Female power is nothing simple, nor is it something to be taken lightly.
In other words, these authors are demonstrating through their female characters, that women can be just as loving and hateful as their male counter parts.
In Homer's "The Odyssey," Penelope is a complex woman. On one hand, she is a faithful wife and on the other, she is quite aware of her sexuality.
Instead of marrying someone that could easily make ruling Ithaka easier,
Penelope