The Odyssey Role of Women

Introduction
The roles, ideals, views of men in the ancient civilization have been explored extensively in literature from the famous Kings of Israel to the mathematicians and philosophers of Greece. In contrast, the history entails limited literature of women in the ancient civilization. However, several masterpieces such as the Homeric poem, the Odyssey and the Iliad provides a glimpse of ideals, position, and role of women in the ancient civilization. Women play a fundamental role in life by taking multiple responsibilities as portrayed in the epic poem Odyssey. The epic poem presents the role of women in the facet of power, sexuality, and interaction with men.
An analysis of the women in the poem demonstrates a challenge of the space of women as traditionally defined by the patriarchal Greek society. The Homeric poem has a distinct feminist message of the struggle women endure as they try to extricate themselves from a patriarchal society. Throughout the poem, women are generalized in diverse lenses including evil, good, slavery and sexual qualities. The difference between the women in the Odysseus and the Iliad is succinctly illustrated by their passivity in war. The Odysseus and the Iliad illustrate women as victors and victims of war respectively. Unlike the Iliad where the women play a passive role, the women in the Odyssey’s plan an exceptionally large role irrespective of their lack of status to match with the men.
The Role of Women in the Odyssey
Women in the Odyssey portray a nurturing character on one side and a monster character on another side. Homer reflects the influential role women have in society throughout the Odyssey. The poem characterizes women with diverse qualities. Notwithstanding the evil qualities by goddesses such as Circe and Poseidon, the poem displays desirable qualities of a woman through goddess Athena. While the poem portrays Athena as a virgin goddess, the poem reveals portrays Circe as a witch and goddess engaging in sexual adventures.
Athena, the daughter of Zeus assumes peacemaking and assisting role throughout the plot. Athena is the mighty Goddess of strategy and wisdom playing an imperative role in the Odyssey. In the epic poem, Athena assumes the role of protection and wisdom by fighting alongside both Odysseus and his son Telemachus. Athena consistently provides strength and protection to other characters in the Odyssey plot. Through Athena’s divine interventions, Telemachus and his father Odysseus are reunited. By instilling strength and confidence in Telemachus, Athena assists Telemachus’ path to reconnect with the father as well as the journey to manhood. “I meanwhile will go to Ithaca, approach his son, put more strength in his heart, give him courage …”[footnoteRef:1] As Odysseus and son embark home, he faces much tribulation, which through the assistance and advice of Athena, Odysseus is able to overcome and emerge as the hero. Trip planning, divine inspiration, and social advice are the gifts offered by Athena to Telemachus, son of Odysseus, a war strategist. Athena persuades the Olympian court and Zeus to free Odysseus and reunite him with the family demonstrating an act of loyalty and care to the Odysseus family. Athena strategically presents her plea and plans her activity when goddess Poseidon who held wrath against Odysseus had taken a trip to Ethiopia. “All the gods felt pity for him except for Poseidon, who still nursed unabated wrath against godlike Odysseus ...”[footnoteRef:2] Using her skills of wisdom and strategy, Athena using disguise to inspire Prince Telemachus to embark on a search for his father Odysseus. [1: (Green 2018)] [2: (Green 2018)]

The plot entails several instances of disguise by Athena including disguise as a family friend, advisor, and mentor. Athena disguises herself as Odysseus old friend Mentes predicting that Odysseus returns to Ithaca. Similarly, she disguises herself as prince Telemachus to get the crewmembers to Telemachus ship for the voyage. Athena’s move to influence Telemachus to find his father shapes Telemachus journey to manhood. Not only does Athena’s use of her power of transformation and disguise inspire Telemachus journey to finding the father, but as well, she brings together multiple people on the journey and keeps strong throughout the voyage irrespective of their doubt for the successful finding of Odysseus. Athena’s mission concludes with the restoration of peace in Odysseus palace. “…..she directs Odysseus’s triumph, causing the suitor’s spears to go astray and finally imposing on them a wild mania ….”[footnoteRef:3] Disguised as a mentor, Athena leads the triumph of Odysseus over his palace, a plot that demonstrates the strategizing skill and resourcefulness associated with women. As Athena assumes a supervisory role and guides the reunification of the Odysseus family, she challenges the Olympian and mortal social structures that are male domineering. The plot demonstrates explicitly the significance of women without deviating from a patriarchal ideology. [3: (Cohen 1995)]
