Nausicaa In The Odyssey

Though the reader is inclined to see Penelope and Odysseus as a more favorable pair, a marriage between Nausicaa and Odysseus would have been very beneficial. Nausicaa is a powerful catalyst, but after her moment of glory, she is quickly forgotten. Because The Odyssey is crafted so that the audience cheers for the hero, Odysseus, many do not consider any other wife for the hero than his faithful Penelope. The noble Odysseus has made many decisions that have shaped his travel home, such as deciding to go to the underworld on Circe’s advice, but one should consider how the decision to marry the young Nausicaa instead of moving on from the Phaecians would have affected many events in a constructive manner.
The first benefit of a marriage between

Nausicaa and Odysseus actually affects Odysseus directly. In the Greek culture, the most important thing to any hero is his kleos—his reputation and glory known throughout the land. Of course, Odysseus is no different, being considered the best Greek warrior. He, no doubt, wishes to remain famous and legendary. At home, there is the danger of death from the suitors, which is dishonorable and would kill his kleos along with him. With Nausicaa, there is almost no chance of dying dishonorably. In fact, he could expand his reputation with her. In the words of Charles H. Taylor in his analysis, Odysseus the Inner Man, “Because she is mortal, with her Odysseus could take his place in a world in which heroic action and identity are achievable” (Taylor 22). Homer supports this with a quote during Book Eight, “The Phaeacian Games.” Odysseus still has not revealed his true identity to his hosts. However, he is challenged to competition from the arrogant young men at the games, and throws a discus. Athene comments, “Even a blind man could pick out your peg, by feeling with his hands. The others are all in a bunch, but yours stands right out in the front. In this event at any rate you have nothing to fear. None of the Phaeacians will make as good a throw, let alone a better” (8.195-198). Odysseus just developed his kleos without even exerting much effort. One can only guess what he could get done if he stays a lifetime there with Nausicaa.
In history, most will agree with the statement that the innocent should be saved from harm.

The Phaeacians, in their goodness, did only their duty by helping a wayward traveler who wanted to go home, but were punished by death from Poseidon. In The Odyssey, Poseidon has to be stopped from doing further harm. This may be a reflection of bad temperament of the gods, but if a wedding between Odysseus and Nausicaa would have occurred, the Phaeacians—the innocent—would have been spared. This is confirmed by the sea god himself, who says, “Father Zeus, the immortal gods will lose respect for me, now that these mortals fail to respect me, these Phaeacians, I mean, who after all are my descendants. I said that Odysseus would suffer much before he reached his home, though I never put a final ban on his return, once you had promised it and nodded your assent. But now these people have brought him over the sea in their good ship and landed him asleep in Ithaca, after showering gifts upon him, countless gifts of bronze, gold and woven stuffs; far more than he could ever have won for himself from Troy, even if he had come back unhurt with his fair share of the spoils” (13.127-139). The people never intended to antagonize Poseidon directly. They would have never guessed at such a fate, as “Nausicaa thinks that no one could possibly come ‘bringing enmity, for we are dear to the gods’” (Dimock 167). To restate, there would have been less death in this tale if Nausicaa was wed to

Odysseus.
At first glance, the pairing of Penelope and Odysseus seems perfect. However, there is obvious friction, and they do not trust each other—at least, Odysseus does not trust his wife. Penelope can be considered blindly loyal to a husband from decades ago. She does not want to let go. A healthy relationship should not have one dependent on the other. Odysseus obviously is not dependent on his wife; though he misses her when he is away, he is able to carry on his journey. It also must be considered why Odysseus feels guilt when talking to Penelope. This is seen when “Odysseus cannot get to sleep for a long time” (Mackail 48). The restlessness is the unease he feels lying. Even if one argues that he did not want to lie, he still did. Honesty is an important part of a relationship; if one cannot trust the one that loves them the most, then there is no one to trust. Besides, if Odysseus’s reasoning was that Penelope could potentially get overwhelmed or too excited and accidentally butcher his plan, the readers can see that this would not have been so. In The Odyssey, when Penelope first hears that this stranger is her long-lost husband, she hardly reacts. She even admits, “I did not give you this loving welcome the moment I first saw you” (23.212-213). All she does, when she is certain that this is Odysseus, is run up to him and kiss him—hardly a disturbance that would have alerted the suitors. He lied to her for the weakest reason. If Odysseus feels he cannot confide in Penelope, perhaps he should have a wife in a Phaeacian society where women hold power, like Arete, and get a partner that he feels he can fully trust; in other words, the good Nausicaa. A spouse with power can be trusted on their own, and Penelope holds evidently little power, as she cannot drive the suitors away or keep house.
To restate, the benefits of a pairing between Odysseus and Nausicaa would be abundant. Odysseus can lead a life with Nausicaa of strong kleos by building his reputation in fights and games. In addition, less killing would have occurred if a marriage would have taken place between the younger girl and the hero, as the Phaeacians’ ship would not have been sunk by Poseidon. Lastly, the trust level between Penelope and Odysseus is low. Nausicaa is a woman in a matriarchy with feminine influence. He can trust her more to make decisions and keep her actions in check. Conclusively, if the pairing of the two couples received grades, Penelope plus Odysseus would be a C-minus, and Odysseus with Nausicaa would be an A-plus.