The Odyssey: The Consequences of Devotion One of the aspects of The Odyssey is devotion and its consequences. Odysseus’ wife Penelope waits twenty years for her husband because she loves him. Penelope’s devotion is a curse and a blessing because while it results in her emotional instability, it also wins her the sweetest reward. Penelope’s devotion to her husband does not waver during the long time of waiting, though it negatively affects her emotional stability. Other people realize how fragile she is, claiming that she is “doing nothing but weep, both night and day continually” (Homer 265). This quote reveals how difficult it is for Penelope to keep living without knowing what happened to her husband. Facing the pressure from the suitors
Loyalty Lives in Royalty Odysseus’ beautiful wife, Penelope, explains, “Young men, my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more, go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until, I can finish this web” (Homer 96). Homer, the author of The Odyssey, displays Penelope’s intelligence by revealing her sagacious plan about the shroud. Secretly, she unweaves the shroud every night to prevent herself from getting married to one of the suitors, whilst waiting upon the return of Odysseus. The event proves Penelope’s loyalty to her husband, even while the protagonist remains lost at sea. In addition to Penelope’s loyalty, Telemachus fights beside his father against the suitors and Athena guides Odysseus home.
At night, Penelope would untangle some of the blanket she had knitted, so she could create more time, because deep down she knew Odysseus was coming home. Penelope could have picked any suitor, but she knew Odysseus was the only man for her. She still had hope that he would return home one day. If Odysseus was not her family, she would have given up on him. Since she loved him, she had to give him every chance to get
Intro: There are a wide variety of themes present throughout the Odyssey, written by Homer. Be it hospitality, perseverance, vengeance or power of the Gods, loyalty is truly the theme that brings the whole book together. Being 10 years after the Trojan War, many have forgotten about Odysseus and his men as they constantly brave what the gods throw their way. This essay will be talking about Odysseus and Penelope’s mutual loyalty to one another, the loyal relationships between Gods and men and finally, the loyalty Odysseus’ men show for him until death. This essay with prove to us that without loyalty, Odysseus’ legendary journey would have been put to an end near where they started. The general theme of loyalty is what kept Odysseus
Angelica Meis Mrs. Bradford English 9, 6 20 May 2024 Grace Year Survival is key. Even if it means working with someone, one may want to die. Dystopian writer, Kim Ligget, addresses this need for durability in The Grace Year. Thirty-three girls, ten veiled, twelve months, and only one cabin to see who makes it out alive. Tierney later finds out that love and hatred are two very different things, but they cause similar situations: in the end, death.
In Robert Fitzgerald's translation of Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is viewed as heroic while making his journey from the Trojan War after the sack of the Troy, back to his homeland Ithaca. Throughout his expedition, his legacy of being a great warrior due to his strength, cleverness, and patience when dealing with individuals is praised by the people of Ithaka, people of Scheria, and Homer himself. For twenty years, Odysseus leaves behind his kingdom, including his wife, Penelope. Along with the sorrow from dealing with her husband's disappearance, Penelope faces coercion from Ithaka to marry one of the 108 suitors who have invaded the kingdom. Consequently, she must express characteristics of maturity in order to not succumb to the suitor’s
In The Odyssey, the theme of loyalty relates to Odysseus’s physical journey back to Ithaca. Many characters in the epic are loyal and faithful, like Penelope, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and even Odysseus himself. Penelope remains loyal to her husband, by not choosing a suitor during the 20 years he’s gone. “And there she [Penelope] sat down with the case on her knees and burst into sobs as she drew out her husband’s bow,” (Homer 317). Just carrying out Odysseus’s bow with such sorrow shows how in love she was with Odysseus and how the thought of choosing a new husband moved her to tears. As Penelope remained loyal to Odysseus and
Loyalty has always played a monumental role in stories and legends throughout all of history. Loyalty is especially strong in Homer’s The Odyssey. There are many characteristics that are strong in this epic, such as temptation and hospitality. However, loyalty above all else, stood out as the cornerstone of which this book takes place.
The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, manifests a quality that has been underestimated for many years, from ancient times to modern day. This quality is the power of a woman. Penelope, the wife of the main character in The Odyssey, Odysseus, shows great amplitudes of power throughout the first few chapters of the book. Being separated from her husband immediately after having their child, she is forced to make an instantaneous adaptation to her new life. With many struggles beforehand, she seems to cope very well.
