stop harassing Penelope. So Penelope is partially the inspiration for Telemachos to find his father and she is one of the many inspirations for Odysseus to find his way home. Therefore, it is believed that the three most important women mentioned thus far in my reading are Calypso, Athena, and Penelope.
ReplyDelete~Meagan Tucker
Women play a major role in telling the story of Odysseus’ journey. Some of the most important women in The Odyssey are Athena, Penelope, and Calypso. Women are important in the story because they play very demanding roles. Penelope plays a major role of being Odysseus’ wife. While Odysseus is gone, Penelope has to fight off the suitors in the story, “she has been deluding the wits of a whole nation. Hopes for all, promises for every man by special messenger and what she means is quite different” (Homer 24). Athena, in my opinion, is the most controlling and demanding woman in The Odyssey. I think this because she is the daughter of Zeus, who is a very important God. She is also very smart and the Goddess of Wisdom. Athena tends to speak up very often for Telemachus. Athena also has a disguise, Mentor and she helps people and gives them advice which is very important. An example of Athena helping someone is when she sends Telemachus off to Pylos in search of evidence about his father, Odysseus. Telemachus wants to know if his father is alive or dead and if he is dead, he wants to know how he died and such. Athena is the one for Telemachus to turn to for advice.
ReplyDeleteThe roles of the women in The Odyssey are different depending on whom you are talking about. Athena, for example, is a goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, and heroic endeavor. Penelope, on the other hand, is Odysseus wife and the lady of Ithaca. She controlled, along side with her son Telemachus, Ithaca when Odysseus was gone on his 20-year journey. Eurykleia is a servant in the house. She assists Penelope whenever Penelope needs a favor, “…she called to the housewife…‘Eurykleia, fetch a chair and lay a rug on it for the stranger’…the housewife hurried off…” (Book 19 page 215). Just by saying the roles of these women, a person can imply that the goddesses hold the most power during The Odyssey and the handmaidens have the least power. During The Odyssey, the goddesses have the most power because the mortals pray for the well being of their lives and the safety of their journeys. Calypso, for example, is another goddess who is known for her beauty and charm. She held Odysseus captive for seven years on her island of Ogygia (book 5 page 62). By holding Odysseus captive on the island, shows the read the power that the gods have over the mortals. In general, during the book, The Odyssey, the immortals have the most power out of all the women. The goddesses can control the way of the humans’ lives and can also aid in the help of problems that the mortals are having.
ReplyDeletePaul Marler
ReplyDeleteThe roles of women in The Story of Odysseus by Homer that is translated by W.H.D. Rouse are similar with immortal women like Calypso who wants to protect Odysseus from the wrath of the god Poseidon but can no longer be the protector when the King’s Messenger Argeiphontes brings a message from Zeus to release Odysseus immediately. Building a raft Odysseus goes to Phaecian country where he beholds a woman named Nausicaa after being awakened in the middle of a ball game by the will of Athena. The role Nausicaa plays is a passionate role that wants to help a stranger. Also, she plays the role of telling to Odysseus that “happiness is something which Olympian Zeus above allots to men, whether good or bad, to each according to his will. Your fortune is what he has given you, and you must endure it in any case” (6, 77). Finally, Athena and Circe are the most important women in the tale of Odysseus between immortals and mortals alike. Athena was important for the very reason she comes in disguise as a mortal to get Odysseus a warm welcome to the Phaecians. She also comes in disguise to Telemachos to be a mentor in taking him through the journey of bringing his father home to Ithaca. Circe, though she did an evil thing against Odysseus and his men repays it through the debt of getting him back home to Ithaca by first going to Hades to get some tidings of men he never knew the fates of. Then, he goes through the land of the Sirens to brave yet another danger and peril and learns the lesson of being thankful he is alive from the perils and dangers of Circe doing an evil thing against his men and by surviving the land of the Sirens. In summation, by looking at the similar roles of the immortal women in The Odyssey one can make the conclusion that Athena is the most important mentor in disguise to help Telemachos bring his father in alive to Ithaca and to help Odysseus get a nice welcome from the Phaecians and Circe has the most role of giving instructions to Odysseus to finally get home.
The role of women in The Odyssey is common in that they portray the role of staying home, taking care of the men, cleaning the house, and so on. The women also portray an important role in the story where they assist the men on their journeys and help them find their way. For example, when Odysseus wanted to leave the land of Circe she helped make his trip safer,”The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage” (book 11 page 133). This demonstrates that the women represent an important role in the story and without them the men and other travelers would not always find their way on their journeys. The character Athena is also an important example of how the women in The Odyssey help the men on their travels. For example, Athena gives Telemachos courage to step up and get information on his father’s whereabouts, “Telemachos now plucked up courage; for Athena herself gave him the courage to ask about his father’s delay, that he might show he knew how to behave in society” (Book 3 page 29). This shows that without Athena, Telemachos may not have gotten any courage to continue his journey to find his father without her help. In conclusion, the women of The Odyssey portray the role of everyday women taking care of their house and men but they also represent an important factor for the men’s travels and helping them get to where they need to go.
ReplyDeleteGabrielle Wibbenmeyer
Women play many roles in The Odyssey, Calypso captures Odysseus and keeps him to try and make him her husband. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife is his main reason for trying to get home. Athena’s role is to guide Odysseus home to his wife and family, and Circe’s role is to sidetrack Odysseus and make him get home later. The females that hold the most power are Athena and Calypso; they both have this power because of how they were born. Calypso and Athena are both immortal and have power over mortal beings. Calypso keeps Odysseus from his home for seven years, and he is unable to overpower her. Athena; however, has more power than Calypso because of her birth. She is the daughter of Zeus, and she convinces the other gods to have Calypso let Odysseus go free. Athena also has power because she is smart; being the goddess of knowledge she can outwit Calypso to save Odysseus and prevent him from finding too much trouble on his way home. Penelope has little power, because she doesn’t assert herself, she does not stand up to all the suitors, and if she would just say that she doesn’t want to remarry than they would leave. Women in The Odyssey have power because of their birth, the actions they take, and how smart they are.
ReplyDeleteThere are many women in Homer’s telling of the story The Odyssey, and rightfully so, because the themes of hospitality and generosity are characterization of women. Some of the more famous women of The Odyssey are Calypso, Penelope, Circe, and Athena. Calypso is the reason Odysseus is not able to return home, for she has fallen in love with him and refuses to let him go home. Calypso also held Odysseus on her island, as she wished to protect him from Poseidon, because Poseidon was very vengeful towards Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Penelope was Odysseus’ wife before he left to go fight in the ten year siege of Troy in the Trojan War. They had one child, Telemachus, who 20 years later fought off over 100 suitors to his mother in Odysseus’ absence. Penelope is often associated with faithfulness, due to her two decade wait for her long-lost husband. Circe is a nymph who lived on the island of Aeaea, where Odysseus and his crew stayed for approximately a year. The nymph turned a part of his crew into swine, by feeding them wine and cheese with a poison in it. Circe then fell in love with Odysseus, and eventually turned his crew back into human. Circe helped Odysseus’ lost crew by giving them directions back to Ithaca. Athena is very important in the story, as she is the goddess of wisdom, peace, and reason. She is also important because she believes that Odysseus has been through enough struggles, and persuades Zeus that “Odysseus shall return to his home” (Book I, Page 3). She also watches over Odysseus and his family at home, and guides him and Telemachus in the right direction.
ReplyDelete~Matt Hindrichs~
All of the women in the Odyssey have different roles to help the other characters. For example, Calypso, beautiful but evil goddess, keeps Odysseus for seven years on her island, never letting him leave. She wants to marry him, but cannot make him truly happy; all he wants is to go home to his family in Ithaca . Calypso releases Odysseus at Zeus’s command. Another goddess whom Odysseus and his men meet at an island on their travels home is Circe. At first, she turns some of the crew into animals, but reverses the spell and becomes the lover of Odysseus while they stay a year. She helps them on their way and gives them great advice when they depart.
ReplyDeleteAnother woman in the story is Penelope, Odysseus’s faithful wife, who still loves and waits patiently for Odysseus to return. She rejects rude suitors who throw themselves upon her; she stands strong and waits for Odysseus. The Sirens have beautiful voices and songs and flowery meadows; they attract travelers on passing ships and make them never want to leave once their voices are heard. Odysseus and his men encounter the Sirens and “plugged up the ears of all the men one after another.” (Book 12, Pg 153)
Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the arts, helps Odysseus and Telemachos on their journeys. Athena helps Odysseus when he returns to Ithaca and helps Telemachos when he goes to find out information about Odysseus. Athena tells Telemachos to “go and find out about your father and why he is so long away.” (Book 1, Pg 10) Calypso and Circe are physically attracted to Odysseus, Athena instead helps him. Out of all the women, Athena has the most power in what happens because she helps the characters in different situations, Odysseus and Telemachos especially.
~Anna Otto~
Joseph DuBois
ReplyDeletePenelope, the wife of Odysseus, is the first woman to come to mind. She is the center of the entire book. Odysseus is trying to get back Ithaca to be reunited with her. He is forced to overcome a magnitude of hardships just to get to Ithaca, only to find her numerous suitors acting as one final hurdle for him.
The next most obvious woman of importance is Athena, due to the fact that she acts as Odysseus’s guardian. She has multiple roles, all of which are meant to aid Odysseus in his return home and she is capable of doing this because she is a goddess. She is the one who persuades the other gods to force Calypso to let Odysseus go home at the very beginning. She convinces Telemachos to go find out what happened to his father. She is the one who makes Nausicaä go to the river to wash clothes, so the Nausicaä can meet Odysseus. She disguises Odysseus so that he can observe his household in secret. She is there when Odysseus and his son are ridding their house of the young men. Athena has a reoccurring importance in the Odyssey.
Circe the witch also plays a major role. She is one of the few obstacles Odysseus faces, since she turns his crew into pigs. However, after Hermes tells Odysseus how to defeat her trickery, she becomes very useful. She helps them prevail over several other obstacles, such as the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.
Nausicaä, the daughter of Alcinoös, and Arêtê, her mother, both have important roles because they are the ones who convinced Alcinoös, king of the seafaring Phaiacia, to give Odysseus tribute and a safe passage to Ithaca.
These are just a few of the women who helped Odysseus throughout the Odyssey.
Homer’s “The Odyssey” focus’s mainly on Odysseus and his men, but women also play key roles in his journey. Without people like Penelope, Calypso, Circe, Athena, and others, the reader would be lost. These women, as well as others in “The Odyssey” are distinguished as loyal and over-hospitable. These can be viewed either as positive or negative qualities. For example, Odysseus was “kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso…who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1 Page 4). Calypso was kind in keeping Odysseus safe from Poseidon Earthshaker, but failed to let him go when she saw him missing his wife, Penelope. The point of Odysseus’s whole journey is to get back home to Ithaca and Penelope. While trying to get home, Odysseus gets ample help from the goddess Athena, she being his guide. Athena guides Odysseus out of Calypso’s island and helps him appeal to King Alcinoos. “Athenaia daughter of Zeus made him taller and stronger to look at, and gave a crop of bushy hair, like a cluster of hyacinth flowers” (Book 6 Page 80). Only immortal women have this kind of power. Athena and Calypso are the most powerful women so far, being goddesses and immortal. However, Athena is more powerful than Calypso because she is the daughter of Zeus. The mortal women help Odysseus in other ways, such as giving him clothing, food, and shelter. The nymph Circe helps Odysseus by giving him a bag of the winds to help him get back to Ithaca. While women are not the focus point of “The Odyssey”, they are still essential to the story.
ReplyDelete-Jonathan Mueller
In Homer’s The Odyssey, female characters possess qualities that affect the adventurers of Odysseus’ journey. In this way, women are important to the telling of the ancient tale.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Homer’s story, female characters use their roles to influence Odysseus. For example, Calypso, goddess of Ogygia, has trapped Odysseus on her island. For years, Calypso tries to lure Odysseus into being her husband through beauty and charm. But her tempting works cannot overcome strong-willed Odysseus who anticipates abode. Also, Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, has long awaited her husband’s return. The woman has not seen him in years, yet she has the dignity to refrain from the suitors “who want to marry my mother [Penelope]” (Homer 16). In addition, a beautiful goddess, Circe, is a master of deception. Not only does she drug men to turn them into animals, but also she attempts to “unman…[Odysseus] and make” him “a weakling” in her bed (Homer 119). In The Odyssey, several women have roles, which either help Odysseus through loyalty, or damage his journey’s progress through temptation.
Women of power have one thing in common: the will of man. First, Odysseus observes “the Sirens, who bewitch everyone who comes near them” with their “melodious song” (Homer 138). Unlike forceful goddesses, the Sirens are powerful because men are not resistive towards them; rather, the Sirens’ beautiful voices cause men to desire their song. In addition, Athena holds the most power because of her amorous nature. Athena’s wise guidance, like that of a mother, draws the respect and trust of men who keenly follow her direction. Of the female characters, Athena and the Sirens hold the most power.
Throughout the Odyssey, women hold important roles that influence other characters. Some of these women have more power than others, which is gained by the motivation of man.
--Sarah Crudden
Woman play an important roll in Homer's story, The Odyssey. They are powerful and demanding. Some of the women in the story with the most power are Penelope, Calypso, and Athena. These women are most important because they play a more powerful roll. Penelope is Odysseus' wife. While her husband is out at war in Troy, she raises their son and for 20 years, keeps control of her house from the suitors who want to marry her. Penelope is strong because she stays true to her husband and does not give in to the suitors' tactics. Another powerful woman in the Odyssey is Calypso. Calypso is a witch who lives on an island far off at sea. She is known for her beauty and is "one of the great family of gods." Calypso keeps Odysseus prisoner for a long period of time because she wants him a her husband. She made life like paradise for Odysseus in an effort to persuade him to forget about Penelope and accept life with her enternity. This shows Calypso is a very powerful woman because she was successful in keeping Odysseus on her island. Athena, daughter of Zeus and Goddess of Wisdom, is probably the most powerful woman in The Odyssey. She guides Telemachos, Odysseus' son, on his journey to discover if his father is dead or alive. She also protects him and gives him advice while she is in disguise as Mentor, an old man of Ithaca. Women play a strong roll in The Odyssey but the most powerful are Penelope, Calypso, and Athena.
