Double Standards In Homer's The Odyssey

One of the reasons Odysseus is not a hero is that he is untrustworthy. This characteristic is shown when he reveals that had romantic involvement with two woman on his journey, even though he has a wife. “I shall not see on earth a place more dear, though I have been detained long by Calypso, loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth caves, to be her heart’s delight, as Circe of Aeaea, the enchantress, desired me, and detained me in her hall.” (pg. 599, lines 11-16) Some people may try to defend Odysseus’s actions by saying it was normal at the time to cheat on your wife. Newsflash! Just because something was common or trendy doesn’t make it okay. Another example of Odysseus being untrustworthy is when Odysseus and his men are escaping

Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, chronicles the homeward bound voyage of the main character, King Odysseus of Ithaca. After Trojan War which lasted ten years, Odysseus sets foot on another adventure, which also spans ten years, to return to Ithaca. Odysseus is gone from his home for a total twenty years, but upon his arrival back to Ithaca, he finds that his title has been defended by his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, who have been awaiting his return this entire time. Odysseus and Penelope are meant to be a model couple, so people often argue about which of the two is more admirable. To be admirable is to have faced a struggle with honor and dignity. Although Odysseus has been on a terrible journey, he has not always reacted with honor and dignity like Penelope does. Penelope shows honor and dignity when she practices xenia, does not marry a suitor, and forgives Odysseus.

The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance. Fortunately, his wisdom progresses over his journey, showing his growth as a character. This change can be referred to as “Eagle Wings,” composes books IX, XII, XVII that highlight contrasting sides of Odysseus's self-restraint, and especially his development throughout the epic.

The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s The Odyssey, gods like Athena and Poseidon interfere with humans to satisfy their own desires, showing that they are just as imperfect and flawed as the mortals that they rule over.

Odysseus suffered the consequence of being away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope for 20 years. Odysseus was told by Athena and other gods, what to do during his journey. All of them told Odysseus that he couldn’t tell his men because they’d suffer a consequence. Odysseus listened to Athena and the gods because he only thought about himself and didn 't think about what his crew would say or do. When Odysseus and his crew passed by the mainland where the Cyclops lived, they were only going to stay for two days, but then out of curiosity, Odysseus wanted to see what kind of beast the Cyclops was which made them almost die. Odysseus didn 't even ask his crew whether they should do it or not because Odysseus made it seem like their opinion wasn’t important and didn 't matter. In the story, it says “Why not take these cheeses...Yet I refused, I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer” (pg 818 L198-199). Odysseus deserved to return home from his journey after 20 years because it was mostly his fault. If Odysseus had told his crew about everything like why not to eat the cattle or to not open the bag of the unfavorable winds, his journey wouldn 't have taken 20 years. When Odysseus and his men traveled to the floating islands of Aeolus, god of the winds, who then gave Odysseus a bag containing all of the unfavorable winds, he didn 't even think to mention it to his men. Odysseus fell asleep when Ithaca was in sight, but his men, believing that

In the epic poem, “Odyssey” by Homer various important relationship traits are revealed. They all had a great impact on Odysseus life. Some are content and others were maligned. Three relationship traits that are significant in the story are the loyalty, disloyalty and accommodating. Once Odysseus returns back home, he finds out who his loyal and disloyal people are. After he figures out who betrayed him, he takes revenge on all of them and enjoys watching them suffer.

Gender roles, specifically of women, were a little different back in 700 B.C. They played more of a typical role, expected to get married and have kids at a young age. They were expected to take care of the house and children, while their husbands were out fighting wars. However, while women in The Odyssey were greatly valued for their beauty, Homer reveals that they also had to be intelligent to be successful in their lives.

“The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story. Through specific incidences, this influence of women is clearly depicted.

In spite of the fact that Homer’s Odyssey is an epic story of a man’s gallant journey, women play a huge part throughout. Their unique yet controversial personalities, intentions, and relationships are vital to the development of this epic and adventurous journey of Odysseus. The poem by Homer was written at a time when women had an inferior position in society, yet that didn’t stop them from being any less influential. All of the women throughout the Odyssey possess different qualities, but all of them help to define the role of the ideal woman.

It is often wondered how words are formed or created. Many of our words are derived from different older cultures, like the civilization of Ancient Greece. An example of this is the word museum which comes from the word muse. The Muses were greek goddesses of the fine arts who were prayed to by philosophers, musicians, and artists who seeked inspiration. The Greek poet and author of the famous stories The Iliad and The Odyssey was one of them. In the epic, The Odyssey, Homer displays Ancient Greek values and virtues through his character/hero, Odysseus. Odysseus is a true hero in the eyes of the Ancient Greek Civilization because he was intelligent, loyal, and extremely religious.

Reading works like the Odyssey, Theogony, Works and Days, and the Symposium will allow students to look at the world in a different perspective. By reading about how the characters went through life in these works, students can learn life lessons they can use to better their own life. If the students were required to read one of the works, they should be required to read the Odyssey for the lessons it teaches students that can be applied to their lives.

Gender inequality is not a new topic. Throughout history, women have faced significant sexist discrimination starting with being denied basic rights enjoyed by men. In many societies, women have been categorized as inferior to men. Greek poet, Homer, consistently highlighted this ‘women are inferior’ theme throughout his writings of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Even though this degradation of women has currently been brought to light in the 21st century, it continues to remain a serious issue. Women are still subjected to falling short of equal status with men on a daily basis.

Odysseus, Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules share Greek hero’s characteristics. They executed astonishing triumphs, has their own key flaw, and carry strong animalistic passions. The Greeks look up to these heroes and view them being worthy of veneration because of their victorious accomplishments, but there are individuals who are abashed because of their lascivious and unethical actions. In their journeys, they learn how to overcome their animalistic passions and helps us to see what Greek civilization is about.

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, the traits of an ideal Greek man is described many times over. Often times, Homer indirectly illustrates these characteristics through the qualities of men who do not appear to be ideal. Zeus relates the traits of an unideal man: “Greed and folly . . . stole his wife and killed the soldier on his homecoming day”(2). Zeus’s description of Agisthos, the man who had an affair with a king’s wife and killed him after he returned from the Trojan war, chastises this behavior, he indirectly teaches men the characteristics of a quintessential man. The inverse of Greed and folly are wisdom and selflessness, two qualities that are repeated throughout the epic, and praised by the gods. Zeus praise Odysseus by saying, “Could I

Today we have numerous values that differ, however, they are everywhere in everything we do. The Ancient Greeks have impacted our modern day society in literature, art, education, and many other things. Apart from those influences that our society manages to still practice, we also carry similar values that of which the Ancient Greeks admired. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, written by Homer, the Ancient Greek values are exposed throughout Odysseus’s journey back home from the Trojan War. As Odysseus is trying to return home to Ithaca, he encounters many obstacles that reveal character traits that the Ancient Greeks valued. Additionally, there are several other characters in the course of The Odyssey that manifest the Ancient Greek admired values through occasional conflicts. Throughout The Odyssey there are various characteristics that were valued