Contrary to the good and informed qualities demonstrated by goddess Athena, goddess Circe demonstrates evil qualities. Odysseus visit to Aeaea entails interaction with Circe who tricks Odysseus crewmembers to drinking elixirs that erase the crew’s memory and turns them into swines with the exception of Eurylochus …. When they drink the potion she offers, are stupefied, and, struck by the magic wand, are transformed into pigs”[footnoteRef:4]. Leaning that the crew had been turned into swine, with the help of Hermes’ herb Moly, Odysseus access Circe's palace without being bewitched. Subsequently, Circe’s and Odysseus make love and subsequently the crew is released. The plot entails a sexual orientation tone of women as Circle’s intimacy with Odysseus convinces Circle to turn back Odysseus crewmembers from swine to humans. Subsequently, Circle directs Odysseus and crew how to safely conduct voyage back to Ithaca. [4: (Cohen 1995)]

The plot of Circe demonstrates the social construct of society. A central theme of the plot highlights gender complementarity and sexual orientation. The conversion of men in swine reflects a gluttonous and lusty characteristic of men. Circe’s role entails a link to autonomous and independent women who pause a threat to men in a patriarchal society. The goddess demonstrates a womanly nature that is terrible, seductive irrational, cruel but as well loving which is contrary to the patriarchal society definition of women character. The plot portrays Circe as a sexually attractive and beautiful goddess using her sexuality to control men. Additionally, the plot demonstrates women as the weaker sex whose sexual irrationality could result in spoiling wars. In the plot, the experience of Odysseus constitutes testing of the ability of men to contain their instincts. The sexual encounter between Odysseus that results to Odysseus overstaying at Aeaea Island and the poisoning of Odysseus crew by Circe demonstrating the weakness of men in overcoming temptations illustrates the significance of self-restraint, determination, and character of the warring hero. However, Circe is portrayed as a helper and protector by protecting Odysseus crew from the underworld. Goddess Circe entails power that enables her invisibly travel through space to the underworld and uses the knowledge of the underworld to direct Odysseus crew.
The Role of Women in the Iliad
The tale of the Iliad is the narrative of war heroes in a patriarchal society with a glimpse of real women living in the shadows of the male-domineering culture. The women in the Odyssey and the Illiad undertakes diverse approaches in assuming their roles in the confines of a patriarchal society. Contrary to the Odyssey where the women assume a leading and guiding role in the war as illustrated by Athena, the women in Iliad assumes a passive role while the men take the leading role in guiding the war. The characterization of women in Iliad demonstrates the horrors women face during war. The plot in the Iliad illustrates the cultural rigidities and existential limitations experienced by women in a patriarchal society. The women in the Iliad experience loss of family and relatives because of war, while they played a passive role. The experience of women in the Iliad illuminates that passivity is inconsequential in claiming women’s voice in a male-dominated culture.
Fundamental reaction to male chauvinism is illustrated by Andromache’s subtle obedience to her husband Hector. Andromache pleads Hector against being at the frontline fighting the Achilles as she fears by Hector would be killed like her family, “your courage will destroy you… for soon the Acheans will kill you”[footnoteRef:5]. However, Hector perceives that honor is more crucial than survival and ignores Andromache’s plea demonstrating the significance of the honor in the Iliad. The advice by Andromache to Hector illustrates women understand the agonies of war since given the imminent loss of their families at the frontline of war. Hector’s reaction demonstrates male chauvinism and the irrationality of men in accommodating women’s feelings in their consideration. Andromache fear of helplessness in the absence of Hector emphasizes the lack of identity of women in a male-dominant society illustrating that women would not function without men in society. Subsequently, Hector instructs Andromache to stick to her womanly chores “crazed man, your might will destroy you … too soon all the Achaians set upon you and kill you” [footnoteRef:6]implying the insignificant voice women had in war. Hector’s reaction identifies men’s attitude toward women as chauvinist. As Andromache dutiful and subtly heeds to her husbands, she demonstrates the ideal Greek wife. Andromache works in the loom a role she abandons to respond to the cries of her in-laws due the fate of her husband. Her abandoning of the loom symbolizes protest against socially defined women roles. [5: (Lefkowittz 1987)] [6: (Brown 2015)]
Homer depicts Briseis as a trophy of war awarded to Achilles for war victory against Troy. The variation in the narrative about Briseis as a girl, prize, wife, window, and maptive illustrates the multiformity of traditions. After the murder, her parents and husband King Mynes of Lyrnessus, the beautiful princess Briseis is captured and enslaved by the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles and Briseis fall in love, resulting in Achilles committing to marry Brises. However, Agamemno seizes Briseis in exchange for Chryseis whose detention had resulted in a plague that risked the death of the Greek soldiers. Agamemnon takes Briseis not as a consequence of lust, but as a manifestation of pride due to Achilles confrontation demanding the release of Chryseis. The seizure of Briseis manifests into a dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon and results in Achilles withdrawal from the war.
