The Woman Behind the Man The word loyalty was first used in the English language in late fourteenth century Europe, but the concept has been around much longer. The three stories The Odyssey, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Alchemist—and their main characters Odysseus, Edmond Dantes, and Santiago, respectively—use, highlight, and value the theme of loyalty as it relates to the relationship between husband and wife. The following will compare the relationship between the aforementioned characters and their romantic partners, how those relationships impacted and spurred their Hero's Journeys and personalities, and the various emotions stirred up in the process. Odysseus and Penelope’s relationship is different from the other two in several ways. They are the oldest couple, are more trusting and open with each other, and exhibit more traditional man-and-wife roles. While Odysseus was away, Penelope revealed to be intelligent and cunning. Despite that, Odysseus treated her like a possession. His main fault was pride, shown when he reunited with Penelope as the beggar and boasted …show more content…
At that time Fernand Mondego hid his animosity towards Edmond so the three friends were very close. After Edmond returned as the count he was distant and cold towards Mercedes until their reconciliation when he was again loving, if more protective. Similar to Odysseus, Edmond viewed Mercedes as a possession, one whom he believed he had lost and had betrayed him. When Edmond discovered Mercedes and Fernand’s relationship and her perceived betrayal he became vengeful. His discovery of their relationship was the reason for the loss of his naiveté. That is one of his major turning points when he decided to get revenge on not only the people who sent him to prison but also the last person he thought he could trust and was the last thing he felt he had: “Do not rob me of my hate—it’s all I
Penelope and Penny are both Strong Independent Women and deep thinkers. Penelope spent twenty years alone with her son when Odysseus left and she had to be loyal the entire time. In addition, Penelope had to think about everything very thoroughly during the time when Odysseus was away. For example, she thought of the great idea of weaving a loom and when it was finished she would
Consider one of our essential questions - how does Odysseus embody the traits of an epic hero? Explain. Ody has many of the traits of an epic hero, to start off, he was a noble at birth. His father, Laertes, was the king which meant one day he will be the king, too. Ody also is capable of deeds of strength and courage.
Every story is different; however, they can share similar qualities. Stories can be powerful as the characters experience mirrors similar pathways to ourselves. For instance, obstacles or unknown events and how they find a way for it to resolve can look like our own. A great story contains many different elements. A Midsummer’s Night Dream and The Odyssey are two exciting stories that share similarities and differences.
In Homer’s Poem, The Odyssey, Penelope is the exceptionally patient and clever spouse of the infamous hero, Odysseus, and the mother of Telemachus. One poignant factor of Penelope’s character is her patience and devotion which is displayed throughout the poem. With her husband absent for a great majority of her life for the later of twenty years and his location unknown, Penelope stays, patiently awaiting Odysseus’ return, all whilst preserving their estate and raising her son by herself. Throughout this time, she had many persistent suitors in pursuit of her, abusing her husband’s absence.
loy·al·ty ˈloiəltē/ noun the quality of being loyal to someone or something. a strong feeling of support or allegiance. Loyalty is very strong and very meaningful, like true love or brotherhood. Loyalty has to be earned, not just given away. In The Odyssey, the epic poem by Homer, Odysseus’ crew is steadfastly loyal to him and follow nearly his every direction, even though they are given many reasons not to be.
A hero is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. In the movie, Odysseus shows that he is a hero by showing off his bravery and courage to defeat several monsters. He showed courage when he faced the Cyclops, when he met Lotus Eaters, and when he went back to Ithaca to see his wife. Odysseus and his men went to the cave to show the Cyclops that they are better than him. The Cyclops got angry when he got back to his cave since Odysseus and his men were eating the Cyclops’ food.
Penelope, his wife, is greatly affected; as many greedy suitors disrespect her and move into their home to try and win her hand in marriage. Throughout ‘The Odyssey’, the greed and folly of men play a huge part in increasing the difficulty and severity of Odysseus’s situations and ultimately change his fate and the directions of his journey. The greed and folly of men are largely represented by Penelope’s suitors. In the very first book of The Odyssey, the disgusting actions of the suitors were introduced to the readers.
In many societies today, individuals are led to believe that the concept of women possessing their own strength or independence is abnormal. As a result, women experience the world in a constrained way in comparison to men, even if they are in higher classes of society. However, these extensive aspects of females are contradicted in some ancient Greek literature. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as a vital and powerful force through the characters Penelope and Circe, who counter the normality of misogyny in Homer’s time. Penelope’s character displays how some women are able to exceed society’s standards and show strength and cleverness when it is necessary.
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.” (2.2.140-142) Throughout the tale of Romeo and Juliet, loyalty is shown in different ways. The theme of remaining loyal when things get tough can be seen throughout Romeo and Juliet, through Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet and remaining loyal to her , Juliet remains loyal to Romeo when she found out that he killed her cousin Tybalt, and Mercutio defending Romeo against the insults of Tybalt .
These women influenced the conditions of the journey by guiding Odysseus in different directions, and aiding him crucially. Their authority showed the idea behind an old proverb, which states, “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”. Throughout The Odyssey, the women exemplified their power during the course of Odysseus’ journey. Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, bravely held down the front in Ithaca while her husband struggled to find his way back home. In Book 18, Penelope spoke to the ever-so-desperate suitors about what Odysseus “told” her before he left.
In an epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus struggles to come back home while his wife, Penelope, faces barbarous suitors who plague her house to court her for the marriage in order to claim the kingship of Ithaca. With an absence of the man of the household and a son who is not old enough to rule over the country and handle the domestic complications, Penelope endeavors to keep the household orderly and civilized. In order to prevent further chaos in the household, Penelope maintains her role as the Queen of Ithaca and Odysseus’s wife through her loyalty and cunning. For a woman who does not know when her man will return home, Penelope is extremely strong to keep hope and wait for her husband; thus, her unwavering loyalty to her husband
However, Penelope still loves Odysseus and remains loyal to him by stalling the marriage. She still continues to persist in being hopeful and refuses to believe that Odysseus will never return to her, so she creates several excuses to help her evade marriage for as long as possible. She presents tasks to keep the
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.
Wilhelm Tischbein uses the conversation between Odysseus and Penelope to show that duty often tears families apart, while in the poem “You Are Odysseus,” Linda Pastan uses the same scene to show that partners need attention and love to feel appreciated. Poems and paintings can help teach us lessons about the human experience. “You Are Odysseus” can teach us that partners need attention and love to feel appreciated by elaborating on Penelope’s point of view. Penelope and Odysseus
They refuse to stop using Odysseus’ wealth to better themselves. Since she is a woman, however, Penelope lacks the power to control or banish these men. Through Penelope, Homer tells the Greeks how a picture-perfect wife should act toward her husband. Even though Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, Penelope still follows his wishes and fulfills his desire for her to stay