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Anna Shanks

Mrs. Dooley

English 8, Period 7

18 November 2021

The Role of Women in the Odyssey

In the Odyssey, men play all the major roles and are the focus of the story. Women,

however, platform themselves and play a fairly large role in many parts of Odysseus’ story.

While many girls in the Odyssey do not play a significant role, there are many influential ones.

During the time of the Ancient Greeks, women were very often discriminated against and not

treated equally. Women were believed to be inferior to men in this time period. This can be seen

reflected in the book. In The Odyssey, women play a major role, but are often overlooked.

In the beginning of The Odyssey, Penelope is one of the first women that play a role in

the story. In The Odyssey, Penelope is burdened with many suitors that are wanting to marry.

However, she still misses her husband, Odysseus, and wants to remain loyal to him. Penelope

says “Phemius, sing some other song. This one reopens the wound in my heart, makes me long

for that matchless man, my husband.” (11). She misses her husband dearly, and she wants the

suitors to leave. Penelope does not get to choose not to marry, rather she is being forced to. She

tries to deceive the suitors by telling them that she would marry one of them once she finished

weaving a shawl, but she unraveled it every night.

Later in the story, Odysseus is on the island of Ogygia with the nymph Calypso. Calypso

is cursed with being stuck on Ogygia and to fall in love with every man that stumbles upon her

island, but they will always have to leave. She repeatedly helps all of them leave, yet she owes

them nothing. When Odysseus arrives, she helps him, per usual. Calypso says, “Come, put your
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skill to use. Take up tools, fell some tall trees for timber, and build yourself a sturdy raft, strong

enough to withstand the ocean waves. I’ll give you stores of food and drink and tell you how to

reach your home.” (50) Calypso loved Odysseus, and she was forced to watch him leave her for

another woman. Odysseus says, “Now, don’t be angry, Calypso. Of course no mortal woman can

rival a goddess for beauty of face and form. My Penelope must age and die, while you have

unfading youth. Nevertheless, it is my one wish, the never-fading ache in my heart, to return to

her and to my own house.” (52) Calypso helped heal Odysseus and aided him on his journey.

She, essentially, is the reason that he is alive.

In the second half of the book, Athena visits and helps Odysseus. She gives Odysseus

advice on how to get rid of the suitors trying to court Penelope. She says, “Here is that cave you

know which is sacred to the nymphs, and here we will conceal your treasure until you have

reclaimed your house from the pack of arrogant suitors who court your wife.” (154) Athena

disguised Odysseus and advised him on what to do. It seems that she actually cares about

Odysseus, because she does so much for him. She helps him all throughout the story. Near the

aforementioned scene, Athena helps Odysseus’ old dog which has waited for him to move to the

Underworld. As for goddesses in general, their role is slightly different than the average mortal

woman, however. Goddesses are respected by mortals, even if not at the level of some of their

male counterparts. Mortal women were often treated as property. Athena helped Odysseus get his

wife back and gave him very wise advice on how to do so.

Women were often overlooked in ancient epics and novels such as the Odyssey. Odysseus

owes his life to many of the women he encounters in his journey. The ancient Greeks lived at a

time when sexism was very prevalent in humans. Women could not own property or be involved

in politics. They were not allowed to make their own independent decisions. Some notable
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women in the story are Penelope, Calypso, Athena, and many others. Women are overlooked in

the Odyssey, however they play a major role in the story.