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Essays on the book odyssey
The odyssey hero's journey
The odyssey hero's journey
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My dearest Penelope, I am pleased to tell you that the war of Troy is over and we have gained victory. I have begun my long journey home. My men and I chose to stop at the Island of Ismaros to restock on necessary supplies. We were met by the Kikones and my men slaughtered many of them, enslaved their women, and killed their livestock due to them being on the side of the wretched Trojans. Afterwards I wanted to leave, but my men wanted to stay behind and continue to celebrate their victory. Unfortunately there were some survivors of our previous plunder and we were overrun very quickly since they are such good swordsmen. Six benches (seventy two) of my men were killed by them. As we left the island, Zeus sent a storm as a punishment for killing so many of the Kikones. We are heading towards another island which I hope will be more welcoming. I long for you my love and I cannot wait to be home. Odysseus Telemakhos, My boy, …show more content…
If it wasn’t for the braveness Athena granted you with, I would have been left stranded with no idea where I was. Before I had met you at the river I had sailed for 18 days in the sea and was almost killed by a storm that pushed me toward sharp rocks. I survived by a veil given to me by a sea nymph named Ino. The next morning while you were washing your linens by the river, I met you and you were kind enough to give me food and bathing oil. Then you gave me instructions on going to your fathers palace. I can understand why you wanted me to arrive separately from you at your home since rumors spread very easily. At your glorious home, your father showed me hospitality and even wanted you to be mine. However, I declined but we still had a feast and I stayed for a while and explained who I was and all of my plunders. Hopefully I have paid you back for telling your father that it was a maid who found me and not you. I thank you for all the gifts your family gave to me and all your
In the Odyssey, written by, Homer Penelope seems, at first, to be portrayed as someone constantly weeping for her husband, while being oblivious to the struggles of her kingdom. However, the story actually portrays her as someone who is in control of her surroundings. Penelope is torn at the thought of not seeing her husband again. Back when Penelope was alive it was not proper for a lady to be with more than one man and Penelope knew this. She did not wish to be with more than one man, so she used her weeping to distract her suitors so she would not be looked at with disgrace in her century. After twenty years Penelope is given strength, while pretending to be oblivious, in a categorical way Penelope demonstrates her
There was kind of ambiguity when the Odyssey and Penelope started to talk to each other’s after the maid had wash his feet. When Penelope described her dream as she said about the eagle who came and killed all the suiters whom she would not like to marry with and talked to her with a human voice, telling her that he is her husband. I also found Odysseus responds tricky a little bit, because sometimes he is about to say that he is Odysseus and sometimes his responds are just like a new story to Penelope. The poor Penelope did not recognize her beloved husband Odysseus, because she is certain that he died many years ago. However, she held her hope like a woman holding a candle in the middle of the dark. She could not forget her husband and it
There is really no way to generalize the women in Homer’s Odyssey because they all have their own distinct traits that make each of them great, strong, and powerful women. A very powerful woman is Arete. She is as powerful as the king, Alcinous. Her daughter Nausicaa is an amazing woman, even though she is so young. She displays great intelligence in handling Odysseus. These women I speak of above are great women in a good sort of way but there are also some very bad women that still have some amazing qualities. For instance Clytemnestra who has great vengeance and deceit. Another Homeric women that breaks the mold is Helen. She is so independent and headstrong it’s almost scary. These qualities I’m applying to all these women are not their only but they are the most memorable. In fact some of them share the traits I have already laid out. One other thing I would like to mention before I go on is how different these women are from what I expected. I thought they would all be weak and completely under the control of the heroic men but all the ones I’ve mentioned are very powerful and could probably do with out their men. I know Helen would be all right with out Menelaus.
Similar to other classic literature, Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey exhibits the human struggle against a greater power, which each person must use their intellect, courage, and morals to overcome. These factors, which can be seen by the epithets and rhetorical questions, are posed to Penelope during the book. The poem is an exultation of man over the glory of the Gods because despite man’s limitations his achievements are obtained through the combination of his intelligence, fortitude and skills not supernatural powers.
In order to redefine what is expected of female characters in epic poetry, Homer includes the character of Calypso. The “powerful and beautiful” nymph is known for “clinging” to Odysseus and yearning “to possess him” in order to “charm him into forgetting Ithaca” which provides a direct contrast with Penelope’s attitude towards men (Homer, p. 332). When introducing Calypso, Homer’s word choice is strategic: he wants to immediately characterize her as an authoritative and dangerous character. By doing so, he is able to immediately identify Calypso as a woman who does not let the constraints of her expected role hold her back from taking control of the epic hero for her benefit. Calypso also challenges the cultural rule that men choose their
of a year. It is only after hearing the appeals of his men that Odysseus
Odysseus's wife, Penelope plays a very important role in Homer's Odyssey. She provides the motivation for Odysseus's return to Ithaca. She is also the center of the plot involving the suitors and the fate of Telemakos and Ithaca itself. The objective of this essay is to analyze the important role of Penelope in Odyssey.
