Examine the myths and legends surrounding The Odyssey. Compare the role of the gods and monsters in the Odyssey and at least two other stories.
How do the principle male god figures and principle female monster figures influence the quest of the Hero in The Odyssey, To Asgard and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe?
Gods and monsters are prolific characteristics of many myths and legends and often their actions can play a pinnacle role in the journey of the protagonist throughout the narrative. What’s remarkable however is how these Gods and Monsters are depicted in popular stories based on the specifics of their gender and class within their respectable hierarchy. Smith suggests; “[that] In The Odyssey” […] there are quite limited presentations of women and many of them […] are assigned to the narrow role of mothers, seductresses, or some combination of both.” (Smith, 2011). With this in consideration this essay will explore how The Odyssey along with The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and ‘To Asgard’ portray powerful females as monstrous in comparison to the hero archetype of their male god counterparts. Whilst also delving into the significance of these depictions and whether in fact we can learn about ourselves as a society through the analysis of a frequently used trope.
Masculinity is depicted within these texts as a rite of passage to power and privilege, as every text has a ‘God-like’ male figure at the top of their hierarchy- each being the epitome of power and authority over ‘their land’. It is clear that Zeus sets the guidelines which are engrained within the norms and values of his people within The Odyssey, as “[They] have no right to deny a stranger…All vagabonds and strangers are under Zeus” (Lattimore, 2007 Book XIV,58). People dread the consequences of not following the protocol of xenia, so much so that they will allow a stranger into their house without question in fear that Zeus’ wrath will be released upon them as it has been to others, hence his great power and class within the pantheon. This fear of this omnipotent god is further validated through Friedrich’s implicit view that, “the notion of the "malevolent god," [is] a deeply rooted and wide-spread idea in the epics.” (Friedrich, 1989). The archetypes of masculinity are present within Zeus as despite being a beacon of hope for Odysseus he is portrayed as merciless upon all who disobey him, even going as far to praise the protagonist; “Odysseus the godlike…beyond all other men in mind” (Lattimore, 2007 Book I, 65) even after blinding Polyphemos the son of Poseidon, who was less than hospitable. His supremacy is very much in the power he holds and in his gender as he dispatches Athena, his daughter to do his bidding; “put some confidence in him” (Lattimore, 2007 Book I, 89). A reoccurring theme that assists the perpetuation of the patriarchy, both predating said text and outliving it. However, there are interesting covert criticisms against the extent of Zeus’ strength and whether this in fact lays within his masculinity at all. Armitage in his play The Last days of Troy subverts the role of Zeus and humanises him, suggesting that he would be nothing if it wasn’t for those who worship him asking a significant question, “Does Zeus own the world or does the world own Zeus?”(REF). Nevertheless, this is one opinion that puts religion into perspective but the evidence provided thus far is that this hyper masculine god beholds immense power, impacting the journey of the protagonist as he can influence those below him; keeping “the other immortal gods united [so Odysseus’ enemies] can accomplish nothing.” (Lattimore, 2007 Book I,79)
To Asgard mirrors aspects of The Odyssey in regard to their ‘main gods’ being undeniably similar. “Odin is the ruler here” (Piercey To Asgard, 3) tells us how much like the Hellenic culture, Norse culture contains a similar hierarchy of which Odin is the monarch, solidifying at the start of the narrative how Odin has control over all things in this realm, much like Zeus is in the first book of The Odyssey. In addition, the virile imagery displayed as “he strokes his beard [and] shakes his spear” (Piercey To Asgard, 4) illustrates how Odin’s hegemony and masculinity are closely entwined. Fear generates a culture of compliance and the text renders Odin in a dominant and animalistic way in order to stress this “He keeps two wolves by his side as pets” (Piercey To Asgard, 5). With Wolves, wild animals usually seen as a threat to the average man, being dwarfed into domesticated pets, the strength and animus of Odin to his people is extenuated. However, Solli disagrees with the thought that Odin’s power and masculinity are mutually exclusive. They advocate that much of Odin’s power routes from femininity as “Odin is the most powerful master of seid, an activity associated with women” (Solli, 2008).
