FREE ESSAY ON ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE ODYSSEY

ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE ODYSSEY

The Role of Women in The Odyssey 
Women form an important part of the folk epic, written by Homer, The Odyssey. Within the
story there are three basic types of women: the goddess, the seductress, and the good
hostess/wife. Each role adds a different element and is essential to the telling of the
story.
The role of the goddess is one of a supernatural being, but more importantly one in a
position to pity and help mortals. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is the most prominent
example of the role; in the very beginning of the story she is seen making a plea for
Odysseus' return home, and throughout the first half of the book she assists him in his
journey. She is the driving force behind arranging Odysseus' return home from getting
Kalypso to release him to making sure Nausikaa found him on Skheria. In books 1-4 she
helps Telemakhos, Odysseus' son, gather the courage to go out and get news about his
father. Other than Athena, there are many examples of goddesses taking pity on a mortal,
usually Odysseus, and helping him out. When Odysseus is suffering in a storm that
Poseidon sent for him, Ino, a 
Nereid, gives him an immortal veil that saves his life. Even Kirke and Kalypso help
Odysseus tremendously with information and supplies. It is the 
Role of the woman goddess and not the male god to pity and proffer help to the suffering
mortal.
The next and less benevolent role is that of the seductress. Two stories about such women
referred to in The Odyssey are those of the half-sisters Helen and Klytaimnestra. The
entire Trojan War was caused by Helen's unfaithfulness to Menelaos; her affair caused
many deaths and Odysseus would not have had to leave home if she had not run away with
Paris. The other sister also caused pain and suffering by having an affair and then
killing her husband, Agamemnon, with her lover on his homecoming day. The seductress is
always looked upon as dangerous and harmful to mankind. The Seirenes symbolize this role;
their song seduces and compels anyone listening to linger until death. Kirke tries to
seduce Odysseus before she helps him, and the beautiful Kalypso entices him with sex and
immortality and will not release him to go home. It is the hero's job to resist the
temptation of the seductress or it will lead to his downfall. 
In direct contrast with the seductress is the good hostess or wife. Penelope, Odysseus'
wife, is the most important of these characters. She is the image of steadfastness,
waiting and hoping for years for Odysseus' 
return. Even the intimidating suitors do not bend her from her constancy. Along with
Penelope is Eurykleia who matches Penelope in steadfastness to her job as Telemakhos'
nurse. Nausikaa is a good example of a girl who is an excellent hostess to Odysseus (she
provides him a bath, clothing, food, and advice), and also cares about her image as a
virtuous woman. Her mother, Queen Arete, is good hostess as well, and it was said that
her favor would assure Odysseus a ship ride home. The role of the hostess is similar to
that of goddess because they are both assisting those in need, Odysseus. More
significantly the role of the good woman is to provide a model that makes up for the
seductresses. They are there to show that Agamemnon's statement about his women, that
woman (Klytaimnestra) plotting a thing so low, defiled herself and all her sex, all women
yet to come, even those few who may be virtuous, is untrue. 
The women in all three of these roles embody an essential part of the events of the
story. The hero is helped by the goddess and the good woman, and must overcome her
opposite, the seductress. The relationship between the hero and the women, in fact, forms
the majority of the story. Thus the role of women in Homers The Odyssey plays an
important part to making this epic poem such a wondrous tale and is essential to making
this a wonderfully written epic. 
Bibliography
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