...The Faithful Wife In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Penelope is portrayed as a grieving woman who remains loyal to her husband, even though suitors pursue her. In the poem, Odysseus’ wife Penelope is a hopelessly lovesick person who still grieves over Odysseus, though she has not seen him in twenty years. When her son Telemachus comes home from a long journey, he is surprised to find that Penelope has not married any of the suitors that pursue her. Instead, she remains in “‘the women’s hall’”(line 973) because she mourns over Odysseus and refuses to marry any of the suitors. Penelope has never moved on from her husband even though many believe the time has come for her to do so. Furthermore, Penelope’s loyalty is also one of...
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...Name: Hagar El Zohiry Class Section: 91066 October 27, 2015 Loyalty is one of the major themes discussed in both “The Odyssey” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Loyalty is seen through Penelope and her husband in the book, and McGill and his friends in the film. In this paper I will explore and compare the theme of loyalty in both the film and the book. Loyalty is seen in many aspects of the book, one of which is Penelope’s wait for her husband for twenty years without committing any act of infidelity. Moreover, she was in a very dangerous situation because of the suitors, and she didn’t just give up in order to survive. Instead she used her intelligence and fooled the suitors by telling them that she will choose after she is done with the shroud....
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...The epic The Odyssey by Homer accommodates many themes, one of them being Loyalty. Odysseus wife Penelope is a symbol of loyalty throughout the epic. Penelope’s loyalty towards her husband is seen in many ways. She is the epitome of a devoted wife. Examples of this can be seen in her creative ways of putting off many suitors who have taken over the house in Ithaca. Another example is seen in the clever tasks she has the suitors complete to keep them distracted and her self unwed. All of these tie into the general theme of loyalty in the Odyssey. In the beginning of the epic we see Penelope and the suitors in the house of Ithaca waiting to see which suitor penelope shall marry. Due to her loyalty to her husband she conjures up a plan in which...
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...After twenty years away from his family and Ithaca, Odysseus’ dear wife Penelope continues to remain loyal nonetheless. In The Odyssey, Book I, lines 325-345, the principal theme is one of loyalty between Odysseus and Penelope as well as Penelope and her responsibilities. This theme is enforced through the use of diction- specifically alliteration and word choice- as well as characterization. One of the ways in which Homer stresses the idea of loyalty in Book I, lines 325-345, is through the use of diction, in particular; alliteration and word choice. Homer’s use of alliteration- which is described as the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words which neighbour each other- throughout the passage creates alliteration putting...
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...As we are coming to the end of the Odyssey, Homer explains to the reader how Odyssey reestablishes his relationships with his son and wife. Because Odysseus left on a journey when Telemachus was just a baby, Telemachus’ relationship with his father almost does not exist until Odysseus returns home. It is clear that Telemachus has a lot of love and dedication for his father as he is overjoyed to see his father. He cried for a long time. Odyssey, on the other hand, seems calm and has a much more serious reaction when meeting his son for the first time in quite a while. The idea of a father and son relationships in general is an important concept in The Odyssey. We can see that Telemachus grows from a powerless child who will not take responsibility...
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...Demonstrations of Family Loyalty In ancient Greek societies where a woman’s most important role is that of caring for the home and family, the extent of a woman’s loyalty to her family is worthy of exploration. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, whose long absence from home tests her loyalty to him. In comparison to Penelope, Antigone from Sophocles’ Antigone is tested in family loyalty when a law forbids her to bury her brother. Jocasta from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, similarly to Penelope, is tested when her husband’s innocence in a murder case is called into question. While Antigone displays more action in her demonstration of family loyalty, Penelope exhibits the ideal way of showing loyalty to one’s family as her willpower and careful strategies are more successful than that of Antigone and Jocasta. Women in most ancient Greek societies had few rights compared to men, and were submissive to their male superiors, but both Penelope and Antigone’s actions in defense of the loved ones contradict this custom. Penelope is more passive in her actions, telling her eager suitors, “‘Young men, my suitors… go slowly… until I can finish off this web… This is a shroud for old lord Laertes, for that day when the deadly fate… will take him down’”...
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...The Odyssey: Prompt Six Loyalty is a quality that’s earned through trust and love. It can be created from a relationship or acts of kindness and friendship. All of these types of loyalty are shown in The Odyssey, but the one that stands out the most is between Odysseus and Penelope. Throughout the stories they both long to be together, even when tempted to be unfaithful. In The Odyssey, Homer reveals the theme of loyalty using character’s actions and emotions; this becomes clear when Odysseus is determined to get home to his family. First of all, for twenty years Odysseus is away from his wife, Penelope, but throughout that time he is dedicated to her. When he is tempted with a beautiful woman, all he wants is to go home, “Though you wanted her forever,...
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...Gender Inequality in The Odyssey In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, female inferiority and gender inequality are recurring motifs. As a woman during this ancient time period (approximately 700 to 750 BCE), it was common to be regarded as “a man’s property”, or in other words, to be held to a double standard. In his poem, Homer demonstrates the inferior role of women compared to men, through multiple female characters. One specific character that significantly captures the idea and role of female inferiority is Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. Through close analysis of Penelope’s character and her relationships with men, it is evident that women in The Odyssey are held to a double standard. Penelope’s relationship with the suitors reveals female...
