When Odysseus is trying to leave Kalypso and return home to Penelope, he strategically responds by making Kalypso feel superior to Penelope. Making someone feel superior, means that they feel as if they are better than the other person. Kalypso has just asked Odysseus why he yearns to leave her island and reject her offer of immortality. Despite the slim chance that Odysseus will actually make it home alive, he still decides to leave because of his love for his wife, Penelope. Odysseus's narrow chance of leaving all depends on how he phrases his response to Kalypso. Odysseus tries to appease Kalypso by starting off with:
“My lady goddess, here is no cause for anger.
My quiet Penelope - how well I know -
would seem a shade before your majesty,
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death and old age being unknown to you, while she must die.” (5.224-229) When Odysseus says “my”, he is trying to convey to Kalypso, that he feels as if she belongs to him in a romantic way.
He continues on with “goddess”, which he says to try to make her feel good about herself. One of the main differences between Penelope and Kalypso, is the fact that Penelope is a human. By including that term, he is letting Kalypso know that he thinks Penelope lacks great qualities which leads to Kalypso feeling superior. Odysseus refers to Penelope as “quiet”, which is trying to make Kalypso think of her as a weak woman. Odysseus’s downplaying of Penelope’s character and strength makes Kalypso feel better about herself. Odysseus again calls Kalypso “majesty”, trying to really bring notice to the fact that Kalypso is special. For the many times Odysseus refers to Kalypso, he does not once use her name. However, he only refers to Penelope once, but uses her name and a poor adjective. Treating the two women differently really distinguishes the gap between their qualities. Odysseus tricks Kalypso into thinking that he actually favors Kalypso over Penelope. He builds Kalypso up falsely, and misrepresents Penelope in a negative light. He then refers to the fact that Kalypso is immortal while Penelope is not. He uses a direct comparison that favors Kalypso to again make her feel superior. He also tries to make it seem because she is immortal, that once Penelope dies, Odysseus and Kalypso may be able to rekindle their “love”. He wants to make it clear, that Kalypso …show more content…
has more time to be with Odysseus than Penelope. Odysseus then tells Kalypso: “Yet, it is true I long for home, long for the sight of home. If any god has marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it.” (5.230-234) When Odysseus says “home”, he purposely doesn’t bring up Penelope because that would infuriate Kalypso.
Odysseus has given numerous reasons as to why Kalypso is superior, but in this section of his speech, this is when he reveals to Kalypso that he will not be staying on her island. In response to the fact that Odysseus may not survive, he consoles Kalypso by saying that he has the necessary strength and is willing and ready to take the chance. He says that his “tough heart can undergo it”. Considering that it takes physical strength to survive a shipwreck or endure pain, the reason why Odysseus says “heart” is because he wants to make it seem like he will be able to continue living his life even without Kalypso. Only someone with a “tough heart” would be able to live without someone they
love.
Once Odysseus has served enough time in a place against his will, he would be determined to leave that place. Odysseus’ journey towards home was now going to be able to be finished. For seven years Calypso held him prisoner on the island of Ogygia and he was determined to leave and see to the rest of his journey. Calypso agrees to let him go and she gives Odysseus some advice and guidance saying, "Only I will not aid [you] on [your] way, for I have no ships fitted with oars, nor crews to bear [you] over the broad oceanridges; but I will freely give [you] counsel and not hide how [you] may come unharmed to [your] own native land"(47). Calypso recognizes Odysseus’ greatness. Calypso says she will give some advice, but Odysseus will have to prove his greatness by making his own ship and understand how he will make it home.
Throughout the novel, Odysseus is on the constant race to get back to his family again. This is a sign of love and compassion, even though he doesn’t show that every time, like when he blinds Polyphemus. Odysseus wanted to know if his father was still well and alive, because he had been gone for 20 years now, and he has no clue what has happened to Laertes. I believe that there is a rollercoaster of emotions inside Odysseus at this point. On one hand, he had been wanting revenge on the suitors, and now that he has, he must feel accomplished. Then on the other hand, he is happy that he has gotten back to his family, and he shows concern for his father. I also infer that the reason that the parents of the suitors wants payback on Odysseus is because he had been gone for a long time, and he just showed up, and killed everyone. The parents didn’t even know for certain that Odysseus was back, they just knew that if someone had the strength to do it, it would be
There are many instances where Odysseus lets his pride get in the way. When he and his men are leaving Polyphemus’ island, he stops to taunt the beast and boast about what he had done. He tells Polyphemus that, “if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye.” This quote clearly displays how prideful and Odysseus is. Rather than leaving the wounded and betrayed cyclops alone, he goes out of his way to taunt and enrage him even more. He lets his pride and his arrogance get the best of him in this instance, purely to tell the wounded creature to spread the glory of his name. When he is discussing Scylla with Circe, Odysseus asks how he can “fight off Scylla when she raids [his] crew.” He does not want to accept the fact that he can’t fight his way through something. The fact that he can not fight Scylla makes him feel inferior to the monster, because he is driven by his pride which demands that he
Odysseus was within arms reach of home but because of how naive he was he was forced to keep going on his journey. After all of Aeolus’ hospitality and such a powerful gift Odysseus is still mindless at what this meant and because of him not being cautious, he could not complete his adventure. It’s surprising knowing that after being on a powerful god’s bad side and being forced back to sea, that Odysseus can be even more of a fool.
