Student Epsilon
English phase 5
Mr. Wu
May 28th, 2015
Women's role in society and their relationship with man
In Odyssey, there are several different women characters, Penelope, Kalypso, Nausikaa and Kirce. According to Homer, women didn't have high position in society. They should be faithful to the men. Also they are very weak and kind, but nymph and witch are bit different from human women. They are bit selfish and they are not faithful.
Penelope and Nausikaa are both female and human. Penelope is a wife of Odysseus. She will be about 30-40, because in the past, women got married when they were teenager and Penelope already has a son. Nausikaa is much younger than Penelope. "...have store of marriage linen, and put thy minstrelsy in wedding dress!” (The Odyssey, Book I, line 32-33). She is about to get marriage, so she is still a teenager. Their age and address are different, but they are both very polite and kind.
"Phemios, other spell... But sing no more this bitter tale that wears my heart away. It opens in me again the wound of longing for one incomparable, ever in my mind... his fame all Hellas knows, and midland Argos" (The Odyssey, Book I, line 377-383). Penelope is talking to Phemios to stop singing the song, because the song makes her remember about her husband, Odysseus. Penelope is a polite and faithful woman. She is asking to shut up in a polite way. Odysseus and Penelope had been away from each other. He was away from home for few years, because he had a war and Poseidon doesn’t like him. But Penelope is still missing her husband. She is very faithful to her husband. In Ancient Greek, women were faithful to their husband. "her and still, and through her tears spoke to the noble minstrel" (The Odyssey, Book I, line 375-376). Penelope talked to Phemios through her tears, in Ancient Greek, women were weak and soft-hearted. "Mother, why do you grudge our own 'dear minstrel joy of song whether his thought may lead? (The Odyssey, Book I, line 386-387). Penelope’s son, Telemakhos is being rude to Penelope. Penelope can shout at him, because Penelope has right to teach right thing for her son, but she didn’t say anything. “The lady gazed in wonder… she had mouthed to her rooms again with her two handmaids, then, she fell weeping for Odysseus, her husband” (They Odyssey, Book I, line 397-401). She went into her room and cried, longing to see her husband Odysseus. Women didn’t have right to argue about what men are saying, because Penelope didn’t do or say anything and she just went in, starting to cry.
Nausikaa is very kind and polite women like Penelope. Nausikaa is the “daughter of Alkinoos” (The Odysseu, Book IV, line 22). Women’s role in society in Ancient Greek is a house work. “How so remiss, and yet thy mother’s daughter?... have store of marriage linen, and put thy minstrelsy in wedding dress!... Let us go washing in the shine of morning” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 35). Athena appears in Nausikaa’s dream and tells her to go and wash the wedding dress. Washing the clothes are part of the house work, so women role was to do the house work and follow the men “My dear papa, could you not sent the mule cart.. I must take all our things and get them washed at the river pool” (The Odyssey, Book I, line 63-66). Nausikaa is asking permission for her father to allow her going to the river pool to wash the clothes. She could have asked her mother for the permission, but she asked her dad. The men had higher position compared to the women and man was the head of household.
The relationship between women and men are love in Ancient Greek. “Atena lent a hand, making him seem taller, and massive too” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 241-242). Atena make Odysseus to look handsome to make Nausikaa like him. The story is trying to link the women and the men as a couple. “Who is this handsome stranger trailing Nausikaa? Where did she find him? Will he be her husband? (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 292-293). People those saw Nausikaa and Odysseus and they thought Nausikaa and Odysseus are couple. So in Ancient Greek, the woman and the man were together only when they’re couple. The relationships between women and men were usually love.
Penelope and Nausikaa are both women. They are kind, weak and they are obedient to men. I could analyze that women had low position in society and they had to be obedient to men. Also, most of the relationship between men and women were love. They are human. Human can be different from the gods.
Kalypso and Kirce are both females, but Kalypso and Kirce are not himan. Kalypso is a nymph and Kirce is a witch. They are half human and half god. They are immortal and selfish. Kalypso is a nymph who lives in an island. Kalypso traps Odysseus in her island because she loves him. “Mean while he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom to the nymph” (The Odyssey, Book 5, line 15-16). Thralldom means to be trapped as a kind of slave. Kalypso trapped him that can be predicted that she tries her best and do anything to get what she wants. Kalypso shows a role of women. “Divine Kalypso,…. in her sweet voice, before her loom a weaving” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 62-67). Kalypso was weaving. Weaving is an act of making fabric, so it shows that women did some weaving in their extra time. “Dear friend, no need for stealth: here’s a young weaver singing a pretty song to the air” (The Odyssey, Book X, line 240-241). Kirke told the crew of Odysseus that there’s a young weaver who sings a pretty songs. Women could have done artistic things to show the men and make interest.
Kalypso is jealous to Penelope. “Can I be less desirable then she is? Less interesting? Less beautiful? Can mortals compare with goddesses in grace and form?” (The Odyssey, Book V, line 220-222). Kalypso is jealous to Penelope, Odysseus’ wife because Odysseus wants to leave the island and go back to home. Kalypso is eager to be loved from the men she like, so in Ancient Greek, Women wanted to date or marry the men.
Penelope, Nausikaa, Kalypso are all different. They live in different places, different age and they are in different situation, but they have similar role in Ancient Greece’s society and as a women. In Ancient Greece, the role of women was housework like washing clothes and weaving. They also had artistic skills. The relationship between men and women is love.
