Although “The Odyssey” by the Greek poet Homer is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest‚ women play an incredibly large role. Homer’s epic tale‚ “The Odyssey” revolves around Ulysses’ quest to return back to his wife‚ Penelope‚ so that he may be reunited with her and assume control over his palace‚ which has been overrun by suitors. Ulysses’ son‚ Telemachus attempts to regain authority in the presence of the many suitors but finds this difficult and embarks upon his own journey under the
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Although it is clear women in Homer’s The Odyssey are hierarchically lower than men‚ and have to follow societal norms and the orders of men‚ women also have the power to disrupt and distract Odysseus’ journey home. Men have clear dominance over the lives of women throughout The Odyssey and make choices for them in instances even when they are completely capable. This is evident even with mother-son relationships. Telemachus commands Penelope‚ his own mother to “go back to [her] quarters. Tend to
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outcome to be different. Moreover‚ people are insane‚ and in Homer’s epic The Odyssey‚ Odysseus proves this by performing acts that no one dares to try like subduing a gargantuan Cyclops and defying the omnipotent gods. The adversities he overcomes are still the same hardships we overcome and learn from in our world today. My first lesson is those who are laughed at usually end up having the last laugh. This is shown in The Odyssey when a man named Antinous is competing for Penelope’s hand in marriage
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life he starts out as a boy and needs to journey and change into a man. Telemachus also has to do this in the Odyssey and it is especially tough because he does not have a father to follow in the footsteps of for most of his life. Telemachus starts off shy and showing his emotions too much‚ wishing he could see his father. He then starts making decisions to put himself into a leadership role and is maturing. Then in the end he matured and grew and is ready to fight by his father’s side against the
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Natasha Castillo October 3‚ 2012 Role of Women in “The Odyssey” “The Odyssey” by Homer is an epic poem about Odysseus’ return to his wife and son in Ithica after the Trojan War. Women play an exceptionally large role in this epic poem. Odysseus’s son‚ Telemachus attempts to gain authority in the presence of the suitors but it is difficult. Especially once he goes on his own journey under the guidance of Athena. Throughout the epic poem however‚ the women play their roles as mothers‚ servants‚ seductresses
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Ruby Mendoza 12-10-16 The Odyssey In The Odyssey written by Homer‚ Odysseus once said‚” Be strong‚ saith my heart; I am a soldier; I have seen worse sights than this.” Some may say his weakness interfere with his heroism. I believe that his courage‚ intelligence‚ and ambition are what make him a perfect model of an epic hero. Odysseus is a perfect
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Penelope in the Odyssey was expected to wait patiently for Odysseus to return from the Trojan War. While doing so‚ she was expected to keep herself occupied with household chores such as weaving and spinning. Medea was expected to passively and obediently go into exile after her husband Jason decided to marry another woman. Penelope and Medea‚ the leading women in their respective Greek works both fulfill and go against their prescribed gender roles. Penelope skillfully went against gender roles but only
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In Homer’s‚ “The Odyssey”‚ Odysseus struggles to return home not only to rejoin his wife Penelope and son Telemakhos but also to fulfill his duty as ruler and legend. As Odysseus struggles homeward‚ the idea of his true self and what defines him shifts. His longing for family and sovereignty serves‚ at times‚ as a raging fire that propels him home. At other times it seems to be lost in the shadows of his adventures. At the end‚ when all conflicts are resolved and Odysseus is reunited with his wife
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In the Odyssey women play an important role and many events occurred because of them. For instance the entire Trojan War started because of Helen‚ because of Odysseus’ love of Penelope he needed to get back to Ithaca‚ and with the help of the immortal goddess Athena he finally made it home. Women in this story have very meaningful roles in Odysseus ’ life. The first very important role of a woman is Helen‚ who started this journey. It began when he his men left to battle in the Trojan War. Helen
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Loyalty through royalty Loyalty plays a key role in The Iliad and The Odyssey. Through direct and indirect characterization Homer makes it clear for the readers to see the golden value of loyalty between the men and women in these epic poems. A commonly known quote is‚ “ Respect is gained‚ and loyalty is returned.” In this direct message you can see similarities to The Iliad and The Odyssey. In the hardship of Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca‚ Odysseus pulls many strings to keep his crew safe
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