ReplyDeleteNina Gallo
Women in The Odyssey are very important because of the impact they have on the men and of the role they play in Odysseus’s journey. In Chapter 13, Odysseus says, “May I return to my home and find my faithful wife and my dear ones safe and sound! May you who remain make happy your own wives and children, and may the gods grant you success of every sort, and may no evil thing befall your people!” Odysseus’s journey has made him very homesick, and the memories of his wife are too hard to bear; Penelopeia is the reason for Odysseus’s desperate return. Odysseus knows what it is like to miss his family, and he wants to be able to make his own family happy, so he asks his hosts to do the same with their wife and children. In Chapter 12, Odysseus explains to his crew, “First you will come to the Sirens, who bewitch everyone who comes near them. If any man draws near in his innocence and listens to their voice, he never sees home again, never again will wife and little children run to greet him with joy; but the Sirens bewitch him with their melodious song.” The female Sirens have a lot of power over any man; they are considered dangerous enough to take a man away from his wife and make him comfortable with a woman he just met, all because of her voice. Odysseus displays his love for Penelopeia and Telemachos during this direction by protecting himself and the other men from those who would further remove him from his family. In conclusion, the women of The Odyssey have the power to bring men across the ocean or away from their families forever.
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey by Homer, the women play very powerful roles. In The Odyssey, the women charm and control the men but also care for them. For example, “He [Odysseus] was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso…who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book I pg 11). Calypso’s role in The Odyssey was a very powerful role, where she held Odysseus captive for very many years, keeping him from his family in Ithaca, but while he was there she took very good care of Odysseus. The most powerful women in The Odyssey, Athena, who makes things happen throughout the entire story, such as convincing Telemachos to go out and search for his father, Odysseus. Most of the time, Athena accomplishes these things through disguise. Penelope is a very exceptional woman among the mortal women. She may seem weak on the outside, but she is very clever. She is able to wait for her husband, Odysseus, to return home, while being bombarded by many annoying suitors, warding them away by making the excuse that she had to weave a burial shroud for Laertes. The role of women in The Odyssey is very unique, because it contrasts with what the role of women was in Greece during the time it was written. Almost every aspect of civilization in ancient Greece was dominated by men. Women held an inferior position in society, the keeper of the house, and to serve men. The women in The Odyssey are powerful, and are very important to helping Odysseus’s return home.
ReplyDelete-Christina Phillips
Homer, the author of “The Odyssey,” focuses his tale on the strong and brave men of the time period, but, the unseen part of the journey is the significant role the women play. Penelope, Circe, and Athena all play essential positions in the story of Odysseus. Penelope is the classic housewife, and one of the key pieces to the story. Odysseus’ main goal is to finally reach Ithaca once again and be with his wife and son, Telemachos. Penelope remains loyal to Odysseus during all of the years that he is absent rejecting rude, barbaric suitors that insist on marrying her, and stays patient for her husband to return home. Athena, the greek goddess of wisdom and peace is the guide of Odysseus and helps him find the way home to Ithaca. Athena first persuades all of the gods of Olympia to let Odysseus return to Ithaca again, she then becomes his protector. “…And you didn’t know Pallas Athenaia the daughter of Zeus himself, your faithful stand-by and guardian in all your labours! And it was I who made the Phaiacians kind to you” (Book 13, page 154). Another very important female in “The Odyssey” is the nymph Circe. Circe is one of the few hardships that Odysseus faces on his way home to Ithaca. She turns his whole crew into swine. Hermes, the god’s messenger soon brings Odysseus the recipe to bring back his crew, and this in turn creates success for Odysseus. Odysseus and his men stayed with Circe for about a year, and she gave Odysseus tips on how to return to home safely including information on how to avoid the sweet singing Sirens. Circe also has a housewife side, “Circe did not fail to learn that we had come back from Hades. She soon came down well provided; the servants brought a load of bread and meat and sparkling red wine” (Book 12, page 138). Circe also provided a comfortable wind to help Odysseus’ vessel sail safely among the waters. Although Circe and Athena are the most powerful women in the tale due to their immortality, every woman in the story plays their own role in bringing Odysseus back to Ithaca.
ReplyDelete-Zach Elmore
Nikki Hacking
ReplyDelete07/26/09
Honors 10 L.A
In ancient tales the males typically hold the most power, and are more predominant than that of the female characters. In Homers “The Odyssey” the female roles are very important to the telling of Odysseus’ tale and ultimately change his fate.The different roles the women have in the novel vary from mortal housewife to goddess of wisdom. For example, Penelope is the wife of Odysseus and the mother of Telemachus. Also there are creatures that try to capture Odysseus such as Calypso and Circe. These creatures are supernatural and play an important role in Odysseus destiny because he is suspended far away from his home and family. In addition, towards the beginning of the novel Athena is the goddess of wisdom. For example, Athena gives Odysseus wisdom when his ship is wrecked and stranded in the ocean next to an island with sharp rocks “Then his skin would have been torn off and all his bones broken, if Athena had not put a thought into his mind” (Homer71). Furthermore, the Sirens are important female roles because they have the possibility to change the course of Odysseus journey by singing their songs persuading him to stay with them.The power that these women hold is substantial to other ancient tales because some have the ability to alter the fate of Odysseus. The most powerful woman in the novel is Athena. Not only is she a goddess, Athena’s opinion is respected by the mortals such as Penelope and Telemachus. In addition, another powerful female in the novel is the Sirens. These supernaturals are important to the novel because their voices are so powerful that they make Odysseus want to stay with them. For example, when Odysseus is passing by the island of the sirens Odysseus says “From the bottom of my heart I longed to listen, and ordered the men to set me free, nodding my head and working my brows” (Homer142). In conclusion, women such as Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and the Sirens have important roles like singer, goddess, or housewife and different from other ancient tales in that the women display power.
In the Odyssey women play various crucial roles. Some of these roles are more important than others. To me Penelope plays one of the most crucial woman roles. Penelope is Odysseus’s wife and if not for her Odysseus would not have much of a reason to come back to Ithaca, because throughout the book Odysseus thinks about his wife. For example, “Does she remain with the boy and keep all safe, or has she already married the best man who offered?” (Book 11, 127). The next most crucial role, in my opinion, would be Calypso. Calypso is the one keeping Odysseus from getting home for such a time. While he wants to get home and see his wife, Calypso wants him to stay and be hers. For example, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1, 11). Athena plays a crucial role because she is keeps Odysseus from dyeing on his journey. While on the completely opposite side the Sirens are trying to kill him. Finally Circe plays an important role in leading Odysseus home; however I do not find this role the most important because she does lead to his crew’s death. Women have just as powerful of a role as men in the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteThe women of the Odyssey play very important roles in the novel. Starting off the novel, the beautiful goddess-nymph Calypso is holding Odysseus captive on her island Ogygia in hopes of marrying the great hero. As a result of his absence, Penelope undergoes major pressure in the process of finding a new suitor. All the men of Ithaca wish for her hand in marriage because that would mean possessing the throne. She has strong belief that her husband is still alive and longs for his return to Ithaca. Circe later explains of the Sirens bewitching power. “If any man draws near in his innocence and listens to their voice, he never sees home again, never again will wife and little children run to greet him with joy; but the Sirens bewitch him with their melodious song” (138). Although the Sirens have their tremendous power in their enchanting song, Athena holds the most power throughout the Odyssey. Her ability to disguise herself as Mentes, an old beggar/family friend, is crucial to Telemachos’ journey to find out the truth about his long loss father. She can not only change the appearance of herself, but also that of humans such as Telemachos. She can provide strength in those who are without it as well as guidance in those who require it.
ReplyDeleteThe role of Women in The Odyssey is to demonstrate the different roles that women play in the lives of men, caretakers, wives, goddesses, and monsters. For example, Odysseus says "Listen now: a radiant goddess Calypso tried to keep my by her in her cave, and wanted me for a husband; Cice also would have me stay in her mansion, and a clever creature she was, and she also wanted me for a husband, but she could never win my heart." Women in The Odyssey also take care of the men, for example Homer writes "...Arete sent with him three of her women, one bearing a tunic and a robe newly washed, another to convey the coffer, a third with a supple of bread and red wine." The women in the Odyssey with the most power are the Goddesses, because they dont have the typical role of women. The goddesses accompny and help Odysseys on his adventure more than the other women, for example, Homer writes "The goddess entered the dark cave, and searched about for hiding places; while Odysseus brought up the stuff, gold and bronze and clothing, which the Phaiacians had given him. All this they stowed away carefully, and Pallas Athenaia daughter of Zeus Almighty herself placed a stone before the mouth.
ReplyDelete- Jason Schmitz
Most often in stories the main character is the one who withholds the most power and has the largest role throughought. However, in Homer's "The Odyssey" women play roles that are equally as important. Some of the most noted women of the story include Calypso, Penelope, Athena, and Circe. Penelope for example, is the wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachos,and the sole reason that Odysseus wants to make it back home. Penelope is a strong women in many aspects as she deals everyday with not knowing what ever happened to her husband after the war. Also she plays the role of a housewife holding down the fort back in Ithaca where many suitors try to manipulate her life and force marriage upon her. She stays faithful to Odysseus and wants no other man than him. Calypso is also a very powerful women in the journey of Odyssey because it was her a nymph on the island of Ogyia who kept "the wretched man a prisoner" (Odysseus being the wretched man) (Book 1,2). She is the most powerful women in the story becaus eof her abilities to keep a man on a island against his will and not lose any of her own strentgh in the midst. She could have held him there forever if she had not been ordered by the Lord Almighty Zeus to let him free. Athena is another god who plays a key role in Odysseus's journey as she acts as his guide and also goes to talk to his son to speak of Odysseus's life and condition. Without Athenas kindness and her persuasion to Zeus to abrogate his grudge against Odysseus, No orders would have ever been put into place to free him from Calypso's hold on the island. Subsequently,odysseus continued his journey and encountered Circe. Circe was feared by men abroad because of her abilities to transform them into the bodies of animals but turned out to be very helpful to Odysseus and his companions. Circe's role just like athenas was to help Odysseus to go in the right drirecction and be successful on his way. She did this by putting all of the winds into an animal skin pouch and giving them to Odysseus. Only one wind was left out. This was the west wind which would set them toward Ithaca. Oysseus describbed this event as he says "Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage"(Book 10,133) There are many very strong and surprising powers that the gods have but the power of Calypso to keep Odyseeus in one spot is a power that could change the entire story if it was not there. Furthermore if she would not have ever let him go there'd be no story of his journey home but instead a story of his life on the island. Athena, penelope, Calypso, and Circe all are immportant women and have essential roles in Homer's "The Odyssey".
ReplyDelete--Rachel Meyer
Women play a very strong and demanding role in Homer’s The Odyssey. For example, women such as Calypso, Athena, Circe, and even Odysseus’s faithful wife Penelope influence the story in many ways through power and authority. For example, the journey of The Odyssey begins with Calypso’s confinement of Odysseus for seven years on her island. Such aptitude to imprison one against their will starts the story off with a hint of feministic power throughout the reading. Also, Athena’s role in Odysseus’s journey is essential, being that the goddess holds such power as to transform into other beings to conceal the assistance she gives to Odysseus. In addition, Athena is credited as the goddess of wisdom, granting yet even more feministic strength in the story. The goddess Circe shows ascendancy as well, with her trickery and sorcery of transforming men into swine. Being goddesses, Calypso, Athena, and Circe hold the most power throughout the story because of the given supernatural abilities and the power they hold; however, Penelope exudes the strength to take after everything that is left behind. When Odysseus is gone, Penelope is left to look after her husband’s possessions and take care of their son. In addition to running a home, Penelope must deal with the frequent suitors in line to steal Odysseus’s possessions and even Penelope herself. Penelope stays faithful to her husband under all negative circumstances and is hopeful for his return for the very end, proving that she is adamant and will keep fighting for her husband until she no longer can. The strength and power lead on by these women proves to be vital to Homer's The Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteThe women in the Odyssey are all extremely powerful. Many women share the role of being the woman of the house. An example of one of these women would be penelope. For example, she tells the servants what to do while Odysseus is gone. They can also influence their husbands desicion. While there are plenty of housewives there are also females that are godesses. These godesses like Athena have the power to contol certain parts of the world or weather. Athena can also appear as a normal person while she is helping Odysseus and Telemachos on their travels. Athena and Calypso are the most powerful because they are godesses. While the others have the power of influence, Athena has those powers and many more which make her an extremely helpful addition in assisting Odysseus and Telemachos in their journeys. All of the women in the Odyssey are immensely powerful.
ReplyDelete~Dustin Myers
The roles of the women in Homer’s tale, The Odyssey, are very vital and unique. The women in The Odyssey such as Athena, Calypso, and Penelope all have different ways of influencing the story. For example, in the beginning of The Odyssey, Odysseus is trapped in a cave on an island for seven years by the goddess Calypso. She is an evil goddess who keeps Odysseus on her island hoping that in the future he could be her husband and stay on her island forever. The main reason for Calypso being in the tale is to keep Odysseus away from his native land by supplying him with an unpleasant crisis to escape from. Odysseus’ extensive absence away from Ithaca caused numerous men to enter the Odysseus house in an attempt to win over Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, who mourns every day for Odysseus since he left. Even though Penelope’s power isn’t any where close to the amount of the goddess', her influence on the story is probably the most important. Having all these men trying to gain Penelope for themselves brings many problems to Telemachos and Odysseus when he returns home. These problems lead to the father and son planning to kill every one of these men in the house. The most powerful woman in The Odyssey is the goddess Athena. This is because she can put an idea, good or bad, into a human’s mind to make them do what she wants them to do. For example, she puts an idea into Penelope’s mind that brings her to go show herself to all the men in her house, even though she hates them, once more before their death. These women’s influence is very significant to the story even if you don’t realize it at first.
