Queens of the Castle: The Power of Helen and Arete in the Odyssey

Much scholarship has been dedicated to detailing the roles of women in the Odyssey, often regarding their power or lack thereof. Helen and Arete, as two high-standing queens of societies, provide an interesting case study into women’s roles in the story. This comparison project aims to open up new avenues of study for future classicists. An analysis of the interactions between these two women and their husbands and Odysseus in the original language reveals that the women wield power through their speech and stories. It is also clear that scholars have previously discounted the power of these women by characterizing them as inhuman. This article avoids discounting these women’s power by attributing it to superhuman status but appreciates it and its impact on the narrative