Odysseus Relationship Analysis

The Odyssey, an ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer, relates to Odysseus’s journey back to Ithaca.1 In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. Throughout the epic Homer portrays diverse relationships in Odysseus’s journey. Odysseus experiences a lot of inconsistent emotions; a lot of this is attributed to the physical and mental hell he goes through on this remarkable voyage. This is an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest, from which women play an incredibly large role. Homer’s tale, The Odyssey revolves around Odysseus’s quest to return back to his wife, Penelope, so that he may be reunited with her and assume control

During Odysseus ' seven-year stay with Calypso on her island; Odysseus conveys the story of Calypso, he changes the story slightly to give the perception that he was held prisoner and lamented the entire time he was there. However, Homer gives us some insight when he says; "the nymph was no longer pleasing to him,"4 which implies that at some point Odysseus did enjoy himself with the goddess on the island. Calypso offered him immortality and a life of ease. When Odysseus was exhausted with this lifestyle and longed for his wife and homecoming, Calypso tried to use her wiles to convince him to stay with her. She compares herself to Odysseus ' wife Penelope saying, "I think I can claim that I am not her inferior either in build or stature, since it is not likely that mortal women can challenge the goddesses for build and beauty."5 When Odysseus still longs to return home, Calypso forces him to stay on the island. This is against the ideals of Homeric Greek women. Calypso displays a dominant and manipulative side, which is another threat against male dominance. Calypso’s ability to impede Odysseus ' voyage for seven years, signifies the belief that powerful women can create danger. In this situation, Homer tells portrays the idea of, if a woman does not accept her place as an impuissant being, she is likely to slow

In most instances of depictions of mother figures in The Odyssey, these are women in need of support and guidance as they are weak and fragile. Without a steady male hand to guide them, these women appear to be lost and inconsolable. Odysseus ' relationship with his wife Penelope is another clear manifestation of gender roles within Homer 's epic. Penelope is the most important female character in the epic. Odysseus ' homecoming is centered on his love for her. She is not only his wife, but also the mother of his son, Telemachus. Since Odysseus has not returned from the war and is presumably dead, many suitors desire to replace him, by taking Penelope 's hand in marriage and Odysseus ' property. While we are unsure of Penelope 's attitudes towards these suitors, we are constantly reminded of her faithfulness to Odysseus. Penelope must not give in to the temptation of her many suitors to ensure that Odysseus has a successful homecoming. Although Odysseus does not know whether Penelope remains devoted to him, the epic would be pointless if he had given up so much to return to a broken home. This situation once again brings up the question of a double standard posed in the Odyssey. Odysseus is permitted to sleep with many of the nymphs he encounters, but Penelope must be faithful