Women as Parallels in The Odyssey: A Different Kind of Power
Faculty Mentor
Terrance Macmullan
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
4-14-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 10:20 AM
Location
PUB 323
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Philosophy
Abstract
The Odyssey is a foundational text that has transcended time and history, which leads to people being uninformed of the cultural context it emerged from. Often, The Odyssey is criticized for its double standards for men and women, but in reality the Odyssey was a very progressive text. While most of the female characters are seen as unfaithful and impure, all of them are complex with their own motives and thoughts. Something previously rare and unheard of in the region before Homer the blind poet. The male characters are bold, witty and clever, and the women share the same determination, wit and cleverness, they just use beauty instead of strength to utilize them. Almost all female characters parallel one of the male characters either from Greek history, or Greek mythos granting them perceived equality to the eyes of an ancient reader. In order to break period typical sexism, Homer writes his female characters as parallels to his male ones, in order to demonstrate the power women hold in ancient Greek society through beauty instead of strength.
Recommended Citation
Towell, Alice, "Women as Parallels in The Odyssey: A Different Kind of Power" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 4.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/op_2026/o4_2026/4
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Women as Parallels in The Odyssey: A Different Kind of Power
PUB 323
The Odyssey is a foundational text that has transcended time and history, which leads to people being uninformed of the cultural context it emerged from. Often, The Odyssey is criticized for its double standards for men and women, but in reality the Odyssey was a very progressive text. While most of the female characters are seen as unfaithful and impure, all of them are complex with their own motives and thoughts. Something previously rare and unheard of in the region before Homer the blind poet. The male characters are bold, witty and clever, and the women share the same determination, wit and cleverness, they just use beauty instead of strength to utilize them. Almost all female characters parallel one of the male characters either from Greek history, or Greek mythos granting them perceived equality to the eyes of an ancient reader. In order to break period typical sexism, Homer writes his female characters as parallels to his male ones, in order to demonstrate the power women hold in ancient Greek society through beauty instead of strength.
