Odysseus And Penelope In Homer's Odyssey
Love is a powerful word. It has been told that through love, you can conquer all things. Like Odysseus, who traveled for years, for miles, and would endure any pain for the love of his family. Odysseus and Penelope had a very strong connection and marriage compared to others whom lived in this era. An era in which the definition of marriage was not one that we are quite used to. People of this age did not marry someone because they necessarily “loved” their spouse- but for the other things that the man or woman would bring to the table. Women looked for a suitor who would bring in the best gifts along with someone that would take care of the household. Men sought out for a certain reputation. They compete for the one they had laid eyes on by
…show more content…
With him, she cheated on her husband, Menelaus. This is where things got ugly. War broke out between the Trojans and the Greeks, and in the end- Menelaus ended up back with his wife. In the Odyssey, it picks up with the couple having a celebration because they had just married off their two children. Here, they recount stories from the Trojan war which makes some of the men kind of emotional. Helen puts a drug in their wine to make the pain of the memories of the lost men go away (Odyssey 4.243-246). Helen tells stories bragging on the bold and clever moves Odysseus made during the war, such as dressing up like a beggar, secretly getting information from the Trojans, and killing men (Odyssey 4.263-296). It almost seemed like Helen was secretly rooting for Odysseus the whole time. She also recalls bathing and aiding him, which spited Menelaus. It is evident in the story choice that he recalls from the Trojan war. He tells the story of the gigantic wooden horse sent by the Greeks to the Trojans as a “gift”. This wooden horse was actually full of Greek soldiers, and Helen tried to seduce these men in the horse by pretending and speaking in the voice of their wives (Odyssey 4.298-324). Helen is not a decent woman. Not only did she dishonor and disrespect her marriage, but made herself into a fool. The stories that Menelaus tells is evidence of this, she is not an honest person- even with
With him, she cheated on her husband, Menelaus. This is where things got ugly. War broke out between the Trojans and the Greeks, and in the end- Menelaus ended up back with his wife. In the Odyssey, it picks up with the couple having a celebration because they had just married off their two children. Here, they recount stories from the Trojan war which makes some of the men kind of emotional. Helen puts a drug in their wine to make the pain of the memories of the lost men go away (Odyssey 4.243-246). Helen tells stories bragging on the bold and clever moves Odysseus made during the war, such as dressing up like a beggar, secretly getting information from the Trojans, and killing men (Odyssey 4.263-296). It almost seemed like Helen was secretly rooting for Odysseus the whole time. She also recalls bathing and aiding him, which spited Menelaus. It is evident in the story choice that he recalls from the Trojan war. He tells the story of the gigantic wooden horse sent by the Greeks to the Trojans as a “gift”. This wooden horse was actually full of Greek soldiers, and Helen tried to seduce these men in the horse by pretending and speaking in the voice of their wives (Odyssey 4.298-324). Helen is not a decent woman. Not only did she dishonor and disrespect her marriage, but made herself into a fool. The stories that Menelaus tells is evidence of this, she is not an honest person- even with