Search for the King of Ithaca
Greeks have had a massive influence on the modern world and created some of the world 's most recognized pieces of literature. Their stories demonstrated human nature and other things regarding the world. An example of such works would be Penelope by Homer. Penelope was about the wife of Odysseus who was left behind while he went to war for 10 years. It also took him 10 years to return which totaled 20 years without Odysseus or even hearing about him. Throughout the time of his absence, the suitors were trying to convince Penelope to remarry someone else because they all imagined Odysseus would never return. Penelope had to cope without her husband and refuse and suitor from marrying her. While she was waiting she had to do housework and many things to pass time and refuse choosing a suitor. Penelope did so for the 20 years of Odysseus’ absence and was angered of the thought of people calling Odysseus brave and not her because she was being brave in a more subtle manner than Odysseus. She had to wait and not give up hope because she was so faithful. This story inspired a poem called “Penelope” by Dorothy Parker and Penelope and the Suitors by John William Waterhouse.
In “Penelope”, Dorothy Parker uses imagery, metaphors, and allusion to demonstrate how Odysseus was
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She is seen with a worried and panicked expression as if she is worried about Odysseus returning on time. The amount of thread Penelope has left to weave is a sign the Penelope is taking her time and really stretching it out in order to refuse choosing a suitor. The suitors to the right of the painting show how they are pushing her to remarry but Penelope is not choosing a suitor and is procrastinating. All these factors demonstrate a procrastinative theme in the
Odysseus, king of Ithaca, loves his wife, as well as the power he has over the island. However, while he is journeying back to his city, suitors begin to swarm his home. These men aspire to wed Penelope, who is still married to Odysseus. This threatens Odysseus’s marriage and sense of control. Odysseus is afraid of losing all that is important to him, causing him to challenge and kill all of the suitors.
While Odysseus was on Calypso’s island living with another woman, Penelope was at home trying to fight off suitors and being loyal to her husband who was supposed to be making his way home. Penelope is clever much like Odysseus is with the Cyclops. It had been twenty years since Odysseus had left and the citizens of Ithaca wanted a new king. The suitors were trying to marry Penelope and take over the kingdom because it presumed that Odysseus had died. She said that she would choose a new king when she finished her tapestry that she had been crafting for a while.
Even when Odysseus was away from home, she still was devoted to him and long awaited for him to return back to Ithaca. Throughout the Odyssey, Penelope is seen wishing for Odysseus to come home. Penelope asks Telemachus if he has heard any news about Odysseus and Telemachus tells her about his trip to Menelaus. Penelope states that when Odysseus left, her beauty was lost and if he came home her reputation would be greater than it was. When Odysseus returns home in disguise and tells Penelope that he has returned, Penelope offers gifts if he actually comes home.
Penelope hints that she knows that Odysseus is present when he responds to her dream of the death of the geese. Penelope’s knowledge of Odysseus’ presence greatly affects the understanding of her character is she seems very crafty and strategic and an integral role in the slaughter of the suitors. Penelope’s response to Odysseus’ proclamation of the dream predicting Odysseus revenge is a dead giveaway to her knowledge of Odysseus being the beggar. This is seen as she tells him in a wary way that the dream may not be true but if it was true then it would be welcome. This shows her knowledge because it seems that she is warily hinting to Odysseus that she would want him to kill the suitors.
In the Odyssey Penelope tries hard to embrace all the things women are given in life. She can do anything about the fact that Odysseus has been gone for almost twenty years, that her son does not know his own father and who he is supposed to take after, and that her home is almost in ruins because of all the suitors refusing to leave the house and trashing the house. Penelope is forced to choose a suitor, remarry and probably have more kids too. Penelope is not allowed to say if she wants that or not. We, as readers, can tell she is putting things off for as long as she can, but what if her alone was not enough.
The entire journey lasted 20 years which is a very long time to be gone for both Odysseus and Penelope. Odysseus was away from his family struggling to get home, sometimes without anyone but himself. On the other hand, Penelope had to be patient to see if he was ever going to come home. Before Odysseus left, he told Penelope to wait to marry until Telemachus had a full grown beard. If he did, Odysseus was most likely dead.
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.
When they saw each other, Penelope didn’t recognize him since it has been years since they’ve seen each other. Odysseus showed that he had the guts to Odysseus aged a little bit more and his hair was grey and he had a long beard
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
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
Penelope comes up with a lot of ways to say no to the suitors about having affairs with her. By these actions the reader can infer that Penelope will not have affairs with the suitors because she loves Odysseus and no one
When Odysseus finally returns home, he has Athena disguise him so he can look at how his home has been going without him. Everyone besides his wife, son, and two other of his men have been disloyal to him and there is a group of suitors there who have overstayed their visit trying to get Penelope to be their wife. Odysseus locks the suitors all in one room where the
“Character Development and Analysis of Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’” Odysseus, the Ithacan king portrayed in Homer’s “The Odyssey”, is a complex and round character that develops further and further as the epic poem progresses. These traits are crucial to the representation and image of the main character of the epic. Not only does “The Odyssey” reveal numerous attributes of Odysseus, but also helps the reader and the audience understand the features of the ancient Greek world. Several specific incidents and events in the epic demonstrate the development of Odysseus’ character and the development of the epic as a whole.
Antigone and Penelope are both known as significant women during the ancient Greek time period. Antigone is considered to be a strong-willed woman who is deemed a noble heroine in the book titled Antigone, one of The Three Theban Plays written by Sophocles. Similarly, Penelope, in the Odyssey written by Homer, is considered to be a strong, independent woman who is a loyal mother and wife. Penelope sets an ideal womanly example during ancient Greek time period. While both of these women are known for they individual strengths and fearlessness, they are both motivated to proceed in different manners.