The first wily female that Odysseus battles wits with is the goddess Kalypso. She is a very deceitful woman, indeed. Kalypso has somehow managed to hide from the gods for 7 years – an unnatural and disrespectable accomplishment. She has been having a secret affair with Odysseus, a mortal, who has been held captive on her island for the...
One of Odysseus's biggest challenges was to resist temptation. The first temptation Odysseus and his men encountered was the sweet lotos plant, "They fell in, soon enough, with Lotos Eaters, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet Lotos to out friends..." (IX. 98-100). Eating the plant did not seem like a bad idea, but resisting was a much wiser option, ."..but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotos, never cared to report, nor return: they longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland" (IX. 101-104). If they had eaten the plant, they never would have gotten home. Another great temptation they had to withstand was the Seirênês. The Seirênês would tempt the men to them with their beauty and music, "Square in your ship's path are Seirênês, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by..." (XII. 101-104). If men did not resist, they would fall into the Seirênês' clutches and die, "Woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy, crowding about him, home from sea; the Seirênês will sing his mind away on their sweet meadow lolling..." (XII. 50-54). The biggest temptation that Odysseus had to defy was from the sea nymph, Kalypso, "I fed him, loved, him, sang that he should not die or grow old ever, in all the days to come" (V. 1420143). Kalypso wanted to have Odysseus as her husband, but all he could think of was home, "Meanwhile he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom to the nymph; he cannot stir, cannot fare homeward..." (V. 15-17). Odysseus resisted, and was not completely unfaithful to his wife. If he had not resisted temptation, he would have been on the island of the Lotos Eaters, dead, or without a wife.
In Homer's epic The Odyssey, Odysseus returns to the island of Ithaka disguised as a beggar. He reveals his real identity to his son, Telemakhos, as well as a few others who he would need to help kill the suitors. However, Odysseus does not reveal himself to his wife, Penelope. She recognizes the beggar as her long lost husband and chooses not to unveil his true identity. Penelope does this because she realized that her husband would be in danger, in his current surroundings, if she was to reveal who he really was. Therefore she acts as if she does not know the beggar is Odysseus. However, it is portrayed subtly in the book that she does indeed know that the beggar is her husband.
Through temptation and torture, Odysseus never forgets that he must put others’ needs before his own desires. Like a hero, Odysseus has to sacrifice the options that benefit him in order to benefit his others. Specifically, Odysseus accepted the fact that he laid with Kirke in order to free his men from her spell. Though it went against all of his ethics and unfaithful to Penelope, Odysseus’s main objective was to return home with all of his crew alive. He illustrates his true loyalty to Penelope when he declines Kalypso’s offer of immortality. Odysseus immediately responded and refused Kalypso’s offer: “My lady goddess…come (Book V, 223-233).” Many individuals would not decline immortality, but he did not ponder over the thought of living for eternity. Odysseus made this decision based on his ethics and because of true love. Odysseus also makes ethical decisions to save people’s lives. For instance, ...
