Should Homer be considered an early feminist or an old-fashioned sexist?

I think Homer should be considered an early feminist versus an old-fashioned sexist. Homer may portray Penelope as typical housewife staying home and doing household chores but he also shows how smart and cunning she can be. When Homer was writing Penelope’s character I think he was showing what an average wife was like in that time, not trying to be an old-fashioned sexist. He further shows his feminist views through the character of Athena. Athena is a very prominent and ever present female god throughout the Odyssey. Athena has much power, is respected, listened to and influences many of Odysseus’ decisions.

Athena’s influence is shown when Odysseus confers with her on a plot to kill off the suitors. She is the one who comes up with the successful plan to kill off the suitors. Through this Homer demonstrates that he has nothing against women. He has Athena as the one telling Odysseus, a man, what to do. Odysseus takes her advice and successfully kills off the suitors. This is not the only example where Athena is equal if not superior to men. While Odysseus, Telemachus, the swineherd and the cowherd were killing off the suitors Athena saves them from death many times. She sends the spears the suitors throw wide saving their lives. In this situation Athena can be portrayed as the heroine because without her at his side Odysseus never would have been able to fight off all of the suitors and would most likely have been killed. She was the one who gained them victory. These are all key examples that portray Homer as being a feminist versus a sexist.

Homer also demonstrates his feminist views through the character of Penelope. Although Penelope is portrayed as your typical stay at home doing household chores wife she is also depicted as being smart, cunning and persuasive. She was able to convince all of the suitors that as soon as she finished her web she would marry one of them; but secretly each night she would unwind all of the work she had done putting off the date of when she would finish. Penelope was able to get the better of the suitors with this trick for three whole years. Here Homer illustrates how smart and cunning she can be. Later on in the story Penelope also plays a prominent role when she slyly comes up with a plan that is guaranteed to get rid of the suitors. She devises a contest where the suitors will have to sting Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through a row of axes. Penelope agrees to marry the winner. Little do the suitors know when she persuades them to agree, that Odysseus is the only one who is able to accomplish this challenge. None of the suitors even come close to being able string the bow until Odysseus, disguised as a peasant, tries and successfully strings his bow shooting and arrow perfectly through the axes. Her challenge sets up an ideal situation for Odysseus to reveal himself and kill off the suitors. She is also able to cause the suitors immense humiliation when they fail to even come close to stringing the bow. Here Penelope is cunning and persuasive. I feel these are all good reasons that support Homer as being a feminist versus an old-fashioned sexist.