ReplyDelete--Daniel Hanks
From Homer’s The Odyssey the roles of woman help to move the stories telling along. Each woman holds different power and importance and some much more than others. From the beginning it seems that the witch Calypso has a good deal of power by trapping Odysseus on her island, thus helping to drive the story but also acting as a source of conflict for the beginning of the book. Soon after though the goddess Athena is met and with her comes the role of a guide to Odysseus and his son Telemachos, through there journeys. She holds great power not only over the lives of the mortals but her clever words with the gods give her power in there realm to, “Don’t you owe him something for all those sacrifices which he used to offer in their camp on the plain of Troy? (Athena 12).” Penelope, brave Odysseus wife, does not have a significant part in the early story because most of what we have seen of her is a distraught woman at the Odysseus household. She helps to show the importance of Odysseus to other people but is not that powerful since she will not even kick the men out of the house that have intruded while Odysseus was thought dead. Later on it is learned that woman caused more trouble to Odysseus on his journey, the sirens. These hold power over men that sail through with there songs. There are many different women that hold many different amounts of power and significances in the story.
ReplyDeleteKyle Krueger
ReplyDeleteWomen play many roles in Homer’s, The Odyssey. These roles range from paving the path for heroes to holding them back. For example, Athena convinces the other gods to release Odysseus and started Telemachos’ search for information regarding his father when she said, “Get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he is so long away.”(Homer 17) However, the women in this story do not always use their power for good. Calypso decided to hold Odysseus against his will because she wanted Odysseus as a husband. Some of the women in The Odyssey have more power than others. A few of the more powerful females include Athena, Calypso, and Circê. Athena and Circê hold much power because they are part of the family of gods. Athena was born of Zeus and was a god of Olympus, because of this she possessed a lot of power. One power she often uses in The Odyssey is the ability to take the shape of any person she wishes. Calypso was a witch that imprisoned Odysseus on her island and provided him with sustenance, however, this was with help from Poseidon. Circê with her drugs and poisons turned Odysseus’ crew into animals and only with the help of Hermes could Odysseus counter the poisons effect. While all of these women were very powerful, I believe that Athena was the most powerful because of her subtle use of her power and her many friends among the gods.
Cole Greenwald
ReplyDeleteDuring the time when this book was written women were usually expected to stay in the house and take care of the family. But in Homer’s tale of the Odyssey there are a few women that hold a lot of power over Odysseus like Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and the Sirens to just name a few. Penelope is the first women to appear in the Odyssey. Penelope is pursued by suitors who believe that her husband, Odysseus, dead. She is strong enough to fend them off each day and remain loyal to her Odysseus even though she has no idea what really happened to him. Penelope’s son Telemachos explains her predicament, “My mother is besieged by those who would marry her against her will… they will not go near her father’s house and lay a formal proposal before Icarios-the thought makes them shiver-…”(pg16, book2). Penelope rises above the role of an obedient housewife and defends her husband, with the help of her son. Calypso, introduced right before Odysseus, is a goddess who has fallen in love with him. She has used her power to keep Odysseus from returning home until she is finally ordered by the rest of the gods to release him. Calypso is reluctant to do so but in the end she provides Odysseus with all the materials he needs to make his voyage back home. Athena is the God who responsible for helping Odysseus make it off the island and helping Odysseus’s son, Telemachos, search for his dad. Athena is one of the main gods and being the daughter of Zeus, she is very powerful. At the beginning of the Odyssey Athena talks to Telemachos and gives him advice on how to find his dad and saver his home. She finds a boat and a crew as well for him to start his journey. Later, after Telemachos has left Ithaca, Athena convinces the rest of the gods at Olympus that Odysseus should be able to leave and return home as he so desires. She then continues to help both of them. Circe was met earlier by Odysseus when he was returning home from Troy. Circe is a dangerous witch who had the power to turn men into animals. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus avoids her magic and gets Circe to swear not to enchant him or his men. Circe later helps Odysseus and tells him how to find a route home. Last are the Sirens. These creatures have the power to lead men and their ships to their island and then destroy them. They do so with the enchanting song they sing. Even Odysseus is overcome with the urge to go them and is only safe since he was tied to the mast of his ship. Of all of these women it is Athena who is the most powerful since she is a god and can take any form she pleases. The women in the story of the Odysseys are powerful figures and are all important in Homer’s story.
In Homer’s, The Odyssey, women are important to the telling of Odysseus’ ancient tale. Penelope, Calypso, Circe, Athena, and The Sirens all have different key roles in the telling of the ancient tale of Odysseus. In my opinion, Penelope and Calypso have the most vital women roles in The Odyssey. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, gives inspiration to Odysseus to return back home to Ithaca. Without Penelope, Odysseus would not be as eager to return home because Odysseus is truly in love with his wife. Calypso also holds the most power because Calypso is the one that has been holding Odysseus captive for seven years and Calypso, “wanted him to stay in the cave and be her husband.” (Book I, 11) If it was not for Calypso, Odysseus would have started his journey home much sooner. Circe also plays a key role in the ancient tale of Odysseus because she made some of Odysseus crew into pigs but then reversed the spell and made Odysseus her lover for a year. Circe then helped Odysseus tremendously by giving him essential advice and tips for his journey back to Ithaca. Also, Athena plays an essential role by helping guide Telemachos to his father and also protects and aids Odysseus as he makes his journey back to Ithaca. The Sirens crucial role was to try to stop Odysseus from getting home. The Sirens attempted to use their singing to persuade Odysseus to stay with them then eventually lead Odysseus to death but thanks to Circes advice about the Sirens, Odysseus was able to avoid being lured in with their “melodious songs.” (Book XII, 138) The women characters in The Odyssey play essential roles in the telling of Odysseus. Without the women characters in The Odyssey, Odysseus would not be able to complete his journey back to Ithaca.
ReplyDeleteBrad Gardner
Jacob Manier
ReplyDeleteOdyssey #2
Homer’s “The Odyssey” is a tale of a great man, Odysseus. His great adventure would not be as great without the women in the story. The important role of women in the story is covered up by Odysseus and his adventure. Calypso, Circe, the sirens, Penelope, and Athena are some of the women that play an important role in “The Odyssey”. First, there is Penelope, who is the one and only reason Odysseus wants to return home. Without Penelope, Odysseus would have no good reason to go back to Ithaca. In turn there would be no adventure, making the story unbelievably boring, if there was any story left. Next, there is Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens who play a big role in the story. These three lovely ladies pose big obstacles in Odysseus’ journey. Without these ladies, Odysseus wouldn’t have to go through so much to get back to Ithaca, his main goal. Calypso is his first problem. Odysseus would have never been able to return to Ithaca if Calypso had not set him free. Circe and the Sirens appear as more bumps in the road for Odysseus. Lastly, there is Athena, the woman with the most power. Being a goddess, and the daughter of Zeus, she should have the most power. Athena helps Odysseus along his way. Wherever he ends up or whatever he does, most of the time, she had a part in it. For example, “A thick mist hid him from sight, for Athena did not wish anyone to meet him and provoke him or ask him who he was. But just as he was about to enter the city, Athena met him herself in the shape of a young girl carrying a pitcher” (81). That is just one of many times when Athena takes matters into her own hands to help Odysseus get back to Ithaca. All the lovely ladies play different roles, but all they are equally important in Odysseus’ journey.
In Homer's The Odyssey women play key roles in the development of the story. Athena, Calypso, and Circe are the main women characters in the story. Athena, one of the immortal gods holds much power over mortal man. She can change her physical features into any man or creature thus disguising herself. In doing so, she keeps her true identity from people. while Athena was disguised she was able to get close enough to Telemachos and Odysseus to help them on their travels. " Then Athena called out Telemachos in front of the great hall, taking the shape and voice of Mentor" ( Homer 31). Calypso the evil goddess, plays as the antagonist at first, keeping Odysseus against his will to stay with her. but Athena persuaded Zeus to make it his will for him to be released. Calypso knowing the power of Zeus had no choice but to let him go and help him on his way. Circe was also an antagonist in the story. She turned some of Odysseus' men into pigs with her magic wand. With the help of Hermes messenger of the gods, who gave him a wand to counteract the evil magic. once Odysseus faced Circe she knew she had been caught and had to help odysseys because he could have killed her and he did not. All of these women had power in their own way. Some were more powerful than others but all were respected and looked up to.
ReplyDelete-Nic Duggan
The women of the Odyssey played an important role in the tale if Odysseus. For instance,Circe sent Odysseus "to the hose of Hades and an awful Persphoneia, to ask directions from teiresias the blind Theban seer."(Homer 122). Circe thus sent Odysseus to eventually end up with Calypso, who imprisoned him on her island. By Calypso keeping Odysseus on her island she helped to enforce suitors of Odysseus's wife that he was dead. penelope plays a considerably important pole as Odysseus's wife and his reason to return hometo Ithaca. Athena was also an important role. Athena helped to disguise Odysseus or make him stronger and taller. For example, when Athena met up with Odysseus in Ithaca she "withered the sound flesh of his muscular bosy, she swept the flaxen crop from his head, dhe made the skin of every limb like the skin of an old man..."(Homer 157). By Athena disguisng Odysseus he was able to travel around Ithaca and meet and stratigize how to kill the men plaguing his home and family. Also in the Odyssey certain women held more power than other women. For instance, Penelope has more power than Eurycleia because Penelope was a woman of wealth and fortune and Eurycleia was Penelope's nurse. Being a woman of wealth gave Penelope the advantage to finer objects and the ability to have servants and a nicer home compared to people who have to work for people. But the power a goddess such as Athena held was above mortal men. This was because of the fact that a god or goddess could control the destiny of a man or woman and so humans gave sacrifices of their finest cattle or foods. The women all played crucial pieces in the story of Odysseus and helped to show which females held the most power in society.
ReplyDeleteSavannah Lynch
In the novel The Odyssey written by Homer, there are several female roles which play an importance in the novel. For example, Calypso trapping Odysseus on her island, "If you knew what troubles you will have before you get to Ithaca, you would stay where you are and keep this house with me, and be immortal, however much you might want to see your wife whom you long for day in and day out"(66). Calypso tempts Odysseus not to return to his wife, but to stay with her. Odysseus must fight these temptations and resist her offers of immortality. In addition, the sirens who tempt Odysseus with their songs, "Come this way, most admirable Odysseus, glory of the nation! stay your ship and listen to our voice!" (153). The sirens who tempt Odysseus are an obstacle which Odysseus must overcome. Calypso and the Sirens who two women are try to stop Odysseus and tempt Odysseus to stay with them.
ReplyDeleteAthena, Circe, and Penelope play a different role from the Sirens and Calypso. For example, Circe delivers important information which Odysseus must know, "I will describe the way, I will tell you every single thing, that you may not make mischief for yourselves and come to grief by land or sea" (150). Circe grants this information because she is worried of Odysseus' well-being, not trying to stop him.
Circe also feeds Odysseus, and his men, showing her kindness. In addition, Athena tells Zeus of Odysseus' imprisonment on Calypso's island, "I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees and nothing but the waves all round it, in the very middle of the sea!" (4). Athena tries to persuade Zeus to aid Odysseus to get off of Calypso’s island. Athena acts as a mother for Odysseus, taking care of him as he departs from Calypso's island and on his journeys. Lastly, Calypso describes Odysseus' urge to return home to Penelope "...you might want to see your wife whom you long for day in and day out" (66). Penelope acts as a pushing force for Odysseus because Odysseus wants to return to his wife and son. The many temptations which Odysseus must endure does not effect him because the return to his wife, Penelope, helps him to ignore the temptations. Finally, the woman who holds the most power in The Odyssey would be Athena. Athena, a goddess, uses her powers to protect and aid Odysseus in his journeys to return to Ithaca. The women in The Odyssey serve different roles, others more important, but all the women are there to smoothly continue the novel with conflict.
Sean Simpson
The women’s roles in The Odyssey, by Homer are very important and key to the tale. Some of the many important women are Calypso and Athena. These women are the most important due to the fact they can get the men to do what they say and change the males mind. For example in the beginning of the book Calypso was holding Odysseus in a hidden cave for seven years. Calypso is an evil goddess who wants to have Odysseus as a husband later in life and to keep him from his real family and homeland. A reason Calypso is in the tale is to create mystery and crisis for Telemachos on his journey to look for his father and find out what happened to him. To get Telemachos on this journey was pushed by the beautiful goddess Athena. Athena is a very intelligent woman. She can be seen as a normal human and uses this ability to send humans a message. For example “…quick as the blowing of the breeze; down she went shooting from the peaks of Olympos and stood in the town of Ithaca against outer gates of Odysseus upon the threshold of the courtyard. In her hand she held a spear of bronze, and she took the form of a family friend, Mentes, the chief man of the Taphians. (Book 1 page 13)” This shows the ability of a goddess to send out messages without blowing there cover and comes in handy later in the tale. These two women are powerful because they can control more than just themselves but mainly the land that they stand on.
ReplyDelete-Chris Lepsky
The roles of women in the Odyssey range from the unfortunate to the prosperous in wealth as well as power. Penelope and her nurse Eurycleia are completely opposite mortal women in this tale. Eurycleia is an example of the poor working women in this story, who are modest and obedient but definitely essential. Penelope on the other hand represents the powerful and generous upper class of women in the Odyssey. Penelope is in this group because of her wealth through family, which she has obtained through her marriage to Odysseus, who is a living legend. Although, where this story begins Penelope does not know if her husband is alive or dead, his absence has to do with a whole other category of women, the immortal women. Calypso, a nymph, kept Odysseus prisoner on her island, called Ogygia, for eight years. Calypso only wanted to make Odysseus her immortal husband although he did not want this too. Odysseus’s unhappy stay ends when Zeus commands her to let him go free upon Athena’s request. Athena is a goddess who pities Odysseus and longs to see him return to his homeland of Ithaca. Another goddess Circe, who lives on the island of Aiaia, causes him trouble at their first encounter by casting a spell on his comrades. But with the help of Hermes and his charm, Odysseus is able to deflect the powers of Circe’s spell. Odysseus and Circe became friends, after she released his companions from her spell of course. Circe plays another vital role as she convinces Odysseus to go to the house of Hades, where he talks to many deceased women of which he had met or heard of in the past. One of the women he speaks to in Hades is his mother, Anticleia, who he didn’t even know had died. The chapter on the house of Hades brings the mortal women closer to having the same power as the immortal women in this tale, but by far the immortal women are still in control. In my opinion, Athena holds the most power in the Odyssey, not only over the women but the men as well. Athena is capable of transforming into people that Odysseus knows or doesn’t know (like the little girl who leads him to Alcinoos’s house) all in order to lead him back home. Athena has the power to make his journey home even easier, but Odysseus is a legend among men and she knows the easy way out isn’t the way Odysseus would choose. For this reason and more Athena is the most powerful women, but all the women in the Odyssey affect Odysseus's journey in some way.
