Susan Sontag once said " What is most beautiful in virile men is something feminine what is most feminine in women is something masculine" This statement can be proved by the actions of the characters in the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. In The Odyssey many of the female characters show masculine characteristics and the male characteristics often show feminine characteristics. Penelope and Nausicaa both show masculine characteristics in many different situations. Odysseus shows feminine characteristics as well when he is stranded on Calypso's island. Therefore, throughout the epic poem we see many different characters portray different kind of personality.
Odysseus comes in contact with many women who have certain masculinity about them. When he first meets Nausicaa and she is without clothes as well as her friends, she does not flee like the others she stands there and greets him. Courage and Bravery are usually characteristics that men tend to have, although we also find it in Nausicaa.
Odysseus and Nausicaä by Charles Gleyre (19th cen...
ODYSSEUS karnavires 1
ODYSSEUS karnavires 66Her standing and not running shows bravery and courage by not running away like the others. Another women who shows masculine characteristics is Penelope who is Odysseus's wife. She demonstrates this characteristic by tricking the suitors into thinking that she will marry them as soon as her weaving is done. This action could be classified as a very masculine characteristic that we also see in Odysseus. His craft way of thinking is shown through Penelope. The suitors were completely fooled under Penelope's crafty ways and were not aware of it until it was brought to their attention. On the other hand Odysseus shows his feminine characteristics by crying nonstop while staying at Calypso's island. Usually crying is mostly associated with women because they are often emotional and cry often. He cried for eight years showing that he is...