Different Representations Of Oikos In The Odyssey

The household is an important concept in the context of Ancient Greece as it relates to the physical home, the land, and the family who support the master of the house. This essay will discuss the different representations of oikos (the household) in Homer’s Odyssey as well as discuss the differing representation of oikos in Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon. Marilyn Katz’s essay Penelope’s Renown: Meaning and Indeterminacy in the Odyssey will be looked at to highlight key points about the household. The oikos in the Odyssey will be considered with its relationships between the polis (city-state) and the characters who are connected to the household. To evaluate the significance of the oikos, the characters Penelope, Odysseus, and Clytemnestra†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, Penelope is an important character as her identity â€Å"functions as a stable and unchanging reference point for the adventures of Odysseus† (Katz, 6). As Katz explains, Ody sseus’ travels are interwoven with his lust for home and his desire to be with his wife again. As well, her identity becomes a parallel to Odysseus’ identity through her use of polutropus (tricks and turns). She proves, by the end of the poem, that she is the perfect match for Odysseus as both of them share the same skills with rhetoric and language to get what they want. Their like-mindedness is evident during the recognition scene between the two. Penelope tests Odysseus’ knowledge of their marital bed - before blindly trusting his claim of identity - by asking the slaves to move their immovable bed: â€Å"[putting] her husband to the proof-but Odysseus/ blazed in fury, lashed out at his loyal wife† (Homer, 23.203-204). In his angry response to Penelope’s test, Odysseus proves his identity to his wife as he explains why the bed cannot move. When she hears their familiar story of the creation of their bed, - which only the two and a slave know abo ut - Penelope submits to her long-lost husband in an emotional reunion. Her caution, before accepting Odysseus’ claim, shows the wary protectionism stance that she had to adopt while her husband was gone so she could protect the kingdom from the suitors.Show MoreRelatedThe Greeks Used Hesiod s Theogony And Various Heroes Myths2040 Words   |  9 Pagesobligation, it seems, to oppose this notion of myth, and thus the Pre-Socratics sought to articulate new definitions of truth, being, and reality. There seems to be a real continuity between the earliest of philosophical thinking, and religious representation. In recording the Theogony, Hesiod exposed his society with ideas of ‘Gods’, ‘destiny’, ‘laws’ and the ‘soul’. This enforced the new mode of thinking which preferred fundamental abstractions of things. like ‘matter’, ‘elements’, and ‘cause’. Read More Importance of the Telemachy in Developing Major Themes of Odyssey3687 Words   |  15 PagesThe Importance of the Telemachy in Developing Major Themes of Odyssey      Ã‚  Ã‚   As we begin to read the Odyssey, one of the surprising facts is that we do not meet the famed hero until we are well into Book V, on Calypsos island of Ogygia. However, during these introductory four books, we learn of the situation in Ithaca, Odysseus plight, some of the most important themes of the story and of course Odysseus son Telemachus. Homer keeps us in suspense, building the reputation of Odysseus by theRead MoreWomen in Greece2882 Words   |  12 Pagesdecision for them in the best interest of the males and the family. Knowing what we do about women during this time in Greece, I’m going to use Homer’s epic the Odyssey to evaluate whether the way women were depicted in the literature is an accurate representation of the lives of women in this time. Homer is the composer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, he was viewed as the greatest poet, and his work influenced many poets after him. It is likely that Homer learned the poems from generations before him,