How does Penelope dealing with the grief over Odysseus’s absence?

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• Nausicaa: The Phaeacian princess, embodies ideal hospitality, modesty, and a demure beauty. She is helpful to Odysseus, offering him clothing, food, and guidance to her parents' palace, reflecting the importance of xenia (guest-friendship). She is also portrayed as a desirable, marriageable young woman, reinforcing her societal role.

What women are characterized as deviant?

"Deviant" women in The Odyssey are those who challenge or subvert the patriarchal ideals, often through their sexuality, independent power, or direct opposition to the male hero's journey.

1. Calypso: A powerful nymph-goddess who holds Odysseus captive for seven years, desiring him as her husband. She is deviant because:

   • Independent Sexual Agency: She desires Odysseus for herself and uses her power to keep him, directly opposing his return to his wife and home. This is seen as a transgression against mortal marriage and the natural order.
   • Supernatural Power & Threat to Mortality: Her power to offer immortality is tempting but ultimately a threat to Odysseus's human destiny and his identity as a mortal man tied to his family. She represents a seductive but ultimately dangerous alternative to his human responsibilities.
   • Isolation from Human Society: Her isolated island home separates her from the social structures that govern human women.

2. Circe: A powerful sorceress who transforms men into pigs. She is deviant because:

   • Dangerous Power & Transformation: Her magic literally dehumanizes men, symbolizing the potent and dangerous threat of female power when unchecked by male authority.
   • Sexual Seductress (Initially Threatening): She initially traps Odysseus's men through her alluring but deceptive hospitality and magic. While she eventually becomes an ally and even a lover to Odysseus, her initial portrayal is that of a dangerous seductress who subverts masculine control.
   • Independent Residence: Like Calypso, she lives independently, outside the direct control of gods or men.

3. The Sirens: Alluring female creatures whose beautiful songs lure sailors to their deaths. They are deviant because:

   • Deadly Seduction: Their power is purely destructive, leading men astray through irresistible temptation, leading to death rather than domesticity. They represent the ultimate danger of female allure unconstrained by social norms.
   • Absence of Human Form/Civility: They are monstrous, embodying a primal, chaotic femininity that is antithetical to human society.

4. The Maidservants who Consorted with the Suitors: The twelve maids who are disloyal to Odysseus's household and have sexual relations with the suitors are characterized as deviant.

   • Betrayal of Household Loyalty: Their primary transgression is their disloyalty to Odysseus and Penelope, and their undermining of the oikos by aligning with the usurpers.
   • Sexual Transgression: Their sexual relationships with the suitors are presented as a moral failing and a betrayal, directly contrasting with Penelope's fidelity. Their brutal execution by Telemachus underscores the severe consequences for such perceived deviance.

Are there any problems with the ways in which the text portrays ideal and deviant women?

Yes, there are certainly elements in The Odyssey's portrayal of women that can be problematic when viewed through a modern lens, but also arguably provide tools for "probing" these issues even for ancient audiences.

1. Ideal Womanhood as Constrictive: The "ideal" woman, Penelope, achieves her status through unwavering fidelity and domesticity within a severely patriarchal framework. Her intelligence is praised when it serves her husband's return and property, but there's little room for independent ambition or action. Her ultimate success is defined by enduring male absence and maintaining the status quo for a man. This portrayal can be seen as limiting and prescriptive, valuing women primarily for their roles within the male-dominated household.

2. The Punishment of Deviance is Extreme and Unequal: The harsh treatment of the disloyal maidservants is particularly jarring. While their betrayal is clear, their summary execution by hanging, ordered by Telemachus, is brutal and highlights the extreme power imbalance and the severe consequences for female sexual transgression or perceived disloyalty, far beyond any punishment meted out to male suitors or even some male aggressors in the epic. This suggests a double standard.

3. Deviant Women as Threats to Masculinity: Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens, while powerful, are consistently framed as threats to Odysseus's journey, his masculinity, and his return to civilization. Their power is often tied to sexual allure and magic, suggesting that independent female power is inherently dangerous or destabilizing to the male hero's quest. Odysseus must either resist them (Sirens), be freed from them (Calypso by divine decree), or subdue them through cleverness and a direct threat (Circe). Their narrative function is often to test or delay the hero, not to exist as fully realized individuals with their own legitimate desires.

Does the text play around with such portrayals, providing tools for debate?

While the overall framework is patriarchal, The Odyssey does offer subtle nuances and complexities that could invite critical reflection, even for ancient audiences:

1. Penelope's Agency and Intelligence: While her virtues serve the patriarchal order, Penelope is far from a passive figure. Her intelligence, cunning, and resilience are consistently highlighted. The text doesn't just praise her endurance; it showcases her active strategic mind in dealing with the suitors. Her mastery of deception (the shroud, the bed test) mirrors Odysseus's own and elevates her beyond a mere domestic figure. This might lead an audience to consider the power inherent in a woman's wit, even within defined social roles.

2. The Nature of Calypso's and Circe's Power: The goddesses Calypso and Circe are undeniably powerful. The narrative doesn't diminish their abilities. Calypso's genuine affection for Odysseus is palpable, and Circe, after being subdued, becomes a helpful ally,

Sample Answer

The Ideal of Womanhood and Femininity in The Odyssey and Greek Culture

In The Odyssey, the ideal of womanhood is largely shaped by patriarchal societal norms, emphasizing domesticity, loyalty, obedience, and intelligence that supports the male household. However, the epic also presents a spectrum of female power and agency, often in tension with these ideals, leading to complex portrayals.

What makes an ideal/good woman or goddess in The Odyssey?

The archetypal "ideal" woman in The Odyssey is undoubtedly Penelope, Odysseus's wife. Her virtues embody the societal expectations for women in ancient Greece:

1. Chastity and Fidelity (especially in the husband's absence): Penelope's unwavering loyalty to Odysseus for twenty years, despite immense pressure from the suitors, is her defining characteristic. She resists remarriage, a feat lauded throughout the epic. This reflects the high value placed on a wife's sexual fidelity to maintain legitimate heirs and household integrity.
2. Domestic Prowess and Management of the Oikos (Household): Penelope is depicted as the astute manager of Odysseus's household, maintaining order and resources in his absence. She is skilled in weaving and oversees the servants. This demonstrates the importance of a woman's role in running the domestic sphere efficiently.
3. Intelligence and Cunning (in support of the male household): Penelope is not merely passive; she is clever and resourceful, using stratagems like the shroud for Laertes to delay the suitors. Her intelligence, however, is channeled toward preserving her husband's property and line, not for independent ambition. Her wit is often praised when it serves the established order.
4. Piety and Respect for the Gods: Penelope often appeals to the gods for guidance and strength, demonstrating proper religious observance.
5. Emotional Restraint (for the most part): While she grieves deeply, she generally maintains composure, especially in public, reflecting a societal expectation of emotional control.

Other "good" female figures, particularly goddesses, also exhibit traits that, when aligned with the heroes' journeys, are seen as beneficial:

• Athena: As the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, Athena embodies powerful intellect and proactive assistance. Her "goodness" is primarily defined by her steadfast support for Odysseus, her chosen mortal. She provides divine intervention, guidance, and tactical advice, functioning as a benevolent mentor figure within the patriarchal system. Her intelligence and power are celebrated because they are used to uphold cosmic order and assist the male hero.