Role of Women in the Odyssey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Role of Women in the Odyssey - Essay ExampleHe learnt most of his traits due to his encounter with assorted cultures and dangerous assignments. This evident in the story where the Greek army commander sends Odyssey to gather information from the Trojan camp, a task requires him to be brave and intelligent so that the Trojans do not to capture him. The adventure of the Odyssey has besides had various challenges, most of which are posed by women. These ancient women in the story exhibit the role of women through various encounters with the Odyssey.Women in the story have a great influence on the interpretions of men. The roles of women have been portrayed in the story where the amaranthine calypso, the goddess of fairy-slipper Island, is seducing Odyssey and his fellow warriors while on their mission on the island. She manages to do so by using her sweet melodious voice to capture the attention of the men on the island. She successfully does this and lures them closer to her ho me. She takes this advantage and turns some of them into swine. Luckily enough, Odyssey possessed a potion that reversed Calypso spell and used this chance to escape. Calypso falls in love with Odyssey and holds him captive on the island for about 18 years. This shows how women are used to seduce men even in present mean solar day situations. They can do anything to men to accomplish what they want to do. According to Homer, women use their beauty to put men in to temptations that is against the culture of ancient Greece (188). Calypso uses her amaranthine powers to prevent Odyssey from leaving the Island. afterwards sometime Odyssey decides to return home to his wife genus Penelope but calypso does not agree to that. She uses her charms and manipulates Odyssey to stay on the island. The snatch of manipulation reveals how women can be scheming when they have the power over male gender. Women who become leaders by controlling the society can act as a hindrance to men who want to attain their dreams. Odysseys love to Penelope and his male child Telemakhos gives him the will to try overcoming the im individual Calypso for him to return home. Calypso is not aware of what would make Odyssey want to leave the immortal life and prefer the mortal life. She tries to relate her beauty to that of Penelope saying, I think I can claim that I am not her inferior either in build or stature, since it is not likely that mortal women can challenge the goddesses for build and beauty (Homer 24). According to Homer, calypso plays the role of a seductive monstrous woman who aims at destroying the society beliefs and culture. Penelope also portrays the role of women in caring for the family. She wanted Odyssey back as the father of her son. Women fights for the rights of their family when other women tend to come between them. The story reveals the role of women as wives and mothers. Penelope is a woman portraying the image of an ancient Greek woman. The role of a woman as a mo ther is evident where she has raised her son Telemakhos until maturity even in the absence of Odyssey. Penelope being Odysseys wife she poses a unique character that reveals a strong female gender. After many years of people claiming that Odyssey was dead, Penelope did not lose the faith that one day his husband would come home. She encounters the challenge of many suitors trying to butterfly her but her love for Odyssey kept them off.