eloved wife and his belovedcountrymen. But when women use their love it is used for nothing but thefurthering of their own ends.The Odyssey is not without good women- or women that Homer feels aregood women. The perfect example of such a woman is Penelope, Odysseus’swife. She uses her feminine cleverness and cunning towards helping herhusband. She convinces the suitors that she working on a shroud for herhusband so that she can we be with her beloved Odysseus (who by the way isoff sleeping with other women). It seems that the ideal woman is one who sitsfaithfully at home, while her husband goes off to fight wars and have adventures.It is not fair for Homer is have these double standard for male and femaleheroes/heroines- the man can leave his wife at home and go off and sleep withwomen other than his wife. But the woman should stay at home, she should benoble and not remarry even if her husband does not return for twenty years andit is simply out of the question for her to have an affair even if her husband ishaving numerous ones.In The Odyssey women are generally portrayed as manipulative anddeceitful and Homer is a sexist who holds a double standard of morality for menand for women. Even though there are women who are considers good they areseen as good because they are subservient to their husbands. Homer also holdsa double standard when it comes to what defines a moral man and what definesa moral woman....