ReplyDelete- Emma Walser
The story of The Odyssey has a major focal point that puts men as the center of attention throughout the story. Although many women in the book, such as Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and the Sirens, carry extraordinary powers and strength greater than that of any man, these wonderful women are often put into the dark and appear to be unnoticed. The women in The Odyssey are each different and unique in their own way and they make the story a greater adventure and more exciting for the reader. Penelope for example is a very powerful woman as she defends her home from the wicked suitors that try to sweep her off of her feet. Although she doen not know whether her husband is still trying to find his way home or if he is lying somewhere deep in the waters with the other fallen fighters of the war, Penelope stays true to her vows she gave to Odysseus and she forces the suitors off of her territory. While Odysseus is at sea, he comes across a beautiful, yet wicked woman named Calypso. This immortal uses her powers as she attempts to "woo" Odysseus to being her husband. After many years of Odysseus crying, Calypso lets Odysseus leave her land and continue his adventure to find his family. "In four days he had finished the whole; and on the fifth Calypso saw him off, after she had bathed him and clothed him in garments scented with junipers" (Homer 68). As Odysseus continues his journey on the treacherous waters, his ship came across a home "where Circê lived in the middle of thick bushes and trees" (Homer 123). Circê brought Odysseus' crew into her home as if they were her own. Before they could learn about her trap, the wicked woman turned Odysseus' entire crew into swine. After a year of staying at her home and when the pigs were humans again, Circê gave the men many instructions before they left to different places to go and what to do before they returned to Ithaca and told them, "...if you do any damage, then I foretell destruction for ship and men. You may save your own life, but if you do, you will reach your home late and miserable, and all your companions will be lost" (Homer 152). As Odysseus and what was left of his crew continued their journey, they passed sexy Sirens which were sea nymphs that used their intriguing songs to lure sailors and their ships to destruction. "...you will come to the Sirens, who bewitch every one who comes near them. If any man draws near in his innocence and listens to their voice, he never sees home again" (Homer 150). The powers that these nymphs contain make any man listening bones rot leading to his downfall. Many women in Homer's, The Odyssey, use their powers to get their ways but Athena, the greek goddess of peace and wisdom proved to be the most powerful woman throughout the entire story. Athena used her powers to change into Odysseus' old friend, Mentor, to persuade Telemachus to find new of his father. She also guides Odysseus to many places and uses her persuasive personality to lure the other gods and goddesses to help him find his way back to his home land. Although Athena is considered as the "most powerful" of the women in The Odyssey, all of the women in the story show their power and strength in their own unique ways and they all help Odysseus find his way back to Ithaca where he is once again united with his family.
ReplyDeleteWomen in Odysseus’ tale play the roles of people that either want to help Odysseus or hurt and prevent Odysseus from getting home. The sirens use their music to make Odysseus want to swim to them which would lead to his death. Circe tried to turn Odysseus and his men into pigs and keep them on her island forever. And Calypso tried to keep Odysseus as a husband because she was lonely to live on her island forever. Athena tries to help Odysseus get home because she feels sorry for him with all his suffering. Penelope wants Odysseus to return home but she can’t do anything about it because she is trapped in her home.
ReplyDeleteThe women that hold the most power in the Odyssey are Athena and Calypso. The reason these two women hold the most power is that they are both gods. Gods in Greece were the most powerful beings. Between Calypso and Athena, Athena holds more power because she can turn into different people and hide Odysseus from others with the mist she creates. “Not a man of them noticed for Athena had him in her care, and she covered him in a thick mist by her divine power” (pg. 81). Since Athena is the most powerful of all the women, it is given that Odysseus will return home sine she is helping him.
In “The Odyssey” by Homer, women play a crucial role in the story. Whether it is Penelope, Circe, Athena or Calypso, a woman is the drive behind the adventure. First, Calypso is the reason for the entire epic. She is the goddess of Ogygia and has trapped Odysseus on her island. For example, Calypso attempts to entice Odysseus because she “wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Homer 4). If Calypso had not held Odysseus on her island, it would not have given Penelope and Telemachos the hard task of taking care of Ithaca for the twenty years Odysseus was away. Penelope is the reason for Odysseus’ longing to get home. She has stayed faithful to her husband even though there are multiple suitors waiting to take her hand in marriage by “…deluding the wits of a whole nation. Hopes for all, promises for every man by special messenger and what she means is quite different” (Homer 24). Athena, although in disguise, gave advice to Telemachos and persuaded Zeus to have Odysseus return home by saying, “If all the gods now agree that Odysseus shall return to his own home, then let us dispatch our messenger Hermes Argeiphontes to the Island of Ogygia” (Homer 13). Circe ensured Odysseus a safe way home, “The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage” (Homer 133). Although there are women who played the role of housemaids and servants, Homer showed that women are the hidden purpose behind the men of the story. Without them, the men of “The Odyssey” may not have been able to accomplish their missions.
ReplyDelete-Caitlyn Washington
In the Odyssey, the women such as Athena, Calypso, and Penelope play a vital role in the outcome of the story and how the journey progresses. Penelope plays the classic role of a mother and wife to the story, revealing how women were viewed among society. It shows that women cooked and cleaned for there family while men held the most power for the family. Calypso plays an essential role in the story, by taking Odysseus capture and also shows the similar traits shared among all the women in the story, their responsibilities. In book 5 it states, “A hard-hearted lot you are, you gods, and as jealous as jealous can be!” which allows the reader to see that women are treated as inferior compared to the men in the story by showing that Calypso is angered that the goddesses aren’t allowed the same rules as the gods. Athena plays the most powerful role among the women in the story. She holds the most influence because she controls Telemachos and Odysseus’s fate. Athena disguises herself multiple times in the story in order to help Odysseus and Telemachos to return home safely and have the people they meet along their journey treat them respectfully. For example, Athena disguises herself as a ghost to the Phaeacians so that they will help Odysseus on his way home. There are many roles that the women have to play, but Athena has one of the most important to the story.
ReplyDeleteNicole Keeve
In the Odysessy by Homer, women play a very large role throughout the entire story. Many of them have different roles, each equally important. For example, Calypso is an evil women, who is keeping Odysseus from his wife. She displays power by not allowing Odysseus to leave and trying to force him into being her husband. Penelope also has a lot of power, because all the men in the town of Ithaca want to marry her. However, she is still grieving, unsure if her husband Odysesseus is dead.
ReplyDeleteAthena convinced all the gods to allow Odysesseus to return to his wife and son, Telemachos. She is also the one who talked
Telemachos into starting a journey to try and find his father. Therefore, these three women are the three most powerful women in the story, as they all have some sort of control and are able to change the decisions of the important men. While none of the women in the book are in power, they all can make the men do certain things, such as keep them locked up like Calypso does, keep them chasing after her like Penelope or convince them to begin an unknown journey like Athena.
Cassie Wilton
Even though the majority of the female characters in The Odyssey fulfill the average roles of housewives and maids, all of the women in the storyline have some impact on the outcome of the book in either a negative or positive way. However, some of the female characters are more influential than others, such as the helpful Athena and Nausicaa, the shady goddess Calypso, and the questionable Penelope. Most of the women in Odysseus and Telemachos’s story are supportive, but the goddess Athena and the princess Nausicaa have the most influence on the two adventurers. Athena guides both Odysseus and Telemachos through both of their journeys, doing what she must to ensure the safety of both, while Nausicaa helps Odysseus to survive by “[giving him] bread enough and sparkling wine, and a bath in the river, and she gave [him some] clothes” (Homer 86). On the other hand, occasionally women in The Odyssey try to delay the journey of Odysseus and Telemachos, mainly the nymph, Calypso. She is the main obstacle that Odysseus has to face during his entire journey, for she keeps him captive on her island for seven years. Additionally, there is a female character in book that has both good and bad influences on the storyline: Odysseus’s wife, Penelope. Although she keeps her promises as Odysseus’s wife, she also refuses to throw her suitors out of her home, and gives “hopes for all, promises for every man by special messenger,” and lets them nearly eat Telemachos and his family out of house and home (Homer 24). For these reasons, all of the women in The Odyssey have important parts on the story itself.
ReplyDeleteNikki Meuser
The women in The Odyssey play a major role because they have a positive or negative effect on Odysseus while he’s on his journey. The Sirens and Calypso have a negative effect on his travels. For example, Circes warns Odysseus of The Sirens, “First you will come to the Sirens, who bewitch everyone who comes near them” (XII, 138). Homer uses the Sirens as one of the many obstacles for Odysseus to face by tempting him. Odysseus must overcome their song, which is the temptation, making them have a negative towards him. Calypso has a negative effect on his journey because she tempts him with immortality and is the main reason he can’t return home due to the fact she captures him. Although, Athena and Penelope have a positive effect on his journey back home. For example, Athena convinces Zeus to let her help Odysseus get set free and return home, “If all the gods now agree that Odysseus shall return to his own home, then let us dispatch our messenger Hermes Argeiphontes, to the island of Ogygia; and let him announce forthwith to the nymph our unchangeable will, that Odysseus, after all he has patiently endured, shall return home” (I, 13). With Athena convincing Zeus to assist in freeing Odysseus, she has a positive effect on his journey home. Without Athena, Odysseus would have been trapped and most likely never freed from Calypsos grasp. Penelope has a positive effect because Odysseus wants to get home to her so she is his motivation and main reason for the journey. The different women in this story effect Odysseus in different ways, both positive and negative.
ReplyDelete-Elaine Niemeyer-
-Mark Fraser
ReplyDeleteDuring “The Odyssey”, written by Homer, women share a key role throughout the story. Women can serve as objects of affection, guardians in times of danger, or to give you a gentle push to begin a journey. The first of these women is Penelope who is the wife to Odysseus. The main idea of this story is for Odysseus to make it home and to get back to Penelope “She found him sitting upon the shore. The tears were never dry in his eyes; life with its sweetness was slowly trickling away” (Homer 65). This shows that Odysseus is fiercely devoted to getting back to Penelope and that drive is keeping Odysseus from giving up. Secondly there is Calypso. Calypso is a Witch-Goddess who is known for her beauty and trickery. When Odysseus ship was wrecked by Poseidon it was Calypso who saved Odysseus and gave him food and shelter. However Calypso came to love Odysseus and trapped him on her island for 7 years until the Gods decided that Odysseus should leave the island and continue on his journey home to Penelope and his family. Finally there is Athena, who has the most influence overall. Athena starts the entire book by suggesting to Telemachos to take a ship and crew to sail to faraway cities to inquire about the whereabouts of his father, Odysseus. Athena also serves as the guardian of Odysseus by convincing the Gods that Odysseus has been a prisoner of Calypso for long enough and that it is time for him to return home to his family. Athena continues to help Odysseus by leading him around the city of Phaicia and helping him to achieve safe passage from the harassment of other Gods in his journey.
There are many kinds of roles for women in the novel The Odyssey. Most of the women though portray the role of a classic housewife and hold little power, like Penelope. She stays at home and waits for her husband and son with little power but only enough to ward off the angry men trying to make her their wife. She uses barely any of her power but just by sitting in her house waiting and hoping for Odysseus to return, yet she does happen to remain loyal to her husband. “…Any other man after those long wanderings would have been eager to see home and wife and children; you do not choose to ask anything of any one until you make sure of your wife by your own observation-and she, let me tell you, just stays at home, while she weeps the nights and days away”(book 13 pg.155). But there are some women like Calypso and Athena who hold much power. Calypso holds great power not only because she is a god but because of her beautiful looks. “…on the tenth black night, the gods brought me to Ogygia, where beautiful Calypso lives, and a terrible creature she is!”(Book 7 pg.86). As a god she was able to hold Odysseus on her island as her prisoner. But with her beautiful looks she was able to make Odysseus make love to her. Now Athena held much power because she was a god and because she was the beautiful daughter of the king of gods, Zeus. As a god she was able to help Telemachos with his journey to the other lands and return him safely home. But if Athena wasn’t so dear to Zeus in the first place, Zeus would have never granted Athena permission to bring Odysseus home to Ithaca.
ReplyDelete-Scott Nettesheim
In "The Odyssey" by Homer, women portray many roles, from the common housewife, to an immortal God with unlimited power. An example of the common housewife in Penelope, she is always helping the servants and is simply waiting around for Odysseus to return to her. She doesnt resist the men who attempt to come on to her, but rather she helps them. Such as when the men are eating at her house and " The carver placed a plate with all sorts of meats and set beside them cups of gold, and an orderly kept these cups full of wine.' (Book 1 Page 7) There are other women in the book that play more powerful and outgoing roles, for example the witch, Calypso trapped Odysseus and wouldn't let him go home to his wife that he loved and missed. He was trapped by the witch for 7 years untill the Gods decided he could go home to his wife. Athena was also very helpful in the story because if she wouldnt have taken the form of a family friend and told Telemachos to go out and get a ship and a crew together and go after his father, then the story could've ended there if Telemachos would've never gotten that second wind of hope. These two women are very infuential, but Circe, who turns Odysseus' men into beasts, and Athena who is also a God, and can transform herself into anything are the two most powerful and influential because they're Gods and immortal
ReplyDelete- Jake Tinkham
When talking about the role women play in the Odyssey it always would depend who you are talking about. For Example Athena is the goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, and heroic endeavor. Then there is Penelope she is Odysseus wife and the lady of Ithaca. She controlled Ithaca, alongside with her son Telemachus when her husband Odysseus was gone on his 20-year journey. For another example you would have Eurykleia and she is a servant in the house where she assists Penelope kind of like a housewife. Eurykleia is there whenever Penelope would need a favor. Then she called to the housewife:”Eurykelia, fetch a chair and lay a rug on it for the stranger; let him sit there and tell his tail and listen to me for I want to question him” (Book 19 page 215). By knowing this bit of information the reader can figure out that the goddesses defiantly have the most power and then housewives or handmaids have the least. Not only do the women have the role of staying at home and taking care of the men, they also help them on their journeys to help them on their way. The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage” (book 11 page 133). This shows that without the women the men and other travelers would not always find their way on their journeys. Along with Circe, Athena the goddess of strategic warfare, wisdom, and heroic endeavor, is the guide of Odysseus and helps him find the way home to Ithaca. Wrapping up, the women of The Odyssey represent women taking care of their house and men. They also represent an important part for the men’s journeys.
