Odysseus Odyssey - Term Paper Example

16 Nov Odysseus’ Odyssey: A Saga of Love and Devotion within a Tale of Hatred and War The Odyssey, one of Homer’s world acclaimed epics, popular for its portrayal of heroism and adventure, still remains unsurpassed in the annals of the history of literature. The story, a sequel to Homer’s other epic Iliad, narrates the saga of the journey of Odysseus after the 10 year long war of Troy. It takes him another 10 years of perilous journey through hostile oceans and battles with several monsters, to finally get back to his family. In the meanwhile, back at home, his wife Penelope waits for him, trying to fend off the ‘suitors’ who are vying to marry her and access their property. While this epic poem, in a general context, is perceived as a narrative of the adventurous journey of a legendary hero back to his home after a war, it appears that Homer actually intends to illustrate the “struggle for life and survival” of a person and thereby depicts the struggle of all humanity through this great work of literature (Sisti 31). On the one hand, the author epitomizes the perils a human has to encounter in the course of a lifetime, through the voyage of a valiant hero and, on the other hand, he illustrates the values, virtues and ideals that humans must uphold in their lives. However, more important is the emotions that he deftly knits into the fabric of this epic tale to illustrate the love and devotion of Penelope for her husband Odysseus. Thus, on the surface level, it narrates a story of heroism and adventure of a legendary warrior, but on a subtle level it depicts the true love of a devoted wife, who waits for her husband ignoring all other allurements of life. Similarly apart from portraying an excellent story about adventure and love, Odyssey further contains characteristics that still make it relevant to the present generation youth. What makes a great classic is not merely the time period it was written in, but also how it can be related to the modern world and the modern people. In this same light, Odyssey also shows the coming of age of Odysseus’ son Telemachus, that is, the boy’s transformation into a “into a mature, responsible adult” (Allen 2). Without his father around, he is forced to fend for his mother and ward off the suitors who are trying to woo her. With help from the Goddess of war and wisdom, Athena, Telemachus sets on a journey determined to not only find his father, but also bring him back to the country. Reading epics like the Odyssey really require a lot of attention from the reader’s part as the story follows a wide range of characters, each with their own development as the tale evolves. However, on the other hand, certain characters remain unchanged and maintain their goodness till the end, for example, Penelope, who even after being constantly wooed by the suitors, never succumbs to them in all of twenty long years. She remains faithful to her husband throughout and is presented as the epitome of a Greek wife, especially that of the main hero’s wife. A significant element to be noted in Homer’s portrayal of the main couple of Odyssey is the cleverness or cunning that they both possess. While the epic hero Odysseus’ craftiness is portrayed in his strategy of building a horse and tricking the Trojans, Penelope’s lies in that of tricking the suitors and delaying her decision of choosing one. Odysseus contrives a master plan to penetrate the great walls of the Trojan City not by force, but by being welcomed into the city with pomp and pride. He thus plans that the Greeks would pretend to sail away and announce to give a huge wooden horse in honor of their ending the war. However, it is in this horse that the Greeks were hidden and later on these men opened the gates at night for Odysseus and the others. It is through this trickery that Odysseus was able to overcome the great walls of Troy and create havoc in the City of Troy. Similarly, Penelope also concocts a plan to get rid of the constant badgering of the suitors by making a simple but effective excuse, to which the suitors naively fall prey. While the suitors came to the palace, their spirits lifted high by rumors of Odysseus being “lost at sea” or having “found another woman,” they believed they could easily get Penelope to say yes to one of them and then that respective man could take over the palace, all the material possessions as well as be the new ruler of the people (Vandamme 6). However, what they did not anticipate was the determination and faithfulness of Penelope, which as the story develops, they come to know, but yet are persistent in winning her hand. Amidst all this commotion, and even after several years, Penelope still believes that her husband will return to her and it is this belief that fuels her will to remain faithful to Odysseus. Thus, to the suitors who await her decision, she states that she could not choose one of them until she “finished the shroud” for Laertes, Odysseus’ father (Vandamme 6). Her trick lies in the fact that