goddesses in the odyssey
The appearance of many goddesses in The Odyssey by Homer exemplifies the fact that they are essential to Odysseus' journey. They each play a different role, helping Odysseus in one way or the other, corresponding with his needs at that point in the voyage. Goddesses have been a constant in Greek literature and art, assisting in the essence of Greek culture. The Odyssey mentions many gods and goddesses, all of whom are involved with Odysseus' journey. The Odyssey begins with a meeting of the gods and goddesses who are trying to decide upon the fate of Odysseus. From this we can infer the importance the divine play on mortal lives, namely he protagonist himself. Some, however, are more involved in the journey than others. The three most prominent goddesses are Circe, Calypso, and Athena. These three change Odysseus in ways he could never expect, weaving his fate into the epic that is The Odyssey. Calypso is one of Odysseus' lovers. She falls in love with him and holds him captive on her island, Ogygia, for seven of the ten years of his journey home, while at the same time protecting him from Poseidon's fury. At the beginning of Book 5, Calypso speaks at Hermes about the double standard regarding goddesses and mortals
Odysseus learns more about himself and his interaction with the world through these three divine interventions. But they never won the heart inside of me, never. Only instead of fabric, Odysseus is the fiber and his voyage and passage is the fruit of their input. She does it out of her love for Odysseus, helping him out as she has helped out other heroes. The name Calypso can mean "eclipse,"# which is appropriate in this case as she eclipsed his life. This embodies Odysseus' mentality on the two goddesses: although he loved them and shared their beds, he still longed for home. She became a distraction to Odysseus, devoted and consuming, seductive: someone to fear and desire both. "# She also tells Telemachus and Penelope not to give up on Odysseus. All of the three goddesses are limited points of a journey of self-discovery, roadblocks to a goal, but defining roadblocks. Athena is different from the other two goddesses. Her beauty is wasted on this isolated island; she is untouched, unnoticed. Calypso took Odysseus away from the very things he defined himself with; the desire to return home was for him something distant yet attainable. She saw the men already as swine in a sense and she was simply showing them what she saw. She uses this power on Odysseus' men, turning them into swine.
Common topics in this essay:
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Penelope Odysseus,
Calypso Odysseus',
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Odyssey Homer,
Pallas Athena,
Circe# Odysseus,
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,
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journey home,
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