Importance Of Love In The Odyssey

Epic take home test

Siena Stroh

Question number nine The great rooted bed in the Odyssey symbolizes the strength of Odysseus and Penelope marriage and the bond they have between. The bed has withstood everything thrown at it as did Odysseus and Penelope. Their marriage is strong like an olive tree. The olive tree is also a symbol of Athena the goddess of wisdom and peace. Since Odysseus had carved their bed from the Olive tree when they were first married and has built their castle around the bed. He also carved their secret sign into the bed. “There’s our secret sign, I tell you, our life story!’’ (Book 23,463. 226). So if one would go away they would know it each other by this sign he made at the beginning of their marriage. “does the

Would be the double standard of sexuality for men and women. For women if your husband goes off to battle or fight in a war, she is to remain faithful and loyal to her husband no matter the time it takes for him to get home. Penelope did the socially approved thing at the time, which is to stay faithful to her husband and, not take on any suitors while she is alone. Also while he is away she thinks of him and his homecoming back to Ithaca. “Is he alive? Does he see the light of day? Or is he dead already, lost in the house of the death?’’ (Book 4, 937-938 Clytemnestra did the opposite thing, which is to take on a suitor while her husband Agamemnon was in battle with Odysseus. Then when her faithful husband comes home, he gets killed by his wife’s new suitor.” Aegisthus hatched my doom and my destruction, he killed me, he with my own accursed wife.” (Book 11, 262. 462-463). Even for the goddesses there is still a double standard. “Hard-Hearted you are, you gods! You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals, openly.” (Book 5,156. 130-132). Meanwhile for the men, it is ok to sleep around. That is if it is helping them fulfill their destiny. It was ok for Odysseus to sleep with calypso, and Polyphemus, and Nausicaä. Penelope was happy that even after sleeping with a goddesses that he still chose

This is not the case for Odysseus and every mortal that lives on earth. They do have a time limit and when the limit is gone it is called death. The fact that it took Odysseus 20 years to get back home, was 20 years of wasted lost time. He could have been back with Penelope shortly after the battle in troy, but the gods shipwrecked him, and made him get stranded places he did not want to be. Calypso island is an example, Poseidon had been angry with Odysseus and sent them of course and they became stranded at calypso island. He then stayed here for seven years. “Calypso’s house- she hold him there by force. He has no way to voyage home to his own native land.”(Book