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Morals in the Odyssey
Examples of marriage in the odyssey
Morals in the Odyssey
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Both the Taming of the Schrew and The Odyssey handle marriage in very different ways, but both ways have their flaws. In the book, The Odyssey, Odysseus goes out on a journey that lasts him years. When making his trip home Odysseus is unfaithful to his wife Penelope who is waiting for him at home. This is a theme you never see Taming of the Shrew. In Taming of the Schrew Petruchio never cheats on his wife Katherine, but their marriage is far from perfect.
One thing that makes Petruchio's and Katherine's marriage unperfect, is that he originally only married Katherine for her money. Petruchio only came to town to find a rich girl to marry. Odysseus may have cheated on Penelope, but at least he truly loved her. Petruchio also married
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Odysseus could have just run off and forgotten about his family but instead, he went and fought all the suitors to save his family. Petruchio, on the other hand, is not a family man at all. In fact, after his wedding, he wouldn't even stay for the family dinner/celebration instead he just took Katherine home. He only liked Katherine's family because they were wealthy.
One thing both couples do have in common is that in the end of both books, the couples were happily married. It was no surprise to the reader that when Odysseus came home that Penelope was happy to see him. What was a shock was that Katherine and Petruchio ended well. In the final act of The Taming of the Schrew, you see all the happy couples together including Petruchio and Katherine.
As you can see the relationships within The Odyssey and The Taming of the Schrew have their differences. These differences are based on the time period and culture of the author. You see how couples treated each other and handled conflicts during these times. Both stories show very unique marriages but in the end, both couples were happy, and as I said before, both ways are different but neither way is
Everett’s wife wanted nothing to do with him. She told him “The best thing you ever did for them was getting hit by that train.” That’s the major difference between Everett’s wife and Penelope. Penelope never stopped believing Odysseus would return; Everett’s wife told everybody he was
_The Odyssey_ is believed to have been written by Homer and is infused with loyalty throughout the entire epic story. Odysseus is the most faithful, loving, and loyal husband, to Penelope, that any woman could dream of. Odysseus, in the beginning of his description of the trials and tribulations that he has endured, pledged his eternal loyalty to his ever-faithful wife Penelope. ?We are mortal weary and sick at heart/? [if only] now may I see once more/ my hall, my lands, my people before I die!? (Homer 7:233-240). Thought Odysseus did lie with the goddess his loyalty to Penelope held true. The ?Enchantress in her beauty? (Homer 7:274) enslaved the grand Odysseus to her will; yet Odysseus ?in [his] heart [he] never gave consent.? (Homer 7:276) The goddess offered Odysseus a choice, the ?promise [that he] should be/ immortal, [and] youthful, all the days to come? (Homer 7:275-276) or to continue his long continuous voyage to his queen Penelope. Because Odysseus chose to return to his devoted Penelope instead of gaining immortal life he has provided...
He doesn’t respect his wife by cheating. Odysseus cheated on his wife, Penelope, with two different women. The book says, “Odysseus shares her meat and wine, and she restores his heart. After many seasons of feasting, and other pleasures…” (p. 675).
Now comes the part where he puts Penelope to the test. By sharing this information with her about her husband he comes to understand her feelings for him. Penelope has not only been loyal to Odysseus as her husband, but also as the authority figure. She has demonstrated her loyalty by being true to him for twenty years in his absence and has not remarried.
Then there is Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. She is depicted as an individual. Homer makes her character appear as very clever and also very loyal. Never once during Odysseus twenty years of absence does she remarry. She tolerates the suitors in her home for ten years but never chooses, always with the hope that her first husband, Odysseus, will return. Homer also makes her seem clever when she gets all of the suitors to bring her gifts before she “chooses one” knowing that they are in a short supply of resources. In another instance he portrays her as clever in the way that she keeps the suitor away by weaving the tunic for Odysseus and secretly taking it apart every night. The role Penelope plays is very important because she is seen as a person, not a possession.
Firstly, Penelope who plays Odysseus’s wife is alone tending to her city Ithica until her husband returns. Meanwhile Odysseus is out fighting in the Trojan War and against many of the Greek God’s who are trying to make his trip back home as eventful and hard as possible; “…work out his journey home so Odysseus can return” (Homer 276). While King Odysseus is away Penelope is to deal with a bunch of suitors who are eating and trashing out Ithica, “…if those suitors have truly paid in blood for all their reckless outrage” (559). In order for Penelope to keep peace until Odysseus returns she has to come up with a clever plan to keep the suitors from completely taking over. For almost 2 years Penelope was able to keep the suitors from getting out of hand by saying she will find someone to marry and replace Odysseus after she is d...
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
Examine the different ways in which Shakespeare presents the attitude towards marriage in the play, ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’
Women play an influential role in The Odyssey. Women appear throughout the story, as goddesses, wives, princesses, or servants. The women in “The Odyssey” dictate the direction of the epic. Homer the blind creator may have contrived the story with the aim to depict a story of a male heroism; but the story if looked at from a different angles shows the power women have over men. The Sirens and women that posses the power of seduction when ever they are encountered take the men off their course, and lead many to their death. The power women in the Epic pose can be seen from the goddess all to the wives. From The nymph Calypso who enslaves Odysseus for many years posses all the way back to Penelope who many argue is of equal importance to
Women are important in life and act in many different ways, this poem portray them in the many roles they play in life. The portrayal is a generalization on all that women are capable of being and doing. Faithfulness is the quality in Odysseus that is his motivation to return to his wife who is in different ways even more faithful. Penelope represents the "best of women" in the poem. Penelope along with other characters like Nausicaa and Arete that fall under this category represents ideals for marriage. Penelope's role in the poem is the reward and prize to Odysseus' suffering but it is her virtue, which make the sufferings worthwhile. The one important role of Penelope that makes her a desirable wife aside from her beauty and faithfulness is that she anchors the kingship of Ithaka. The suitors saw that the one who married Pene...
While the relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love, the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope is a love between two people who just want to be together. Odysseus shows his love towards Penelope throughout the Odyssey. In spite of the fact that Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, he never forgets his wife back in Ithaca. One example of how much he wanted to go home was when he went to the island of the Lotus-Eaters. He could have stayed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters where everything he ever wanted was there, but the thing he wanted the most was to be with his wife. Penelope likewise displays this kind of love towards Odysseus.
Often times in life we search for a companion, someone to share our love and life with. Odysseus and Penelope's lasting relationship is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca. This love helps him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. Penelope also exemplifies this same kind of love for Odysseus. At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying her marriage to the suitors that are courting her. She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return. Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love.
Despite the challenges they face during their twenty year separation, Penelope and Odysseus remain sincere to each other. Even though Penelope and Odysseus are offered lives of ease, they both choose to remain loyal to each other. This loyalty allows them to use their cunning to overcome the odds and reclaim their kingdom. The hardships that Penelope and Odysseus endure for each other and challenges they overcome strengthen their relationship, making them perfect for each other.
In The Odyssey, the distance between father and son is also important, and is the means by which the two men establish and define their relationship with one another.
One author (pattern in carpet) says that Shakespeare sees Katherine and Petruchio as in love at first sight. He says that their fights are partly like a game and partly a matter of egoism. He sees Katherine as “testing” Petruchio making sure he is “man” enough to put up with the worst of her and prove to be the husband she requires. Petruchio accept...