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Odysseus loyalty toward penelope
How to describe the character of Odysseus and Penelope
Odysseus loyalty toward penelope
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Influence of Homer’s Odyssey on Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood draws information from many sources to produce the Penelopiad with Homer’s Odyssey being her main source and a heavy influence. Atwood begins her novella with two quotes from the Odyssey. “How faithful was your flawless Penelope, Icarius’ daughter! … the deathless gods themselves will make a beautiful song for mortal ears in honour of the constant Penelope” shows the audience that the way Penelope in the Odyssey is from someone else’s point of view and that in the Penelopiad, Penelope is going to take control and tell her story “Now that all the others have run out of air, it’s my turn to do a little story-making.” Atwood also includes a section from the Odyssey relating to
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the maids “with nooses round their necks, to bring them to the most pitiable end” to show that maids were hung in the Odyssey with no respect to them as a person and Atwood makes it clear that she is going to give the maids a chance to show their anger and hatred for their end. The hanging of the maids is shown to be a major influence within the Odyssey “I’ve always been haunted by the hanged maids; and, in the Penelopiad, so is Penelope herself” so Atwood writes this novella to clear up problems in the Odyssey and draw a conclusion to the hanging of the maids. Similarities and Differences in the Literary Styles The Odyssey recorded by Homer is referred to as an epic poem as it started out as an oral poem with its long narrative about a heroic figure that is involved in a series of adventures that are significant to the culture of a nation.
Margaret Atwood’s work, the Penelopiad, is a novella because of its humour and narrative style. Both the epic poem and the novella are centred around one main character; the Odyssey is centred around Odysseus while the Penelopiad revolves around his wife Penelope along with the 12 hanged maids. Epithets are key literary style that occurs throughout both texts. “Wily Odysseus” “Daughter of Zeus” “Pallas Athene” are epithets that are found in both the Odyssey and the Penelopiad, however Homer uses a much wider variety of epithets in the Odyssey the Atwood does in her novella. The use of epithets helps the audience to remember who the characters are and distinguish them from one another. The Odyssey and the Penelopiad seem to both begin “in medias res” (in the middle of things). The Odyssey’s first line begins with a statement where Homer prays to the Muses to be inspired to tell the story of the hero Odysseus “Tell me, Muse, the story of that resourceful man who was driven to wander far and wide after he had sacked the holy citadel of Troy” It introduces the setting of the epic poem and its context as well as making us questioning Homer who he is referring to. The Penelopiad begins with “Now that I’m dead I know everything” which makes us wonder how Penelope’s life came to an end but it also, like the Odyssey, introduces the setting and
context. In the Odyssey there are a great number of divine interventions when the gods and goddesses interfere with the mortals’ lives which result in a turn of events. However divine interventions are non-existent in the Penelopiad because of the different cultural views in the 21st Century CE to the 13th Century BCE. Divine interventions are seen in the Odyssey because Ancient Greeks believed that gods and goddesses had special powers and each had control over a specific aspect of life, while in modern Greek society gods and goddesses are just considered a myth and they are no longer worshipped. “The gods aren’t listening anyway. As far as I can tell they’ve gone to sleep.” Penelope tells the readers that in the 21st Century CE, which the Penelopiad is set in, the gods and goddesses do not play a role in society as they did in the time of the Odyssey. Homer uses long explanations in the Odyssey for different events that occur as a way to be in depth about Mycenaean customs because of the lack of written evidence from the 13th-8th Century BCE. In the Odyssey a large expanse of nations is covered, being told by the narrator in third point of view but is later told from Odysseus’ perspective in books 9-12. Little is known about the thoughts that characters had because of the fact that the Odyssey was an oral poem told by bards who observed Odysseus’ journey. However the Penelopiad, which is set in one location; the underworld, is told from the perspective of both Penelope and the twelve hanged maids. In Atwood’s novella there are choruses that are dedicated to the twelve maids who, unlike in the Odyssey, have the chance to voice their treatment in the 3th Century BCE. The rest of the novella is written from the first person point of view of the very opinionated Penelope. “Helen should have been kept in a locked truck in a dark cellar because she was poison on legs.” Atwood writes the Penelopiad in a style that gives more information about characters’ unlike Homer’s Odyssey. Intentions and Likely Reader of the Works Odysseus’ adventures occurred in the 13th Century BCE while Homer only recorded the Odyssey in the 8th Century BCE; the five centuries between being known as the ‘Dark Ages’. The story of Odysseus was orally passed down through centuries by bards, Homer