Odyssey Research Paper
Penelope’s Revenge Showing Xeinos Hospitality is the relationship between the guest and the host that show liberality and goodwill. When investigating about Penelope’s role in ”The Odyssey”by Homer, the actual character of Penelope and the importance she gave to the story. Many of the texts researched have been in books and specific websites. “The Odyssey” by Homer is one of the books that helped give a general background of Penelope’s personality and the suitors nature. ”The Penelopiad” by Margaret Atwood gave the same story, except in Penelope’s version, which gave a more extensive idea of Penelope’s thoughts.
A few websites that specifically state Penelope’s patience and toleration of the suitors was where the greatest research was found. Most of Penelope’s qualities were implied by the meaning and outcome of the passages. The goal in this paper is to discuss about how Penelope sought revenge on the suitors by showing xeinos by associating Penelope’s actions and ideas with the keen suitors. Accordingly, this research paper has been organized into four main sections, which all have subsections. The first section discuses the heart of the suitors that have been won by Penelope.
This section explains about how the suitors were not discouraged even though she remained distant, and how Athena wanted Penelope to gain the suitors desire to make her more esteemed by her husband and son. Also, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he took ten years to come back. Therefore, Penelope kept many of the suitors waiting for her response and told them she would marry one. The second sections discuses about how Penelope remains faithful to Odysseus. Many suitors came to seek Penelope’s hand in marriage and a few of them did charm Penelope.
However, but because of her faith in Odysseus she cunningly lies to the suitors and shows her connubial fidelity. The third section discuses the Shroud of Laertes, which is a wily weaving of the burial shroud for the former king, Laertes( Penelope’s father in-law). She claimed she would choose a suitor when she is finished with the burial shroud. The maidens eventually discover her trick and reveal it to the suitors. The fourth section discuses about how Penelope challenged the suitors in order to get remarried. She was not willing to meet the man she loathes.
Therefore, she held a contest, in which whoever could string a bow through twelve ax handles would be the suitor that she would marry. Although, none could, besides Odysseus who was dressed as a beggar. Which leads on to why Penelope was surprised, for she knew only Odysseus could. Penelope Won the Heart of Many Suitors Odysseus left for the Trojan War. Initially, Odysseus left for the Trojan War and took ten years to come back. As he was delayed by the Trojan War, Penelope was tormented by suitors who wanted her to get married again.
As long as Penelope continues to exist on Odysseus’ grounds in Ithaca, the suitors will continue to try to force a decision on marriage and remain where they are on his estate. The suitors blame Penelope for the exhaustion of Odysseus’s property. The Suitors said,”Send your mother away and make her marry the man whom her father chooses and whom she prefers” now that Odysseus is dead. The suitors felt one of them should marry Penelope and replace Odysseus, seeing that she has to be under control of either a husband or father. If you feel angry about this then quit my palace,” said Telemachus, “and feast somewhere else, eating your own food in each other’s houses. ” Telemachus could not send away the mother who bore him and brought him up. Suitors Invade Household. Although Penelope has no desire for the suitors, she still lets them intrude into her life. The suitors made themselves uninvited guests, eating both in and out of the house. Penelope endures the eternal crudeness and sexual approaches. Penelope did not complain and let the suitors fulfill their desires.
They abused Penelope’s hospitality, yet Penelope still fed them and still didn’t find fault in the suitors that lived around her. “A crowd of Suitors are pestering my mother with unwanted attentions… ,” said Telemachus. Telemachus explains how he lost his good father, who was gentle to all the Suitors, but now his house will be ruined because of the greedy Suitors. Unfortunately, her hospitality did not provide a high standard of kindness to strangers. Homer showed hospitality in a much different way back then than how we normally would propose it today. penelope remains faithful to odysseus
Marriage. Penelope informally denies marriage. The Suitors came to seek Penelope’s hand in marriage, however Penelope had faith in Odysseus and believed he still might come back to Ithaca. The Suitors had little patience and protested against Penelope being ”a widow. ” “Too cowardly to present themselves at her father’s house, for Icarius to make terms for his daughter’s hand with the claimant he prefers, they spend all day in and out of our house,” states Telemachus. Penelope also shows connubial fidelity to Odysseus, since she still believed that he is alive and will someday return. Cunning Lies.
In order to ignore the Suitors demand for her to choose one and get married, she outsmarts the Suitors by telling them she has a large intricate piece of work that she needs to work on weaving. Therefore, she cannot be focused on if she gets married, so she states she will not marry until the shroud she is making is complete. The Suitors believe her lie and let her live in peace for three years. Penelope’s hospitality somewhat shows since she does not confront them with the truth by saying she profoundly dislikes the Suitors. She does not want to infuriate them, although she does not complete their exact desires either.
The Shroud of Laertes Wily Weaving. Applying to Odysseus’ death, Penelope made the slightest promises to the Suitors, which she did not intend on keeping. “On her loom in her house she set up a great web and began weaving a large and delicate piece of work” (Homer 17). Penelope said, “My Lords, my Suitors, now that noble Odysseus is dead, restrain your ardour, do not urge on this marriage till I have done this work, so that the threads I have spun may not be altogether wasted. ” During the daytime she worked on the shroud, but during the night she undid the work.
Penelope kept this scheme running for three years. One of her woman, found out about Penelope’s ruse and let the secret out. “We caught her unravelling her beautiful work, and she was forced reluctantly to compete it” (Homer 18). Penelope went through great lengths to postpone this marriage as much as she could. Now Penelope is greatly distrusted and treated even worse. Yet, she still shows xeina by not harshly responding and explains in a understanding way of her deceive, although she is trying to keep the Suitors at a greater distance since now she certainly be forced to marry one of the Suitors.
The suitors challenge Unwanted Impulse. Penelope had no aspiration to meet the man she is unwilling to commit to. Nevertheless, she was responsible for the promises she made and the Suitors would not accept any more excuses from her anymore. They elucidate that they no longer have patience for her, since she always has a skill of “getting her way” [Homer 18]. Penelope could not pick a Suitor so, to put the marriage off, she held a contest. The contest required the Suitors to string a twelve ax handle.
Penelope purposely held this contest because she knew that only Odysseus could string a twelve ax handle. She is extremely clever and generous to the Suitors for giving them a chance to marry her even after all the ill-mannered ways they treated her. “Listen, proud Suitors. You have exploited this house, in the long absence of its master, as the scene of your endless eating and drinking, and you could offer no better pretext for your conduct than your wish to win my hand in marriage,” said Penelope.
The only person that could bow the string was the beggar. Odysseus’ Reprisal Towards Suitors “Odysseus took aim and shot him in the neck,” (Homer 288). Odysseus took revenge on the Suitors for their misconduct. “You never thought to see me back from Troy. So you fleeced my household; you raped my maids; you courted my wife behind my back thought I was alive – with no more fear of the gods in heaven than of the human vengeance that might come. One and all, your fate is sealed,” said Odysseus. He killed all the Suitors and the maidens.
