With the addition of her deflection of the suitors long spears that may have eventually kill Odysseus, he and Athena goes on a killing spree annihilating all suitors. It is in this scene the reader gets a glimpse in how brutal she is in battle as Segal contends, "[h]er contemplated revenge is strikingly similar to the Cyclops ' murderous feasting" (514). Although Homer makes it a constant theme to inspire his heroes through pep talks with the gods to rekindle the hero 's spirit, actually Athena 's physical deflection of the long spears saves the day. Odysseus seeing this as an amazing act "[s]eeing his men untouched by the suitors ' flurry" (22.273) from the gods re-strengthen his sense of duty to win back his household. Eventually with her aid in the defeat of the suitors, Odysseus reclaims his household. Like Athena in The Odyssey, Juno too is the driving force behind the plot of The Aeneid, but in a different aspect as she portrays the antagonist who goes up against the hero. Although, she has no significance in The Odyssey, Virgil continued on Homer 's portrayal of the goddess as how she was in the Iliad: seeking out revenge and punishment. Her anger and hatred for the Trojans since the aftermath …show more content…
She has her messenger, Iris deviously manipulate the Trojan women while on Sicily to set fire upon the Trojan ships. This course of action can be classify as evil as a trait of Juno. Her multiple attempts in trying to delay Aeneas have failed and yet she wickedly tries her luck again. Ineffectively, the women do set fire to the ships, but with Aeneas ' prayer to Jupiter, he sends down a rainstorm to put out the flame. Her failed attempt to use a lesser deity to try to bring down Aeneas ' ships (1.77-83), her failed attempt to artificially produce love (4.112-129), and now her failed attempt to bring together women has fairly tarnished her success as a goddess
Even though Odysseus was physically strong, at other times he was weak. When the Phaeacians returned Odysseus home, Odysseus not knowing where he was recounted his jewels and gifts. While doing so the Phaeacians were just turned to stone by Poseidon for helping him return home. Odysseus can practically do whatever any god can do but with the help of them. So speaking, Odysseus says to Athena, "And do you stand beside me, inspiring hardy courage, even so as when we tore the shining crown from Troy"(130). When Odysseus was at war with Troy, Athena gave him guidance.
In the final phase of his plan, where kills them, he states: “ /wooed my wife behind my back while I was still alive!/ No fear that man's revenge might arrive someday, now all your necks are in the noose-your doom is sealed”(XXII. 37-42). Evidently upset about the courting of his wife, he displays his heroic trait of courage. To stand before 108 men, and speak boldly questioning their actions, is unbelievably courageous , and without a doubt characterizes him as daring and audacious. Additionally, when he rejects to Eurymachus’ offer of gold, and promptly replies with an even more confident speech, regarding the punishment the suitors are soon to receive, evidence of his brutality and his courage: “ Not if you paid me all your father’s gold….not even then would I stay my hands from slaughter till all you suitors had paid all of your crimes!”(XXII. 65-68). This is where he tips over the point of violence into barbaricness. He kills the suitors brutally and viciously, showing his heroic trait of being ruthless to his enemies, as well as his skills, strength, and courage. Collectively these events exemplify Odysseus’ love for Penelope, portraying her pivotal role in the characterization of Odysseus. Homer uses Penelope, as Odysseus’ motivation in the story to bring out his loving husband side, as well as
However, she felt comfortable when he was talking to her and she mentioned that he is the first stranger that warm her heart with the news that he has about Odysseus. Nonetheless, she decides that she will marry one of the suiters if he will be able to shoot an arrows through the holes of twelve axes set, but the axes should be in a line. The Odyssey supported her idea because he knew that he will be able to answer her riddle and it will be hard for any man to do so. It was obvious how confident he was when he said “do not delay this contest in the palace for the resourceful Odysseus, himself will be here long before those polished bow and shoot the arrow through the iron axes” (P:264). Which made it very clear that this stranger knew and certain that Odysseus is coming back to Ithaca and to save his beautiful wife. After he won the contest, she was shocked to the point that she felt that he is Odysseus. She wanted to test him if that man was him or not. With a big fear in her heart, she could not believe her eyes. She told him that his bed was moved, which shocked him because he belted that bedroom and that bed in a way that no man can move it and he told her about all the details in that room. She was surprised of how much details he knew, “Bursting into tears she ran up
... in deceptiveness and similarity with her: “Two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both. Of all men now alive you are the best in plots and storytelling. My own fame is for wisdom among the gods-deceptions, too” (8. 379-383). It is as if though Athena represents these qualities heavenly, whereas Odysseus represents them on earth. Athena further exclaims to Odysseus, “Whoever gets around you must be sharp and guileful as a snake; even a god might bow to you in ways of dissimulation. You! You chameleon! Bottomless bag of tricks!” (8. 371-375). It is of no surprise that by Odysseus and Athena gathering forces and wit in this journey, nothing could stand in their way and Odysseus’s homecoming. Thousands of years later, the Odyssey stands proof to that.
