Notes

Odyssey test sample paragraph. What is the role of women in the Odyssey?

In the Odyssey, women are considered lower than men because of their gender.
Women in the book, like Penelope, are often ignored or not paid attention to when it comes to their abilities and skills, which are very useful, because of the role of women in Ancient Greek society. When the suitors are in Peneope’s palace, they don’t listen or pay attention to what she says. After a beggar arrives at her palace, she tries to give him a chance to compete with the suitors by shooting an arrow through 12 axe handles. Her opinion is trampled over by all the suitors saying that the beggar should not get to try shoot the arrow. Another example of how little power women get in the Odyssey is when Telemachus tells Penelope to go away and let men handle the decisions.
In the book, women are mostly an afterthought, with only one main character being a woman. The biggest role a woman has is being a goddess, and even still, to do big things such as freeing Odysseus from Ogygia, Athena had to plead Zeus to send Odysseus help. Women in the book are unable to do basic things like make decisions or have power over anything. When Penelope’s opinion is ignored, the author is showing how invaluable the opinion of a woman is, even if she is a queen. Because of their social class system, even the suitors have more power than her. Overall, women don’t have much of a role other than caring for children and housekeeping in their society despite being rich or even the wife of the king.