She didn't know if he was dead or alive because he had been gone for so many years. She felt lonely; she felt like her world had ended. Without Odysseus she wasn't nothing. Odysseus shouldn't have killed the suitors because it was very dirty.
Negative presentations of hospitality almost always hurts a character in some way. One of the first instances of this is when Odysseus meets Polyphemus of the Cyclops’ Island. Polyphemus does not immediately show hospitality upon meeting Odysseus and his crew, so Odysseus asks for it. “... beholden for your help, or any gifts you give as a custom to honor strangers… Zeus will avenge the unoffending guests… We cyclops care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus… where was it, now, you left your ship…” (Homer 902). Since Polyphemus refuses to give Odysseus hospitality, there is no chance of civility and this will not help Odysseus, only hurt him. To prove Polyphemus’ incivility even more, he asks where Odysseus boat is so he can destroy it. Another example of negative hospitality is the suitors blatant disrespect for Penelope’s good hospitality.
In the Odyssey, when Odysseus comes back to Ithaca to retake his throne and his family, he comes disguised as a beggar. He does this to stay hidden from Penelope and to collect information to find a way to get rid of the suitors. In Penelope’s dream, an eagle kills all her geese. The eagle is Odysseus and the geese are the suitors. Penelope’s dream is foreshadowing what is going to happen to the suitors.
Penelope keeps Odysseus psychologically present by thinking about their past and hoping for his return. Constantly wanting to spend time with her missing husband, Penelope often finds herself worrying and thinking of Odysseus. One night in particular after crying over her spouse when the bard referenced her husband, “she withdrew to her own room . . . [and] fell asleep weeping for Odysseus, her beloved husband, till watchful Athena sealed her eyes with
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. Odysseus’s son, Telemakhos discussed the problem of the suitors to Athena. The suitors believed Odysseus to be dead, and decided to try and marry Penelope so they can inherit Odysseus’s wealth and kingdom. Telemakhos realized the suitors intents and the nuisance they have become, when he converses with Athena.
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.
Although The Odyssey has many themes taught throughout it, there are three that really stood out to me. The most obvious theme was an individual’s relation with the gods and trying to satisfy the gods. Another important theme was human relations: the struggle within them and how love can drive someone. Finally, the last big theme is growth and initiation. The Odyssey teaches many interesting themes all through the book.
For example, when he first steps foot back in his own homeland, he immediately must disguise himself as a beggar. Due to this façade, Odysseus is treated horribly by the suitors, who have overrun his palace. One of these suitors, Melanthios, even physically abuses Odysseus when he “kicked at Odysseus’ hip as he passed by” (17.298). Yet he still decides to control his anger and not fight back, despite being constantly provoked. Another instance in which Odysseus has to overcome difficulties once he is home is when Antinoos, another suitor, begins to verbally attack him. Referring to Odysseus, he rudely asks the swineherd, “Are we not plagued enough with beggars, foragers, and such rats? You find the company too slow at eating up your lord’s estate—is that it? So you call this scarecrow in?” (17.493-97) The ridicule he is able to withstand from him not only attests to Odysseus’s struggles, but also to the toughness of his character. However, after these disrespectful insults, Odysseus finally begins responding. Once he is able to get under the suitor’s skin, an enraged Antinoos resorts to violence and hurls a stool towards him. The impact injures Odysseus’s shoulder, but he still rises above the pain he experiences and again does not retaliate. However, eventually, the leader is able to exact his revenge against the enemies inhabiting his
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.
The word “hero” usually brings to mind a knight slaying a dragon or a firefighter rescuing someone from a burning building. But does one have to save a life to be considered a hero? Oftentimes, we assume that heroism is limited to physical bravery. This term, however, implies the notion of helping and inspiring others: a teacher cultivating a love for learning or a paraplegic Olympian reaching out to youth with disabilities.
In any country, kingdom, or household there is usually the one that seems to overrule all in that specified area. Leaders are strong, courageous, and skilled in combat and wits. Leaders are either looked at as an ally or an enemy. They are confident, bold, and respected. In the poem, The Odyssey, Homer gives us insight of how a tough, cunning, and wise man is brought through twenty years of suffering to reach is home that he weeps for so much. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, is a man that is looked at as a celebrity by humans because of his skillful fighting, and by the gods because of his intelligence and wits. The king went through numerous tasks and obstacles to get back to his homeland. One task in particular proves his power and the love he has for his loyal and wise wife, Penelope. Looking at lines four hundred fifty-one through four hundred seventy-one, the moment Odysseus, while disguised by the God Athena, proves to the suitors and workers that he is the rightful husband, king, and lord by stringing his own bow and shooting it through twelve axes; the task was quick and perfect for Odysseus.
Odysseus encounters many monsters and immortals throughout his homecoming journey. He faces everything from Sea Nymphs to Sirens, from Lotus Eaters to Cyclopes, and from Enchantresses to even the Gods themselves. Because Odysseus stuck through and pursued on, he finally returned to his wife and child. When Odysseus arrives in his homeland, Athena directs him to Eumaeus’ hut where he meets his son. At first, his son refuses to believe his father has come back, but eventually convinces himself his father has truly returned. After Telemachus and his father share a reunion, he leads his father to his house. Upon arrival, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and finds that the house has been taken over by sires trying to court his wife as a result of his actions. After completing Athena’s task, Odysseus reveals himself to his wife. However, Odysseus finds it very difficult to convince his wife that he has truly come back. When Odysseus reveals something no one else knows, Penelope runs to him and throws her arms around him. This sets off many emotions in Odysseus all at once, causing him to weep due to the euphoria of finally holding his wife once again. Odysseus’ persistence in returning home throughout a period of twenty years fulfilled his longing for love and to be reunified with his
However, for a woman in Homer’s society, who belongs to either her father and her husband, she is the head of the household for 20 years in the absence of Odysseus. She does not preserve peace in the household, but she takes actions to prevent the destruction of ranks of the household by delaying her marriage so that when Odysseus come back home, he can reclaim the kingship, or when Telemachus is old enough, he can take the throne which is rightfully his. In the position where women have no power, she uses her intellectual strength to control the suitors. Penelope promises the suitors that she will choose one of them to marry after she finishes weaving the shroud for Laertes because it is shameful if she does not do anything for her father-in-law. The suitors eagerly comply to her request without knowing what Penelope plans to do. After discovering Penelope’s deception, the suitors complain, “Her very words, and despite our pride and passion we believed her. So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web- by night, by the light of torches set beside her, she would unravel all she’d done. Three who years, she deceived us blind, seduced us with this scheme” (Homer, Odysseus, 2. 101- 106). With one simple promise, she is able to keep the suitors in control for three years, which demonstrates her intellectual strength. Penelope, a woman who perceives to be a weak character and unable to keep the household together, manages to assert dominance over 108 men with words alone. She shows wisdom in personal management in private household, satisfying the role of head of the household, through
In “The Odyssey” written by Homer, Odysseus has fought big creatures that you have never thought you would ever hear about, but the only real thing he cares about, is his wife, Penelope. Even after twenty years, Odysseus has never forgotten about Penelope. Odysseus may have made poor decisions, yet he was always loyal, trustworthy, and strong-hearted when it came to his wife Penelope.
In The Odyssey, Homer constantly depicts Penelope as calm, collected, and faithful to Odysseus’s wishes; however, Edwin Muir’s poem shows a different side of the perfect queen. Edwin Muir uses descriptions of chaos and undoing in “The Return of Odysseus” to emphasize the role that Penelope’s management plays in the dissolution of Ithaca and the house of Odysseus.