50),” manifests her rage though the physical fire set to the Trojans ships by the women. Juno’s divine wrath against Aeneas stems from two events; the first being Paris choosing Venus as the fairest women compared to Juno and Minerva. The second being the Trojan descendants are fated to destroy Juno’s favorite city, Carthage. Juno understands she cannot stop Aeneas from reaching fated Italy, but she still does everything in her power to make the journey difficult. Juno’s burning rage is most clearly seen when she sends down her messenger, Iris, to convince the Trojan women to burn Aeneas’ fleet. Aeneas and his crew had just landed in Eryx and held festivities to honor Anchises. As the men are distracted by the games, Iris impersonates Beroe and persuades the women to light “burning torches” (V.635) and ignite the ships. The women act on their emotions and are easily persuaded because they want to stop traveling and stay in Eryx. Iris is “the first to seize destroying flame” (V.641) and throw it onto the ships. The women “watched in horror” (V.643-4) but soon join the attack. The “raging fire didn’t slaken” (V.680) until Jupiter intervenes and releases a “rage of pouring rain and thunder” (V.694). Juno’s internal rage is demonstrated though the external fire set by Iris and the women. The destructive fires and the manipulation of the women’s emotions emphasize the rage Juno feels that is only be smothered by Jupiter’s
He insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match (18.8-31). Athena aids Odysseus with this endeavor, instilling extra strength and stature into him (18.66-74). The boxing match ends quickly, for Odysseus floors Arnaios (18.95-103). Amphinomos, one of the more well-behaved suitors, toasts him and gives him food (18.117-123). Odysseus, pitying Amphinomos since he knows full well what is going to happen, pulls him over to the side and warns him of the coming danger (18.125-150). However, Amphinomus does not leave, for he is bound to die at the hands of Telemachus (18.151-156). Athena puts into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before the suitors and gives her extra stature and beauty (18.158-162). She leads the suitors on and tricks them into bringing her gifts, claiming that any suitor would try to win her hand by giving her things rather than taking from her (18.208-280). The suitors proceed to give her gifts
Both Virgil and Milton portray femininity and women as a threat to the divine higher order of things by showing women as unable to appreciate the larger picture outside their own domestic or personal concerns. For example, in the Aeneid, it is Dido, the Queen of Carthage, who out of all the battles and conflicts faced by Aeneas, posed to the biggest threat to his divinely-assigned objective of founding a new Troy. Like Calypso detains Odysseus in Homer's epic, Dido detains Aeneas from his nostos to his "ancient mother" (II, 433) of Italy, but unlike Calypso, after Dido is abandoned by Aeneas she becomes distraught; she denounces Aeneas in violent rhetoric and curses his descendents before finally committing suicide. Therefore, Virgil demonstrates how women have a potent and dangerous resource of emotions, which can ambush even the most pious of men. Indeed, Dido's emotional penetrate the "duty-bound" (III, 545) Aeneas who "sighed his heart ou...
