A Space of her Own

The research examines themes of women s sexuality,§silence, power and negotiation of spaces in Homer s§Odyssey and Shakespeare s Winter s Tale. The§study employs an open reading of the texts alongside§feminist perspectives to offer new, alternative§meanings that are hidden within the folds of the§dominant, patriarchal discourse. The strategies§utilized in this research enable fluid shifts in§meaning because they open up the texts to alternative§possible interpretations. Maneuvering within the§dominant discourse and reading between the lines§uncovers a space within which women have to struggle§in order to find their own private spheres and modes§of being.§The thread connecting these works, and on which the§arguments in this study are built, is the image of§stone that is prominent in both works. In The§Odyssey, Penelope is presented pausing near a pillar§of stone a number of times, whereas in The Winter s§Tale, the queen Hermione is turned into a statue of§stone at the end of the play.§These two images are closely analyzed in relation to§these women s silence and marginalization, and they§constitute a central point of reference in exploring§the other themes.