Throughout Homer's, "The Odyssey," there are many different types of power exhibited by different characters. It's normal for people to hold power over others, however, taking the time period this epic was written in, into consideration, and paying close attention to the power of the different characters, the reader would question why most of the women have some way of exerting power over others. Perhaps Homer was trying to be different and try to branch out and try different things as most poets/authors do and intentionally putting these women in positions of power, or maybe he didn't intend to make it seem as though the women had power at all.
Of many important parts and characters in, "The Odyssey," one that almost all people continuously fail to notice and account for is the relation between Telemachus and Nausicaa. Although there aren't actually any physical relationships between the two characters presented in The Odyssey, the article, "Telemachus and Nausicaa: A Study of Youth," by David E. Belmont points out that there is actually another kind of relationship between the two characters in the sense that there are many parallels between these two characters. He points out that both are the youths and the children of ruling families, and then starts to go into how there aren't any strong male figures in any of the ruling families. He gives the example of Arete in Scheria, which is very important because the king, Alcinous is there, yet the queen, Arete has larger control than him. Although Belmont makes a really interesting point, he fails to make the point about why Homer makes these women like Arete and Athena, have more power than what would be usual, or why he puts them in a position of leadership, in a time and culture where normally the women would usually have little to no power.
Most people don't realize that really, all of the female characters in The Odyssey have one point of power or more during the book.
The Odyssey Essay Assignment • Women's role in the Odyssey. ... A story about such a woman referred to in The Odyssey is that of Helen. ... You can also look at Calypso and see how this near goddess, nymph, has power. ... This shows that she has power, more than many women, and can grant anyone immortality, but because of this she is very lonely. ... In addition, we even see Odyssey himself being unfaithful to Penelope. ...
Even though the woman controlled the household, they still lacked official power in the government. ... All of these classes are shown very distinctly in the Odyssey. ... In the Odyssey these meanings are in no way as deep as the meanings portrayed in the Odyssey. ... These are just two examples of this strong family bond that is found throughout the Odyssey. ... The role of marriage in the Odyssey is one of the most important in the whole epic poem. ...
., Homer wrote an extremely complex piece of literature called The Odyssey. ... Strong characters are very important in the lessons of The Odyssey. ... They were respected and at times feared for their power. ... There are three main themes in The Odyssey. ... During the time The Odyssey was written Greece was not centralized under one empire. ...
The Odyssey and the Iliad are two of Homer's most famous works. ... The audience of the Odyssey would have known this context. ... Odysseus yearns to return to his family at any cost, even if he has to battle supernatural forces whose power measures leaps and bounds above his own to do so. ... The Odyssey is one of the most beloved epics of all time. ... Homer is credited as the creator of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ...
In reading Homer's Odyssey, it is interesting to compare the roles of women as opposed to men, and to discover the differences between the two. ... This adds to the glorification of women in The Odyssey. ... Odysseus prays to her as he would a god and she is a mortal and no god-like power. The women in The Odyssey are never presented as individuals, but as dependents. ... In The Odyssey, women do not even have jurisdiction over their own lives. ...
Goddesses in the Odyssey The appearance of many goddesses in The Odyssey by Homer exemplifies the fact that they are essential to Odysseus" journey. ... The Odyssey mentions many gods and goddesses, all of whom are involved with Odysseus" journey. ... She uses this power on Odysseus" men, turning them into swine. ... Athena is mentioned in almost every book of The Odyssey, a constant in Odysseus" life. ... Without the goddesses in The Odyssey, there would be no odyssey. ...
Many times throughout "The Odyssey" women are given the characteristics of men and men the characteristics of women. Contrary to the fact that kings and rulers are males, the females obviously possess more power and control leading one to believe that "The Odyssey" was written by a woman. ... Kirke had a great power over men. ... The women are shown to have power and control over most of the situations. This leads one to believe that a woman may have written "The Odyssey"....
In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus's fate was largely controlled by Athena, Teiresias, Circe, Aeolus, Poseidon, and Zeus. ... Circe, a witch that has the power to turn men into swine, and Teiresias, a blind prophet in the underworld, both guide Odysseus home. ... In The Odyssey, Odysseus's fate was dictated by Athena, Teiresias, Circe, Poseidon, Zeus, and Aeolus. ...
The appearance of many goddesses in The Odyssey by Homer exemplifies the fact that they are essential to Odysseus" journey. ... The Odyssey mentions many gods and goddesses, all of whom are involved with Odysseus" journey. ... She uses this power on Odysseus" men, turning them into swine. ... Athena is mentioned in almost every book of The Odyssey, a constant in Odysseus" life. ... Without the goddesses in The Odyssey, there would be no odyssey. ...
