Major Themes of “The Odyssey” Theme #1: home, wandering, fidelity, character flaws Theme # 2: cunning and disguise Theme #3: women as predatory Theme #4: power of the gods Theme #5: hospitality

Theme # 1: Home, Wandering, Fidelity, Character Flaws Fidelity: strict observance of promises, duties. Loyalty. Central emotion: LONELINESS Pines for home while on Calypso’s island Weeps constantly for his family – wife, son, parents Suffers from the loss of his fellow Greek soldiers and shipmates PENELOPE: Suffers from loneliness for her husband even with many suitors around TELEMACHUS: Suffers from loneliness for a father he has never known, and fears might be dead. ANTICLEIA, ODYSSEUS’S MOTHER: Admits to dying from loneliness (when he sees her in the Underworld).

Theme # 1: Home, Wandering, Fidelity, Character Flaws TEMPTATIONS Odysseus liked the good life! Enjoyed all the luxuries he received from both Calypso and Circe. Spent years with Calypso (estimates are from 5 to 8 years); spent one year with Circe Investigated Polyphemus’s cave, and got locked in. Once he escaped from Polyphemus, he shouted his name (which angered Poisedon) Had his crew tie him to the mast so he could hear the Sirens’ song (which was deadly to all who heard it). Temptations also hurt his crew, often leading to their being left behind, going far off course, or death.

Theme# 1: Home, Wandering, Fidelity, Character Flaws Odysseus DOES remain true to Penelope in his heart, which is important to Homer. His desire to return to home, and her, is the driving force of his journey. At the end of the poem, Odysseus rewards those servants who remain true to him, and punishes those who are unfaithful while he is gone (generally with death).

Theme # 1: Home, Wandering, Fidelity, Character Flaws Expressed little remorse for his unfaithfulness to his wife during this time. Though – Odysseus spent a LOT of time worrying that his wife had been unfaithful to HIM! Homer spent a great deal of time writing about the infidelity of women, but was not concerned about the infidelity of men. In fact, during this time period, it was EXPECTED that men at war would cheat on their wives. Wives, however, were expected to remain true to their man and were severely punished if they were not. Like that double standard, girls? Neither did Calypso!

Theme #2: Cunning and disguise Odysseus’s most prominent characteristic: CUNNING. Cunning is the ability to deceive others. Odysseus displays his CUNNING in his tall tales and extraordinary stories. EXAMPLES: Trojan horse, tricks against the Cyclops, Polphemus Odysseus’s (and Homer’s ability to tell stories is not equaled in Western literature! Homer’s Greek audiences liked characters that displayed cunning. They did not always like the dishonesty that cunning also exhibits.

Theme #2: Cunning and disguise DISGUISE: Odysseus’s disguises are not always noticeable. The Greek soldiers “disguised” in the Trojan horse The men ”disguising” themselves as rams to escape Polyphemus. Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar once he returns to Ithaca. He does this to spy on the suitors and to test the loyalty of the people around him (servants, family members, etc). The goddess Athena also appears many times disguised as “Mentor,” a faithful servant and guide of Odysseus’s family. She appears to both Odysseus and Telemachus in this disguise.

Theme #3: Women as Predatory Homer depicts ALL women in the poem as sexual beings, only interested in enslaving men for their own use. Homer does not seem to have a good opinion of women, which was common in his era. CALYPSO: Keeps Odysseus on her island as her slave, until she is forced to let him go by Hermes. CIRCE: Once she is done with them, turns men into pigs, because she thinks men ARE pigs. THE SIRENS: Lure men (sailors) to their deaths by song. No man can resist their music. PENELOPE: The suitors think she is teasing them by not choosing a husband from among them. It is doubtful her actions can truly be considered “predatory,” except for in the opinion of the suitors. CLYTEMNESTRA (not in the excerpt we will read): She murdered her husband so she can be with her boyfriend. Only mentioned because she is the most treacherous woman of the full play.

Theme #4: Power of the Gods The gods have absolute power over the mortals in “The Odyssey.” The gods are also VERY good at holding grudges against humans – sometimes for many years. HELIOS: Angry with Odysseus’s men for eating his sacred cattle. POSEIDON: Angry with Odysseus for blinding Polyphemus, then taunting the god with that feat. (He yelled his name at Polyphemus as he left.) ATHENA: Most visible god in the poem. Serves as a guide to him and shows favoritism by trying to stop Poseidon’s actions. Also asks for Zeus’s help on behalf of Odysseus. ZEUS: Orders the fighting between Odysseus and the suitors to stop. In general, the gods were more interested in their own fights than in what happens in the mortal world. However, they decide what happens in the mortal world. This is a common thread in most Greek writings and art – the folly and unpredictability of the gods.

The pineapple is a symbol Of hospitality. If one is placed Near the entrance to a home, It means the homeowner is Home and accepting visitors. The pineapple is a common Emblem in hotels/motels. Theme #5: Hospitality XENIA: Means hospitality, which is a dominant concept in Greece. Zeus is the god of hospitality. Both Odysseus and Telemachus receive good hospitality throughout their journeys. Telemachus uses the hospitality of others to learn more about his father and to grow from being a scared boy to the man of his household. The suitors, on the other hand, abuse the hospitality of Penelope when they eat all the food and refuse to leave when she asks them to go. The Phaiakians, a sea-faring people who help Odysseus get home, chose not to continue helping those in trouble because Poseidon was angry at the help provided to Odysseus.