Women's Role In The Odyssey
Eng. 221
5 February 2014
The Powerful Role of Women in Ancient Greek Society
Although The Odyssey, written by the Greek poet Homer, is an epic tale of a man’s quest for home, women also play a large role. The role of each gender within The Odyssey is made extremely evident, and on multiple occasions Homer makes reference to the expectations of each sex. Throughout the epic, presentations of women are somewhat limited, unless they appear as mothers, servants, deities, seductresses, or a combination of these. Although women occupied an entirely different position in Ancient Greek society than men, they too held a certain amount of power and influence in society; they merely exerted it in ways that were distinctive from men’s tactics. …show more content…
The result has been a change in the depth and nature of our understanding of them. The range of female influence and experience has slowly been brought to the fore: from the divine power of the female goddesses to the model women of Homer, from women who were the power behind the throne to those who wore the crown themselves” (Scott 34). Women are extremely important figures in The Odyssey, and one of the most important roles they fill is that of seductresses. On multiple occasions, Homer uses women as an irresistible allure to lead men astray. Most women in this epic use this power for their own benefit, to get what they want. For example, the Sirens enchant Odysseus with their songs to attempt to lead him off-course and savor him for themselves alone. He is able to resist their tempting songs, only because he was warned in advance by Kirke. Another example of the power of seduction occurs when Odysseus and his crew enter the hall of Kirke, an enchantress who uses drugs and herbs to manipulate men. When Odysseus ' crew arrives on Kirke 's island, they are attracted to Kirke 's house because of the alluring voice of the beautiful yet monstrous goddess. The men 's desire for Kirke allows the goddess to exploit their weaknesses, trick them, and magically turn them into swine. Odysseus, with the help of a protective drug and advice provided by Hermes, goes to rescue his men from Kirke’s island. He follows Hermes ' exact instructions and when the goddess attempts to strike him with her sword, he lunges at her. Odysseus draws his sword and says, "Or swear me first a great oath, if I do, you’ll work no more enchantment to my harm” (Homer 386-387). Homer has Odysseus draw his sword at this moment, possibly aiming to show how a woman 's appeal and sexuality is a threat to male dominance. Kirke’s enchantment over Odysseus is able to last for an entire year, which further prolongs his and his crew’s journey
5 February 2014
The Powerful Role of Women in Ancient Greek Society
Although The Odyssey, written by the Greek poet Homer, is an epic tale of a man’s quest for home, women also play a large role. The role of each gender within The Odyssey is made extremely evident, and on multiple occasions Homer makes reference to the expectations of each sex. Throughout the epic, presentations of women are somewhat limited, unless they appear as mothers, servants, deities, seductresses, or a combination of these. Although women occupied an entirely different position in Ancient Greek society than men, they too held a certain amount of power and influence in society; they merely exerted it in ways that were distinctive from men’s tactics. …show more content…
The result has been a change in the depth and nature of our understanding of them. The range of female influence and experience has slowly been brought to the fore: from the divine power of the female goddesses to the model women of Homer, from women who were the power behind the throne to those who wore the crown themselves” (Scott 34). Women are extremely important figures in The Odyssey, and one of the most important roles they fill is that of seductresses. On multiple occasions, Homer uses women as an irresistible allure to lead men astray. Most women in this epic use this power for their own benefit, to get what they want. For example, the Sirens enchant Odysseus with their songs to attempt to lead him off-course and savor him for themselves alone. He is able to resist their tempting songs, only because he was warned in advance by Kirke. Another example of the power of seduction occurs when Odysseus and his crew enter the hall of Kirke, an enchantress who uses drugs and herbs to manipulate men. When Odysseus ' crew arrives on Kirke 's island, they are attracted to Kirke 's house because of the alluring voice of the beautiful yet monstrous goddess. The men 's desire for Kirke allows the goddess to exploit their weaknesses, trick them, and magically turn them into swine. Odysseus, with the help of a protective drug and advice provided by Hermes, goes to rescue his men from Kirke’s island. He follows Hermes ' exact instructions and when the goddess attempts to strike him with her sword, he lunges at her. Odysseus draws his sword and says, "Or swear me first a great oath, if I do, you’ll work no more enchantment to my harm” (Homer 386-387). Homer has Odysseus draw his sword at this moment, possibly aiming to show how a woman 's appeal and sexuality is a threat to male dominance. Kirke’s enchantment over Odysseus is able to last for an entire year, which further prolongs his and his crew’s journey