Odysseus

Odysseus

Brittany Jordan
April 6, 2014
Response on The Odyssey
Throughout The Odyssey, I’ve noticed some important women who play a great role in their part. Penelope, Athena and Helen represent three different types of women in The Odyssey. The women not only help shape the story, but play a huge part in this epic Journey to get Odysseus home. Helen was known for her beauty and was one of the most beautiful women in all of the land. We meet Helen when Telemachos visits Sparta for news of his father. Grateful, she tells him stories of Odysseus. The journey begins when Odysseus and many of his men left to battle in the Trojan War that was caused by Helen. Odysseus and many of the other men not only left their home, but were willing to risk their lives and the fact that they may never see their wives or children again.
Helen plays a huge part in her role because if it weren’t for her, Odysseus might have never left Ithaca, and never would’ve been taken in by the unpredictable journey he was about to pursue. He then knew the path he was about to follow was very dangerous. Helen’s role was a big turning point for Odysseus. It was clear that Odysseus’s voyage was based on coming back to his loving wife Penelope and his children. His main reason for leaving Calypso’s Island was the fact that he missed her and worried about her. He loved and needed her so much that he left the beautiful goddess Calypso and took the chance of becoming immortal. His love and commitment towards Penelope, was the reason why he needed to come back to Ithaca.
Penelope’s role in the Odyssey was played as a mother figure in many ways. Throughout the journey, she’s proven to be caring, loving, wise, committed and trusted; many traits of what a real mother is. She mourns of her lost love, oblivious to the fact that other men want her. At one point, one of the bards of the palace begins singing about the horrific deadly battles where she assumes her husband is at and falls to weep, mourn and...

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