Aslan although similar to the male Gods in the two other texts, and despite being a lion, a creature known as powerful and at the top of the hierarchy that is the animal kingdom, does seem to show much more compassion in comparison. He appears to care about his people and the protagonists of the story as he proclaims that; "All shall be done […] But it may be harder than you think."(Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980 12.21-22). Aslan unlike many deities is willing to sacrifice anything in order to make things right again, he knows of his own power but also of the price it will cost him in helping the Pevensie children. Moreover, Aslan is undeniably an analogy of Christ with C.S Lewis rendering him as sacrificial for the sin of others using imagery that draws from Jesus’ crucifixion as “…had the Lion chosen, one of those paws could have been the death of them all. But he made no noise, even when the enemies … pulled the cords so tight that they cut into his flesh.” (Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980 PAGE NUMBERS). This could be an emphasis in how it is man who will save ‘the day’ and how woman is just a bystander or at the centre of man’s downfall. Countering this though is New Historicism which explores how the author living through “World War II, one of the most hideous historical examples of [being in the] wrong place at the wrong time” (Ness, 2011) and using Aslan as a symbol of warful sacrifice expresses his “belief that these horrific examples of injustice [are a result of some] divine plan”. “(Ness, 2011) In order for the world to be prosperous once more man must sacrifice, just like many men did with their own lives during the war. Moreover, Aslan (and his father the great emperor) are unseen for most of the narrative, the latter never showing up but both are very much obeyed and respected through the stories told of their power. For “At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in his inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror.” (Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980 7.35). The mere sound of Aslan’s name changes something and in this case, is a catalyst within the protagonists, preparing them for the quest they are inevitably about to face. Ultimately within the Narnian realm the masculine nature of Aslan is interwoven with kindness, making a balance between conformation and fear, further explored my Markos, describing the immortal as “filled with righteous anger yet rich with compassion; inspiring awe and even terror” (Markos, 2012). His role drives the protagonists forward whilst also using them as a pawn in his own motives to reclaim his homeland.
The depiction of women within these texts is a vast departure from the archetypes of heroism and instead appear to be used as an antagonist which is telling of how society as a collective have often viewed women as ‘other’ in a primarily patriarchal world. Literature CAN BE USED AS A TOOL TO REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT WOMEN CANNOT BE TRUSTED AND ARE THE CAUSE OF OUR TROUBLES, SHOWN EVEN IN Genesis, AS EVE Commits ‘ORIGINAL SIN’. In The Odyssey women are subordinate and valued often by their help or lack thereof to man; the text is ‘cognizant’ of its power in reinforcing the binary of “the potential helpfulness or dangerousness of woman” (Segal, 1968) Circe from her very introduction is demonised and belittled to being a mere sexually promiscuous monster with no reason for causing hindrance, when in fact she is actually a Goddess of magic but as she is not included in the original pantheon she is often viewed as a lower-class god and vilified- treading the line of god and monster. Homer attempts to depict Circe in a careless and thoughtless way as she objectifies men literally and figuratively as she says; “I never turned anyone into a pig. Some people are pigs; I make them/ Look like pigs.” (BOOK X). We see that she apparently has no remorse or guilt for her heinous act which furthers the ideology that females are reckless and detrimental. On the other hand, Circe can also be seen as a sort of moral arbiter here as she feels her actions are justified. For a reader who is rooting for Odysseus, Circe is a hateful villain but feminist theory provides us with the idea that she is turning the patriarchy on its head and punishing males as the animals they act so much like throughout the novel, especially towards women. Additionally, she calls out the cruelness of the world as she is “sick of [Odysseus’s] world…That lets the outside disguise the inside.” Reading this post-feminist movement it is easy to have pathos for Circe as she is portrayed as monstrous yet she is self-aware in how the world is unfair and how men act one way yet are portrayed as another.
