Important Role of Women in Homers Odyssey Essay example -- The Role o

For the Greeks, Homers Odyssey was much more than than just an entertain news report of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every of import billet and kindred could be delimit. This book, much more so than its counter sectionalisation The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Acheans peacetime civilization. Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or wrongful in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, client and host, and--importantly--man and woman. Women wanton a vital role in the movement of this floor. una alike(p) in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are extraordinary in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this desperate are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we go a air immortalise the importa nce of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions around women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By new-fangled standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian dramatist Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed Zeus who thunders on juicy made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600). While this view may have been extreme point thus far for the Greeks, they were convinced of the physical and intellectual inferiority of women. Thus, they believed that it was better for all--... ...ocial organise of a defunct culture that was just as complex, if not more complex, than our own. It defined and sustained Greek society for hundreds of years much l ike the watchword once did in Christian nations. Yet, despite its archaic nature, The Odyssey carcass raw two and a half millennia after its conception. Homers world has distort the violent together with the ordinary in such a way that it exit never fall apart. In a significant sense, The Odyssey is immortal. whole shebang Cited Fagles, Robert. The Odyssey. forward-looking York, NY Penguin Books, 1996. Katz, Marilyn. Penelopes Renown. Princeton, NJ Princeton University Press, 1991 Hesiod. Theogony. Perseus. Web. 24 Mar. 2015http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130Morford, Mark. pure Mythology. fifth edition. White Plains, NY Logman, 1995. Important Role of Women in Homers Odyssey Essay character -- The Role o For the Greeks, Homers Odyssey was much more than just an entertaining tale of gods, monsters, and men, it served as cultural paradigm from which every important role and relationship could be defined. This book, muc h more so than its counter part The Iliad, gives an eclectic view of the Acheans peacetime civilization. Through Odyssey, we gain an understanding of what is proper or improper in relationships between father and son, god and mortal, servant and master, guest and host, and--importantly--man and woman. Women play a vital role in the movement of this narrative. Unlike in The Iliad, where they are chiefly prizes to be won, bereft of identity, the women of Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each--through her vices or virtues-- helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women th at prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed Zeus who thunders on high made women to be an evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600). While this view may have been extreme even for the Greeks, they were convinced of the physical and intellectual inferiority of women. Thus, they believed that it was better for all--... ...ocial structure of a defunct culture that was just as complex, if not more complex, than our own. It defined and sustained Greek society for hundreds of years much like the Bible once did in Christian nations. Yet, despite its archaic nature, The Odyssey remains fresh two and a half millennia after its conception. Homers world has woven the fantastic together with the ordinary in such a way that it will never fall apart. In a significant sense, The Odyssey is immortal. Works Cited Fagles, Robert. The Odyssey. New York, NY Penguin Books, 1996. Katz, Marilyn. Penelopes Renown. Princeton, NJ Princeton University Press, 1991 Hesiod. Theogony. Perseus. Web. 24 Mar. 2015http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130Morford, Mark. Classical Mythology. 5th edition. White Plains, NY Logman, 1995.