Critical Quotes for The Odyssey
From Penelope to Winnie Mandela - Women Who Waited - Betin Van Zyl Smit:
When classifying the differences between Homer’s Penelope and twentieth Century
retellings of The Odyssey, Smit remarks that ‘the general tendency in the modern world
has been to explore Penelope anew as an independent woman and not to conceal her
true character behind the loyal wife stereotype.’ While Homer does not describe
Penelope’s physical appearance, modern versions of the text like Inge Merkel’s
‘Odysseus and Penelope: An Ordinary Marriage,’ paints Penelope in an unflattering
light. The ‘loyal wife stereotype’ which Smit refers can be thought of as Penelope’s
defining characteristic in Homer’s original text. As modern writers elect to show
Penelope’s ‘true character,’ modern readers of Homer’s epic are forced to concern
themselves with the unfortunate exclusion of Penelope’s other character-defining
qualities.
Smit goes on to state that the novelist’s retelling of The Odyssey ‘indicate[s] that the
Homeric paradigm of a faithful wife is no longer acceptable in modern literature.’ It is
clear that Homer’s Penelope is not defined as a woman who determines her own
decisions.
The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer’s Odyssey - Edith Hall.
When discussing Penelope, Hall references Heilburn who ‘suggests that Penelope ‘had’
no story because the only story women are allowed to tell is the romance, the marriage
plot.’ This makes it impossible for female characters to escape the single narrative
plotline. Modern readers would be concerned with the lack of plot for Penelope, she
serves one purpose as the dutiful wife.
Female Representations and Interpreting The Odyssey - Seth L. Schein.
On the topic of non-human female figures, Schein argues, ‘these females, to hear
Odysseus tell of them, are often monstrous, and their menace is literally or symbolically
sexual.’ While they are not human, it is understandable to use the adjective ‘monstrous’
to describe these characters, but an important distinction to be made is their actions
being monstrous while their appearance seems indifferent. Look at Calypso and Circe.
From Penelope to Winnie Mandela - Women Who Waited - Betin Van Zyl Smit:
When classifying the differences between Homer’s Penelope and twentieth Century
retellings of The Odyssey, Smit remarks that ‘the general tendency in the modern world
has been to explore Penelope anew as an independent woman and not to conceal her
true character behind the loyal wife stereotype.’ While Homer does not describe
Penelope’s physical appearance, modern versions of the text like Inge Merkel’s
‘Odysseus and Penelope: An Ordinary Marriage,’ paints Penelope in an unflattering
light. The ‘loyal wife stereotype’ which Smit refers can be thought of as Penelope’s
defining characteristic in Homer’s original text. As modern writers elect to show
Penelope’s ‘true character,’ modern readers of Homer’s epic are forced to concern
themselves with the unfortunate exclusion of Penelope’s other character-defining
qualities.
Smit goes on to state that the novelist’s retelling of The Odyssey ‘indicate[s] that the
Homeric paradigm of a faithful wife is no longer acceptable in modern literature.’ It is
clear that Homer’s Penelope is not defined as a woman who determines her own
decisions.
The Return of Ulysses: A Cultural History of Homer’s Odyssey - Edith Hall.
When discussing Penelope, Hall references Heilburn who ‘suggests that Penelope ‘had’
no story because the only story women are allowed to tell is the romance, the marriage
plot.’ This makes it impossible for female characters to escape the single narrative
plotline. Modern readers would be concerned with the lack of plot for Penelope, she
serves one purpose as the dutiful wife.
Female Representations and Interpreting The Odyssey - Seth L. Schein.
On the topic of non-human female figures, Schein argues, ‘these females, to hear
Odysseus tell of them, are often monstrous, and their menace is literally or symbolically
sexual.’ While they are not human, it is understandable to use the adjective ‘monstrous’
to describe these characters, but an important distinction to be made is their actions
being monstrous while their appearance seems indifferent. Look at Calypso and Circe.