ReplyDeleteAli Knight
In the Odyssey, women play a very big role in forming the great adventure story, some more than others. Calypso is “a witch…a radiant creature” who falls in love with Odysseus when he comes to her island. She holds him captive for many years because she wanted him to “stay in her cave and be her husband” until she is persuaded to release him. Meanwhile Penelope, Odysseus’ wife and Telemachos’ mother, is at their home in Ithaca waiting for her husband to return from his trip to Troy while many of the men in the town tried to get her to marry them. Athena is the goddess who spoke up to the other gods about Odysseus’ situation and took it upon herself to see that it ends well. She stayed with Odysseus and Telemachos during their journeys to help them make it though safely. Circe is a troubled goddess who “spoke the language of men”. She poisoned Odysseus’ crew and made them look like pigs. Later in the book Circe mentions the Sirens and their enchanting songs that lured sailors to destruction. Calypso and Athena hold the most power in the novel. Calypso has power because she decides when Odysseus is allowed to go back home due to the fact that she is the one forcing him to stay. Athena holds much power in the novel as well because without her help and guidance throughout Odysseus’ and Telemachos’ journeys they would not make it successfully.
ReplyDeleteLalitha Kesetty
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey by Homer, women are important to the telling of Odysseus’ tale. For example, the tale contains several women such as, Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and The Sirens. Each of these women plays different kinds of roles in The Odyssey. Calypso plays the role of a hostess/ lover. During the time of Odysseus, whenever a sailor and his crew land on an island, the people on the island have to welcome them and be good hosts by giving food and shelter to them. That’s exactly what Calypso does; when Odysseus, after losing his ship and crew, lands on Ogygia, Calypso takes him into her house and provides him food and shelter. But, after that, “a radiant goddess Calypso tried to keep me [Odysseus] by her in her cave, and wanted me for a husband” (Homer 100). Calypso loves Odysseus and holds him prisoner on her island because of her love. Penelope is Odysseus’ wife. In the story, Penelope awaits Odysseus’ return to Ithaca so that she doesn’t have to choose a suitor to marry. Penelope is a very clever and beautiful woman. For example, Penelope states that she’ll choose someone to marry after she finishes stitching a tapestry. And each night, she undoes all the stitches to start the tapestry over again the next day. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts, plays the role of a guide. For instance, Athena says, “First go to Pylos, and ask that noble prince Nestor; then to Sparta and Menelaos, for he was the last to come home of all the army” (17). Athena guides Telemachos and Odysseus by giving them certain instructions to follow. Circe also plays the role of a hostess just like Calypso and also loved Odysseus but didn’t keep him a prisoner. And lastly, The Sirens play the role of being an obstacle for Odysseus and his crew. For example, “But when she[the ship] was as far off the land as a voice could carry, and going at a good pace, the Sirens saw us coming and raised their melodious song” (141). Once Odysseus and his crew passed the Sirens, they would be done with one obstacle to cross on their journey to home. As you can see, all these women and the different roles they play are very important to Odysseus’ tale. But one of these women has the most power in the tale, and that’s Circe. Circe has the most power in the story because if she hadn’t told Odysseus about everything he would face while traveling home from her island and what to do when he got to each obstacle, Odysseus would have been killed. For example, Circe instructs, “First you [Odysseus] will come to the Sirens, who bewitch everyone who comes near them….Go on past that place, and do not let the men hear; you must knead a good lump of wax and plug their ears with pellets” (139). If Circe hadn’t warned Odysseus about the Sirens, his men and him would have heard the Sirens and killed themselves. Circe also warns Odysseus about other such obstacles and that is how they were able to cross them. Therefore, there are several women in Odysseus’ tale such as Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, and the Sirens and Circe has the most power and is the most important to the tale.
“The Odyssey” by Homer is the ultimate feminist novel of choice. The women in this story lie, deceive, and do whatever necessary to get what they want. In the beginning we immediately see how much influence Athena has over the all powerful Zeus. Athena then takes charge and soon has Telemachos doing exactly what she tells him. “He understood what it all meant, and he was amazed; for he believed her to be a god. At once he went back to that rough crew, looking more like a god than a man himself.” We also see Penelope playing the typical role as a house wife. We are blinded by her innocence and grieving when she also plots against the tyrants that pollute her house every day. We learn that she does not want to be given away to another man and makes a plan to delay this; “now that Odysseus is dead I know you are in a hurry for marriage, but wait until I finish this cloth, for I don’t want to waste all the tread I have spun.” Little did anyone know that at night when they had left and gone to sleep, Penelope would unravel the cloth to delay her betrothal. And let us not forget the most influential instigator of all Calypso, because of her this whole mess started. Calypso captures Odysseus for her own pleasure. The Goddesses seem to have the most control in the story, but the mortals also have the willpower to control their own destiny as well. So right now I see the gods and mortals as equals with special abilities each one possesses.
ReplyDeleteGene Sendin email: aznnerd94@yahoo.com
In Homer’s story, The Odyssey, women play many important roles. These women are all very different but are portrayed to have many of the same traits. For example, almost all of the women in the story are said to be very beautiful, clever, and powerful. All of the women are very powerful because they are mainly goddesses with the exception of Penelope who is queen of Ithaca . However, the most powerful of all the women would probably have to be either Athena or Calypso. They are both goddesses that play a very crucial part in the story. Athena is important because she is a very powerful goddess that people pray to everyday. She is also important because she is a critical part of Odysseus getting a chance to leave Calypso’s island. She is the one that goes to Ithaca disguised as Mentor to get Telemachos to inquire about his father which leads to the rest of the plot. Calypso is also very important because every decision she makes impacts Odysseus and his journey. For example, it was Calypso who made the final decision to even let Odysseus free of the island so he could have a chance to make it back to Ithaca . Women’s roles are crucial to the success of the story.
ReplyDeleteWomen in The Odyssey all play different roles, some are powerful and some have very little power by just being a normal wife. For example Penelope is Odysseus’s wife, has some power because many of the men in the town of Ithaca wish to marry her. For example “she has been deluding the wits of a whole nation. Hopes for all, promises for every man by special messenger and what she means is quite different” (Homer 24). This shows she believes he’s still alive and will wait for her husband and son Telemachus’s return. As for the more powerful women like Athena and Circe, these women are much more powerful because they are goddesses. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, crafts and war. She can also transform her figure to disguise her self which makes her even more powerful goddess. Circe is a beautiful but evil goddess because she turned Odysseus’ men into beasts. Other powerful women are Calypso and the Sirens. Calypso is a sea nymph and is holding Odysseus captive on her island. As for the Sirens, they are also sea nymphs who lure sea men in to the deep waters of the ocean to meet there death. All the women in the Odyssey have different amounts of power but still play key roles.
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey, women such as Calypso, Athena, and Penelopeia are key to the story. Calypso is itroduced as a powerful goddess who is holding Odysseus, Penelopias husband, captive in hopes of marrying him. In the meantime, Penelopeia is at home in Ithaca being swooned over by many of the townsmen who want to take the throne of her "dead" husband. In an attempt to send Telemachos on a journey to save his father Odysseus, Athena visits him in Ithaca, disguised as Mentes, an old man and friend of the family. Not only can Athena transform herself to look like others, she is also able to give Telemachos the courage to go and find his father, Odysseus, and bring him back to Ithaca. Later, Circe explains the mesmerizing powers of The Sirens, saying, “If any man draws near in his innocence and listens to their voice, he never sees home again, never again will wife and little children run to greet him with joy; but the Sirens bewitch him with their melodious song” (138). This is crucial to the men in the story, showing no matter how determined they are, The Sirens will be able to overcome them. The Odyssey portrays rolls of both powerful men and women, making the novel interesting for both genders.
ReplyDeleteKatie Stapleton
The most important women in The Odyssey are Penelope, Athena, and Calypso. Penelope is extremely important to the
ReplyDeletestoryline because she is Odysseus's wife, or what everyone else believes to be his widow. However, she still holds
out some hope that her husband is still alive somewhere and she long awaits his return. This fuels some part of
Telemachus's decision to find his father, which ultimately creates the journey of the story. Penelope is also
burdened with all the men in Ithaca wanting to marry her while her heart is somewhere else, creating an central
conflict in the story, among other things. Athena is important because she is the main help to Odysseus's escape
from Calypso. She is mainly the reason that Telemachus even had the courage to finally seek out his father and help
him because when she went to him and told him to have faith and that she was sure his father was still out there
fighting to live, he was inspired. Athena is a surprising help to the whole family and is risking alot by doing so.
Calypso, however, is important for a whole different reason. She does not help, she creates the central conflict of
the story. With her having held Odysseus prisoner for all these years, she is so important to the book because
without her insane obsession for Odysseus, there would be no journey taken by Telemachus and the story wouldn't
have been told.
-Marisa Alu
The roles that all the women play in The Odyssey are very important in telling the story of Odysseus' journey. Each woman plays a different role whether it be a goddess, a housewife or a maid. Although they are all different, each is significant to the story. Some of the most important women in the story are Calypso, Penelope, and Athena. All the women have a specific role but the amount of power they have is different in many ways. Penelope, for example, shows that she has very little power being only a housewife. She has the ability to reign over most women in the story but she holds back because of her position as Odysseus' wife. “My dear guest, no one so discreet as you has ever come to my house of all visitors who have come from foreign lands. All that you say is right and true, and could not be better. I have an old nurse, a worthy sensible woman, who nursed that unhappy man and dandled him in her arms as a baby, indeed she took him from his mother when he was born! She shall wash your feet, although there’s little strength left in her hands. Come here Eurycleia! Get up you clever old dear and wash your master’s years mate! (Homer 220).” This shows how Penelope can be both demanding and laid back at the same time. Athena on the other hand has multiple powers, a few examples being super human strength, immunity to disease, the power to change anyone’s appearance, including her own, and a few magical abilities. Despite the fact that she has all these immense powers, her ability to control most men would be the strongest in my opinion. Of all the children of Zeus, Athena has had the kind of the gods favor above all the rest. The powers that Calypso holds are drastically greater than any other of Zeus’ children when it comes to her control over men. She held Odysseus captive on her island because she wanted him to be his wife. But after a few years of crying and pleading to her, Odysseus was finally let off her island and was able to continue his journey. Although most women in these times play the role of the stay at home house wife, Homer showed that woman can also be very powerful and demanding and play a completely different role.
ReplyDeleteMorgan Kuepfert
In Homer’s The Odyssey, women are an integral part of the story. Women such as Penelope, Athena, and Calypso aid Odysseus in his quest to return home to Ithaca. In the beginning of the story, Odysseus is imprisoned on Ogygia with Calypso holding him there. Calypso is in love with Odysseus and wants to make him her husband. Odysseus refuses and is stuck on the island for many years, wanting to return home all that time. Calypso, finally realizing that she should help Odysseus get home, sets him up with a raft and materials to help him on his way. Meanwhile, the goddess Athena is helping Odysseus’ son Telemachos look for his father, albeit secretly. Athena is the most powerful woman in the story due to the fact of her being a goddess and all, but she is NOT the most powerful. Although she greatly aids Odysseus and protects him in some cases, she has no control over him or his emotions. The title of most powerful belongs to Odysseus’ wife Penelope, who is the very reason he wants to return home. During his absence, she endures countless nights of waiting for him to return home while would-be-suitors eat her food and consume her wealth. She is so important to Odysseus in fact, that he turns down the goddess Calypso (although gently, remember, she’s a goddess) “My wife is nothing compared to you for beauty, I can see that for myself. She is mortal; you are immortal and never grow old. But even so, I long for the day of my home-coming.” (66). When they finally meet at the end of the book, the translator of the novel W.H.D. Rouse makes it an important note that during their meeting is the first time in the entire story that Odysseus has smiled.
ReplyDeleteIn the story of the odyssey most women pllay the traditional roles of staying home and taking care of household children. But, there is alsso a group of women who hold much power over either one or many persons. One example of a woman with much power is Athena. She was able to persuade all the gods to let Odysseus return to his home. "if all the gods now agree that Odysseus shall return to his own home, then let us dispatch our messenger Hermes Argeiphontes to the island of Ogygia; and let him announce forthwith to the nymph our unchangeable will, that Odtssus, after all he has patiently endured, shall return home(Homer 13). Another example of a woman with much power is Penelope. She was able to make the unmannerly suitors wait ten long years before she chose to wed one of them by threading and unthreading a quilt, in hopes that her husband, odysseus, would return. "There she was all day long, working away at the great web; but at night she used to unravel it by torch light"(homer 24). The final example of a woman in power is Calyso. She was able to trap Odysseus trapped on an island for ten years. "He was kept prisioner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great fa mily of gods, who wanted him to to stay in her cave and be her husband"(Homer 11). Those are a few examples of some women in the Odyssey who hold great power and play important roles so great that without them the story would not be what it is today.
ReplyDeleteby:Larry Miller
Although The Odyssey is about Telemachos and his men on a journey to find Odysseus, women also play a major role along the way. They portray strength, kindness and sometimes even evilness. The story starts off with Telemachos’s mother, Penelope being mistreated and fought over by men in hopes for a wife. This pushes Telemachos to take the journey to find his father. Penelope gave Telemachos a reason to go on the trip and without her, it may have never happened. There are many women that help Telemachos along the way, but Athena is his main guide. She instills in him strength and hope that he will find his father and make his mother happy again. On the journey, “Athena departed, taking the shape of a sea-osprey; All that saw it were amazed” (Book 3, Page 40). By showing the other men how powerful and graceful she is, they believe that they are protected under her watch. Athena tells the men not to give up and to keep fighting until they find Odysseus. She is the main impact of the story because she eventually persuades the Gods to let Odysseus go and return to his family.
