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Impact of Greek mythology on modern literature
The influence of Greek Mythology on Greek literature
Greek mythology influence on modern literature
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Greek mythology is the belief of myths and teachings that belong to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes and the significance of their own ritual practices. These stories have influenced many painters and poets throughout the centuries. Odysseus from “The Odyssey” was a Greek hero who just returned from a battle of Troy after twenty years. While he was gone his wife, Penelope, had to stay back with her son in their kingdom, Ithaca. She was doing her normal tasks, but the suitors kept on bugging her, demanding that she must have a new husband. In the painting Penelope and the Suitors, John William Waterhouse uses the cunningness of the business of Penelope to avoid the suitors to show that loyalty is a full time job, while in Dorothy Parker’s poem, “Penelope”, uses the same scene to show that the unsung …show more content…
The poem and painting have a strong connection because the two both describe how Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, stayed true to her husband by not abandoning him and choosing a new husband. She spent all her time waiting for him to come back, winding and unwinding her cloth everyday for three years, when she could have left him at any time she wanted to. In the poem, “Penelope”, Dorothy Parker includes “Brew my tea, and snip my thread.” When she says this, she is explaining how Penelope is brewing her tea everyday and works on her cloth. In the line “Bleach the linen for my bed.” She conveys that she has been a lonely women for twenty years and she has never slept with another man besides Odysseus. Also, when Parker says “They will call him brave,” she demonstrates how everyone will think the Greek hero Odysseus went through all the crazy adventures while he was gone and he is still the man of honor, but in reality, Penelope should get most of the credit for holding down Ithacus while he was
In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus showed many traits. I believe the most important trait he showed was loyalty. He showed it in multiple situations. Odysseus showed loyalty when dealing with the sirens, the louts eaters, and the cyclops.
A very obvious example of loyalty is, Penelope. She is faithful to Odysseus for over 20 years and does not give up for long time. Even when the suitors came to her house and ate her food and overstayed their welcome she did not budge and still stayed faithful to Odysseus for the whole time he was gone. She told the suitors that when she finished her tapestry she would choose who she wants to marry, but every night she would undo a piece of the tapestry just so it would take longer and it would give Odysseus more time to come back just so she would not have to choose one of the suitors.
She could have moved on after a little while, but she didn’t marry any of the suitors that were trying to court her; instead she was hopeful and believed that Odysseus could come back after 20 years. In the story, while Odysseus is gone, many suitors have come to try to court his wife, Penelope. But, Penelope doesn’t want to marry any of the suitors, she wants to marry Odysseus. When Odysseus, described as a beggar, comes to his house, Penelope immediately wanted her maid to “go get that man…[because]he may have heard rumors about Odysseus,” (Homer 1282-1285). The quotation proves that Penelope is an optimist because you can infer that when new people come, the first thing Penelope does is ask them whether they have seen or known Odysseus, because she doesn’t know anything about the beggar that makes him special to ask him about Odysseus, which shows that Odysseus is in her thoughts, and that she has hope that he can come home. Penelope is an optimist because she kept hope that Odysseus would come home
Loyalty, as defined in the Odyssey seems to be the constant devotion to someone, the hopefully longing of their return and victory. Homer seems to value loyalty over many of the other human traits, as Eumaeus gets not only Homer’s famous “you” but his own book as well. The swineherd is not the only character that Homer uses to show loyalty, Penelope and Telemachus show unyielding faithfulness to Odysseus throughout the epic poem; as do many other characters even gods. Homer demonstrates the value he places on loyalty through the use of these characters with their devotion to Odysseus. Through the use of these characters Homer shows the value of loyalty by their loyalty to Odysseus.
of a year. It is only after hearing the appeals of his men that Odysseus
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
...lyphemus knows who blinded him so Odysseus calls back to the Cyclops to tell him that his name is Odysseus despite his men begging him not to. Because of his arrogance Poseidon punished Odysseus and his men and delayed their journey back home and caused a storm that made Odysseus shipwrecked. His arrogance also portrayed by Homer when he decided to listen to the Sirens instead of putting wax in his ears. He took a risky decision and his decision could have put him and his men in harms way. In contrast, throughout the story, Penelope appears to be humble. Instead of acting like Odysseus, Penelope never intends to make her name well known throughout the suitors. Instead she stays calm and encourages the suitors to stay home and make them think that they are welcome. Of course she hate the suitors but she never tells them to leave. This behavior contrast with Odysseus.
