Theme Of Patriarchy In The Odyssey

In a patriarchal society, women lie at the bottom of the social hierarchy. A patriarchy judges women for their beauty and innocence rather than merit and intelligence. Throughout the twenty-four books of The Odyssey as well as Game of Thrones, a modern day rendition of medieval society written by George. R. R. Martin, women struggle for power in male dominated societies. Women need to submit to their societies in order to be accepted and or respected. The goal of men is to be powerful. In order to achieve this they need complete control of all elements of life around them, especially women. Men do not just want to control their women; they want to guide their movements, influence their thoughts. These ideals are only functional when the woman is submissive. Usually these women happen to be
Sadly, these women live in the shadows of their husband, however this is the only way for women to gain respect and prestige. Penelope, wife of Odysseus is the paradigm for women. After the Trojan war, there is no news of Odysseus. No one knows of his whereabouts or what his plans are. Odysseus stays lost at sea for nearly twenty years, yet Penelope stays faithful and has no skeptic thoughts. Suitors come to court Penelope and amass Odysseus’s treasure, however due to a clever plan, Penelope finds a way to wait even longer for Odysseus to return. Antinous, a suitor, tells Penelope’s story, “ ‘Young men, my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more, go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until I can finish off this web… so this weaving won't fray and come to nothing. This is a shroud for old lord Laertes…’ ” (2.104-109). Penelope tells the suitors she will marry as soon as finishes her shroud, but in