The glorification of the appearances of women is well illustrated by the way that Athena speaks of the esteem the people hold for Arete, when speaking to Odysseus in Phaeacia. "No lady in the world, no other mistress if a man's household, is honored as our mistress is, and loved, by her own children, by Alcinous, and by the people. When she walks the town murmur and gaze, as though she were a goddess. No grace or wisdom fails in her; indeed just men in quarrels come to her for equity" (Homer p.274). They think this highly of her, and yet, she is a subordinate of Alcinous. Arete is a very powerful woman. She is as powe

rful as the king, yet he gives orders to Arete, calling her "Lady" (Homer p.292), but commanding her to bring things to make ready for the departure of Odysseus.

In The Odyssey, women do not have jurisdiction over their own lives. Some examples of this include an arranged marriage: when Menelaus is having a wedding feast for his daughter, whom he had pledged to the heir of great Alkhilleus, and the ultimatum issued by the suitors to Telemachus. "Dismiss your mother from the house, or make her marry the man her father names and she prefers" (Homer p.209). Menelaos's daughter has no choice as to who she will marry, and Penelope's son has the ability to make his mother leave the house. It is here that we find out how inferior mortal women are in Greek society. A son has more power in this society than his own mother. From Telemachus' stand point, this must be a big moment for him because he is now looked at as a man due to the fact that he has to choose a husband for his mother. As for Penelope, she must feel degraded and low. Homer shows how an ideal wife should feel toward her husband. Penelope remembers Odysseus as a great king and husband even though he has been gone for twenty years. Odysseus thinks of Penelope as his wife who, under all conditions, should be faithful to him no matter how many times he has been unfaithful or how long he has been gone, and Penelope fulfill this wish.

Like Arete, who is said to look like a god, many other beautiful and high-born women are compared to the gods. " Penelope the Wise, tall in her beauty as Artemis or pale-gold Aphrodite, appeared from her high chamber and came down to throw her arms around her son" (Homer p.318).This adds to the glorification of women in The Odyssey. The beautiful Nausicaa is also hailed as a goddess. "Daughter of great Alkinoos, Nausicaa, may Zeus the lord of thunder, Hera's consort; grant me daybreak agai

Some topics in this essay:
Odysseus Penelope, Nausicaa Zeus, Homer's Odyssey, Telemachus Dismiss, Odysseus Higbie, Circe Calypso, Odysseus Phaeacia, Penelope Wise, Odyssey Women, Unlike Homeric, women odyssey, suitors marry, marry penelope's, role women, public role, resort deceit, women treated, women odysseus, odyssey women, son homer,