Ideal Women In The Odyssey

Words: 484

Pages: 2

Open Document

For some, the ideal man is tall, dark, and handsome, and for others, he is successful, crafty, and rich beyond measure. In Homer’s the Odyssey, the ideal man is courageous and honorable, and the ideal woman is loyal and a good housewife. Undeniably, the model person is different for each individual, culture, and time period, but even if centuries pass, certain values will always stay the same. The ideal ancient Greek man and woman, shown through Odysseus and Penelope, have similarities and differences to the ideal man and woman today.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the ideals presented are related to and dissimilar from the ideals today. Odysseus represents the Greek ideals of intelligence and honor. Odysseus is portrayed as extremely intelligent, as even Athena praised him, saying “there is no mortal half so wise” (Homer 1097). Today, the ideal man is intelligent and witty in many situations, from job interviews to college courses. To the Greeks, honor was very important, and it was a trait that all their heroes would have. Odysseus is very honorable as shown when Eurylochus alerted him that Circe had turned his men into pigs and that he should take what men he had left and escape the island, but instead of leaving, he immediately rushed to their aid to rescue them. Odysseus risked his life and chances at getting home to save his men. Now that many centuries have passed, the ideal man wouldn't be expected to risk his life for others, but rather live as long as possible. Penelope represents the Greek ideals of loyalty and being a good housewife. Greek women were expected to be loyal …show more content…
While Odysseus and Penelope are timeless characters, it is a proven fact that the definition of perfection wont stay the same for forever. Certain standards such as intelligence and loyalty are here to stay, but values such as honor and being the perfect housewife have faded over time. ASK

Who Is The Ideal Women In The Odyssey

After reading The Odyssey, one may infer that Penelope is portrayed as the ideal woman and wife according to ancient Greek culture through her characteristic hospitality. One example of how Penelope demonstrated the characteristic of hospitality is that she welcomed the beggar, who was Odysseus, kindly into her house. After witnessing the suitors treat the beggar horrifically, Penelope says to her maid, “Go to that man on my behalf, Eumaeus, and send him here, so I can greet and question him” (Homer…

Words 390 - Pages 2

The Role Of Penelope In The Odyssey

#3. Through the character of Penelope in the odyssey we can see that Homeric society believes the values that shape an ideal women are beauty, skills, modesty, loyalty and intelligence. Penelope represents all of these values in the Odyssey. I would consider Penelope the 2nd hero in the Odyssey right behind her husband, Odysseus. Penelope is a moral agent in the Odyssey. This can be seen when she refuses to marry any of the suitors because she hopes that her husband will come back from the…

Words 377 - Pages 2

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…

Words 502 - Pages 3

The Odyssey Essay FINAL Draft

2 March 11th, 2015 The Odyssey Essay The Time to be Heard As alpha is to omega: men are to women. The constant fight for rights, a voice, even freedom has lived on throughout history up until today. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald women are seen as nothing more than a boatload of problems. Whether this belief rooted from Pandora releasing all things bad into the world, or Eve being the root of sinful nature, women always seem to be the culprit to these type of…

Words 1861 - Pages 8

The Odyssey - Gender Roles Essay

The Odyssey is the product of a society in which the dominant role was played by men. In ancient Greece, just as in the whole of the ancient world, and in America and Western Europe until the last century, women occupied a subservient position. Society was organized and directed by men, and all of the most important enterprises were those which men arranged and implemented. Women were valued, but they participated in the affairs of the world only when they had the tacit or open approval and permission…

Words 902 - Pages 4

Use Of Contextual Devices In Homer's The Odyssey

use of poetic techniques in The Odyssey inform your understanding of the contextual concerns of Ancient Greece? Society of Bronze Age Greece were concerned with a society structured around Patriarchy in which, social privilege males are given preference in terms of power, leadership, moral authority social privilege, and control of property. Also the value of Greek gods was held as intimately involved in the concerns of human lives and society. Homer’s The Odyssey clearly informs my understanding…

Words 635 - Pages 3

The Epic Hero In The Odyssey

In book XXII of the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer uses lines 1-43 to strengthen the epic hero’s characteristic of having the will to destroy in order to cleanse and remain loyal to his family. This is achieved through the use of imagery and diction. The nature in which Odysseus kills the suitors is brutal, but is done in the regard of avenging his personal honor. When Odysseus claims his first victim, Antinous, Homer describes his death vividly, “The arrow struck Antinous in the throat, and the…

Words 512 - Pages 3

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Of Liberia Analysis

character Odysseus in the Odyssey by Homer, including the embodiment of feminist ideals, immense strength and cleverness in times of her country’s peril, and the accomplishment of difficult feats in her personal life. Sirleaf is a well-known and passionate advocate for women’s rights, which is easy to assume as she is Africa’s first female president. In 2011, herself and two other women were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to honor their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights…

Words 364 - Pages 2

Role Of Athena In Greek Mythology

monstrous whirlpool, and the magic of Mount Olympus captures the imagination of the young and old alike. Athena, Charybdis, and Mount Olympus are important aspects of Greek culture because of the significant role they play in major Greek works like the Odyssey and the Iliad. Athena, born out of Zeus’s head, was the Greek goddess of wisdom and warcraft and guided her favorites as she helped them during times of war and conflict (Atsma). First, Athena plays an important part in the beginning of the Trojan…

Words 403 - Pages 2

Is Odysseus A Hero

In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer Odysseus is on a voyage back to his native land ithaca; on his adventure Odysseus and his crew experiences many challenges and hardships. Odysseus and others go to many places like the island of the cyclopes or the palace of circe the nymph and the city of the cyclones. In all of these places though Odysseus happens to always put his men in harm's way before himself. Odysseus is a villain in the odyssey due to the loss of men to the lotus eaters, massacre…

Words 666 - Pages 3