ReplyDeleteAlthough women help Telemachos along the way, one in particular makes it harder for him to find his father. Calypso, an evil witch, falls in love with Odysseus and holds him captive in her cave for years, keeping him from his wife and son. She is the reason for the pain and suffering that the men and women go through. Without Calypso, Odysseus would be with his family and Telemachos and Penelope would not be having any problems. Women are essential to the plot of The Odyssey in both good and bad ways.
-katie mcdonough
The main difference of women’s roles in The Odyssey depends on whether or not they are immortal. The goddesses in the novel hold the most power. For example, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, peace, and reason and humans pray to her for guidance and support. Calypso is also an immortal and uses her power to imprison Odysseus in hopes of making him her immortal husband. The goddess Circe, used her power to turn her enemies into animals with magical potions. Penelope is also a woman with control, despite being a mortal, and rules Ithaca along with her son Telemachus while her husband Odysseus fights in the Trojan War. Eurynome is also mortal but unlike Penelope, she has no authority. She helps Penelope in whatever way she can as a servant. For example, when Penelope called to her to “fetch a chair and lay a rug on it for the stranger’ Eurynome ‘hurried off” (book 19 page 215). Readers can understand how the goddesses have the most supremacy in The Odyssey while the mortals possess the least amount, in most circumstances. Humans look up to the goddesses and pray for protection and contentment. Goddesses assist the mortals and are able to control their way of life. They are more authoritative in the book but each woman holds significant importance.
ReplyDelete-Jennifer Rector
The women in Homer’s The Odyssey take on roles from a simple nurse to the powerful role of a goddess. The character of a nurse may be thought of as a stereotypical role in which a woman plays. In Homer’s novel he makes even such a simple role seem powerful. For example, “I have an old nurse, a worthy sensible woman, who nursed that unhappy man and dandled him in her arms as a baby, indeed she took him from his mother when he was born! She shall wash your feet, although there’s little strength left in her hands. Come here Eurycleia! Get up you clever old dear and wash your masters years mate!” (Book 19, 220). In this quote Penelopeia express that although the nurse is very fragile and has little strength, she has the power to nurse a man back to good health. From the beginning of the novel woman are seen as powerful figures. Calypso is introduced on the first page, “as a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods” (Book 1, 11). Alone, Calypso has the power to capture Odysseus and hold him prisoner for years. Athena is also an important and powerful character. She travels alongside Telemachus on his dangerous journey to find his father. Athena also has the power to disguise herself for she is also a goddess. The Odyssey is a novel that portrays women as a mans equal or in some cases, a mans elder as Calypso and Athena are gods.
ReplyDeleteMeagan Banta-Lewis
Calypso, Penelope, Athena, and Circe all play an important roles to the telling of Odysseus' ancient tale. I believe that the three gods, Calypso, Athena, and Circe play the most powerful roles in Odysseus' journey home to Ithaca. The Journey first starts off with Odysseus being held captive on Calypsos' island. Calypso treats Odysseus very well in the sense that she fell in love with him and wished to marry him. After being held captive for seven years Calypso finally decides to free Odysseus, this is when his journey home begins. Athena, also plays a major role because she becomes a "Guidance" of Odysseus guiding him through dangerous situations. She does this by disguising herself. Athena played a major role in the freeing of Odysseus, she did this by convincing the other Gods and Calypso. Circes' role in the novel is very similar to the role of Calypso in the sense that she also loves Odysseus and that she too held him captive. After being captive for one year Circe sends Odysseus on a special journey, which leads him to Calypso's island at the beginning. Without Odysseus being sent on this special journey he would of most likely never of been held captive by Calypso and his journey home to Ithaca would have been totally different. Penelope's role isn't really part of the journey as much as it is a reason. Penelope is Odysseus' wife, which Odysseus loves her very much which gives him a reason to return home rather than falling in love with one of the other women such as Calypso or Circe. In conclusion, the women of the Odyssey play major roles in the telling of Odysseus' ancient tale.
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s, The Odyssey, women, such as Penelope, Calypso, and Athena play an important role throughout the story of the ancient tale. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, is important because she is the only reasoning of Odysseus wanting to return back home to Ithaca. For the years that the couple had been departed, Penelope was left with every man in town wanting her hand in marriage. Calypso, an evil goddess of Ogygia, also holds power and importance in the story. She had Odysseus captured in a cave on her island for seven years with hopes of him becoming her husband. With her control and authority, Odysseus is unable to return home, leaving him with a crisis to face. Lastly, there is Athena, daughter of Zeus, who is a woman with the most power in the story. With her words of wisdom, she convinces the gods to send Odysseus back to his home in Ithaca where he can reunite with his wife and son. She also disguises herself and talks Telemachos, Odysseus’ son, into starting a journey in search of his father. She advises that he “call together all the great men of the nation to a meeting, make them a speech, protest before all the gods” (Homer 17). Although in this time period, women usually weren’t considered powerful, this story helps one discover their hidden powers.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time period women were typically portrayed as servant like and as second class citizens. However, in the novel women are portrayed as powerful, wise and cunning. The power wielded by women is shown through the way that Calypso had kept Odysseus prisoner to a deserted island. "It is his daughter who keeps the wretched man a prisoner."(4) The goddess Athena is and example of how women are wise and how they help and support men. Much like when Athena had first appeared to Telechamos as a man and had given him the advice to seek out his father. Giving him step by step instructions in order to find his father. Penelope shows cunning and cleverness in the novel such as her plot to keep from remarrying. She had told all of the bachelors interested in marrying her that before she would marry she first had to complete a cloth. So by day she would work furiously at the cloth but at night she would unravel it. This kept her from being married. Unfortunately a maid saw her unraveling the cloth and revealed her plot to the elders in their community. All considered this very unique concept of women being independent and influential to men during this time period is what makes this novel an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteHomer defiantly gave woman bigger roles than men in The Odyssey. Many women do portray housewives and maids, but there are a handful that play major characters. Women are either trying to help, or go against Odysseus. Odysseus’s wife Penelope yearns for Odysseus to come home while she is being courted and abused by suitors although she does nothing to stop it. There is Athena who gives confidence to Telemachos to find his lost father. Then there is Calypso, a beautiful sea nymph, who has immortalized and captured Odysseus on an island for seven years. Athena also helped Odysseus to get off this island from Calypso.
ReplyDeleteAlthough there are main characters for women, you also see other women throughout the story. For example, Agamemnon’s wife kills him after the Trojan War, “…Aigisthos plotted my death with my accursed wife—invited me to his house, set me down to a banquet, butchered me as if I were an ox at the manger” (Pg. 132, paragraph 4). Circes is another evil woman who turns Odysseus’s men into beasts. Overall women are either housewives, maids, evil goddesses terrorizing men, or goddesses leading or helping men. Athena and Calypso would probably hold the most power because of how they have affected Odysseus in his adventure. They are very clever and can outwit many people in The Odyssey including Odysseus himself!
--Daniel Vogel
There are many types of women in The Odyssey, ranging from normal housewife, to Goddess. They also play many roles that help the story and Odysseus move along. Penelope is Odysseus' wife and does very little, making her a rather unimportant character. She mopes around and grieves over her husband, while men below eat and drink her out of house and home. Calypso plays the role of a captor. She holds Odysseus as prisoner as prisoner on her island, but supplies him with whatever he could ever want. Even with all this though, Odysseus is still very upset and want to go home. Circe has a strong role in the Odyssey, and helps Odysseus on his way home ti Ithaca. She also live son a island filled with wolves and lions, which are really men she has enchanted. After talking with Hermes, Odysseus learns Circe's tricks and thwarts them. Impressed, Circe turns Odysseus' men back into the formal selves. She also tells him he must go to Hades and talk with Theban Teiresias to ask hoe he must return home. Circe supplies Odysseus with the information and things he will need to pass through Hades safely. Athena is the Goddess of wisdom, and plays the most important women's role in The Odyssey. She guides and protects Odysseus as he makes his way home to Ithaca. From cloaking him, or to changing his appearance. She keeps him alive. She also guides Telemachos when he searches for information about his father. Nausicaa is anothe rimportant woman role in the Odyssey. After Odysseus lands in the land of The Paiacians, he stumbles upon Nausicaa while she plays a game of "ball". She says he does not look like a bad or foolish man, so helps him reache her fathers palace. She gives him instructions that will keep him safe and she says to appeal to her mother when he arrives at the palace. Because of her kindness, Odysseus is safe and treated well, and even gets a ship in which he uese to sail home to Ithaca. Odysseus would have never returned to Ithaca had it not been for women. Whiles some play only little roles, and others extremely important, they add to the story and give it interest and allow it to flow.
ReplyDelete-Tyler Smith
In Homer’s The Odyssey, women play a very significant role. Some women in the story hold a great amount of power, such as Penelopeia, Calypso, Circe, and Athena. For example, Penelopeia is the wife of Odysseus and she has much power in their native land of Ithaca. She is forced to deal with men from all around who want her hand in marriage although all she wishes to do is mourn over her husband. For example, “Their own stores and cellars are full of bread and drink! Nobody touches it but the servants, while their masters haunt our house every day, killing oxen and fat sheep and goats” (book 17 page 223). Calypso claims her power with her ability to trap Odysseus on her island to be her husband and her ability to let him go when she wants. She can control what happens to Odysseus to her own desires. Circe changed Odysseus’ crew into pigs to show what power she holds. For example, “she gave them a tap of her wand at once and herded them into pens; for they now had pigs’ heads and grunts and bristles, pigs all over except that their minds were the same as before” (book 10 page 125). The only reason as to why she changed them back to humans is because Odysseus threatened to murder her. Although all the women have extraordinary significance in the story of Odysseus, Athena is the most powerful. Athena is the immortal who goes out of her way to help Odysseus become reunited with him family, friends, and his native land of Ithaca. First of all, she can take the form of any person to help Odysseus or Telemachos on their adventures. She can also control the winds that are needed to carry either of their ships in the correct direction. She is also very wise and gives excellent advice to both Telemachos and Odysseus to keep them safe. This is how all the women of The Odyssey hold different types of power.
ReplyDeleteKatie Haberberger
In Homer’s novel, the Odyssey, women play a very important as well as large roll throughout the story line. The three women who are the most powerful in this story would have to be Calypso, Penelope, and Athena. All three of these women may have a different role than one another, but each role is of equal significance throughout this ancient tale. Calypso is the goddess of Ogygia. She is important because she is the one who had Odysseus captured and put on her island for seven years to keep him away from his wife, hoping that one day he would become her husband. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, also shows power and significance in the story. Once Odysseus was imprisoned on Calypso’s island, Penelope had to face all of the other men in the town of Ithaca, each wanting to take her hand in marriage. On the other hand, she is still mournful and is unsure if her husband is actually dead. Penelope is also the only reason why Odysseus wants to return back home. Last of all, there is Athena, who is the daughter of Zeus. Athena is probably the woman with the most power and importance throughout this book. She was the one to convince all of the gods to free Odysseus from Calypso’s island, and let him return back to his home town Ithaca where he could happily reunite with his wife and son, Telemachos. She was also the one who convinced Telemachos to start a journey to try and help him find his father. In the end, even though neither Calypso, Penelope, nor Athena are actually in power in this tale, they all have a way of altering or changing the decisions of the men in the story, which is why they are the most important females in Homers novel, the Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteAlex Whitaker
Throughout the book, The Odyssey, there are many important women that affect the outcome of the storyline. Without Calypso, Penelope, Athena, Circe, or The Sirens, the story would be very different than as it is now. Calypso, a witch, and a member in the great family of gods, wanted to keep Odysseus in her cave and make him her husband. Her role in the book would be the "captor" of Odysseus, and the person who keeps him away from his family, home, and land of Ithaca for so long. "He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of Gods, who wanted him [Odysseus] to stay in her cave and be her husband." (Book 1 11) The Sirens are sea nymphs, beautiful maidens who inhabit the sea. Their roles in the book were to lure sailors to destruction with their songs. Then, there's Penelope, Odysseus's loving wife. Her role in the story is to stay faithful to her husband and to devise tricks to delay her suitors. Another very important woman would be Athena, one of the gods with good intelligence, skill in beautiful work, and is very clever. Circe, the beautiful witch goddess, transformed Odysseus' men into beasts. The female that withheld the most power in this book would be Athena, goddess of wisdom, crafts, and war. In the book, both Athena and her powers are very important to the survival of Odysseus, and they complete the outcome of the book. In the Odyssey, Athena disguises herself as "Mentes" to talk Telemachus into going out to search for his father. "My advice to you is this, if you will let me advise you. Get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, and go and find out about your father and why he is so long away." (Book 1 17)
ReplyDelete-Jaime Castile.
The story of Odysseus' journey would not be the same without the women. For example, the role of Calypso in this story is that she holds Odysseus on her island for almost a decade. If she would not have done this then Odysseus would have made it home and there would be no story to tell. Penelope's role in The Odyssey is to sort of help Telemachos find his father in a way because if she would have not refused to marry any one of the intruding men, then there would have been no reason for Telemachos to go and find Odysseus because she would have already been remarried, which means if and when Telemachos found Odysseus, there would be nothing to come home to. Athena's role in The Odyssey is to give Telemachos faith in himself to go and find Odysseus. Also, she plays the part in telling Zeus, "Father Zues, and all you gods everlasting and blessed! From this time forth let no sceptred king be kind and gentle, let none have justice in his heart! Let him always be harsh and act the tyrant! For none of his subjects remember that Odysseus, who ruled them like a kind father. Now he lies wretched and miserable, Calypso's prisoner in her island, and he cannot return to his native land; for he has no men and no galleys to carry him over the broad back of the sea. And now again they want to murder his beloved son, who has gone to Pylos and to Lacedaimon to find out news of his father. They are only waiting for his return" (62), which was basically just a speach to the Gods telling them to send Hermes to Calypso's island to tell her to let Odysseus free. Circe's role in Odysseus' journey is to tell him to go to the kingdom of the dead, which would point in the right direction home. The Sirens' role is to try and lure Odysseus to his death. But since Odysseus' will to get home to see Penelope, him and his men evade her attempt. I feel that even though all of these women play an important role in Odysseus' journey to get back to Ithica, Athena plays the most important one. For example, if not for her, Telemachos would not have had the faith to voyage out on his journey to find Odysseus. Also, if not for her then Zues would not have sent Hermes to tell Calypso to let Odysseus go.