Odysseus has been away from home for nearly two decades and is being held captive by the Nymph Calypso. Calypso is holding Odysseus on her island for her sensational desires. Odysseus yearns to get home, it deeply saddens him that he has been away for his kingdom, home, and family. Odysseus says “Yet, it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home.” (X 228-229). By this he means that he never stops thinking about home and his wife, Penelope. Ithaka is constantly on his mind. He will do anything to see his home or to touch foot on its soil. An epithet showing Odysseus’ determination is “much-enduring” (VII 107) . By Homer calling Odysseus to much-enduring he is saying Odysseus can handle anything and everything, which goes to make him extremely determined. To endure is to continue through tough times, determination is the trait that posses endurance. This endurance and yearning for home makes Odysseus
She is loyal, having waited for Odysseus for twenty years, not remarrying, though she thought he was gone for good. She also plays a much more active role in the marriage she has with Odysseus. Perhaps the most defining characteristics attributed to Penelope involve her role as a woman, in marriage and as a presumed “widow”. First, there seems to be a double standard, like described in Calypso’s case, between the loyalty of Penelope and the loyalty of Odysseus. Penelope is physically and emotionally loyal to Odysseus, while Odysseus is only emotionally loyal, meaning he has had sexual relations with other women within the twenty years he has been gone. During this time period in Greek culture, this was not frowned upon and was quite normal, suggesting that women were held to a different standard than men. In addition, as Penelope is presumed to be a widow, at least by the suitors, she is prized solely for her beauty. The suitors speak only of her beauty and none of her intelligence or of her personality or soul. This suggests that marriage was not always about love, and that women were judged and valued merely for their beauty. This idea further proves the act of sexualizing women during this
First of all, Odysseus is brave and courageous, giving him the initiative to fulfill his goals. One example is when Odysseus confronts Skylla. Odysseus purposely “made [his] way along to the foredeck—thinking to see her first from there” (Homer 217). If he was scared, he would have hidden underneath the deck. But instead, Odysseus goes out to face the beast. Odysseus knows that Skylla is immortal and cannot die, yet he is brave enough to confront her. Next, Odysseus fights the suitors, who are courting Penelope in his palace. The suitors greatly outnumber Odysseus, but Odysseus still chooses to fight even though the odds are against him and he is able to win. He stands up against those who do wrong. Having the courage to fight, Odysseus defeats the suitors and fulfills his goal of regaining his palace. If Odysseus was a coward and did not fight, then the suitors would have eventually won Penelope, resulting in Odysseus losing his palace and his wife. Many people have bravery and courage, but not many use it, as Odysseus does, to achieve their purpose.
From all the above we see that Penelope reflects successfully the faithful wife, the strong woman, the responsible woman the woman who cares about herself. She is loyal both to the principles of the palace and the principles of those times. During Odysseu's absence she continued to perform the duties expected of her very well and that is the reason, I believe that she managed to achieve the best reputation for Odysseus and herself, even though woman's role was restricted at that time. Like I always say behind evey great man there stands a greater woman.
In the eighth chapter of Odysseus’ adventure, Penelope begins the trials that will decide her new husband, but no man comes close to stringing the bow of Odysseus except for Telemachus. I am curious as to why Odysseus told his son, Telemachus not to string the bow successfully. It is possible that Odysseus thinks that the suitors may attack him if they feel tricked because Penelope has chosen a task that only her son could complete. This makes sense to me and is likely the reason that Odysseus signaled Telemachus to stop. Even if Telemachus had not stopped I curious as to if the gods would have still helped Odysseus to slay the suitors.
Many great artists use greek mythology in their works. It is usually used to tell a story or convey a message about morals. The story of Penelope and Odysseus can be an example of a story where two heroes have to persevere through any complications that they may encounter. Odysseus sets sail to fight in the Trojan War, leaving his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Odysseus and his men obtain victory and are on their way back, when they somehow upset Poseidon, who makes their journey home miserable. In order to get home Odysseus has to battle through many obstacles. While Odysseus struggles to arrive back to Ithaca, Penelope is at home being urged by the city to marry one of the many suitors. She still has hope that Odysseus will return,
Throughout the book every time and after he conquers the new challenges Odysseus answers the question, which is repeated throughout, with a different answer. Each time he conquers a challenge on his journey home he learns a new lesson towards humility and answers with a new perspective. “‘I am no god,’ said the patient, good Odysseus. ‘Why do you take me for an immortal? But I am your father, on whose account you have endured so much sorrow and trouble and suffered persecution at men’s hand.’”(P 214 L 186-189) Although he is viewed by many people as very god-like Odysseus realizes that he is an ordinary man and is not a god. Odysseus’ desire to return home is another example that makes him an everyman. In this epic tale the word home had a double meaning for the hero. Home was where his family was and where he wanted to be. The physical element of being home and with his family was a huge deal for him. The other meaning of home was being safe and secure. His aspiration to return home and to return to his safety in sometimes shows that he is also a rather weak man. It is a human instinct to want to go home and stay safe instead of always being brave and