The underworld is not just the home of the dead but it often functions as a developmental turning point for those brave enough to visit the infamous realm. Homer’s depiction of the underworld demonstrates the dichotomy of life and death. In life, one is full of strength and knowledge, but in death, this is essentially nonexistent. Odysseus’ trip to the underworld has both a literal and symbolic meaning. While in Hades, Odysseus crosses paths with many men and women that have affected him at some point in his life. All of these shades seemingly have something valuable to teach Odysseus to aid him in his voyage home. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey to the underworld represents a journey into his own soul in which Odysseus is reborn a more balanced …show more content…
Of course Odysseus is completely unaware of the fact that his mother had passed away until now so he tries to embrace her but each time “she flitted away from [his] hands like a shadow or dream” (11.157.207). Anticleia explains the grief of waiting for her son to return home was too much to bear and for this reason it is crucial that Odysseus “take what [he] learns here, all of it,” (11.158.223-224) and continues his journey home. Odysseus’ mother serves as a reminder to continue with the real mission and avoid all the distractions along the way. By presenting Odysseus’ mother in the underworld, Homer is able to establish a tie to Odysseus’ family and their need for him. Anticleia is not the only woman who affects Odysseus in the underworld. He also meets numerous wives and daughters of great kings. Some of these woman are more significant than others, but all have an impact on Odysseus’ connecting with his feminine side. Throughout his entire journey Odysseus has been at the mercy of women such as Athena and Circe, but without these characters Odysseus would never have made it home and it is much the same with the women he meets in the underworld. The Heroines Odysseus meets can be divided into three different categories. First there are the mothers who have been seduced by a God and bore a half-divine hero. Next are the victims, who have been abandoned and abused by a hero. And finally, there are the women who have been deceitful and killed their husbands. The stories offered by the women of deceit are very similar to that of Agamemnon, who is constantly referenced throughout the novel. The objective of these accounts of deceit is to highlight Odysseus’ own anxieties with what his wife and son are doing back in Ithaca. The purpose of the victim’s stories, especially the accounts of Theseus and Heracles, is to compare and contrast other hero’s actions and decisions to those of Odysseus’. While all