ReplyDelete-Jacob Palazzolo
Out of all the women in The Odyssey, the three most important women are Athena, goddess of wisdom and, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, and Calypso, the goddess of the sea. Athena is important to the story because she is Odysseus main supporter and she helps him escape from Calypso’s island. Athena is also one of the main reasons that Telemachus decides to search for his father. If she hadn’t been disguised as a family friend, Mentes, then Telemachus may have never finalized the decision to find his father. Penelope is also one of the main reasons that Telemachus decides to go and find his father. In books one and two, when Telemachus sees his mothers reaction to the suitors, that helps him make the decision to find his father. Lastly, Calypso, as the main conflict in The Odyssey, is very important. For 7 years, Odysseus had been captured in Ogygia, and held captive by the beautiful Calypso. Calypso had fallen in love with him, and would not let him go, which creates the main conflict. If she had not fallen in love with him, then he would have been free to return home. The women hold the majority of the power, out of both mortals and immortals and their decisions, no matter how big or how small, made the journey of Odysseus more interesting.
ReplyDeleteNathan Wulfmeyer
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey, by Homer, each of the women introduced plays a specific role in the story. How ever all of the specific roles tend to revolve around care, or help. For example, when we first learn of Odysseus being trapped on Calypso’s Island, one may think Calypso to be evil. On the contrary however, Calypso is taking care of Odysseus, even though she is keeping him from Ithaca, by keeping him safe, and well fed. Not to mention she loves him. In addition the goddess Athena is also aiding Odysseus, albeit indirectly. She is watching over, and guiding his son, Telemachos, so that in the end Odysseus will be reunited with his wife and the ending will be what is wished of Odysseus. Also, his wife Penelope acts as the master of the house while Odysseus is away. She takes care of guests, and keeps things together while her son and husband are gone. However, in addition to being helpers, some women in The Odyssey are portrayed as deceitful, and malevolent. For example, when Odysseus is recalling his journey to Hades, Agamemnon says “True it is, there is nothing more cruel and shameless as a woman...” (Homer 132) This point is later asserted in the book on Odysseus’ crossing between Charbidis, and Scylla. Both of these cursed monsters are portrayed as women. Also, even though in their second meeting with her, Circe the nymph was at one time a hindrance to Odysseus, turning 12 of his men into pigs. Although when they come to her again she aided them and told them the safest and most successful route to Ithaca. Some women also have much power and authority. Take Athena for instance, she is the goddess of wisdom and war strategy, and she dwells on Mount Olympus, with Zeus and all the other Olympian gods. Also Penelope took the role of a man, and Circe is a nymph, and Charbidis and Scylla are both dreaded monsters. One can see that in The Odyssey women play important roles, and assume a great deal of power, not only as a story plot driver, but as people and goddesses themselves.
The roles the women play in The Odyssey are very diverse. Athena is a provider. She provides resources for Telemachos to search for his father, such as a boat and men. Also, when Telemachos is talking to the council she provides him the proper words to say. Penelope is a mother and wife. She is able to raise their son on her own and never loses faith that Odysseus will return home. Calypso deters or holds up Odysseus. She keeps him as her prisoner for seven years making it impossible for him to get home. Circe at first slows up Odysseus by turning some of his companions into pigs, but she ends up being a helper. She provides him with information on the sirens. She instructs him to fill his crews’ ears with wax and to have them tie Odysseus up to the boat. Lastly, the sirens role is to lure. They lure the sailors to come towards them by using their beautiful voices and then they destroy them. The womens roles are diverse however, either their role helps Odysseus or it harms him and his journey home.
ReplyDeleteEven though all the women have some sort of power Athena and Penelope have the most. Athena is able to change the course of events by using her godly abilities. She is able to make Telemachos sound older and wiser by giving him the right words to say when he is talking to the council members. Penelope has power because she is able to make her husband desire her. Calypso could not do this, even though she was a beautiful goddess. However, because of Penelope’s loyalty and faithfulness her husband wants to come home and spend his life with her. Both of these women have power that helps Odysseus’ family to reunite.
Mandy DeWitt
In the book the Odyssey there are many women that are important and hold different levels of power that influence the plot. Calypso holds Odysseus on her island until she is forced to let him go by the gods. Penelope, Odysseus's wife, awaits the return of her husband while she battles suitors. Athena, daughter of Zeus, helps Telemachos on his journey in search of his father, "Meanwhile the goddess Athena was doing the rest. She took the shape of Telemachos, and tramped the length and breadth of the city, took aside each of the men and told her tale, then directed them to meet in the evening beside the cutter" (Book 2, pg. 25). She also assist Odysseus get off Calypso's island. Circle is a witch that turns men into animals. With the help of Hermes Odysseus is able to avoid her magic and gets her to swear not to enchant him. The Sirens sing enchanting songs that lure men and their ships to their where they are destroyed. The person who holds the highest level of power in the Odyssey is Athena because she influences the actions of Odysseus and his son Telemachos the most and can take the shape of anything she pleases.
ReplyDelete-Austin Whaley
The women portrayed in Homer's "The Odessey" vary in their roles individually, but for the most part, they are portrayed as strong and powerful. For example, Homer uses women to help guide Odysseus on his quest back home. Athena is an example of a powerful goddess; not only did she help Odysseus back to his home land to take up his house again with his wife Penelope, Athena also helps his son Telemachos on his own adventure. The women also play roles as housewives or maids. Odysseus's wife, Penelope is more of a housewife character, for she raises the children and watches the house while he was away. Odysseus also ran into many other housewife-type characters throught his journies in and out of different lands. In addition, not only do the powerful women help Odysseus in his quest, but they also set-back his adventure. The witch Calypso held Odysseus captive in her cave for many years, threatening to not let him leave unless he marries her. In other words, the role of the women in "The Odyssey" all depends on the individual person, not if they are women or not. Although most are powerful goddess, some are portrayed as housewife characters in Homer's novel.
ReplyDelete--Caitlyn Warren
The women play a major role in The Odyssey. The characters Calypso, Penelope, and Athena all play a different role in the story. Calypso starts the story off as a powerful character and captures Odysseus. In book five Calypso says”So you gods are all shocked at me now, because there’s a mortal man with me. I saved the man when he was straddling across a ship’s keel, all by himself, after Zues had sent other fiery thunderbolt at him and smashed the ship to pieces in the middle of the sea. All his crew were drowned, and the winds carried him here. I loved him and cherished him, and I did think I would make him immortal like myself. But since it is impossible for any god to shirk or baffle the will of Zues Almighty, let him go to the devil over the barren sea, if that is command of his Mightiness. I will not give him a passage home; I have no ships and no sailors to carry him over the broad back of the sea. But I will gladly advise him and help him to get home”(64-65). Calypso holds Odysseus as a prisoner for many years causing grief for Odysseus’s wife and son Telemachos. This also caused Telemachos to set out to find his father Odysseus whether he was dead or alive. Penelope also plays major role as Odysseus’s wife and Telemachos’s mother. Penelope’s main role was to be a wife, mother, and give Odysseus a motive to return home. If it was not for Penelope then Odysseus would not have had reasoning to return Ithaca. The goddess of wisdom, Athena’s role is to help and guide Telemachos to find his father Odysseus. As well as guiding Telemachos, Athena guided and helped Odysseus through his tough situations. Athena and Penelope are most the most powerful women in Odysseus’s journey. Together they help Odysseus return home to Ithaca.
ReplyDeleteWomen play an essential role in the story The Odyssey, by Homer. The leading female roles include Penelope which is Odysseus’ wife, Calypso who is the witch holding Odysseus captive on her island, and Athena the god who disguises herself as a mortal to help convince Telemachos, Odysseus’ son, to try to find out what happened to him. Penelope, Odysseus’ faithful wife has suitors practically living in her house while she does not know whether her husband is dead or alive. She is a very loving persistent woman, she holds a lot of power because she has the choice to remarry or await her husband’s possible arrival. The witch Calypso also holds power because she has been holding Odysseus captive on her island for many years. Athena appears to have to most power compared to these three women because in the story she is able to disguise herself as a mortal and come down and convince Telemachos to go find out what happened to his father. She also has the power to reveal to Telemachos that his father is indeed alive and trying to return to him and his mother. An example of Athena’s power is when she convinced the gods to allow Odysseus to return home and convinced them to let her go to Telemachos, “…I myself will go to Ithaca, to put heart into his son and make him do something. …I will send him to Sparta and to sandy Pylos to inquire about his beloved father, if he can hear that he is on his way home. That will be some credit to him in the world” (5). Athena is the main contributor to convince Telemachos to go in search to find word about what has happened to his father. These women have had major contributions in this story, from holding Odysseus captive, to convincing his son to come find him. Without women there would be no adventure for Odysseus’ strive to come home, or Telemachos’ determined will to find his beloved father.
ReplyDeleteIn Homer's The Odyssey, the women play many roles, anywhere between housewife to goddess of wisdom. Despite their status in society, many of the women play the role of deceiver. For example, Penelope, Odysseus' wife, who said that she would make her choice of a husband as soon as she finished making a cloth in memory of Lord Laertes, and would "weave the web in the daytime, but in the night I [Penelope] unraveled it by torchlight", to avoid having to choose a husband (239). Also, when a band of Odysseus' crew went to look for food, they saw a house and went inside to be welcomed by Circe, a goddess that seems inviting and innocent, who gave them all food. The men soon find that Circe isn't all that innocent, because the food was drugged and they are turned into pigs. Next, the Sirens' sang in lovely tunes and one might think that anyone with such beautiful song to sing couldn't possibly do anything evil. However, Circe has warned Odysseus that they "bewitch everyone that comes near them... and he never sees home again" (150). And surely, as Odysseus passes by with his ship, he is filled with the strong desire to join the melodious singers. The Sirens are deceitful because although they sing a good song, those that listen never come back home to see his family again. The woman with the most power is Penelope, because it makes the will of Odysseus to come home, even after 20 years of being away, very strong. Penelope has a clever mind to come up with schemes to delay her from remarrying. She is also loyal to her husband, even after twenty years of not being able to see him.
ReplyDelete~Kristen Gavenda
Women are important in the telling of the Odyssey. In the earlier chapters, Calypso, Athena, Penelope, Cicre, and the Sirens are the mainnwomen in the story. Calypso is a nymph who falls in love with Odysseus and holds him in her island home. Athena takes on the form of mortals in order to help Telemachus in his quest to find his father and Odysseus to find his way home. Penelope, Telemachus mother and Odysseus' wife, is in control of Odysseus' house and all of Itheca in her husbands absence. Circe is a witch-goddess that Odysseus encounters after he leaves Calypso's island. Circe falls in love with Odysseus and tells him to go to Hades, the land of the dead to speak with the soul of a prophet, Tiresias, who tells Odysseus of his fate. After talking to the prophet, Odysseus passes the Siren's island. He instructs his crew to plug their ears with wax and bind him to the mast so that he alone had to hear the Siren's seductive song. The women each play a major part in the story. Calypso is the reason Odysseus has not returned home. Athena is a guide and probably has the most impact on the story. Penelope has a large impact as well, she must keep the suitors from marrying her and taking over her husband's house. Circe loves Odysseus and helps him in his trek home. She tells him how to get home, which route to take, and what to do. The Sirens have little impact on the story because Odysseus learns little from their song. The most important female character this far in the story is Athena. She guides the characters and represents them in the council of the gods.
ReplyDelete--Will Adams
The women in Homer’s The Odyssey all have different roles in influencing the story. In the beginning of the story, Odysseus is kept prisoner by the goddess Calypso. Calypso wants to win him over from his wife Penelope. Calypso keeps Odysseus for seven years in a cave on her island. Penelope loves her husband and mourns every day while he is kept prisoner. Penelope had to stay strong while her husband because many men tried to win her over. If she would have not stayed loyal to Odysseus, he would have not had to make the journey. Athena holds the most power of out of all the women. Athena is the daughter is the most powerful god Zeus. Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom, she is one of the main reasons Odysseus does not die on his journey. Athena can transform to help people, good or bad. The Sirens are evil goddesses and want to kill Odysseus. Circe holds a lot of power also because she is a goddess. Circe tries to poison Odysseus, but it did not work because he countered it, while the rest of Odysseus’s crew was turned into animals. Without these roles of women it would have influenced the story differently.
ReplyDeleteWithin Homer’s The Odyssey the women are given valued roles that contribute to the telling of Odysseus’ journey. Though these women such as Athena, Penelope, Calypso, and Circe all have important roles they have specialized jobs and ways that help Odysseus. The goddess Athena’s role in relation to the journey of Odysseus was a guide to Telemachos and Odysseus himself. She also made a powerful change when she was able to persuade Zeus to let Odysseus free. An example of her guidance would be “First go to Pylos, and ask that noble prince Nestor; then to Sparta and Menelaos, for he was the last to come home of all the army” (17). Penelope’s role in the story was as Odysseus’ wife as well as a motivational symbol towards fighting to get back home. Odysseus’ concern and love for family is shown in chapter 13 when he says to himself “May I return to my home and find my faithful wife and my dear ones safe and sound!”. Calypso’s role is very important to the story because she is the reason Odysseus does not return home. This is because she wishes he stays to marry her. The last woman who plays a large role in Odysseus’ journey back home is Circe. Circe’s role is to make sure that Odysseus returns home safely. Her aid is shown by”The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage” (133). Out of all the powerful women roles in this book, Athena is the most powerful because of the influencing skills she has while persuading Zeus to let Odysseus free. Without the liberation of Odysseus the book would not be the same.