The plot illustrates the use of women as objects and tools of slavery and materialized ownership of women. The cruelty of men in the Iliad is demonstrated by the capture and detention of women after the war. The exit of Achilles from the Greek Amy proves disastrous and results to Greeks deaths including the death of Achilles close friend Patroclus that pushes Achilles to resume his role in the battle and avenge the death of Patroclus. Consequently, Achilles is killed in the battle. Similarly, with the experience of the other two women Andromache and Helen, the death of Patroclus and Achilles leave Briseis upset, distressed and grieved. The reaction of Briseis to the death of Patroclus and Achilles even after they had participated in the death of her family portrays a humane and thoughtful character.
Helen character in the Iliad presents a fundamental theme of generalization of women as elements of possession. The Helen plot in Homer’s Iliad is shaped by the war between the Greeks and the Trojans following Paris stealing of Menelaus possessions including Menelaus wife Helen. The Helen plot demonstrates in a patriarchal society, women psychological status is disregarded. The winner of a duel between Menelaus and Paris determines the fate of the man Helen will marry. Men who determine her future disregard Helen’s feelings and treat Helen as an object of the transaction, “let whoever is victorious…let he takes the woman and all the possessions and brings them home”[footnoteRef:7]. Consequently, Helen agonizes experience homesickness, regret for abandoning former husband King Menelaus, daughter, relatives and chamber and marrying her new husband Paris. [7: (Farron and Classica 1979)]
Helen is summoned by goddess Iris to witness the Trojan war, which manifests in guilt for the loss and death she had caused. Helen’s quilt is an illustration of women’s depth of emotion. The overwhelming deaths from prolonged nine yearlong weigh on Helen resulting in her indifferent, hostile and antagonistic attitude to Paris. Helen wishes that her former husband had killed Paris as she challenges Paris to fight back Menelaus. The new challenging character demonstrates progressing assertiveness yielding from the constraint experiences by Helen. The challenging character of Helen to Paris is contrary to the obedient character of Andromache to Hector in the Iliad. Both the narrative, of Helen and Briseis, portray women not only as instigators of war but an invaluable asset that could result in the seizure of war.
Conclusion
In the Iliad, Homer accentuates the ineffectuality and helplessness of women characters. On the contrary, the Odysseus demonstrates a successful endeavor of women in influencing men in a patriarchal society. While the voice of women in the Odysseus is actively accepted and adhered to, silencing of women’s voice persists among the three women characters in the Iliad.
The Homeric poem displays the depth of women emotions and feelings through characters women characters in Iliad and Odysseus. The three characters in Iliad, Andromache Helen, and Briseis, experience loss of loved ones from war leaving them with sorrow and distress. While Andromache struggles with husband courage and desire, Helen struggles with her husband’s lack of it, but the two women unsuccessful convinces and shapes their husband’s opinion. The events illustrate women helplessness and struggle to shape the course of events in a patriarchal society. The men dismissal of women counsel and guidance in the Iliad is a reverse of the men responsible in the Odysseys where the women not only provide direction (Circe) but as well lead and triumph in war (Athena).
Disguise is a prevalent phenomenon in the two epics. Goddess Iris disguised as Aphrodite summons Helen, she involuntarily gets in bed with Paris. The scene is contrary to the scene by Odysseus and Circe where their intimacy is consensual. The difference in sexual independence for women is displayed in the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Homer portrays three women characters, Circe, Helen and Briseis as seductive, loving but as instigators of evil. The three are characterized as using their feminine attributes to win over the women, which would be considered as the oppressive character of females.
The two plots characterize women in several lights including powerful, loving, helpers, trophies, and lovers among other attributes. However, a recurrent theme in the poem is the perceived passive role of women in society. The tragedies in the epic poem urge a social order reform to depart from the passive appeal of women in the society and the recognition of women potentialities.
References
Brown, Peter. 2015. The Iliad: A New Translation . Oakland: University of California.
Cohen, Beth. 1995. 'The Distaff Side: Representing the Female in Homer's Odyssey . New York : Oxford University Press .
Farron, Steven, and Acta Classica. 1979. "The Potrayal of Women in the Iliad." Proceedings of the Classical Association of South Africa 22 (1): 15-32.
Green, Peter. 2018. The Odyssey: A New Translation by Peter Green. Berkeley : University of California Press.
Lefkowittz, Mary:. 1987. "The Heroic Wommen of Greek Epic." The American Scholar 56 (4): 503-518.