A Tale Of Two Lovers In Homer's Odyssey

A Tale of Two Lovers

The saying that opposites attract is widely used in both science and relationships, but is there a point in a relationship where those opposites become too much to bear? In the Odyssey, Penelope and Odysseus show just this struggle with handling the balancing act of making sure the similarities keep them together while the differences try to tear them apart. Not only did the individual journeys of each spouse test their physical and emotional limits, but it also brought out their true colors. Although their journeys may seem similar, Penelope proves throughout the book to be more loyal to her spouse and a better self-advocate than Odysseus.

No doubt, Odysseus encountered a myriad of obstacles that tested his faith and loyalty during his journey home from the Battle of Troy, yet one of the utmost important encounters was the one in which Odysseus met a woman named Circe. After Circe turned all of Odysseus’ men into pigs and Odysseus restored all of them to humans again, Odysseus realized that he liked this woman enough to not only break the sacred vows of marriage, but also to delay his getting home to Ithaca by about a year. Odysseus became so infatuated that his men had no option but to say, “Captain, shake off this trance, and think of home – if home indeed awaits us,” hoping that those words would embed in Odysseus’s heart and remind him of his love, Penelope, waiting for him at home. No doubt, married people experience a wide range of good and bad times with their

significant other, but cheating on a spouse not once, but twice seems like something that neither spouse can fix. Penelope, however, has a vastly different stance on the idea of loyalty. She has a myriad of eligible men living in her house who have tried to win her heart for years, but she remained steadfast in her fidelity. During Odysseus’s trip to the underworld, his mother tells him that his wife has died because of her longing for him. His mother was wrong in saying that Penelope was dead because she was actually very much alive, but she was correct to say that Penelope continued to long for Odysseus despite all the years that had passed. Ironically, their difference of opinions might not be the only thing that sets this couple apart from most.
Additionally, fans of Odysseus believe that he makes up for his lack of loyalty by being a hero that saved many. A few characteristics that commonly attributed to being a hero include doing tasks that benefit others, being fearless, and most importantly, making tough decisions. Again, Odysseus falls short of the expectations placed upon him. Throughout his entire journey, Odysseus did not make one decision without the help of a god and frankly, Odysseus would not be alive without the gods telling him what to do. Circe explained to Odysseus saying, “Then Skylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship.” Watching six of his best men get eaten by a six-headed monster could not have been easy for Odysseus because those men were the very people that had kept him alive thus far. A true hero would sacrifice himself instead or at least try to come up with an alternate plan that did not involve fatalities. Odysseus did not even try to reason with the gods, but instead just went with what the gods said. If Odysseus had stuck up for himself to the gods instead of sitting around following orders, then his best six men would not have died. Meanwhile, Penelope continued being strong by setting a remarkable example of sticking up for oneself. In fact, Penelope can attest to the fact that knowing oneself are and knowing what one want carries that person relatively far in life. Since Penelope knew these qualities about herself, she was able to get away with what she did next. Penelope promised that she would marry one of the suitors when the burial cloth she was weaving for Odysseus’ father was finished, but what the suitors did not know was that while Penelope spent her days weaving, she spent her nights unweaving what she had accomplished during the day. Obviously, this method of weaving led to extra month’s even years that Penelope remained single. Ultimately, Penelope fought for what she believed in and did what she needed to do so that she could be happy whereas her spouse did the opposite.
In conclusion, the readers of the Odysseus have many questions pertaining to the relationship of Penelope and Odysseus.

Although the family reunites at the end of the book, it does not change the mistakes Odysseus committed and the serious issues that Penelope and Odysseus need to address together. As for insight pertaining to the future of Penelope and Odysseus’ relationship, readers get none. To conclude, readers learn that mistakes sometimes make relationships even

stronger.