The role of women in Homer's Odyssey

University Degree Historical and Philosophical studies

Singh

In Homer’s The Odyssey, the heroic tale of Odysseus and his twenty year voyage to return home to his kingdom and family after being ship wreaked and lost, we see something done by Homer, which we have not seen in works before. Throughout the story, a few of the main characters were women, and surprisingly, these women were portrayed outside the “normal” ancient Greek role of a woman. Like most ancient, and indeed even recent, societies, women were considered inferior to men simply because they were women. They could not mix in the “realm” of men which consisted of such activities as military and gymnasium involvement. They could also not hold important positions in public life and have no political rights because the world was dominated by men. For a woman to be considered a respectable woman, she was not seen or heard, she was docile, obedient and her place was in the home overlooking and partaking in daily operations of the household. However in The Odyssey women were prominent characters of power and wisdom instead of meek and subordinate figures who were clever and conning and at the same time seductive and sensual.

Homer was a prominent poet in ancient Greece in 5th century B.C. who not only wrote The Odyssey, but also The Iliad, the story of Troy; but not much else is known about him. In both his works The Iliad and The Odyssey the protagonists were men, but at the core of each poem were extraordinary women. Central to this essay is the role of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, who is important in reaffirming the differences in the role of women during the period in which this book was written. Other important female characters include Helen, Nausicaa, and Kalypso.

Penelope is portrayed on the outside as a typical wife and woman and hostess; meek and quiet, ever patient and faithful. She is the reflection of commitment waiting for years for the return of her husband Odysseus. But under that she is rather quite clever. After the announcement of Odysseus’ supposed death, suitors soon flock the palace in search of Penelope to persuade her to make one of them her next husband. Her quick wit and conning ways helped her to outsmart and delay any sort of courting from the suitors. She asked that she be allowed to weave a burial shroud for Odysseus’ elder father Laertes and upon completion, she will pick a suitor. During the day she would sit and weave her tapestry, but at night she would undo her days work, seeming to never finish the shroud:

Young man who seek my hand, now that Odysseus is dead I know you are in a hurry for marriage, but wait until I finish this cloth, for I don’t want to waste all the thread I have spun. It is a shroud for my Lord Laertes, against a time when all destroying fate shall carry him away in dolorous death. (Rouse, 24)

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Another example of Penelope’s clever ways could also be seen when she purposes the test of the bow. It is here that she fetches the “tension bow of godlike Odysseus” (Shaw, 377) for the suitors to string, declaring he who does so will be her new husband. While it might seem a simple enough task, Penelope knows that the only person who can string the bow is Odysseus and inside her heart it could be argued that she did indeed believes him to be there among the people in the crowd.

Now my suitors, see your test plain. Here I set the huge tension bow of godlike Odysseus. Whoso easiest strings the bow with bare hands and shoots an arrow through the twelve axes – after him will I follow, forsaking this house, my husband’s home, a home so goodly and stocked with all life’s comforts that remembrance thereof will come back to me, I think hereafter in my dreams. (Shaw 377)

But while one argues the powers and wisdom of Penelope, some could also argue she was not all that different than the rest of women in the ancient world. She felt emotions like a typical woman, weeping for her lost husband. Also at times she could be considered obedient, doing as her son, Telemakhos, instructs her to do, for example when he returns from looking for his father, Telemakhos instructs Penelope to go up to her room and pray to the gods to help with their revenge.

Mother mine, I have barely missed death. Do not ruffle my heart or set me crying again, but bathe yourself and change your clothing: then go upstairs with our women into your room and vow victims by hundreds to the Gods, on the day Zeus will vouchsafe us perfect vengeance (Shaw, 311).

Another note worthy female of the in The Odyssey to break the mold is Helen. She could be renowned for her independence and headstrong attitude. For the most part she does what she wants to. An example of this can be seen when she runs away with Paris which arguably started the Trojan War. There have been some arguments about Paris actually taking Helen, but in The Odyssey the best supporting evidence to support Helen choosing to leave of her own free will, reaffirming her will to do what she wants, is stated in the story Menelaus tells Telemakhos of the Trojan horse waiting to ambush the city, and Helen walks around it “three time...feeling and stocking its flanks, challenging all the fighters, calling each by name” (Homer 4. 310-312).

It is believed that Helen was trying to help the Trojans and raze the Greeks cover. This, of course, is not the image one wants to portray of oneself. Helen tells her story as if she wanted to go home, being the ever faithful wife and good woman.

Next we have Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous, who wants most of all a husband. At first glance she strikes you as naive and young, but she soon proves otherwise. We first encounter Nausicaa’s not so naive spirit when she stumbles upon a naked in to Odysseus which scared the maids but not Nausicaa:

Streaked with brine, and swollen, he terrified them, so that they fled, this way and that. Only Alcinous’ daughter stood her ground, being given a bold heart by Athena and steady knees, she faced him, waiting (Homer, 6.103-107).

She proves to be a wise character not only from her clear assumption of Odysseus not being an evil man, “stranger, there is no quirk or evil in you” (Homer, 6. 189). But she also proves to be a cunning character when she tells Odysseus how to set out about getting home:

As soon as you are safe inside, cross over and go straight through into the megaron to find my mother... my father’s great chair faces the first too; go past him; cast yourself before my mother, embrace her knees- and you may wake up soon at home rejoicing, though your home is far (Homer 6. 307-9, 312-16).

Another female character who breaks the norms is, although not a human female, Kalypso, the nymph, who falls in love with Odysseus. The reason she is included in this passage of females outside the norm of society and ancient beliefs is because of her open sexual advances towards Odysseus. She held Odysseus on her island for 10 years, offering him eternal life if he would but just stay with her:

Son of Laertes, versatile Odysseus, after these years with me, you still desire your old home?...If you could see it all, before you go – all the adversity your face at sea – you would stay here, and guard this house, and be immortal – though you wanted her forever, that bride for whom you pine each day (Homer, 5. 166-173).

After reviewing the behaviour of these characters, it would be safe to assume they represented characteristics that were not of normal behaviours of women from ancient Greece. These women are open minded, out spoke, cunning, wise, and powerful in some sense. They are not afraid nor are they shy. It would be safe to say they had attributes like those of men. But most people would not agree with that and argue this claim is far stretched, which might be true, but one cannot help but ponder the thought.

These women, some human, some goddesses, some mythical, represent for the most part what Odysseus needed to complete his journey. In a sense, if it wasn’t for the attention and commitment of the nymph, goddesses, and the ever faithful wife, Odysseus might not have found his way home, literally and figuratively. Literally meaning actually getting home to his palace, figuratively meaning the home he made with his wife.