Secondly, Odysseus has great self-control, which allows him to deeply contemplate his decisions. Moments before Odysseus falls asleep, he spots a “covey of women laughing as they [slip] out…to the suitors’ beds” (Homer 375). Seeing this, Odysseus is angered and wants to kill every one of the suitors right then and there. But Odysseus retains his self-control and does not strike yet. At that moment, if he did strike, he would have lost because he would not have been prepared. He retains all his anger for the final battle with the suitors. In that battle, Odysseus is fully prepared and ready to fight, resulting in all the suitors’ deaths. Next, when Antinoos throws a footstool at Odysseus, “Odysseus only [shakes] his head, containing thoughts of bloody work” (Homer 326).
How much control do women have over their emotions in the Aeneid? In his poem, Virgil frequently shows women in situations where irrational thoughts lead to harmful choices. Specifically, Virgil presents women as being easily influenced by their emotions. Consequently, these characters make decisions that harm both themselves and those around them. Throughout Aeneas’s journey, divinities such as Juno and Venus are seen taking advantage of the emotions of different women, influencing these characters to act in ways that ignore important priorities. Not only does Virgil present women as completely vulnerable to their emotions, but he also shows the problems that arise when these women engage in decisions where they put their own feelings ahead of their people. Virgil explicitly shows women neglecting important responsibilities when he describes passages concerned with Dido’s affair and her death, the Trojan women burning their own ships, Queen Amata’s opposition to Latinus’s proposal and her tragic death.
She knows that it will make him stronger. There is an old saying, which goes along with this situation, ‘what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’” (Lower). Athena is widely alluded to as a guardian angel in this epic, because she is constantly watching over Odysseus and Telemachus. At the climax of the epic, Athena assists Odysseus one last time.
When Odysseus was scrubbing his body in the river, Athena made him look like a god so he would be accepted by the king’s wife. As Homer states, “...Athena, the grey-eyed goddess, made him more robust and taller; and she gave him thicker hair, which flowed down from his head in curls and clusters that seemed much like the hyacinth in flower” (6.123). Besides the looks, Athena also gave him massive amounts of strength. During the physical competitions, Odysseus was showing off to the Phaeacians and he threw the largest and heaviest rock the farthest distance out of all of the men. This action awed both the royal family and the spectators, which allowed Odysseus to be even more admirable. Finally, Athena shrouds Odysseus in a mist so he would remain invisible from other people, preventing him from being questioned by
The power and influence of women is symbolized in Odysseus’ encounter with the dead in Hades. In the Underworld, Odysseus meets more women than men. He meets his mother and then a “grand array of women” (334). They all were “wives and daughters once of princes” (334). All of them are the legendary women who were the mothers of the greatest Greek lineages. This symbolizes how Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a
Aeneas is the son of Venus. This fact alone brings about much of the hero in him. Venus, a concerned mother, always looks out for her son. She does everything she thinks will help to ensure his safety and success. At the beginning of his journey from Troy, she prevents his death at sea. Juno has persuaded King Aeolus to cause vicious storms, rocking Aeneas' fleet and nearly killing all of them. Venus then goes to Jupiter and begs him to help Aeneas: Venus appealed to him, all pale and wan, With tears in her shining eyes:
In Virgil’s The Aeneid, there are many parallels found in Homer’s The Odyssey. In each epic, the heroes, Aeneas and Odysseus, are on a journey “home.” Aeneas is on the search of a new home for he and his companions to settle since Troy has been destroyed, Odysseus on the other hand is attempting to return to his home he left years earlier to fight the Trojan War. They both have Gods against them and helping them, both Aeneas and Odysseus are both held back by women, both voluntary and involuntarily, and they both have experiences visiting the Underworld. Despite these similarities, there are differences between the two characters and it reflects their values and the society they live in. Aeneas relies on his strength as a warrior, where as Odysseus uses his deception to survive which reflects how Aeneas is truly Roman is versus Greek.
To summarize Athena’s love as an angel to Odysseus and his family, she managed everything in her power to bring him back home. She helps him to defeat all the suitors who destroyed his house. It is kind of Athena has devoted her all life to Odysseus and his family.