The Odyssey

Themes – Hospitality and Women as predatory

The Odyssey almost acts as a manual for Greek hospitality, or "xenia," which was so widely
accepted that Zeus was worshipped as the god of hospitality. Along the way, people show
Telemachus and Odysseus genuine hospitality, frequently without even asking for their names. Of
course, there is also the issue of the suitors, who take advantage of Telemachus' generosity by
depleting Odysseus' supplies. The Phaeacians' decision to stop providing outsiders with
transportation at the end, following Poseidon's transformation of their ship that brought Odysseus
to Ithaca into stone, is the second stain on hospitality.

A smaller version of Odysseus' epic journey, Telemachus sets off on his own journey at the
beginning of the poem in quest of adulthood as well as his father. His travels are inspired by
Athena, who also trains him in princely manners. Telemachus develops from his initial gullibility
in the face of the suitors into the dominant man of the house, and his position by his father's side
in the decisive fight is well deserved and well-represented.

Odysseus believes Penelope would commit adultery, which is understandable given how
frequently women are portrayed in The Odyssey as sexual aggressors. Among the goddesses, Circe
most embodies this quality by transforming the gullible men she so easily seduces into the swine
she thinks they are, whilst Calypso confines Odysseus as her virtual sex slave. With their
enchanting voices, the sirens also attempt to drown sailors who are passing by. The suitors even
claim that Penelope teased them, which is a contentious claim. Kyltaimnestra, the wife of
Agamemnon, is the only woman who receives such a disparaging portrayal; the tale of her adultery
and husband's murder recurs frequently as a counterpart to Odysseus' concerns about Penelope.