In The Odyssey, Homer presents a double standard to the reader. While the author really applause the men who are unfaithful to their wives, the women remain faithful to their husbands. This concept is shown through the epic's two main characters, Odysseus and Penelope.
Odysseus is unfaithful to his wife Penelope. Calypso, a goddess has captured Odysseus, the hero of Homer's epic poem, when his ship is blown off course. For seven years, she "keeps" him as her lover on her island, Ogygia. Although Odysseus longs for home, he does not truly resist nor object to her detaining him. Even when he knows he will be returning home the next day, he spends the time with Calypso, " .and now, with drawing into the cavern's clear recesses lay in each others arms they lost themselves in love."(5.250-251) Odysseus tells Calypso , "look at my wise Penelope. (his wife) She falls far short of you, your beauty, stature, she is mortal after all .yet I pine all my days-to travel home and see the dawn of my return." (5.239-241) .
Ironically, Odysseus does not see himself as being "unfaithful" to Penelope. Odysseus sees Penelope as one of his possessions he will regain when he returns home. Even though Homer goes to great lengths to show Odysseus is a puppet who had really no choice, this does not minimize the hard fact Odysseus is not faithful to his wife, Penelope. Moreover, there is no clear evidence of Odysseus trying to outwit Calypso or Circe, the witch-goddess, who wants to take Odysseus as a lover in exchange for her help. In this epic, Odysseus is an intelligent man who is able to control his emotions and plan the best strategies to obtain his goal. Why doesn't .
he think of a way to outwit Circe or Calypso? Instead, he almost meekly accepts this proposition without even considering Penelope's feelings or the undermining of his own marriage vows.
On the other hand, Penelope, Odysseus's wife, remains faithful to her husband since he had left to the Trojan wars twenty years ago.
But The Odyssey is truly identified as one thing, an epic. ... The hero in The Odyssey is obviously Odysseys. ... Odysseys conquers this characteristic in several ways. ... Odysseys travels far and wide just ti return home. ... The Odyssey is packed with them. ...
The gods in The Odyssey are who held Odysseus captive for over eight years. ... In The Odyssey both free will and fate occur. (Sparknotes) The Odyssey represents free will in that it gave choices. ... Works Cited Odyssey. ... (teacher) 2001 Odyssey Class Discussion Odyssey Plot Summation. ...
Hospitality in the Odyssey Hospitality has played a large role in ancient Mycenaen society and is even evident in the writings of the time, as witnessed in Homer's Odyssey. Hospitality reveals itself as a domineering factor in the way characters act and the way characters are treated in the Odyssey. One instance of the role of hospitality in the Odyssey occurs early on in the epic when Telemachus secretly set off to find Nestor. ... In the Odyssey, the good offered hospitality, and the bad fed off of the hospitality of others. ... Among all cultural elements of ancient Greek so...
In the ancient Greek society, like the society present in the book "The Odyssey," hospitality is exactly what was anticipated from the people. You can say that hospitality is kindness and hospitality is an important part of Homer's "The Odyssey." Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey" contains a reoccurring theme of hospitality. ... Not everyone is a gracious guest in "The Odyssey." ...
The Iliad and the Odyssey will prove to be literature that shapes a nation. ... The Iliad and the Odyssey became a part of the Greek educational curriculum. ... The Odyssey is a true love story. The Odyssey celebrates the love of a husband and wife. ... Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey in the eighth century B.C. ...
The Odyssey vs. ... The Odyssey, translated by Fitzgerald, is about an epic hero trying to get to his home after twenty long years. ... In The Odyssey women were treated as slaves. ... A difference is that in The Odyssey the women were known as whores. ... In conclusion, The Odyssey and Beowulf focus on the themes of women, character style, and religion. ...
Homer wrote the classic epic The Odyssey more than 2,500 years ago. ... Does Homer writing in The Odyssey support or refute the common belief of his time regarding women? ... Homer Odyssey is one such writing, which poetically describes the daily life of the Greeks in antiquity. ... The Odyssey is not misogynistic. ... In the Odyssey, dominating male roles were evident. ...
Odyssey vs. O" Brother Where Art Thou This paper compares the Odyssey to O" Brother Where Art Thou. Even though Homer's Odyssey was written in Greek times, the movie O"Brother Where Art Thou has many similarities. The Odyssey and O" Brother each start with an obstacle that keeps the main characters, Odysseus (Odyssey) and Everet (O"Brother), from their homes and their wives for many years. ... The Odyssey is the well-known story of a hero's long journey home. ...
"THE ODYSSEY" AS A HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL REPRESENTATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF MT. ... I believe that more than anything, Homer's "The Odyssey" is an exercise in the meaning of story telling through song and other aspects in "The Odyssey," including lying and the lore, as I shall explain. ... In the very first line of "The Odyssey," Odysseus is described as "the man of many ways." ... For example, "The Land Of The Lotus-Eaters" are representative of such mythological realities in "The Odyssey." There is also much importance given...