Female Ambiguity: Kirke from The Odyssey vs. Bianca from The Taming of the Shrew Women are ambiguous characters throughout texts such as The Odyssey and The Taming of the Shrew. In these two stories, there are female characters that are deceitful and beguiling towards men. Kirke and Bianca are two comparable characters that display such behavior. I will explain how both characters display ambiguity by hiding their true nature behind actions that they wouldn’t normally take; therefore these female characters are being deceitful to those who fall for their actions.
Kirkie displays her obscure behavior at the point of The Odyssey when some of Odysseus’s crew is sent up to Kirke’s hall. When the men lay eyes on her she is weaving on her loom. Kirke’s weaving is a domesticated action to the crew of Odysseus’ men who witness it. Before the men see her the carnivorous mammals at her entryway that seem to be under her spell intimidate them.
Kirke’s weaving alone is not what enticed the men to her, yet it was her singing which was described as beguiling, that made the men believe she was an angel. “Low she sang in her beguiling voice, while on her loom she wove ambrosial fabric sheer and bright, by that craft known to the goddesses of heaven.” (Homer 171) This action of weaving and singing gains the trust of the weary men who then wish to approach her. The sirens also sing. Somehow with female singing men lose their rational thoughts and become hypnotized by the sound. Weaving is an action used at least by one other female character, Penelope that deceives a large group of men into thinking that the female is harmless and domestic.
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In this story all the females that sing use it as a lure of the men and it works every time, however the waving trick didn’t work so well for Penelope and her secret of unraveling a shroud she would spend all day weaving was discovered. The crewmen in this part of the story see Kirke singing on the loom and it strikes their hearts and they seem to narrowly forget about the wolves and lions at her entrance only to see her young beautiful image as a fine woman. Polite’s, one of Odysseus’ crewmen broke the silence held by the men to assure them that this womanly duty Kirkie performs makes her seem harmless and that they should not hide away from her.” ‘Dear friends, no need for stealth: here’s a young weaver singing a pretty song to set the air a-tingle on these lawns and pave n courts Goddess she is, or lady. Shall we greet her?’ So reassured they all cried out together, and she came swiftly to the shining doors to call them in” (Homer 172) Kirke’s mask of ambiguity by acting like a powerless domestic female only begins with the weaving for that is the kind of woman she wants them to believe she is. The rest of her intentions are not revealed until she tricks the men into drinking her wine and eating her food, and providing a meal for these men is another one of these domestic female actions.
All but one man, Eurylokhos, fall for the seemingly harmless image of Kirkie as a beautiful well tamed woman. Because of their gluttony, Kirke turns the men quite literally into pigs that romp about the hall as frightened as can be. This is when the men realize that she gained control over the men by deceiving them. Odysseus tells his story of the night his men were turned into dirty pigs by Kirkie the goddess.
“On thrones she seated them, and lounging chairs, while she prepared a meal of cheese and barley and amber honey mixed with Pram nian wine, adding her own vile pinch, to make them lose desire or thought of our dear father land. Scarce had they drunk when she flew after them with her long stick and shut them in a pigsty- bodies, voices, heads, and bristles, all swinish now, though minds were still unchanged.” (Homer 172) Making the men forget about their fatherland is Kirke’s main intention. She wants control of the men, and to control them one must rid them of their identities by taking away what is near and dear to them, and since their main desire is to return home that is what she must make them forget. The fact that their mainland is referred to as their “fatherland” seems to show the power that men have over things, another proof to why the women in this time have to resort to deceitfulness to gain their control in the world. Odysseus had foreknowledge from Eurylokhos and Hermes of Kirke’s deceit, therefore he did not become a swine as he was told to ask to enter her bed to lay with her so she will give him help on his journey. Kirke seems to be satisfied with having Odysseus as her bed mate, yet does not want him to leave so she uses her methods of control to keep him on her island for a year.