being a bard himself. The poems were often told in only a few sittings and the bards would summarise the story of Odysseus but sing a section of the poem in detail. Homer’s purpose to record the Odyssey was to get Odysseus’ story in writing as during the Dark Ages nothing was written or recorded. Homer’s likely audience of the Odyssey were men who were quite familiar with the main events of the Trojan War as society in the patriarchal Mycenaean and Homeric period told stories that showed high regard to the male heroes and soldiers. Homer, when recording the Odyssey, had parts which related to the customs and beliefs of both the Mycenaean period and the Homeric period. This is seen when tribes that had not yet been in Greece in the time of Odysseus were included in the Odyssey as well as iron weapons and tools that were not around in the Mycenaean period. People have described the social structure that is seen in the Odyssey more closely related to that of Homer’s time than Odysseus’ however Homer does use the Greeks gods of the Mycenaean period instead of the ones of his time. Margaret Atwood wrote the Penelopiad in the 21st Century CE. In the introduction she mentions that she has always been haunted by the hanged maids and makes her purpose for the novella to answer these two main questions: “what led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to?” Atwood has taken the Odyssey and turned it on its head; telling the story in a contemporary way from Penelope and the twelve hanged maids’ perspective. The Penelopiad in some readers point of view is seen as a parody of the Odyssey with its criticising of customs and beliefs. “Let’s destroy the life of that woman over there by having sex with her in the form of a crayfish?” Penelope criticises the gods on many accounts by recalling their actions that seemed normal in Ancient Greece but absurd in modern day Greece. The Penelopiad is aimed mainly at a young female audience because of its easily understandable style that discriminates against men because of the power that they had over women during the 13th and 8th Century BCE. Reasons for Different Portrayal of Odysseus In the Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero with his strong, courageous, cunning and brave features. His sharp intellect helps him to escape from situations where he sees himself as being in danger. Odysseus’ plan to trick Polyphemus “My name is Nobody. That is what I am called by my mother and father and friends“ shows how his crafty mind works. He uses his sharp intellect to conjure up a plan in order for him and his men can escape the cave of Polyphemus. Odysseus is portrayed in this way because during the Mycenaean period epic heroes were required to perform difficult tasks in order to overcome extreme dangers. Epic heroes are renowned for their bravery, cleverness, nobility and strength which were all traits portrayed in Odysseus. Odysseus is also seen as a loyal companion through his sensitive side. When Hermes arrived on the island of Calypso he saw Odysseus “Tormenting himself with tears and sighs and heartache, and looking out across the barren sea with streaming eyes.” This shows that even after 20 years Odysseus still remains loyal to his wife Penelope. It is important to show this portrayal of Odysseus in the Odyssey as people in the Mycenaean and Homeric society valued loyalty within families to show their strong connections. Families were seen of great importance as they were used to pass down things like kingdoms, rich wedding gifts, stories, grudges, blood feuds and alliances through the children that the women beared. Odysseus is portrayed in the Penelopiad as a liar and a cheat to his wife Penelope. “Sleeping with goddesses” relates to Odysseus’ act to save his men in the Odyssey but in the Penelopiad it is seen to be of disloyal behaviour to Penelope. Odysseus is portrayed in the Penelopiad as a liar and a cheat, because even though during the Mycenaean period a hero was respected because of their will to undertake tasks in order to protect their crewmen, in modern day society a hero is respected because of their strength and will to succeed while remaining loyal. Odysseus is also portrayed as a different kind of character in the Penelopiad than that of the Odyssey. He is shown to be of a short and stocky build and is generally disliked “Don’t gamble with Odysseus…the legs of Odysseus were quite short…he looked top-heavy” whereas in the Odyssey, Odysseus is seen as a strong “I am no novice at sport, as you suggest, but consider myself to have been in the first rank so long as I was able to rely on the strength of my youth” and handsome “then restored his stature and his youthful vigour. His bronze tan returned; his jaw filled out; and the beard grew dark on his chin.”
Athena is the daughter of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. She is one of the 12 Olympians that live on top of Mount Olympus. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, skill, and justice, and the owl is her sacred bird. In Mandelbaum verse translation of the epic poem the Odyssey of Homer, Athena helped Odysseus by providing guidance, physical, and internal help. Without this help, Odysseus would have to forge the path home by himself and face the challenges that are to come alone. He would be left to face the wrath of both Zeus and Poseidon without another major god’s help. Athena aided Odysseus in the trials he was to face, which gave him the guidance and help he needed to return to his home, Ithaca.