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...Father-Son Relationship in The Odyssey The Odyssey introduces the theme of father-son relationships to exemplify how influential fathers were at the time. Fathers act as role models to their sons and can determine their actions even if there is a physical and psychological space and difference between them, like Odysseus and Telemachus. The reader is able to gain greater insight into the nature of ancient Greek society by analysing these father-son relationships for their complexities and circumstances of their familial ties. With each father-son relationship shown, Homer offers a unique perspective about the roles that were available to both father and son. Book 1-4 Throughout the Telemachia, we learn that Telemachus has been forced to grow up without the influence of his father and has been directly affected by Odysseus’ absence. When he confides in Athena under the guise of Mentor, he proclaims that he does not have solid proof that he is in fact Odysseus’s son and doubts that he is still alive. However, the dialogue between both Athena and Telemachus initiates Telemachus’ spiritual development. So, when the pre-economy of Odysseus and Telemachus re-uniting is fulfilled – Telemachus will be in the position to assist his father in killing the suitors and to restore the natural order in the Ithacan society. Telemachus first asserts his male privilege by ordering Penelope from the public rooms of the palace, indicating to the suitors of his intention to assert his claim...
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...Penelope, Odysseus’ wife in The Odyssey, stands out as a woman beyond that claim. In Odysseus’ 20 year absence, she reigns over Ithaca, creatively staves off suitors, and raises a son, Telemachus, all while being faithful and devoted to him. Many of these obligations are not unlike what modern women grapple with. However, what sets Penelope apart is that she is accomplishing them at a time when women were seen as property and unable to have reigning duties. "The hero is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations” (Campbell). Because of Penelope’s success in the face of adversity, she is a true heroine. Although inundated with suitors, she maintains her heroic loyalty to Odysseus in his absence. Contrastingly, her cousin, Clytemnestra, is unfaithful to her husband, Agamemnon, while he is fighting the Trojan War alongside Odysseus. Penelope knows that it is not conventional or acceptable to remain unmarried if one’s husband is considered dead, but her deep love and devotion to Odysseus keeps her inventing new means to avoid marrying any of the suitors. Because she is born to a prince and holds the royalty title, and anyone she marries will become King of Ithaca. For that reason, Penelope does not have to fear the same fate as Andromache, Hector’s wife in The Iliad. Hector was of royal blood, but Andromache was not; therefore, upon his death, she became someone else’s concubine. Penelope’s reason for not marrying is not...
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...Isabelle Kim Mr. Wiegman English 1 Honors 21 May 2024 The Epic Hero Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A true hero is not defined by their strength but by their ability to inspire and lead others.” His words inspired others that heroes are not determined by being physical but also by the capacity to motivate and guide others. In The Odyssey, Odysseus shows his heroic traits of his cleverness when he stabbed Polyphemus in the eye allowing him and his men to escape the cave. Additionally, he shows loyalty as part of his traits by staying loyal to Penelope throughout the 20 years despite being offered love by Circe. Ultimately, his pride was his fatal flaw, causing his journey to take 20 years to return home. Throughout his journey, Odysseus shows many heroic traits that define him...
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...Penelope is a character who is described as faithful, patient and calculates. She is the wife of Odysseus, who exemplifies a strong woman that is mortal. Penelope’s loyalty can been seen through out “The Odyssey,’” this is displayed through her ability to wait twenty years for her husband without being given any evidence to be hopeful. In addition, she remains loyal although she has many suiters interested in her she never gives in. Similarly, another characteristics she displays is being clever and calculated, she knew how to put a man to the test. For example, this quote clearly displays her intellect;”So she spoke, and the proud heart in us was persuaded. Thereafter in the daytime she would weave at her great loom, but in the night she would...
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...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
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...opportunities, however a compromise is usually forced and as a result, progress is made in irrelevant fields. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, many conflicts occur between Odysseus and his enemies, however the entirety of them have legitimate reasons. Odysseus injures Polyphemus out of necessity for the survival of his crew. Also, he kills the suitors as compensation for tarnishing his home. Similarly, the servants and other such characters are killed for betraying Odysseus’s household and supporting the suitors. To begin, Odysseus drugs and blinds Polyphemus, not...
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...1 English 9 Honors 14 May2016 The Power of Loyalty What is the value of loyalty? In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, the virtue of loyalty leads to positive and negative results. Loyalty is a devotion to a cause. In this case, Odysseus. Loyalty and disloyalty were demonstrated with Penelope, the suitors, and Odysseus’ crew. Penelope's loyalty to Odysseus can be seen throughout the epic poem. She remains a devoted wife to her husband. While the suitors invaded her house she told them to wait so that her “Weaving will not be useless and wasted... Thereafter in the daytime she would weave at her great loom, but in the night she would have torches set by, and undo it. So for three years she was secret in her design”(2.93106). Penelope was making a shroud for Odysseus’ father and told the suitors, who were competing to marry her, that when she finished she would choose one of them to marry. She every night she would undo what she had done that day to postpone having to marry a suitor. Twenty years had gone by and Penelope had not heard a word about Odysseus, yet she still waited for him. In this she shows the reader her true devotion to her beloved husband, Odysseus. In book ten, Odysseus’ men were disloyal when they accused him of keeping riches in the bag of Aeolus. This resulted in a dire event. They had sailed for nine days and finally they could see their “People tending fires, we were very close to them. But then the sweet sleep came ...
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