The Role of Women in The Odyssey The Odyssey‚ by Homer‚ is an epic poem based on the story of an ancient Greek hero‚ Odysseus‚ and his twenty year journey—ten years spent fighting in the Trojan War and the other ten spent traveling home. In the poem‚ Homer presents the theme of the role and nature of women. Men were the dominant gender in ancient Greece‚ and women‚ who were inferior‚ were only valued for their beauty and their ability to reproduce. However‚ in this poem‚ Homer both exemplifies
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Many of the tragic pitfalls of Odysseus and his men were from their own weaknesses to women. The temptations that the crew submits to always either anger the gods or distract them from their goal- returning home. In The Odyssey‚ by the legendary poet Homer‚ Odysseus and his crew desire to complete their own nostos‚ but are almost always led astray by the enticements of women. After many years of sea‚ Odysseus lands on Kalypso’s island. There‚ Odysseus met not by a strong creature thirsting for blood
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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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In Homer’s Odyssey‚ the women are portrayed in many different ways‚ some are said to be wise while others are cruel‚ but many are treated differently from the opposite gender. One of the women in the story‚ Penelope‚ was portrayed as very wise but because of her gender she was expected to obey many of the men. Similarly to Penelope‚ Arete‚ queen of the Phaeacians‚ was equally wise but was viewed almost as an equal to the men. In contrast to the other two women‚ Melantho was very malicious and was
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The Treatment of Women in Trifles "Trifles‚" a one-act play written by Susan Glaspell‚ is a cleverly written story about a murder and more importantly‚ it effectively describes the treatment of women during the early 1900s. In the opening scene‚ we learn a great deal of information about the people of the play and of their opinions. We know that there are five main characters‚ three men and two women. The weather outside is frighteningly cold‚ and yet the men enter the warm farmhouse first
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In The Odyssey by Homer‚ three very different women are in love with Odysseus. Circe‚ Kalypso‚ and Penelope all love Odysseus in a unique way and show it differently. Circe’s love for Odysseus is based on physical attraction‚ Odysseus’ accompaniment and body is the premise for Kalypso’s love‚ while Penelope’s love is the deepest for Odysseus. Circe’s love for Odysseus is based on physical attraction and is weaker than the others. Circe says‚ “You are then resourceful Odysseus...Come then‚ put away
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Othello endure it is clear that Shakespearean society viewed women as lesser beings who existed only to serve the men in their lives‚ and who were supposed to subservient‚ submissive‚ pure and above all else obedient. Obedient to their husbands‚ father‚ brothers and all men. Patriarchal rule justified women’s subordination as the natural order because women were thought to be physiologically and psychologically inferior to men. Although the women in Othello are measured against these ideals and in this
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a monster who murders his loved ones. Victor could have prevented two of the female deaths but chose not to in both of the events‚ which provided proof that women were not of importance. By allowing all of the female characters to die‚ Mary Shelly was displaying how women were so disposable. In this paper‚ I will provide details on how women were seen and treated during the book. Justine was framed for the murder of William Frankenstein. She did not strangle him; instead she was trying to find him
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to state her opinions on men and their cheating ways‚ so she gives a cruel but whole hearted explanation to prove that she is right. Emilia clearly has a grudge towards the man kind race. She says that whatever the husbands do to their wives‚ the women make a comeback with a plan of revenge. She seems to question her own self with why their men do this to
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poem The Odyssey‚ society treats women differently from men‚ though the women possess as many or more admirable qualities than their male counterparts. This applies to Odysseus’ wife‚ Penelope‚ as well as Arete and Circe‚ all of whom embody power‚ an important characteristic in Ancient Greek society. The impressive yet often overlooked traits of Penelope‚ Arete‚ and Circe reveal the true natures of these powerful women and their influence over Odysseus in his journey throughout The Odyssey. Penelope
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