Summary Scholarly views on Odyssey for A level classical civilisation

Odyssey

Mortal women’s role in society

 Ask and ancient Greek or roman about the ideal virtuous woman, they would say something about weaving.
 Karen Nimiheallaigh
 Odysseus and Penelope are similar as they share their metis/cunningness such as Penelope’s bed trick and Athena’s
help, shows that females are not always airheads.
 Nancy Felson
 Penelope is key to the unity of poem.
 Finley


Immortal women and goddess’s role in society

 There is a vision of empowered femininity but is conveyed not in mortal world but in that of gods.
 Emily Wilson

Nostos

 The Odyssey is not only a nostos: it is a nostos to end all other nostoi
 Gregory Nagy

 The integrity of oikos is the dominating issue in the odyssey rather than nostos
 John Halverson


Xenia

 Xenia is very formulaic and arranged in a relatively fixed order. It includes everything from the moment a "visitor
approaches someone's house until the moment he departs
 Steve Reece
 The suitors are terrible guests and clearly violate the code of xenia.
 James Morrison

Recognition

 As the bed was sign and also symbol for Penelope in recognising Odysseus and of her fidelity
 James Morrison

Identity & Disguise

 There are consequences to revealing your name, choosing to conceal it might have benefits. (polyphemus nobody)
 James Morrison

Odysseus

 At the crisis of his fortunes Odysseus has to act alone
 C.M BOWRA
 He is an anti-hero, a mean, selfish time server who employs disguise and deceit
 Peter Jones
 Odysseus and Athenas relationship is unique as it depicts the closeness between god and mortal
 Peter Jones
 Odysseus has the capacity to inspire affection as a husband, man and king
 W.A Camps

Gods
 The presence of divine agents enables the poet to show the meaning of events – Griffin.
 Supernatural powers are at work everywhere and always in Homeric poem – W.A Camps