In Homer’s Odyssey adult females are responsible for many of the jobs that Odysseus faced during his journey back to Ithaca. This essay will analyze how far adult females were responsible and besides compare it to far other things caused jobs for Odysseus. The first adult female that I think caused Odysseus jobs on his journey is Calypso. Calypso. her name intending “the concealer” in Greek. utilizing her beauty kept Odysseus prisoner on her island for seven old ages. “He is left to pine away in wretchedness in the island place of Calypso. who keeps him captured at that place. ” ( Page 63 ) Odysseus is disquieted because foremost on the island of Ogygia. Odysseus is powerless: he is no longer warrior and king but Calypso’s lover. The fact that she kept him confined is bad because had he remained on Ogygia. he would hold no opportunity of of all time acquiring any celebrity and glorification. “His eyes were wet with crying. as they ever were” ( Page 66 ) . This quotation mark besides refers to this point because Odysseus wants more than anything to return place. but he can’t and there is nil Odysseus can make about it.
The 2nd ground that Calypso caused jobs was the fact that she offered ageless life to Odysseus. “Yet had you any intimation of the full step if wretchedness you are bound to digest before you reach your native land. you would remain and portion this place with me. and take on immortality. ” ( Page 68 ) This ironically. she is merely offering him a signifier of decease as he would be isolated from the remainder of the universe. It would besides forestall him go oning on his journey. On the other manus though. foremost. if it hadn’t been for the Charybdis and the Gods. Odysseus wouldn’t be on Ogygia. “Nine yearss of floating followed ; but in the dark of the ten percent the Gods washed me up on the island of Ogygia” ( Page 168 ) . conveys that the Gods caused Odysseus to be on Ogygia. Besides the individual who alerts the Gods of Odysseus current location and state of affairs is Athene. who of class is besides a adult female. Not merely that but while Odysseus was being held on Ogygia he was really good treated by Calypso. she fed him. bathed him and clothed him and she shows great marks of Xenia non merely to Odysseus but to Hermes every bit good.
The 2nd adult female who was responsible for jobs that Odysseus faced was Circe. First she turned all but one of Odysseus’ work forces into hogs and delayed Odysseus’ advancement. “Now they had pig’s caputs and bristles and they grunted like hogs ; but their heads were every bit human as they had been earlier. ” ( Page 131 ) this quote depicts Circe’s cruelty towards Odysseus’ work forces. Second Circe once more stalls Odysseus from finishing his journey back to Ithaca. “You are worn out and listless. ever dwelling on the adversities of your travels. Your agonies have been so uninterrupted that you have lost all pleasance in life. ” ( Page 136 ) This quotation mark shows how Circe convinced Odysseus and his work forces to pass more clip on the island. Third Circe made Odysseus and his work forces take a different path. via the prophesier Teiresias. instead than traveling consecutive back to Ithaca. “But Circe has marked out a really different route- to the Halls of Hades and the awful Persephone. ” ( Page 139 ) This makes the remainder of Odysseus’ crew really disquieted.
“When I told them they were heart-broken. They sat down where they were and rupture their hair out. ” ( Page 139 ) Circe was really utile on the other manus. Had they non resumed their journey via the prophesier Teiresias in the Underworld they would be wholly nescient to the dangers of Scylla. Charybdis and the Sirens in front. She was besides utile to Odysseus as she bore his kid. The last adult females who were responsible for jobs on Odysseus’ journey were the Sirens. “For with their high clear song the Sirens bewitch him. as they sit at that place in a hayfield piled high with the decomposing skeletons of work forces. whose shriveled tegument still hangs upon their castanetss. ” ( Page 158 ) This quotation mark conveys how savage the Sirens are and that if Odysseus and his work forces did traverse the Sirens without cognizing they would hold had a awful decease.
“There is no homecoming for the adult male who draws near them unawares and hears the Sirens’ voices ; no welcome from his married woman. no small kids lighten uping at their father’s return. ” ( Page 158 ) This quotation mark depicts the fact that if Circe hadn’t told Odysseus and his work forces to travel and seek Teiresias so they would ne’er hold found out about the Sirens and hence suffered as a consequence. So to reason I think that adult females were merely responsible for some of the jobs on Odysseus’ journey as although most of the adult females hold him up on his journey. ( one of them for seven old ages ) they non merely show him xenia but they besides give him good and sometimes life salvaging advice.
