Throughout Homer’s the Odyssey, Penelope is depicted as a faithful and clever woman, revealing that the women of ancient Greece played a crucial role in affairs and in their own lives, yet were still regarded as inferior. Penelope is in a very dangerous situation when the suitors begin invading her house and asking — and then demanding — her hand in marriage. In facing the suitors, Penelope and Odysseus achieve success through slyness and their eagerness to reunite. The Odyssey portrays what is right or wrong in relationships between god and mortal, father and son, and man and woman. Clytemnestra acted like a man and was condemned for it. She uses her charm and beauty to fool the suitors in the house for three years in order to get what she want while waiting for her husband Odysseus to return from Troy. Though just a nymph, Calypso challenges the Olympian gods and tries to hold Odysseus captive. In The Odyssey, Homer describes Odysseus' journey home from the Trojan War. In The Odyssey, Penelope serves a crucial role as one of Odysseus’ goals that motivates him during his journey to endure and continue on. She only has one son by Odysseus, Telemachus, who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War. Penelope is also associated with linen and cloth through her role as hostess. The Odyssey Latest answer posted July 20, 2016 at 11:06:49 PM What role do women play in The Odyssey and how do they represent the women of Ancient Greece? Her character is two-dimensional and, for the most part, irrelevant to Odysseus' escapades. As more and more contemporary scholars begin to reevaluate the roles of female characters in foundational ancient texts, Grace Berg ’16 is this summer assessing scholarly reactions to reimaginings of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey through an Emerson Summer Collaborative Research Award.Berg’s project is titled Penelope and Her Odyssey: A Reception Study, and her … Research Papers on the Role of Women in The Odyssey This research paper will analyze the role of women in The Odyssey. In the Odyssey, Penelope must keeps the suitors at bay while staying loyal to Odysseus. Many of the texts researched have been in books . Role in the Odyssey. Odysseus’s wife, Penelope plays a crucial role in Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’, with not only providing the motivation for Odysseus’s return to Ithaca, but she is also the center of the plot involving the suitors and the fate of Telemakos and Ithaca itself. Penelope is the daughter of King Icarius, the mother of Telemachus, Odysseus ’s wife, and the first-person narrator of the majority of the novel. She’s seen as the epitome of faithful wifeliness for her refusal to marry a suitor and for her belief that Odysseus will return. story that showed different kinds of human interactions. Penelope’s Revenge Showing Xeinos Hospitality is the relationship between the guest and the host that show liberality and goodwill. Penelope, although not a beauty, is known for her cleverness, her devotion, and her modesty. Xenia, the Greek concept of hospitality and the guest-host relationship, was, according to M.I. However, Penelope is not a pasteboard figure. She was the daughter of Icarius and Polycaste and is in a role in the work in which he is forced to wait for her husband, the main character of the book, Odysseus. Read More. She humbles herself with the invasion of the grooms, obeys her son Telemachus without a word, when he orders her to retire to his chambers. Women’s role is vital role in the development of this epic. information. Then Odysseus, that long silence, suggested Penelope to make the choice – either to return with his father, but without her husband, or to go to Ithaca with her husband. Odyssey Essay, Penelope. Throughout The Odyssey, Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is characterized as constant, virtuous, and patient. Epic poems reflect a culture’s values. The Odyssey gives an opportunity to understand what is proper or improper in relationships between god and mortal, father and son, servant and master, guest and host, and man and woman. Makes her everything a Greek woman should do, keep fidelity and loyalty … At the beginning of the story, she offers advice to help Telemachus persuade the suitors to leave Odysseus’s palace. Throughout Odysseus’s amazing travels, it’s the hope of seeing Penelope and his son Telemachus that often brings him the courage and strength to succeed. When Odysseus shows up in disguise, she tells her maids to "give him a wash and spread a couch for him here, with bedding and coverlets and with shining blankets" (19.317-18). The Role Of Penelope In Homer's Odyssey 355 Words | 2 Pages. In The Odyssey, Penelope serves a crucial role as one of Odysseus’ goals that motivates him during his journey to endure and continue on. Character Analysis: Penelope from the Odyssey Penelope may not be as prominent as the other characters in Homer’s The Odyssey, but she still is one of the most crucial major characters in the story. Penelope's prayer to replicate the Pandareids' demise has received only sparing critical attention, (1) but represents, as 1 will argue, an important avenue for interpreting Penelope's character and narrative role in the Odyssey. This is literature research paper on the Role of Women in The Odyssey. Prior to the Trojan War, Odysseus was King of Ithaca, a Greek island known for its isolation and rugged terrain. Why is Penelope important in the Odyssey? Penelope is a heroine and Clytemnestra is a murderer. Show More. Unlike the other characters which reveal physical strength or supernatural capabilities, Penelope seems to be weak and powerless. Homer represents Penelope as a heroine of Greek society. Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of Ithaca, Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius of Sparta and his wife Periboea. . Although the suitors abuse an important social tradition of hospitality, Penelope lacks the natural, social, and familial protections that would enable her to remove them from her house. Penelope skillfully went against gender roles but only in order to keep her family united, while Medea went against her gender role in a violent, vengeful way that destroyed her family. In The Odyssey, there exist the first instance where men tell women to essentially shut up. The women in Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. Having Penelope in the Odyssey, Icarios urged him to remain in Sparta, and when he agreed, was a long time for the chariot of the newlyweds, urging to stay with my daughter. As a woman she must arise above scandal and maintain a position in society. To be a hero Penelope would have had to kill the wooers herself. The saying “behind. Although Homer’s The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus’s heroic quest to return to Ithaca, the women in it play an equal, if not more important role. 826 Words 4 Pages. In this lesson we explore the ancient Greek nymph, Calypso, and her role in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' Penelope kept her feminine charms and used them against the wooers by manipulating the customs available to her. The characters understand that their lives depend on the mercy of the gods. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, can be compared in various ways to the other characters in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. Athena advises, “At daybreak call… While all women in the Odyssey fall into a certain character archetype, some of the fall into multiple categories rather than just one. Finley in “The World of Odysseus”, a powerful institution in Ancient Greek times which solidified relationships between peoples and created alliances (100). Penelope And Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey 344 Words | 2 Pages. The silencing of the female voice in Book One shows the problem of supporting men as, Penelope was stunned and turned to go, / Her son’s masterful words pressed to her heart (lines 380-381). In the epic poem, the role of women is a vital demonstration of Ancient Greece. In this book, Telemachus meets the King and Queen of Sparta (Menelaus and Helen) to learn more about the whereabouts of his father Odysseus. Read more Penelope is a heroine and Clytemnestra is a murderer. Penelope one of the most important characters Homer presents to us in his book of the Odyssey. When investigating about Penelope’s role in ”The Odyssey”by Homer, the actual character of Penelope and the importance she gave to the story. Importance Of Penelope In The Odyssey. Women play an important role in Homer's work The Odyssey.Have a research paper written by our literature writers on the significance of women such as Helen, Arete and Penelope within Homer's work.. . Words: 1235 - Pages: 5 Gender in the Odyssey. In the Odyssey the gods played a vital role to the plot of the story. Many are the ways Penelope exemplifies the ideal woman, in that she conforms to the values and beliefs of her society. For three years, Penelope beguiles the suitors, who describe her as “cunning of a sort we never hear about” (Book 2, l. 157). But still the image of Penelope goes beyond the idea of the time of the role of women. The most powerful mortal woman in The Odyssey is Penelope, Odysseus’ wife whom he had separated with for more than 20 years due to the vengeful actions of Poseidon following the Trojan War. When Odysseus departs from Ithaca to fight for the Greeks in the war, he leaves behind a newborn child, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope.Although most surviving Greek soldiers return shortly after the … The Role Of Penelope In The Odyssey. The greatest example of this is Penelope, who plays the role of both the matron and the seductress. Penelope is a seductive character even though she plays her role as a mother. Penelope takes an unprecedented role for this time, even though this behavior so we could get to find normal in our society. The female characters in Homer’s poem, The Odyssey, reflect the ancient Greek values of helpfulness, loyalty, and cleverness. As wife she must preserve the reputation of her husband, her family, and must maintain the system of the household. Athena is a character who represents helpfulness. Like many other characters from Homer‘s poems, Penelope is passive. Penelope from the Odyssey adhered closely to the expectations Greek society placed on women. Some critics dismiss Penelope's role in The Odyssey as a paragon of marital fidelity — a serious and industrious character, a devoted wife and mother, but one who lacks the fascination and zest for life that some of Homer's immortal women display. The Odyssey : The Role Of Women In Homer's Odyssey 966 Words | 4 Pages. The Role of Women in The Odyssey “The Red-Haired King and His Lady” is the fourth book in Homer’s The Odyssey. The premise for Atwood’s entry is the “inconsistencies” in The Odyssey surrounding Penelope in her long years of waiting for her husband’s return from war, and the subsequent slaughter by Odysseus of not only his wife’s corrupt, usurping suitors but also a dozen maids the hero deems guilty by association. ... Penelope's responsibility is to develop and maintain the best reputation. Penelope is insecure about her looks and her ability to attract men, often comparing herself to her cousin Helen, whom she loathes.