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I think her feelings toward Odysseus show another sign of ambiguity because instead of threatening him she wants him to stay. Her true nature shows with him, as she is a lonely woman in need of control over men. Kirke becomes the slave and the master to Odysseus. Kirke wants Odysseus to stay and he pretends to want her to get what he wants, and therefore by taking ambiguity Odysseus gets what he wants the same way that female characters on his journey do. This shows how the method of deceit works for benefit to the character that creates it.
Kirke uses more of her trickery to make Odysseus forget for a year about his homeland and his journey while Kirkie receives pleasure from him. As another example of her ambiguity, once Odysseus remembers his journey she provides him with helpful information and lets him go. Kirke’s ambiguity isn’t without reason; however Bianca’s behavior leaves room for question. Bianca, in The Taming of the Shrew is ambiguous because what she shows of herself to a large group of men is that she is a young vibrant and beautiful creature who is also meek and docile such as a woman should be.
Lucentio becomes one of many of her suitors, he is entranced by her silence and beauty compared to her sister Kate who is vulgar and wild in her opinionated speech. After comparing the two women, Lucentio says that “In the other’s silence do I see Maid’s mild behavior and sobriety. Peace, Tranio!” (Shakespeare act 1. Sc.
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1. line 70) Bianca says little and looks content therefore her trickery begins. Through many efforts Lucentio wins over the heart of Bianca. Bianca’s ambiguity from a tamed contented young lady to an outspoken and controlling “hell cat” as Kate was once referred to, can be seen when she changes from meek little Bianca to demanding and controlling Bianca towards the end of the play. When the subject of her sister Kate and Kate ” s Husband Petruchio comes into conversation at the banquet in Baptista’s home Kate shows a bit of her other side.
Bianca ends up leaving the table in a huff and the rest of the conversation shared after Bianca leaves the table they were at implies that Lucentio was not wise when it came to choosing Bianca for his wife, for now he is stuck married to an untamed shrew of his own. “TRANIO’O sir, Lucentio slipped me, like his greyhound, which runs himself can catches for his master.’ PETRUCHIO ‘A good swift smile but something Currish.’ TRANIO ‘Tis well sir that you hunted yourself'” (Shakespeare act V. Sc. 2 line 52) Lucentio and those around begin to learn Bianca’s real intentions and behavior, she sheds her pretty little domestic female veil to reveal that she has what she wants whish is the husband, and now she doesn’t need to pretend that hen can dominate her for she wishes to dominate him. Later on she gets even less docile and more like what Kate started out like. Bianca talks to the widow and seems dismayed at her thoughts of how a woman should be over the bet that the men held about their new wives.
“WIDOW ” Lord, let me never have to cause to sigh Till I be brought to such a silly pass’ BIANCA ‘Fie, what a foolish duty you call this?’ LUCENTIO ‘I would your duty were as foolish too. The wisdom of your duty fair Bianca, Hath cost me a hundred crowns since suppertime.’ BIANCA ” The more fool you for laying on my duty.’ ” (Shakespeare act V. Sc. 2 line 129) These quotes show that Bianca was playing at being kind and quiet.
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She seemed perfect marriage material, however she proved to be the opposite and Lucentio loses the bet. Compared to Kirkie I think Bianca is the more deceitful one. Bianca chose how to act in order to get what she wanted which was to gain control over a man she chose, even if she has to act as though the man chose her first. This is a lesson Kate also learned, if you play along you ” ll get the goods is the basic literal lesson learned by the female characters. Kirke’s attempt was not done out of want but rather she was deceitful to protect her home and her seclusion on her island. Kirke learned the play along lesson long before Odysseus showed up at her door because if she were nice to every bunch of men that came along she would have nothing left of her island from men that would just take till there was nothing left.
Her methods of control are how she lives. In conclusion, Kirkie and Bianca among others, are both female characters that display ambiguity by hiding their true nature behind actions that they wouldn’t normally take to gain control over unsuspecting men, and in turn for those actions they get what they want. Cited sources Homer, The Odyssey, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1998. Shakespeare, William, The Taming of the Shrew, Penguin Putnam Inc. , New York NY, 2000.