Dorothy Parker wrote, "Penelope" the story of Odysseus' wife, giving voice to Odysseus' wife. In "Penelope" she remains faithful to Odysseus during his 20 year absence and her personal strength increases. Penelope fights off unwanted suitors and runs the kingdom alone. Parkertold Penelope's story beginning a Twentieth Century feminist view of the Odyssey and telling the tales of the women with the narratives of women.
Women are important in life and act in many different ways, this poem portray them in the many roles they play in life. The portrayal is a generalization on all that women are capable of being and doing. Faithfulness is the quality in Odysseus that is his motivation to return to his wife who is in different ways even more faithful. Penelope represents the "best of women" in the poem. Penelope along with other characters like Nausicaa and Arete that fall under this category represents ideals for marriage. Penelope's role in the poem is the reward and prize to Odysseus' suffering but it is her virtue, which make the sufferings worthwhile. The one important role of Penelope that makes her a desirable wife aside from her beauty and faithfulness is that she anchors the kingship of Ithaka. The suitors saw that the one who married Pene...
While the relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love, the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope is a love between two people who just want to be together. Odysseus shows his love towards Penelope throughout the Odyssey. In spite of the fact that Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, he never forgets his wife back in Ithaca. One example of how much he wanted to go home was when he went to the island of the Lotus-Eaters. He could have stayed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters where everything he ever wanted was there, but the thing he wanted the most was to be with his wife. Penelope likewise displays this kind of love towards Odysseus.
Often times in life we search for a companion, someone to share our love and life with. Odysseus and Penelope's lasting relationship is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca. This love helps him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. Penelope also exemplifies this same kind of love for Odysseus. At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying her marriage to the suitors that are courting her. She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return. Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love.
Loyalty is heroic. Loyalty is defined as faithfulness or devotion to a person, cause, obligations, or duties. In Homer's Odyssey one can see loyalty in many forms. Odysseus is loyal to the gods whom he realized held his life in their hands. Penelope was loyal to Odysseus, while trying not to offend the rude suitors. Telemachus was loyal to a father whom he only knew from the stories he had been told. Time and time again we see loyalty in the strongest sense, complete fidelity in time of uncertainty.
Penelope is very patient, as she waited 20 years until her husband finally returned home and back to her. When Agamemnon is talking about Penelope, he says “What good sense resided in your Pennelope – how well Icarus's daughter remembered you, Odysseus, the man she married once!The fame of her great virtue will never die. The immortal gods will lift a song for all mankind, a glorious song in praise of self-possessed Penelope.” (book 24 215-220). Agamemnon is praising Penelope for how well she had held herself together for all those years, as well as for how faithful she had been to Odysseus all that time. I too like to remain patient, because if you complete tasks in a rush, the end result may not come out as good as it could have been had you just taken the time to really think things out and process your thoughts. In another scene, penelope says “All the nobles who rule the islands about... they caught me against my will, they lay waste my house... I yearn for Odysseus, always, my heart pines away.” (book 19 lines 141-145). This quote shows how penelope will wait for Odysseus no matter how long it takes, truly demonstrating the amount of patience and understanding she holds within. If I have to do my family or even friend a favor, I do it patiently and gladly, knowing that I am helping someone that day, no matter how small the act of kindness may be. Penelope
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
The Poet makes clear Odysseus’s life is about returning home from adventures of war and long treacherous battles, how they are a way of life for him, and he conquerors his enemies and occasionally loses comrades the same. However, this adventure has never been so painful. Odysseus and Penelope battle 20 years of returning home together. Even for this mighty warrior, no preparation could prepare him for the task at hand. He has been a great teacher though; she too is ready for battle. Home has been the greatest fight thus far and the poet takes us through their struggle to get back home.