she would weave during the day, and whatever was weaved, she would artfully destroy it in the night without anyone noticing. She is able to keep the suitors at bay with her trick for three years, but soon after, one of her maids reveals the trickery to the suitors, for which they get agitated and force her to choose one among them during that instant. However, later on Odysseus arrives disguised as a beggar and the plot again heads for some twists and turns. Although there are various alternatives to the narrative of Odyssey, the central themes remain same throughout each account. Whereas some accounts show that she herself decides on the ultimate battle that leads the suitors to their deaths, some show that Penelope and Odysseus plan together on this battle. Nevertheless, the last trick is revealed in this battle, where Odysseus and Telemachus hide all the weapons in the store, and the only weapon left is the bow and arrow. Thus, in the end the suitors have to contend in a bow-shooting contest, which would decide their pitiful fates at the hand of Odysseus. It was decided that Penelope would marry the man who could handle the bow, and as it she already knew nobody other than Odysseus himself could manage handling that weapon, thus Odysseus wins the match. Although it cannot be fully said that he won the match fair and square, as both Penelope and Odysseus knew that only he would be capable of handling the bow, the basic idea was to see who could use the weapon artfully and in this aspect Odysseus did really win, despite his unfair advantage over the suitors. Thus, Penelope’s character can be seen as that of one who handles any challenges she faces with quite shrewdness, thus overcoming the specific situations. Whereas on one hand, most epic heroes rely on strength to overcome their challenges, Odysseus uses his strength, however, in addition to that, he also uses his wits. In the end it is precisely this characteristic that makes him “beyond all mortals in wisdom” and further ensures his victory in even the toughest of situations (Classical E-Text: Homer- Odyssey 1). Furthermore, it is this same wisdom that is seen reflected in several actions of his wife, Penelope, who seemingly overcomes the wooing of the suitors, and stops them from seizing the palace as well as forcing her hand into marriage. Therefore, both Odysseus and Penelope serve as a complementary character to each other in terms of facing their challenges in an unflinching manner and further striving to resolve these very situations despite the impossibilities they may represent. Telemachus also, on the other hand, is seen to rise up to the occasion and follow the footsteps of both his mother and father. With help from Athena, he turns into a valiant and courageous young man who sets off in search of his father and who will not stop till he achieves this objective. Therefore, the whole family represents heroism, each member in their own special way and thus, they serve as role models to people of the present generation as well as the generations to come. This further serves the purpose of the epic, which Homer intended, that is not only telling a story of descriptive and thrilling adventure but also a narrative that portrays various attributes human beings should possess in their lives. However, despite the assertion of some critics that Penelope “embodies the principle of indeterminacy,” the truth remains that there is one thing in which she remains as determined as the north star, that being said, it is her love for Odysseus (Gregory 13). Therefore, this is the attribute that makes her the “truest example of fidelity” in the minds of the readers, not only in terms of The Odyssey, but also generally in all of Greek literature (Howell 61). The critics note how she never truly says no to the suitors’ faces, she keeps giving them hope that she may choose one of them. Furthermore, she accepts the gifts of the suitors and this to some critics is not a very good-hearted behavior. However, to this the argument can be made that she was only being polite to the suitors like a Greek woman should be. Furthermore, even if she did accept these gifts she was never interested in them or showed any love to them, as is evidenced when Athena explains to Odysseus that Penelope has remained faithful to him. Therefore, Homer tries to reassert through Athena, to the readers, about how much of a faithful wife Penelope really is, and thus, her loyalty is emphasized through different situations as the plot develops. On the other hand, despite the great example Penelope sets of being a faithful wife awaiting the return of her husband, her act at the end when in fact Odysseus does return, is both confusing and mystical. Several critics have provided different reasons as to her act of delayed welcome for her husband. It is in the sense that after twenty long years her husband comes to her and she is not as excited as she should be, or as much welcoming as Odysseus or the audience expect her to be. This presents a contrast to