Penelope, in Homer’s The Odyssey, fills both the role of the seductress and the loyal wife. This paradox is evident through her relationship with her suitors and her husband, Odysseus. Penelope entices her suitors in case she has to remarry in the future and also she inveigles them into giving her gifts. Penelope simultaneously distances herself from the suitors, delaying them while she waits for her husband to return home. Penelope uses her sexuality, the way that she sensually presents her body and her femininity, to manipulate men’s attraction to her. She maintains the suitors’ attraction both by flirting with, and withholding, intimacy and marriage from them. Throughout The Odyssey, Penelope employs her sexuality as a strategic tool, for
Penelope serves as his motivation and aids in his characterization as a loving husband as well as a vicious, ruthless warrior. Back in Ogygia, he explicitly states in his farewell to Calypso that he longs for his wife: “ ‘My lady goddess, there is no cause for anger. My quiet Penelope-how well I know-would seem a shade before your majesty, death and old age being unknown to you, while she must die. Yes it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home’ ”(V. 224-229). He refers to Penelope as “my quiet Penelope,” meaning she is most beholden to him and is his. Though he degrades Penelope by saying she is less beautiful than Calypso, he has a great love for Penelope, that brings out Odysseus’s true feelings. Even though
In the ending chapters of The Odyssey Homer bring about many interesting points in which would bring us to believe that in fact Penelope had helped to slay the suitors. Penelope did not physically help to slay the suitors when Odysseus had been in the room killing them. It was Penelope’s actions leading up to this scene that may have helped Odysseus in his successful killing spree of the suitors. For the case of the argument we will discuss points in which it is believed that she had recognized him disguised as the old man, which gave her the ability to help Odysseus. On the other hand, the argument that she may have not recognized Odysseus would contribute us into believing that she did not help Odysseus to slay the suitors but that things
This poem provides insight into travel during the ancient Greek period. Historians can see that most of the story shows that many men settle in different islands and forget about returning home. Women play a huge role in settlement among the islands because they seduced men to stay with them in the
The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey reflects the faithful wife who waits twenty years for the arrival of her husband. Only a strong woman could sustain the stress, anxiety and confusion resulting from the chaos of a palace with a missing king whose fate is unknown. Her responsibilities and commitments toward the man she loves are particularly difficult to keep, under the strain of the situation. Although she does not actively pursue an effort to find him, her participation in the success of Odysseus' homecoming can be seen in her efforts to defend and protect the heritage, reputation and the House of Odysseus in his absence. As Odysseus withstands his trial, Penelope withstands her trials against temptations to give in to the many anxious suitors, to give up on her faith and respect for her religion, her husband and even her self. Penelope's strength in keeping the highest standards in her function as a wife, woman and mother contributes to the success of Odysseus' homecoming by keeping the home and family for him to come back to.
In Greece, on the island of Ithaka, the queen awaits the homecoming of her husband from the Trojan War. However, Odysseus does not return from the war unlike his fellow shield brothers, leaving his wife alone in Ithaka with their son. Penelope is left in a very vulnerable situation because suitors are now coming into her home looking to marry her, as whoever she chooses to marry would become the king of Ithaka. Penelope is forced to adjust to life without her husband, and in a way, fend for herself completely. This is not a problem for Queen Penelope, however. Penelope is not only the most loyal wife, but also exudes a self-confidence and intelligence befitting of the Queen of Ithaka.
Appearance of a Woman Indeed, women play an influential role in life. In The Odyssey, women appear as goddesses, wives, and servants who are faithful, wise, and powerful. In Homer's ballad The Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful and loyal wife of Odysseus. Penelope expresses her courage, compassion, and helpfulness throughout The Odyssey. She has faith and depends on the goddess Athena to grant her wishes.
Homer, Iliad is the narration of the Trojan war. The Trojan war was one of the most important and significant wars of Greek mythology, Homer described how the war was triggered by the abduction of the most beautiful women known as Helen. This paper will argue how the traditional view of this poem is accurate because it indeed was Helens beauty and her selfishness that sparked the Trojan war. Although Helen was not happy about the outcomes of her mistakes. This paper will present how Helen faced many forms of self judgment, how she created many relationships with significant characters, such as Paris, Priam and Aphrodite. Homers portrayal of this significant women was remarkable as we were able to feel her pain and anguish, the readers were