Home was a prevalent concept in Ancient Greece. Not only was there a goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia, but hospitality towards others was highly stressed. Home was regarded as a place to escape from chaos in the outside world. Homer and Euripides in The Odyssey and Medea, respectively, use the motif of home to show the difference in an individual’s public manner versus their personal, more natural manner. This difference is caused by the different levels of comfort individuals have in different settings. Specifically, the two works portray the difference through experience of the characters, mistrust developed towards others, and the maintenance of dual identities.
Has heroes changed much between The Odyssey and Wonder Women? They're not completely the same, but practically go through the same things but in different situations. What is a hero to you? Could they be male or female? Are heroes even real? There are more similarities between Odysseus and Wonder Women. They both have many similarities in their journeys/quests.
Throughout the Odyssey there are many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. To name a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the amount of money one had determined the status he held in the greek society, and this explains Odysseus's love for plunder).
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.
...ow Greek civilization was founded by women; they were the ones who gave birth to the heroes. Similarly, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all the events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens, and Calypso, attempt to stop Odysseus from reaching home. The helpmeets, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his homecoming. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus’ quest. Unlike Helen who forsakes her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who assassinates her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. She becomes a model of female patience and of female intelligence. Her craftiness is the only one which can match up to Odysseus’. The Odyssey presents a wide array of women and demonstrates the influence that women have in the life of a hero.
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
The theme of women in the Odyssey is essential in establishing one of the if not the main message in the poem. The paradoxical messages give insights into the lives of the characters and generalizations into the reader's lives. Although this theme would have a noticeable affect on the poem in its absence, it is odd that in a story about war and adventure that they hold such dominating roles. In the setting of the Odyssey, women did not have a status that measured up to that of a man. However, whether seen as demonic or angelic they still hold in the example of Odysseus a significant role in the determination of the final fate of a man.
Lawall, Sarah N. “The Odyssey.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 206-495. Print.
The story of the novel The Penelopiad by Margret Atwood, set in a twenty first century, where Penelope herself narrates her story at Hades and her relationships with her parents, Odysseus and with Helen (her cousin). The story is frequently interrupted, in the form of chanting and singing, by twelve hanged maids, asking questions about their brutal murder and making comments on the events in the plot. Though the story of Penelope is indulged in the domestic details of her life of being a daughter, wife and mother, and then a queen who alone has to manage her husband’s estates on the island of Ithaca for twenty years. While, Atwood’s novel argues for the instability and the subjectivity of truth based on her exploration and approach to retelling
Homer’s poem The Odyssey depicts the tendency of people to ignore the consequences of their actions. Odysseus punished Penelope’s suitors without thinking of consequences that he would have to endure. He did not acknowledge the consequences because that would prevent him from doing what he wants to do. Odysseus wanted to kill the suitors; they ate away at his fortune. Finding consequences for murdering the suitors would force Odysseus to realize what he is about to do is not a good idea. Odysseus chose to ignore the consequences and killed the suitors anyway. Odysseus had absolutely no reason to kill the suitors; they had the right to stay in his home because Penelope made them feel welcome, Penelope and Telemachus both told them that Odysseus was dead, and although Telemachus told them to leave, he did not have the right to do so.
Socrates, a Greek philosopher stated, "Look death in the face with joyful hope, and consider this a lasting truth: the righteous man has nothing to fear, neither in life, nor in death, and the Gods will not forsake him” (Socrates). This explains the basis for Greek beliefs that can be carried over to values and qualities of them. As in this, Homer, the author of The Odyssey, portrays many Greek values that make up a righteous man or as, Homer’s character Odysseus, an epic hero. The Odyssey is the story of King Odysseus' return from the Trojan War to his kingdom of Ithaca. Stories, like The Odyssey, are told with the intent of delivering a message that was important to their culture. Through characters and situations, The Odyssey promotes and emphasizes many important ancient Greek values such as hospitality, pride, and fate.
The Odyssey’ places emphasis on cunning and guilefulness rather than strength as in the former epic; elucidated in Odysseus’ dealings with Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Compelled Composed approximately in 700 B.C., Homer’s epic narrative, ‘The Odyssey’ depicts the homeward voyage of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus. The Epos, commonly known as “The Wanderings of Odysseus” are the protagonists’ recounting of his perilous misadventures to King Alcinous of the Phaecians; to date, the most celebrated and noted section of the great epic. Contrasting ‘The Iliad’, ‘The Odyssey’ places emphasis on cunning and guilefulness rather than strength as in the former epic; elucidated in Odysseus’ dealings with Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Compelled by curiosity to explore the island, Odysseus opts to refrain from pillaging a discovered cave glutted with provisions, choosing to his crew’s dismay to linger and test the inhabitant’s hospitality rather than scuttling to the ships.
The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the Odyssey are through two major gods and they affect the plot as Poseidon versus Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.