her yearning for Odysseus all this time, and yet when he is right in front of her she shows no sign of enthusiasm. This, however, only shows another side to Penelope’s wits, as she thinks twice before believing things even as she sees them before her. Penelope is aware of the tricks Gods play and at the same time she is also cautious with regard to any tricks the suitors maybe playing. Initially she thinks that it is either the Gods who are tricking her or one of the suitors who is pretending to be Odysseus. Despite the confirmation from her maid, she still does not give into believing that the man is her husband. She wants her own proof and thus, she asks the maid to bring their bed, and this makes Odysseus furious. Penelope then ascertains that it is indeed Odysseus who stood before her in the guise of a beggar. Certain critics may contend that Penelope is not unique in her characteristic of faithfulness and loyalty, and where all females in Homer’s tales can be classified into either “loyal wives” or “alluring seductresses,” Penelope does not fall into none (Sisti 31). Penelope’s uniqueness is accentuated in the fact that she is an embodiment of all the traits of both “ideal wife and an ideal love” (31). She plays the roles of both a lover and a wife simultaneously contrary to other Homeric females, for instance, Aphrodite is wife to Haphestus, whereas, on the other hand, she sees her lover in Aires. Thus, it becomes clear how Penelope serves as the ideal role model to the readers as well as other characters in the story. Although Homer does not directly implies this, his attempt to depict Penelope as the ideal Homeric Female is seen through foils presented by other characters in the story. At the same time, Odysseus’s heart also never seems to waver despite the time spent apart from his wife, thus this proves to the ideal love that both characters share among themselves. Furthermore, marriage, which is an act of holy communion of two souls, through both the characters has been shown to again be ideal here. Plato’s Symposium talks about the former combination of male and female into one body and how this combined form frightened, Zeus and the god split males and females apart. However, marriage is believed to bring back the two halves together, as one marries whom he or she believes to be their soul mate. With this in mind, one can see that Odysseus and Penelope are soul mates who do not let distance get the better of their love, and forever remain in love with the other till their reunion as well as for the years to come. Therefore, this brings home the feeling of how much alike the both characters are, in terms of their suffering, their wits as well as their cunning that gets them through all difficult situations. Thus, it transpires that Penelope can be perceived as a “female Odysseus,” which goes in hand with her image of ideal wife and ideal lover. Therefore, from the analysis of the text it becomes clear that Homer’s epic Odyssey is a poem that showcases not only a great adventure but also several other significant traits that are to be possessed by individuals. This is primarily what has helped carry down the story from so many generations before and its significance is realized in the present world in the way that curriculums have them incorporated into the systems for students to learn this great epic. Homer tells a story of honor, valor and adventure on the surface level, whereas in a deeper context it can be seen that the narrative shows the faithfulness and loyalty of Penelope towards her husband who has been gone for twenty years. Through the story the readers see various characters developing, for instance, Telemachus, Odysseus and Penelope’s son, who grows into a mature young adult who learns to be valiant in the face of danger and ventures on a quest to bring back Odysseus. Therefore, the relevance of the epic to the modern generation becomes clear and the various characteristic traits portrayed by the heroic family further suggest the importance of this epic to the coming generations as well. Works Cited Classical E-Text: Homer- Odyssey 1. Theoi.com, 2013. Web. 18 Nov 2013. . Dougherty, Carol. Phemius' Last Stand: The Impact of Occasion on Tradition in the Odyssey. Oral Tradition, (6) no1. 1991. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Gregory, Elizabeth. Unravelling Penelope: The Construction of the Faithful Wife in Homer's Heroines. Helios, (23). no.1. 1996. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Howell, Emily Nicole. Odysseus Deconstructed: Crossing the Threshold into Critical Thinking. English Journal, (102). no.1 2012. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Sisti, Alex. Penelope’s Role in the Odyssey: Ideal Wife and Lover – A Female Odysseus. Greek American Review, 2004. Web. 15 Nov 2013. Vandamme, Julie. Strong Myths Never Die: The rewriting of the Penelope myth in Margaret Atwood‘s The Penelopiad. Ghent University Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. 2010. Web. 18 Nov 2013. Read More