Aricle about The Odyssey

In the books we have read so far on homers Odyssey we can see that female characters both mortal and immortal have a big effect on Odysseus and the decisions he makes throughout he books. We first come across Calypso.

We find Odysseus on Calypso beautiful island, it is described as paradise, yet we find Odysseus weeping on the beach for his family and his home Ithica. Calypso is angry with the Zeus as his attitude towards mortal men, as he is allowed to have relationships with mortal women but Calypso is not aloud to have relations with mortal men.Calypso is a nymph yet she knows what pity is as understands what its like to be mortal, calypso loves Odysseus and doesn't want him to leave her island but Hermes the messenger of the gods comes down from the skies and tells calypso that Odysseus must carry on with his journey home. Calypso helps Odysseus to build a raft as she presents him with the 'boring tools' which he could make his raft with. She also helps him as she brings him cloth for him too make his sail out of. Calypso also fills his raft with food and drink including water so that he will not starve on his journey back home.

Before Odysseus sailed home Calypso gave him a bath and dressed him in 'sweet smelling clothes'. She also gave him a warm gentle breeze to set him on his way. We then come across Ino. Ino sympathises with Odysseus because she her self was once mortal as she looked after her sister child who was also the illegitimate child of Zeus. She threw herself off a cliff as because Hera had made her husband insane and he tried to kill and Ino and the child. Ino was saved by the sea nymphs.

So she knows what its like to be tormented by the gods.Ino helps Odysseus by telling him to take off all his clothes which were given to his as a gift from Calypso, Ino gave Odysseus a veil which she told him to wrap around his waste and she told him that it will stop him from drowning. Also she tells him that when he reaches land that he must throw the veil back into the ocean but he must not look back. We then meet Nausicca, daughter of king Alcinous and Queen Arete. She is a very beautiful princess she is very god like.

Nausicca is at the age of getting ready to marry when Odysseus meets her.Odysseus takes advantage of this when he meets her, as he is very charming and polite towards her. He makes himself more attractive towards her. Nausea gives Odysseus food and clothing and a wash.

Naussicca also gives him directions him towards her parents palace. Odysseus takes hospitality off the Phaeacians king and Queen through Xenia. They hold games in his Honour. The people of the land ask to here Odysseus storey, so Odysseus tells them, so we then meet the next female character in the book, Circe.Circe is a goddess and when Odysseus and his men reach her island and go to see if she will offer them hospitality she turns Odysseus men into farm animals.

When Odysseus goes to rescue his men from the entrenches palace he takes her hospitality and they end up staying together, Circe soon turns Odysseus men back into their humans form as Odysseus had asked. Odysseus and his men stay with Circe for a whole year before they start on their journey again back home to Ithica.Odysseus fell in love with Circe and forgot all about his family and his home until he loyal men remind him of it. Unlike Calypso Circe doesn't mind that Odysseus wants to leave. Circe supplies Odysseus and his men with food for the journey home.

She also tells Odysseus that on his way home he must visit the land of the dead to visit the profit Tirseaus. She gives him advice on what to do when he reaches the island. Another female character, which frequently helps Odysseus through out the book and gives him advice, is Athene the goddess of Wisdom.When Odysseus has left Calypso island she helps Odysseus by checking the winds and 'binding them to calm' so that they would flatter the waves in Odysseus path. Also Athene puts the idea into Odysseus head that he should grab hold of the rock with both hands as he is swept in from the sea.

Also Athene helps Odysseus when he is on the island by filling his eyes with sleep and sealed his lids so that he could sleep and soothes his pains and weariness. Also another occasion were Athene helps Odysseus is when she visits Nausicca and gives her a dream.In the dream she was to stop being lazy and to go and wash her clothes in the washing pools, as many men would have liked to take her as their bride. When she wakes up she decides to go to the washing pools. This helps Odysseus as Athene gives the dream to Nausicca to wash her clothes were Odysseus lies sleeping, this way Odysseus can receive help from the king of Phaeacia so that he may continue on his journey home. Athene also helps Odysseus by allowing him to wake up and see the lovely girls playing in the washing pools.

Also Athene helps when Odysseus confronts the girls as she gives Nausicca courage in her heart and takes away the fear in her limbs, this helps Odysseus as she does not run away so this means she can help Odysseus. Also Athene helps Odysseus by making him seem taller and sturdier and makes his hair look bushier and thicker. This helps as Nausicca finds him more attractive and therefore she will be more willing to help him as she is at the marital age and she find him more attractive.There are many contrasts between the female characters in homers odyssey.

There is a big contrast between Calypso and Circe; they both have differences but many similarities. They are Goddess and they both live on there own Separate Island. They are both live on there own and are quite lonely. Throughout the books, female characters are very important in the decisions Odysseus makes.

He is helped consciously by many characters, Circe, Ino and Calypso. He is also helped subconsciously by Athene.