Woman of the "Odyssey"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, although most of the action of Homer's "Odyssey" focuses on Odysseus as a hero who undergoes many trials and tribulations, both before and after his homecoming, the poem would not be complete without a number of strong female characters, many of whom show themselves to be testaments to the power of women in ancient Greece. It looks at how several of the female characters, especially Penelope and Circe, show that both dutiful and strong women play a role in the work. It compares the role of Penelope, who waits faithfully for many years for Odysseus to return, with that of Circe, who is represented as a dangerous female who tries to tempt Odysseus away from his wife and family through magic.

From the Paper:

"Penelope is not the only strong female character in the Odyssey: many of the deities and creatures Odysseus encounters on his journey are female, but these characters are not portrayed as good and positive like Penelope is. Calypso and the Sirens are examples of the relatively one-dimensional female characters who act as a threat to Odysseus and his men, but Circe is another character who becomes three-dimensional in
her ability to change as the work progresses. At first, Circe, a deity who is portrayed as being surpassingly beautiful, is a danger to the wanderers, and she turns half of them into swine. This mixture of beauty and danger is present in many of the Odyssey's female
characters, especially in those faced by the hero."

More papers on Woman of the "Odyssey":

• Analytical Essay # 62223 : "The Women of the Odyssey"
• Analytical Essay # 53673 : "Women of "The Odyssey"
• Analytical Essay # 2245 : "Women in "The Odyssey"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: