Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Real Couples of the Odyssey
By the time we encounter Odysseus in Books 5 and 6, we are introduced to several couples in the story: We meet Odysseus and Penelope, although they are apart; Odysseus and Calypso, although Odysseus is held against his will; Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, although not directly; Menelaus and Helen, and, potentially at least, Odysseus and Nausicaa. What is the significance of these couples? Do some of these couples show the ideal of love and marriage while others show flawed and problematic relationships? According to the story, what should you look for in a relationship and what should you avoid? Do you agree?
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There are many couples that are seen and discussed in The Odyssey; some are meant to be together while others are being forced together. Also, some people are trapped into a relationship that they would have rather avoided in any other circumstance. The relationship between Menelaus and his wife, Helen, is very complicated. They do not trust each other for multiple reasons. One of these reasons is the fact that Helen left for Troy even though she was married to Menelaus; yet she does not feel guilty or sorry for her actions. They also call each other liars and choose to not believe each other; “There was a tale, my lady,” (4.228). Menelaus said this to his wife, Helen, after she told the story of how she was in Troy. He did not believe what she said therefore calling it a story and indirectly calling her a liar. This would qualify as a flawed and problematic relationship because as seen throughout history relationships are built on trust; which they do not have. Another relationship that is mentioned in The Odyssey is the marriage between Odysseus and Penelope; even though in the beginning of the book they do not meet each other for a long time. Odysseus is trapped with Calypso in her cave from when his ship crashed and he had nowhere else to go. But, in Book 4, Calypso lets him go because the gods asked her to and she did not want to upset them. Although Calypso asks Odysseus to stay he refuses because he wants to get back to his wife and son. He does realize that Calypso is more beautiful than his wife; yet he knows that a relationship needs more than physical attraction, “Look at my wise Penelope. She falls short of you, your beauty, stature,” (5.239-40) Odysseus refers to Penelope as wise, so there attraction is more than just beauty it is also their minds that bring them together. They are smart, clever, and cunning. That is a reason that they are together; that they admire each other when it comes to their brain. The Odyssey says that for a successful relationship that you must be physically attracted to your partner; but also be attracted to their personality or smarts. That is why Penelope and Odysseus has one of the most, if not the most, successful relationships in The Odyssey because they follow that specific rule or ideal.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of each couple is as follows. Odysseus and Calypso show that no matter what kind of depth and beauty a person may have (just as Calypso does) it is right to wait until you find true love (like Penelope) (it also shows how captivity is not a good basis for a relationship). Agamemnon and Clytemnestra show that it is best to stay with your loved one, lest you suffer the consequences. Menelaus and Helen show that even if two people are ones of high standing, a marriage can result in disaster, especially if they have a history of distrust and/or substance abuse. Last, but not least, Odysseus and Penelope show true love: although neither one is perfect, they each undergo amazing hardships for each other: Penelope spends years warding off the suitors, and Odysseus journeyed for 10 years, and on the way turned down two goddesses and even immortality, so that he could be with Penelope.
ReplyDeleteThe problems with these couples are the fact that they are only there because they have to or their physically attracted to each other. These relationships are built not on love but on lust, an important distinction in any relationship. The exception to this is Odysseus and Penelope who show common traits such as cunning and intelligence, such as how Odysseus creates the plan for the Trojan horse and Penelope creates her death shroud to keep the suitors at bay. Though these are broad subjects to have in common, it is at least a foundation on which a relationship can thrive. Odysseus does hook up with several women along the way but each time he eventually gets bored and leaves them to continue home to his wife, no matter how beautiful his most recent partner was. Some of the other relationships like say Menelaus and Helen are completely malicious for both sides. Helen is labeled the most beautiful women in the world. She shows no personality or interests and if there are any they aren’t mentioned because that’s not what’s important for her character. Her character is that of the beautiful wife. To Menelaus she is a prize to be fought for and he goes to war just to get her back even though she was happier in troy. Anyone who truly loved her would let her be where she was happy, as in her eyes Menelaus was nothing but her captor. She is but an object where Penelope is a person, and thus the line is drawn between the two separating love from lust and showing which is a better relationship.
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