Freyja is known in Norse culture as the Goddess of love and fertility but also war. As a Goddess she is powerful but this is an example of a character which in effect helps to break down the binary between gods and monsters as she is often portrayed in quite a devious way. Davidson “forms an interesting clue to the nature of [Freyja’s] cult. [Suggesting] there is little doubt that there was a darker side to Seidhr and all that it represents” (Davidson, 1990). However, her identity within To Asgard is almost completely reliant on her husband’s absence, very much like Penelope in The Odyssey; as “Freya's husband roams the worlds…She cries tears of solid gold” (Piercey To Asgard). In this instance, a woman’s show of ‘weakness’ appears to be overtly illustrated as more valuable than her other attributes and as Piercey is a modern female poet who chooses to define a significant figure in Norse mythology this way, it’s a potent commentary on how deeply penetrated our society is by patriarchy, however progressive we’d like to believe we are. Like Circe, Freyja has a soft spot for pigs as she is “In [a] feathered cloak, boar at her side” (Piercey To Asgard), imbedded is the idea that this Goddess is shadowed in darkness and sexually vile as within Norse mythology Loki often calls Freyja immoral, as he suggests the boar she rides into battle- Hildisvini is her human lover Ottar in disguise, her godly role is gilded by her alleged immorality and unfaithfulness to her absent husband. Harrison extenuated this ideology that Freyja is sexually grotesque as "[she] was presented as the witch who led the sabbath orgies"(Hariison Kon, 2005) and is seen as using her sexuality as a tool as “She wears the sacred necklace Brisingamen, which she paid for by spending the night with the dwarves” (The Norse Gods, n.d.). However inadvertently To Asgard does propagate certain aspects and the negative Lex of the female standard which has been present for centuries.
From the symbolism of Turkish delight to playing a part in the sacrifice of Aslan, the White Witch epitomises evil in the allegorical setting of Lewis’ novel. Jadis is her own agency not governed by man hence shown in a negative way. Mr Beaver reveals her parentage; as “she's no Daughter of Eve. She comes of [their] father Adam’s first wife, her they called Lilith.” (Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980(8.35)). Here Lewis preserves the idea that women who cannot or will not be oppressed by the patriarchy are monsters as McSporran reiterates that “Lilith of course was banished from Eden for refusing to 'lie under' Adam; …the first woman to rebel against masculine authority.” (Mcsporran, n.d.). Intrinsic as evidence of how females are depicted in such a bad light as a result and to deter from questioning man’s authority. The White Witch is displayed initially with no redeeming qualities as “deep down inside [Edmund] he really knew that the White Witch was bad and cruel” (Lewis L.W.W., Collins 1980 Chapter 9). Even a mere child can sense the evil within her and sees passed her kind interface, further depicting women as untrustworthy and sly. Despite attempts to vilify Jadis making her appear bloodthirsty, it can be said that it is in fact the Lacuna of Aslan and his ‘power’, which allows Jadis to try and take control. Moreover, she claims evil for herself and like Circe views herself as a moral arbiter, outlining the laws of the ‘deeper magic’ as Aslan " knows that every traitor belongs to [her] as [her] lawful prey and that for every treachery [she has] a right to a kill." (Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980 13.41). This depicting her as quite monstrous can also work against the idea of Aslan being portrayed as virtuous, as it is him attempting to bypass the law that is “older than time itself”. Her role is more than just hindering the protagonists yet that is what she is denounced to.
In Conclusion, it is clear that we can learn a lot about ourselves from these three texts and how male characters have always been depicted as heroes or rulers, in contrast to women who are mere tools of the man in literature or, fail that are monsters who threaten his authority. Women are troublesome and sex obsessed and incapable of showing true heroism in its conventional forms as “war gets ugly when women get involved” (Lewis L.W.W, Collins 1980). The broad time frame between all these texts is expressive of how at the heart of society we still hold prehistoric beliefs on the abilities and roles of women. Patriarchy is rife and it has become too comfortable to side-line women as monsters or mothers. We as man always require someone to blame and in a world hegemonic with masculinity in position of power, it is no surprise that this misogynistic outlook on women drips down from history and straight into the words of some of our favourite texts.
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