Female Representation in Homer’s The Odyssey Essay Sample

There is a wide range of female representation in literature and media, from having a strong female lead and feminist values, to having little to no representation of women as individuals. Homer’s The Odyssey follows the former, with female representation ranging from goddesses to mortal women from different social classes. It portrays them as strong-minded, beautiful, and capable characters in a way that is far ahead of its time through showcasing both mortal and immortal women, and their relationship with the male characters in the story.

Though both mortal and immortal women are represented as strong-minded, beautiful, and capable characters, and they both play an important part in the story, is there a difference in how each is represented? Taking a look at an example of the representation of an immortal woman, at the end of the story, Athena comes in to resolve the problems with Odysseus and the suitors' parents, and Homer writes, “taking the build and voice of Mentor, / Zeus’s daughter Athena marched right in” (24.554-555). The word “marched” gives her a sense of power, and indicates that she carries herself with pride. It also says that “Athena commanded. Terror blanched thier (the parents of the suitors’ ) faces”(24.586) which shows that she was strong and capable and to be feared. Throughout the book, Athena is a very independent character, relying on no one to help Telemachus and Odysseus along their journeys. She is extremely autonomous, wise and experienced. Could the representation of women as skilled and smart characters in Homer’s The Odyssey be based solely off of their relationship with men? Penelope uses her cunning to trick the suitors, because it was her own decision not to marry anyone but Odysseus. “So by day I’d weave at my great and growing web – / by night, by the light of torches set beside me, / I would unravel all I’d done”(19.167-169)

In book 10, Circe appears to be a very strong woman, but the book portrays her as very weak in the presence of Odysseus, which goes against feminist values because it makes her seem inferior to Odysseus, though she is very strong, immortal, and captured many of his men. It says that when Odysseus pulls out his sword “She screamed, slid under [his] blade, hugged [his] knees / with a flood of warm tears” (10.359-360).