ReplyDelete-Brian Quasebarth
All of the women in Homer's tale The Odyssey play very different, but equally important roles in the story. For example, Calypso is a powerful goddess that manages to capture Odysseus despite his strength and wit. Another powerful goddess, Athena, encourages Telemachos to go on a journey to find his father. She also gives him the courage to talk to distinguished men, such as when he approached Nestor to ask about his father. But it's not just goddesses that play important roles in the story. For example, Eurycleia tells Penelopeia, "..but a made me swear a gurt oath not to breathe one word to thee till twelve days pass or tha'st ask thysen about his goen away"(Book IV, Pg. 57) If Eurycleia hadn't of kept Telemachos's departure a secret, Penelopeia would've stopped him from leaving to find Odysseus. The women in The Odyssey are portrayed as being equals, despite being written in a time period where that may have not of been so.
ReplyDeleteJessica Berger
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the role of women varies from person to person, but in the end, they all impact the journey of Odysseus whether it is in good or bad way. From Penelope, the typical and stereotypical wife; to Athena, goddess of wisdom and advocate of Odysseus, women have their own specific parts to play that affect the story overall. And out of all of the women mentioned in he Odyssey, Calypso and Athena hold the most power. For example, if Calypso hadn’t have kept Odysseus on her island for so long, “Well then, the seasons went rolling by, and when the year came, in which by the thread that fate spins for every man he was to return home to Ithaca, he had not yet got free of his troubles and come back to his own people” (Book 1, page 11), he would have gotten home sooner and the whole mess with the suitors inhabiting his home most likely would not have happened. Athena obviously holds power because she is a goddess, but she also sets the wheels in motion that allow Odysseus to finally begin his real journey home, without fear of the god Poseidon, whose wrath he had incurred by killing his son Polyphemos. “But what about that clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends and all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but the waves all round it, in the very middle of the sea!” (Book 1, page 12).
ReplyDeleteIn the Homer’s telling of Odysseus’ journey, women affect the outcome of many major events. Three women, Calypso, Penelope, and Athena, show the most importance based on their demanding roles. Calypso begins our story. She is a powerful and beautiful nymph who holds Odysseus captive on her island Ogygia. There she keeps our hero for seven years until Hermes finally convinces her to let him go. The story has barely begun and already one woman has made a seven year impact on a man’s life. Penelope is also a major female role in Homer’s epic. Odysseus’s wife still loves him and possesses an unyielding devotion to her husband. However, she does not deny her suitors. Instead she puts off her choice of who to marry. She leads the men on with promises to each and says she will marry after tasks she will never finish. This impacts the suitors who will continue to spend day after day eating and loitering on her property. Finally, she creates a test to have one of her suitors win her hand in marriage. This task can only be completed by one man, her husband, the hero Odysseus. She makes numerous decisions that outcome various plots throughout the epic novel. Athena, a goddess beyond any doubt, she is strong, wise, confident, a master of disguises, brave, issues good advice, and impacts many lives in Homer’s epic. Overall the daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom services many people with her divine powers throughout the epic. She helps Telemachus many times when she disguises herself and gives him strength to seek out his father. Also, she comes to Penelope in her dreams and helps her as well with support and comfort. She aids Odysseus with many battles and his shipwreck. Since she provides so many with aid, she is the primary example of a woman in The Odyssey who holds power and change outcomes. These three leading ladies make a big difference in Homer’s epic and show the role of women in The Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteShelby Roberts
In Homers The Odyssey, Women have several different roles. These can be seen in the characters Calypso, Penelope, and Athena. When we start our story, Odysseus is held captive by the beautiful nymph, Calypso. When Odysseus lands on her island, she falls in love with him and keeps him captive for seven years. Her power is shown as she can keep this great warrior her prisoner for so long. She then gives him supplies to aid him in his journey home. Calypso is a powerful woman. Penelope is also has an important role. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, who during his absence is pursued by several suitors. Penelope is the driving force behind Telemachos's journey to hear news of his father. She also is so important to Odysseus that he even turns down Calypso. Penelope has a major role in Odysseus's journey. Athena also has a major role. She persuades the gods to help Odysseus. She also helps persuade Telemachos to embark on his journey to find his father. For example, "And I myself will go to Ithaca, to put heart into his son and make him do something" (Book 1, 13). In the Odyssey, women play several different, but very important roles throughout the story.
ReplyDelete-Mike Hilliard
Brandon Ponder
ReplyDeleteIn Homer's story, the Odyssey all the women play important roles and each individually affect the male characters. Given the roles as cooking and cleaning stereotypes, they have other roles that are important to making the book interesting for the reader. Penelope is important to the story because she is what gives Odysseus the motive to come back to be with her. Penelope never remarried because she felt that no matter what happened Odysseus would always be back. Also, Penelope is important because Odysseus also believes in her. He knows that no matter what would happen she would stay faithful to Odysseus and that she is the only one for him. Calypso is another female character that is in some way the antagonist of the story. She is what prevents Odysseus from going home to Penelope. She is important because she makes the base for the story of also trying to separate Odysseus's love for Penelope and change the love towards herself. This character is what starts Telemachos' urge to find his father. Then another important female character in this story is Athena which helps Telemachos begin his journey. She finds the men for his trip, gives him the courage to go on, and also fought beside Odysseus during the war. Then during Odysseus' journey home, Circe becomes a burden because when offering food for help, she drugs his companions into pigs and drastically slows them down. Then Circe slowly begins to come around by giving direction and information on the Sirens. Then comes the last part of the Sirens. They sing songs and sentence people from allowing them to return home after hearing their songs. When Odysseus attempts to here their songs he is unable to board the ship, luckily. The Sirens don't affect Odysseus that much, but could have had an impact on making it home or not. Overall, there is no main female character that are the most important. All the characters have their own role and play a major part flowing the book together.
In Homer’s The Odyssey women hold many powerful and influential roles, from common house wife Penelope, Athena who influences Telemachus to begin his search for Odysseus, and Calypso who holds Odysseus prisoner on her island. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife and lady of Ithaca, holds one of the most powerful roles in the story. Although she is only a mortal she has more influence over Odysseus and Telemachus than anyone and is their driving force to keep going. Without Penelope, Odysseus would not have been as driven to overcome as many obstacles as he had to face to get back home to Ithaca and to her. Athena also holds a lot of power and influence over the men of the story. In the beginning, it was Athena who took on the role of Mentes and originally influenced Telemachus to begin his journey in search of his father. “And I will myself go to Ithaca, to put heart into his son and make him do something” (Athena, 13). Being the goddess of war and wisdom as well as the daughter of Zeus she holds a lot of power over the gods as well. She would not have been able to visit Telemachus if she had not been able to reason with the other gods about why it would be right for her to do so considering all that Odysseus had been through during the war and while being held Calypso‘s prisoner. The reason Odysseus never returned home was because of the power that Calypso holds. After the Trojan war, she captures Odyssues hoping to make him her husband. Holding him prisoner shows how much power she holds, although they do not have as much power as Penelope or Athena since they were both large factors as to why Odysseus was able to return to Ithaca. So although these women are not the hero of the story they still had a lot of influence and played a large role in the events of The Odyssey.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Eversman
In the ancient tale The Odyssey by Homer, women such as Calypso, Athena, Penelope, Circe, and the Sirens play an important role in the adventures that both Telemachos and Odysseus encounter. First, Athena, goddess of wisdom, craft and war, is on e of the most essential characters by serving as a guide and a protector to the son of Odysseus, Telemachos. At the beginning of the tale, Athena has shown up at the house of Telemachos to encourage him to seek various places and people for more information about his father’s disappearance and probable death. Athena’s contribution of her selfless acts and time in order to save Odysseus, his son, and the land of Ithica from the countless men trying to woo Odysseus’s wife, Penelope, designates her to be the most significant and powerful out of the women in The Odyssey. However, another noteworthy woman is the “…radiant creature…”(11) Calypso. First, Calypso holds Odysseus captive on her land called Ogygia for seven years creating suspicion on whether he is alive or deceased. Finally, there would be no journey or tale like the one told if Odysseus returned to his home in Ithica after the Trojan War, so by holding him captive Calypso is back bone to all the journeys and suspicion that occurs. The last major woman is the spouse of Odysseus, Penelope. While her son is away, Penelope stays at home with the servants and the unwelcome men trying to become the next king by making her their wife. By keeping her composure while “…the men who woo [Penelope]…” (36) and their “…intolerable insults of their scheming brains”(36), Penelope is, as well, a powerful woman that has a major impact in the tale The Odyssey by Homer.
ReplyDelete--Emily Quinlivan
Compared to other ancient tales the Odyssey focuses on the women and their power instead of the men. The women are significant because they’re able to change Odysseus’ fate and ultimately if he returns home. Women’s roles range from regular housewives to goddesses.
ReplyDeleteAthena’s role in the novel is that she’s a goddess who helps Telemacaus and she helps Odysseus’ on his journey. Calypso is a sea nymph and she kept Odysseus in her cave for seven years. Circe is a witch goddess who turned Odysseus’ men into beasts. The Sirens are sea nymphs whose songs were so powerful they disable one’s ability to continue on with their life. For example, they can alter Odysseus’ journey by capturing him with their song.
The Sirens are one of the most powerful females because on Odyssey’s journey he sees the sea nymphs and is distracted by their singing voices. For example, when Odysseus is on his ship and passes the by the Sirens “From the bottom of my heart, I long to listen and order the men to set me free, nodding my head and working my brow.” (Homer 142). Calypso is another one of the most powerful females because she was able to keep Odysseus captive for seven years on her island. Calypso is more powerful than Circe because they both attempt to capture Odysseus but Calypso is more successful and is able to capture him for seven years.
In conclusion, the role of the women in the novel heavily affects Odysseus’ life and the overall outcome of the story. The women’s power is more strong compared to other ancient tales where the power of the men is more dominant.
Each character in “The Odyssey” plays a very important role however the women in “The Odyssey” play an especially important role from the very beginning of the novel, when Odyssues is being held captive on the island Ogygia because of Calypso’s selfish wish to keep the hero from his family back home on the island of Ithaca, and wed him herself. “Listen now a radiant goddess Calypso tried to keep me by her in her cave, and wanted me for a husband…” Another women character with a very influential role in “The Odyssey” is the goddess Athena. The entire reason for her being down on earth is to be Telemacho’s guardian, which she does by disguising herself as the family friend Mentes. She leads Telemachos on a ship on a journey for him to discover what has happened to his father Odyssues. These two examples illustrate my opinion that it is the goddesses of the novel that hold the most important roles. For example Calypso is the reason for the entire novel because she is the reason for Odyssues’ prolonged absence and it is Athena’s doing that Telemachos finally begins to take action and go out to retrieve his father. However Penelope, Odyssues’ wife, instead of taking action with anything is at home just sitting back and waiting while strangers come into her home and waste away her husband’s fortune while they “wish for her hand in marriage”. That is why overall I believe that it is the goddesses that hold the most important role in Homer’s “The Odyssey”.
ReplyDeleteKendall Siems
In the Odyssey by Homer, women are portrayed as the caretaker of the home and the assistant to the men, and also, at times the damsel in distress. Circe assisted Odysseus leave her island, "The radiant goddess Circe sent a sail-filling wind behind us, a good companion for a voyage” (book 11 page 133). This represents the women in the book as an important role to help the men on their journey. Thus without the helping hand from the women, like Circe, the men of the story would get nowhere. Athena is also a very vital character the story. She is the "guardian angel " of the story and of Telemachos. Especially when Athena comes to visit Telemachos and get him started on his journey to find his father and provokes him to search for answers that has eluded him for a long time. (book 2 pages 14-19). The women of the Odyssey also play the damsel in distress, this role is shown in Penelope. Throughout the book suitors are trying to get to her and she has to be saved by both her son and loving husband. She fulfills the character of a lady in need and therefore gives the story and hero's of the story a motive. Thus without the lady's of the Odyssey, there would be no hero's no obstacles, and no story. In conclusion they are the one of the most vital parts of the story.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Dutton
In The Odyssey, by Homer, Women play a rather large role in the story. In this tale, women come off to be the ones who influence decision making and the series of events. For example, a mortal goddess, Calypso, does not release Odysseus from her island for the longest time which is a key element into the start of Odysseus’ journey. If Calypso had released him there wouldn’t be a need for Telemachos to go on his journey to uncover what had happened to his father. I believe Athena holds the most power when it comes to the immortal men in the story. She is the spokesmen for Odysseus and his family to the other god’s on Mount Olympus. She disguises herself as Mentor throughout the story, an old friend of Odysseus, guiding Telemachos on his journey to find out what has happened to his father [Odysseus]. When talking about immortal women Penelope, the wife of Odysseus shows herself as a woman of power. Not the same power a goddess would have, but the greater power of love. The love and commitment Penelope and Odysseus share is part of the inspiration that drives Odysseus to undergo the journey home. These three women are great contributors to the events in The Odyssey.
ReplyDelete-Annie Sust
ps: i just got back from 3 weeks at 2 different camps, i did not have any internet access. so here's my post!!
A component that makes The Odyssey a great story is its role with women. Women are not played as damsels in distress, or any demeaning stereotype. However, women are portrayed mainly as inspirational and wise. The woman who holds the most important and powerful role is Penelope.
ReplyDelete(I had some troubles with internet along with a vacation that made both of my blog responses late.)
Penelope is probably the most important woman in The Odyssey because she is strong-willed and an inspiration to Odysseus. In the beginning, Odysseus knows that he has a family because Telemachos was an infant when Odysseus set out for the Trojan War. Penelope and Telemachos are Odysseus’s inspiration to push through 20 years of missing and get home to Ithaca. Even as a prisoner on Calypso’s island, nearly a broken man Odysseus says “I will endure it, I have a patient mind.(P. 66)” This means that Odysseus is ready to face even more of an ordeal if it means to see his Penelope again. Another trait that makes Penelope a powerful role in The Odyssey is being extremely strong-willed. With her home overrun by suitors, demanding their hand in marriage, killing her livestock, drinking her wine, she finds the strength in herself to believe that Odysseus is still alive, waiting for his return.