Review of The Odyssey by Homer
Throughout history, women have been expected to behave a certain way in order to uphold some kind of ideal image. The woman is expected to be a virtuous and upright person, forever loyal and subservient to her husband. However while history adheres to this common image of the woman, a very different mold is shaped for the man. This establishes a double standard between the two genders. The dictionary defines the term ‘double standard’ as a “system, code, or criterion applied unequally; specifically a code of behavior that is stricter for women than for men, especially in matters of sex” (Agnes et al. 29). This phrase defines women’s history, as women are constantly viewed under different guidelines and principles than their male counterparts.
Written by Homer, the epic poem entitled The Odyssey epitomizes the idea of the double standard in Ancient Greek society. It revolves around the subject of promiscuous behavior in the sexual sense, as males engaged in the behavior while females were expected to abstain from it. The idea of sexual promiscuity in The Odyssey creates an unfair double standard between its male and female characters.
The difference of accepted sexual behavior between gods and goddesses is exemplified in an angry speech given to the gods by the goddess Calypso. When Hermes informs her that the prisoner Odysseus must return home, Calypso becomes frustrated. Oh you vile gods, in jealousy supernal! You hate it when we choose to lie with men – immortal flesh by some dear mortal side… Then Demeter of the tasseled tresses yielded to Iasion, mingling and making love in a furrow three times plowed; but Zeus found out and killed him with a white-hot thunderbolt (Homer 5. 24). In this passage, Calypso points out the fact that the male gods can engage in promiscuous behavior. However when the goddesses try to involve themselves in the same activities, they face persecution by their counterparts.
The gods disapprove so much that they resort to murder as a type of negative reinforcement, discouraging the goddesses from such sexual acts. Calypso’s ability to refer to specific past instances of this behavior proves that the tendency to place women under different guidelines than men exists.
The fact that Calypso could cite more than one occurrence of the double standard shows that the goddesses were not allowed to engage in such activity, and that this was at the fault of their male counterparts, who were allowed to participate in such sexual looseness. In this speech she outwardly scrutinizes the norms of society, deeming them as hypocritical. This difference in standard concerning sexual promiscuity is present in the highest class of Greek culture, the gods, which is proof enough of its prevalence. The Odyssey highlights this idea further by projecting the ideas onto not just immortal beings, but mortal beings as well.
Odysseus is a prime example. Although he claims loyalty to his wife Penelope, Odysseus does not hesitate to submit to the Greek goddess’ desire for him. Calypso did nothing to conceal her longing for Odysseus when she held him captive on her island. Stranded, Odysseus spent many years with the Greek goddess and “he lay with her each night, for she compelled him” (Homer 5. 163). Despite the fact that Calypso required him to sleep with her on a regular basis, nothing in the text indicates that Odysseus literally did just that. An analysis of the circumstances surrounding this situation suggests otherwise.
Calypso, a forever young and beautiful goddess, wants to have sexual relations with Odysseus. Although he is a married man, he is still a man by nature. No one can deny the universal fact that men have an inherent need for sex. The text remains ambiguous towards the situation, which in itself alludes to the notion that he did indeed have intercourse with Calypso, despite the fact that Penelope awaited his return. On the other hand, nothing in the text indicated that Penelope was at all sexually promiscuous during the time apart from her husband, suggesting that she remained faithful.
Another example of sexually promiscuous behavior can be found in Book Ten, when Odysseus and his crew happen upon the island of the goddess Circe, who turns the crew into pigs. She and Odysseus reach a compromise in which he consented “[to enter] Circe’s flawless bed of love” (Homer 10. 390). The pact seems almost trivial to Odysseus, since the text inputs nothing to indicate any feelings of guilt over betraying Penelope, who back in Ithaca remained faithful to him by continually snubbing her suitors. This situation shows the different expectations of men and women regarding their sexual behavior.
In both incidences, Odysseus seems hypocritical due to the fact that his actions do not coincide with his claim to remain loyal to his wife. Through him, The Odyssey projects the idea of promiscuity as an acceptable act for only the male characters of the epic tale. In The Odyssey, women were discouraged by society to become sexual promiscuous while men were allowed to indulge their sexual impulses. Homer’s projection of this theme to both immortal and mortal beings makes it apparent that it was a societal norm. As with many aspects of Greek culture, this too has also been adapted into modern day society.
President Bill Clinton did not receive nearly as much criticism for his affair with Monica Lewinsky as Britney Spears did for her activities following her breakup with Justin Timberlake. Disapproval fell upon Spears despite the fact that there was no substantial proof of sexual promiscuity on her part, and while Clinton’s was quite apparent, he did not receive the same amount of backlash. The double standard regarding sexual promiscuity is a subject that has lasted from Ancient Greece, documented in The Odyssey, up until the present date, documented in today’s popular culture.
