Women
Ancient Greece is a period when all ancient customs, cultures, and literatures start to shine. Behind all the lights of Ancient Greece, women’s role is the dark side of it. During that time women hold prejudices and discriminations form the society. Even though the world treated them like this they still shine in the dark.
In the Ancient of Greece, women are similar to a cargo that can be abandon at any times and they are not important to the society, besides from the duty of continue a family. Penelope, she is the queen of Ithka, mother of Telemakhos and a representation of royalty. Penelope raised Telemakhos by herself, while Odyssues was travelling around the world. She has lots of suitors who “swore to lie beside her” (I. line444), but these suitors swore to her with purpose, which is to sit on the throne. Penelope is the representation of royalty in Ithka, but defacto she has no authority to rule the country. “young blood trooping in to their own seats on thrones or easy chairs… laid hands upon the ready feast and though of nothing more.” (I. line172-181). Suitors are having party in the palace, but Penelope couldn’t stop them, because she is a woman and she needs them to keep the country works. Even a queen have no power to control anything during the Ancient Greece, which suggests that women were in an extreme basic level of the society at that time.
As women are nothing to the society by themselves, they only can rely on men in order to live a happy life, on the other hand this also means men can easily control women. Telemakhos, he is the prince of Ithka and son of Odysseus and Penelope. According to nowaday’s ethics, a son cannot decide their mother’s marriage, but in the Ancient of Greece they can, “with all the funeral honors due to the man, and give your mother to another husband.” (I. line328-329). If Odysseus is dead, after Telemakohs gives him a funeral with honor, Telemakhos is able to choose another man for his mother, without asking Penelope’s opinion. This actions was allowed by Athena. A son can control their mother, however to women, husband is everything. “She fell to weeping for Odysseus, her husband.” (I. line400-401). To a moral woman, husband is everything, so Penelope weep for her. Besides form Penelope, Nausikka is also a moral woman, dauther of Alkinoos and she is the princess of Skheria Island. “My dear Papa… I must take all over thins and get them washed at the rive pools.” (VI. Line63-66). A princess who cannot avoid the duty of helping washing men’s clothes. Nausikka is nothing different than the other women.
Penelope and Nausikka are both mortals, although they are members of royal family, they are still weak. But Krike is different. Kirke is a nympth, who lives on Aiaia island. Odyssues with his friends went to the island by accident. They didn’t want to interrupt Kirke’s life, but as a goddess Kirke has the power to punish them “ Down in the sty and snore among the rest” (X. line350). She turned Odysseus’ friends into pigs, but Odysseus couldn’t just kill her for revenge, because she is a goddess. However Kirke is still a woman, she still has to listen to men, “Kirkes, where is the captain who could bear to touch this baquet, in my place?... I must see them.” (X. line414-419). Odysseus asked for going to see his friends, because Kirke thinks Odysseus is her man now so she “turned away… opened up the sty.” (X. line420-422). The only differences between Penelope, Nausikka and Kirke is mortal and nympth. As a nympth Kirke certainly has more power and authority of being independent, however when there is a men they still need to listen to men.
Penelope done a great job of raising Telemakhos, and try to rule the country. Nausikka helped her father, and she has a clear understanding of how to deal things. Kirkes turned people into pigs, but she didn’t killed them and turned them back. All of these three characters present typical woman in the Ancient of Greece, but they have different features. There are still prejudices and discrimination for women exist, if there is no way to deal it, then just be like Penelope and Nausikka, be yourself and shine in the dark.