Research Paper on:
Women in the Odyssey, Penelope’s Power

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
a pivotal role in the narrative, but close examination of the Homers epic poem demonstrates that it is Penelope who welds the greatest power over the storys protagonist, her  husband Odysseus. Consideration of each of these female characters shows this to be the case. Kirke, who possesses incredible powers of witchcraft, is certainly a powerful woman within the context  of the narrative. Also, it is true that she has sex with Odysseus, which, to the modern moral perspective, suggests that she has power over him as, again to the  modern reader, this is looked on as being unfaithful to Penelope. However, Homer makes a point of indicating that Kirke never held sway over Odyssues heart. She never has his  love, which is always, throughout the narrative, directed towards Penelope and Odysseus desire to return home. More so than with Kirke, an argument can be made that Athena is  the most powerful female in the narrative, as she is a goddess and therefore can alter the fate of mortal human beings. Certainly, Odysseus would never have survived to return  home to Penelope without the intercessions and help of Athena, But Homer makes a point of letting his readers know that Athena approves of the love of Penelope and Odysseus  and the goddess shows this with her actions throughout the narrative. Therefore, examination of the Odyssey demonstrates that the power of Penelope over Odysseus is based on their great and  sustaining love and a close reading of the epic poem shows that Homer demonstrates this in a number of ways. For the most part, women in the Odyssey can  be characterized as either "loyal wives" or "alluring seductresses," such as Calypso and Kirke ("Penelopes role" 31). Penelope is unique because she fits into either category, she is both "an