Monday, February 20, 2012

The Odyssey Day 2

1. I think Calypso and her island represent temptation. If he were to stay, Odysseus could have it all: wealth, immortality, and a beautiful wife. I think that Calypso's role in the text could be to show the unfairness of Penelope's situation. Penelope must remain faithful while her husband has been gone for a very long time. For all she knows, he could be dead or have taken another wife. In that way, i think Calypso's speech to the gods serves as a way for the audience to further sympathize with the two women, who are going through the pain of losing the same man. What sets Penelope and Calypso apart is how they deal with their being alone. Penelope remains faithful and simply waits for her husband to come home while Calypso kidnaps a man and keeps him for her lover. 


4. The Cyclops, Polyphemos, is the son of Poseidon, so in a way, the Cyclops represents the Gods. The starting point for Odysseus's trials is when he refuses to pray with Polyphemos. This story is important because it shows the origin of Poseidon's grudge against Odysseus, which is the reason for the trials Odysseus faces.

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