As the request is made of his own mother she simply abides to her son’s wishes, “She bathed now, put on some fresh clothes,” (Homer l 17.60). All throughout the Odyssey Penelope shows her strength to ward off suitors and she manages to live without her husband for years. Remaining faithful the entire time to her husband Odysseus she discloses to her maid, “Eurynome, don’t try to coax me, care for me as you do, to bathe myself, refresh my face with oils. Whatever glow I had died long ago… the gods of Olympus snuffed it out that day my husband sailed away in the hollow ships,” (Homer ll 18.201-206) presenting to the reader that she lost all desire for anyone else when Odysseus’ left for war. This further substantiates the Greek view of how women should remain loyal at all times forsaking others. Lastly Penelope is rewarded for her lasting devotion to her husband with his return. In these characters and their specific roles in the Odyssey the Greeks’ insisted upon their women to accept such roles in their culture of certain hypocrisy when compared to that of their female counterpart. Without Athena’s support Odysseus would have never reached Ithaca and Telemachus would not have been pushed into becoming a man. Without Penelope’s loyalty, devotion, and support Odysseus’ efforts in his journey home would have held little merit of reward. What is most important to note is the male character of Odysseus plays the most prominent role in the epic but
The True Definition of Courage George Washington was one of the most courageous people known to American history, not because he was frightened, but because he decided to fight Britain in the Revolutionary War. He was outmanned, undersupplied, and faced death, but he continued to believe in the freedom of America. Similarly, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee demonstrates how the true definition of courage is not the lack of fear but rather perseverance and morality while pressed by difficulties and possible consequences. Ms. Dubose, a morphine addict, successfully broke her addiction, ignoring the consequences of pain conveys this definition the most. It is also revealed in the movie Finding Nemo by Pixar Animations, a story about
The Odyssey is not just a tale that is about a hero named Odysseus that fought during the Trojan War, but it’s also a tale of his wife Penelope believe it or not. Odysseus was gone for twenty years away from his family because of the war, but he wasn’t a good example when it came to being committed in his marriage. Although Odysseus fought to survive he didn’t fight woman off of him to prevent committing adultery to his wife Penelope. This tail is full of infidelity. The engagement of infidelity in this story that he engaged in resulted in him feeling guilty; which is the opposite of what a true hero should feel.
Being married you commit to your partner and in order to have a strong bond you have to be loyal and Penelope exceeded that as she felt strongly that Odysseus would return. Over the years many men seek to marry Penelope so they can rule the kingdom. She stays loyal to him and waits for Odysseus to come home for twenty years. Penelope turns down men and refuses to marry anyone confident that one day Odysseus will arrive back home. Never losing hope that Odysseus will return, she continues to wait for him.
To begin, Penelope thinks of Odysseus and immediately lets her emotions out: “Odysseus—if he could return to tend my life / the renown I had would only grow in glory. / Now my life is torment … / look at the griefs some god has loosed against me!” (The Odyssey, 18.285-288). Furthermore, Homer expresses Penelope’s sadness by making her sink “on her well-built chamber’s floor” and through her “sobbing uncontrollably” (The Odyssey, 4.810-813). Clearly in Penelope’s mind, Odysseus’ absence is not something she can easily forget. Homer introduces Penelope as a very caring and devoted wife.
Homer's Odyssey is a story of the homecoming of Odysseus after the Trojan War. Odysseus left his wife, Penelope, and their young son, Telemachos, almost twenty years before the telling of this story to fight in the Trojan War. His absence places Penelope in a rather precarious position. Faced with many different circumstances, both good and bad, Penelope is on her own to decide the path she wishes to take. Depending on her decisions, the situations could either be filled with wonderful opportunities or perilous dangers. The strong character of Penelope is revealed by her decisions.
Because of my experience in preschool, I was not all that scared. That is mainly because I was put in kindergarten earlier before on accident; so I already know what to expect. On the other hand, I was a little nervous on meeting new people, but that diminished within the first day. Then from that day onward, I was the happiest little thing ever. I was so excited to come to school each day. I liked the change. My preschool class was really tiny, not many people at all. However, starting from kindergarten and onward, it was never really the same, and I really liked that.