Female Characters In The Odyssey

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In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, many themes are portrayed as the tale of Odysseus continues throughout the book. Although the movie is very similar to the book, there are still differences in the two versions of the story. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey is not only the story of Odysseus and his adventures, but also a image of the everyday obstacles we face in present day. This epic is filled with exampes of tasks and harmful consequences that i will evaluate and give my perspective on. In this epic, the role of women are severely important and help tell a story. Throughout The Odyssey, Penelope, Calypso, and Athena show that women can be just as powerful and clever as men. Both, in the book and movie, Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, waited for over twenty years for him to return home to her. If Penelope were to give up Odysseus and marry another man, then his throne as king would be taken. This shows that when a man and woman stay true to eachother, things will work out for the best. Penelope’s sneaky ways gave Odysseus a great advantage that he needed. Penelope is the main reason for Odysseus’s success in the return to Ithica. The character of Penelope remained very similar in the book and the movie. On the otherhand, another woman, …show more content…
One similarity included in both the book and movie, Telemachus started as a younger boy without having his father around, so he grew up more timid and pampered boy. He was also the son of a great warrior, so a lot more was expected of him. After his journey, and the killing of the suitors that took advantage of him really showed how he developed from being a shy boy to a mature man. Unlike Telemachus, Odysseus was already a mature man, but he expierenced many things which he hadn’t before. This made Odysseus become more wise. Similary in their journeys, both father and son were very well liked by Athena, who acted as a guardian to

Female Characters In Homer's Odyssey

In order to understand how female characters are depicted in Homer’s work, it is necessary to look at mortal women and goddesses as two separate groups of people. This is because they are portrayed in two separate ways. For example, the queen of Ithaca, a mortal woman, Penelope, seems to be very attracting considering the fact she has multitudes of suitors pleading for her hand in marriage. However, it is later on in The Odyssey, that we see how low mortal women are in society. This is mainly shown…

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Penelope Exerts Authority In The Odyssey

superior between man and woman throughout history. When comparing two articles on the Odyssey, it shows similarities and differences on how the two genders are portrayed. In Lilian E. Dorathy’s article, “Athena and Penelope as foils for Odysseus in the Odyssey” it explores how the two contrasting female characters are introduced to highlight the good and bad qualities of Odysseus. In “Three Models of Authority in the Odyssey” by Colleen Chaston, it explores how Penelope exerts authority in the three areas…

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Archetype Odyssey

roles and Homer’s The Odyssey is no exception. The men go to war and do heroic deeds, as opposed to most of the female characters, who seem to be not allowed to participate in such things. In The Odyssey by Homer, most female characters have a sexual role or one somehow related to beauty and represent the temptress archetype, and a few have a different type of role, but all of them are unified in that they add complexities to Odysseus’ journey; this is exemplified by characters like Calypso, Circe…

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essay one

The Older, The Better For my essay I have decided to compare The Odyssey and Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I chose to compare these two literary works because they intrigued me and were very entertaining to read. They are also some of the oldest literary works known to have been written by man and predate the modern Christian era. So, they are heavily influenced by the people of the time and cultures that they lived in, as well as the beliefs that they shared about the world. These works…

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The Journeys Of Odysseus In The Odyssey And Gilgamesh

The journeys of Odysseus in The Odyssey and Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh have many similarities and differences. Both characters embark on a journey to search for the meaning of life. Both stories show friendship, relationships with the Gods, and death. But each characters journey in the stories is unique and shows different lessons and outcomes. In the cultures that both of these stories take place in, the God’s have a big impact on the people’s destinies and doom. Throughout the stories…

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Comparing Ada Monroe And Penelope In Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain

considered a latter-day Odyssey ever since its appearance in 1997. Many of the characters in the two novels are similar to each other in their traits, responsibilities, and roles, such as Ada Monroe and Ruby Thewes compared to Penelope and Athena, correspondingly. Ada continuously receives assistance from Ruby as her father, Monroe, has passed away, while Penelope is supported by Athena as she awaits for Odysseus to return. Between the Odyssey and Cold Mountain, the characters Ada Monroe and Penelope…

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Women In The Odyssey

In the long-enduring epic poem, The Odyssey, the main story is that of the hero Odysseus’ adventures on his twenty year voyage home. However, the poem also features very strong supporting female characters. The two women that will be highlighted both represent vastly different female tropes. Circe represents women as seductresses whereas Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, represents the ideal wife of ancient Greek society. In Greek mythology, Circe was regarded nymph (Book 11, 7) or more commonly as…

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Xenia In Homer's Odyssey

Xenia is the concept of hospitality towards guest, commonly seen in ancient greek history. Considering that the Odyssey is a epic poem based on real life, it constantly relies on the perception of xenia that it might not have occurred without it. Then on to been written without it. In the Odyssey, Xenia plays a huge role in the way you act and treat your personal guest. Xenia is shown through a man by the name of Eumaeus, so if a god ever confronted him in a human form, he will be prepared. Eumaeus…

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Essay Odysseus

Angela Sun Reading Cultures 29 January 2015 Essay One Infidelity and revenge in The Odyssey as explored through a gendered lens In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, a war hero by the name of Odysseus attempts to return to his wife and son in Ithaca. Littered throughout the poem are short anecdotes told by humans, bards, and gods. From the suicide of Ajax to the revenge of Orestes, these recounts serve to enrich The Odyssey’s already fantastical and mythical tone. Interestingly, several of these tales…

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The Pivotal Role Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

Women play a pivotal role in the Odyssey. Whether they are mortal women or goddesses their actions have heavy consequences in the turn of events throughout plot of the Odyssey. This is apparent from the beginning with the rape of king Priam’s daughter, Cassandra. This incident enrages the goddess Athena against the Greeks consequently delaying Odysseus's return to Ithaca. Athena‘s soft spot for Odysseus persuades her to encourage Telemachus to venture out to find his father, who she knows is on his…

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