English phase 5
Mr. Wu
May 28th, 2015
Women's role in society and their relationship with man
In Odyssey, there are several different women characters, Penelope, Kalypso, Nausikaa and Kirce. According to Homer, women didn't have high position in society. They should be faithful to the men. Also they are very weak and kind, but nymph and witch are bit different from human women. They are bit selfish and they are not faithful.
Penelope and Nausikaa are both female and human. Penelope is a wife of Odysseus. She will be about 30-40, because in the past, women got married when they were teenager and Penelope already has a son. Nausikaa is much younger than Penelope. "...have store of marriage linen, and put thy minstrelsy in wedding dress!” (The Odyssey, Book I, line 32-33). She is about to get marriage, so she is still a teenager. Their age and address are different, but they are both very polite and kind.
"Phemios, other spell... But sing no more this bitter tale that wears my heart away. It opens in me again the wound of longing for one incomparable, ever in my mind... his fame all Hellas knows, and midland Argos" (The Odyssey, Book I, line 377-383). Penelope is talking to Phemios to stop singing the song, because the song makes her remember about her husband, Odysseus. Penelope is a polite and faithful woman. She is asking to shut up in a polite way. Odysseus and Penelope had been away from each other. He was away from home for few years, because he had a war and Poseidon doesn’t like him. But Penelope is still missing her husband. She is very faithful to her husband. In Ancient Greek, women were faithful to their husband. "her and still, and through her tears spoke to the noble minstrel" (The Odyssey, Book I, line 375-376). Penelope talked to Phemios through her tears, in Ancient Greek, women were weak and soft-hearted. "Mother, why do you grudge our own 'dear minstrel joy of song whether his thought may lead? (The Odyssey, Book I, line 386-387). Penelope’s son, Telemakhos is being rude to Penelope. Penelope can shout at him, because Penelope has right to teach right thing for her son, but she didn’t say anything. “The lady gazed in wonder… she had mouthed to her rooms again with her two handmaids, then, she fell weeping for Odysseus, her husband” (They Odyssey, Book I, line 397-401). She went into her room and cried, longing to see her husband Odysseus. Women didn’t have right to argue about what men are saying, because Penelope didn’t do or say anything and she just went in, starting to cry.
Nausikaa is very kind and polite women like Penelope. Nausikaa is the “daughter of Alkinoos” (The Odysseu, Book IV, line 22). Women’s role in society in Ancient Greek is a house work. “How so remiss, and yet thy mother’s daughter?... have store of marriage linen, and put thy minstrelsy in wedding dress!... Let us go washing in the shine of morning” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 35). Athena appears in Nausikaa’s dream and tells her to go and wash the wedding dress. Washing the clothes are part of the house work, so women role was to do the house work and follow the men “My dear papa, could you not sent the mule cart.. I must take all our things and get them washed at the river pool” (The Odyssey, Book I, line 63-66). Nausikaa is asking permission for her father to allow her going to the river pool to wash the clothes. She could have asked her mother for the permission, but she asked her dad. The men had higher position compared to the women and man was the head of household.
The relationship between women and men are love in Ancient Greek. “Atena lent a hand, making him seem taller, and massive too” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 241-242). Atena make Odysseus to look handsome to make Nausikaa like him. The story is trying to link the women and the men as a couple. “Who is this handsome stranger trailing Nausikaa? Where did she find him? Will he be her husband? (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 292-293). People those saw Nausikaa and Odysseus and they thought Nausikaa and Odysseus are couple. So in Ancient Greek, the woman and the man were together only when they’re couple. The relationships between women and men were usually love.
Penelope and Nausikaa are both women. They are kind, weak and they are obedient to men. I could analyze that women had low position in society and they had to be obedient to men. Also, most of the relationship between men and women were love. They are human. Human can be different from the gods.
Kalypso and Kirce are both females, but Kalypso and Kirce are not himan. Kalypso is a nymph and Kirce is a witch. They are half human and half god. They are immortal and selfish. Kalypso is a nymph who lives in an island. Kalypso traps Odysseus in her island because she loves him. “Mean while he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom to the nymph” (The Odyssey, Book 5, line 15-16). Thralldom means to be trapped as a kind of slave. Kalypso trapped him that can be predicted that she tries her best and do anything to get what she wants. Kalypso shows a role of women. “Divine Kalypso,…. in her sweet voice, before her loom a weaving” (The Odyssey, Book VI, line 62-67). Kalypso was weaving. Weaving is an act of making fabric, so it shows that women did some weaving in their extra time. “Dear friend, no need for stealth: here’s a young weaver singing a pretty song to the air” (The Odyssey, Book X, line 240-241). Kirke told the crew of Odysseus that there’s a young weaver who sings a pretty songs. Women could have done artistic things to show the men and make interest.
Kalypso is jealous to Penelope. “Can I be less desirable then she is? Less interesting? Less beautiful? Can mortals compare with goddesses in grace and form?” (The Odyssey, Book V, line 220-222). Kalypso is jealous to Penelope, Odysseus’ wife because Odysseus wants to leave the island and go back to home. Kalypso is eager to be loved from the men she like, so in Ancient Greek, Women wanted to date or marry the men.
Penelope, Nausikaa, Kalypso are all different. They live in different places, different age and they are in different situation, but they have similar role in Ancient Greece’s society and as a women. In Ancient Greece, the role of women was housework like washing clothes and weaving. They also had artistic skills. The relationship between men and women is love.