Dearest Penelope, Greetings from Ogygia, my dearest wife. Ever since I spited the gods in Troy, Poseidon has made it his eternal goal to not let me surpass the seas and find my way home. I have escaped death by a mere fingertip at times. Now I find myself under Calypso’s command with no end in sight. You are my last chance, Penelope. Will you save me? It has been twenty long years, and every day I think of you and Telemachus. I have mental pictures of your beauty and his infancy, yet I can not picture what you two look like in the present. I have no doubt you have not lost one sliver of that beauty, but I can’t picture Telemachus. I believe he has evolved into a honorable and courageous warrior, but I am incapable of picturing him. I trust your undying loyalty that you have not taken another lover. No matter how far away you are from me at any time, I will always be constantly thinking of you, wanting to be back by your side. I love you Penelope. …show more content…
I made a small error in Troy before I left on my adventure. I spited the gods, and told them that I didn’t need their help, I was capable of defeating whatever comes to me on my lonesome. In that moment I forgot about Poseidon sending a sea monster to eat the person who did not believe the wooden horse ploy. Since that day, Poseidon has used his godly powers against me, sending storms my way and blowing me off course. A few other gods have tried to assist my finding of home, for example, Aeolus gave me a bag of winds to give me smooth sailing home. I gave the crewmates no warnings of the bag of winds, and this proved detrimental. They punctured the bag, and sent us back to Aeolia. So many times I have had Ithaca on my fingertips, just to get devastated by tragedy. Hermes has been a huge help to my cause, giving me moly to prevent me from being vulnerable to Circe’s magic, helping me save my mates who were turned to
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
To get his way with Calypso, Odysseus flatters her to persuade her to free him from captivity. Odysseus sweet-talks Calypso and then states his destiny when he says, "Powerful goddess, do not be wroth at what I say. Full well I know that heedful Penelope, compared with you, is poor to look upon in height and beauty; for she is human, but you are an immortal, young forever. Yet even so, I wish-yes, every day I long-to travel home and see my day of coming" (49). Odysseus’ day of coming stands for hi...
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.
of a year. It is only after hearing the appeals of his men that Odysseus
The women in The Odyssey are a fair representation of women in ancient Greek culture. In his work, Homer brings forth women of different prestige. First there are the goddesses, then Penelope, and lastly the servant girls. Each of the three factions forms an important part of The Odyssey and helps us look into what women were like in ancient Greece.
Women in the Odyssey were a huge component of Odysseus’s journey home. Without these women, Odysseus’s home would have broken down, and he would have never gotten home. His wife, Penelope, is one of these women. She stays loyal to her husband and never gives up hope on his return. She is curious about people and tests them to be able to trust them, just like her husband. Another woman is Odysseus’s old nurse, Eurykleia. She may be old, yet she puts forth the efforts and power to assist Penelope with the control over the household. She never lies about anything to Penelope and especially Odysseus. She also is kind of like a spy for Odysseus when he returns as himself. One more woman is Athena. She has the true super powers to help Odysseus physically
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
In this assignment, I will be analyzing the characteristics of Odysseus and Penelope based on Homer and Ovid’s accounts. By exploring this element, we can compare and contrast how Odysseus and Penelope behave in certain situations. Although they have many similarities, they are both different as well, in which each displays a series of their own wisdoms in their encounters.
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.
He is released from Ogygia and permitted to return to Ithaca only by the command of Zeus, as delivered by Hermes. Telemachus, rather than being trapped physically, was detained emotionally, feeling helpless to repel the suitors wooing Penelope. Only through the motivation of the goddess Athena did Telemachus find the will and courage to embark in search of Odysseus.
Marriage is a commitment taken by two people to love and honor each other for life. however, what happens when a husband and wife have been separated by unforeseen circumstances? In Homer’s “The Odyssey” Odysseus is unable to return home after Poseidon send him off course. Odysseus is then separated from his wife for over ten years. While gone, Odysseus commits adultery with other women during his marriage to Penelope. Therefore, is there a connection between Odysseus and Penelope’s marriage in today’s society? Men during Odysseus time and today’s society are adulterous, while most women like Odysseus’ with Penelope remain chaste.
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.
What is Penelope’s role and significance in the plot and themes of the Odyssey? Penelope can be viewed as one of the central characters of the Odyssey due to her connections to the main characters and the focus on her situation within her household. She is seen not only to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to Odysseus but also to embody power and cunning in a misogynistic society. Because of this, her role extends beyond waiting for Odysseus and morphs into a role that allows her to shape her narrative and control her own story whilst simultaneously fitting into the poem's themes. Penelope’s role and significance in the plot and themes of the Odyssey can be viewed through her cunning and strategic actions.