Odyssey's Tears in Homers Play - Essay Example

?Odyssey Book VIII, Lines 521-534 Analysis. The famous passage in Homer’s Odyssey where Odysseus is described as letting fall “pitiful tears” (Odyssey Book VIII, line 531) like a woman who wails when her husband is dying in front of his city, is at first sight rather disturbing, because it shows the great man in a rather tender light, implying that he is soft-hearted and perhaps even weak, since he is unable to control his emotions and has to hide his face from the assembled guests, letting only one man, Alcinous, guess how deeply moved he has been by the song of Demodocus. When seen in the light of the whole epic, however, this scene is entirely reasonable in plot terms, and also deeply significant in the development of Odysseus’s character. The scene occurs long after the events of the Trojan war, and shortly after Odysseus has been through a long exile on the island with Calypso and a dramatic sea voyage in which he is shipwrecked thanks to the interference of the gods. He has never been more alone than at this time, and the scene takes place at a banquet and celebration, partly in his honor, welcoming him as a stranger in a strange land. It is a critical moment in the epic’s plot, because it is the very point where he comes back out of exile and into public circulation again. The narration of the story of the Trojan horse recaps his illustrious past, and reminds him of the glory he once enjoyed as a great military leader. His state at the time of the feast is indeed pitiful, since he is unknown to the people around him, and just a random man of no particular importance who is dependent upon their kindness and hospitality if he is to regain his health and strength. Against this background, then, the narrator’s observation that he wept like a woman can be interpreted as an image of Odysseus as he might appear to people who do not know him. The song is was a rousing tale of triumph and disaster, recited as entertainment to engage people’s emotions and let them imagine what the great epic battles were like. The singer and the audience were not to know that it concerned Odysseus in a very deep way, and so the tears that he shed would not make much sense to these local Phaeacians. His conduct was probably interpreted by Alcinous as evidence of his exhaustion after being shipwrecked, Alcinous demands that the minstrel change his tune to something more cheerful because he notices that the tale of the Trojan horse is upsetting Odysseus. He wants to avoid causing pain to their unknown guest, and tries to protect him, as a good host is obliged to do. All of this discussion of the poor woman hounded by spears and lamenting her husband’s violent death is applicable and appropriate to the unknown stranger at the table. The subtle point that the narrator is making, however, is that this is precisely not applicable to the great hero Odysseus. The narrative takes a sudden turn after this scene, when Odysseus dries his tears and reveals his true identity. A clue to the importance of the scene is evident in the way that Odysseus himself is the one who specifically asks for this episode to be sung. (Book VIII, lines 490-495) He wants to be reminded of this glorious past, even though it causes him anguish to compare his present ignominy with his past glory. In a heroic epic the hero draws his own ultimate fate upon himself, and Odysseus, having drawn everyone’s attention to the heroic and at the same time tragic events of the Trojan war, now sees fit to enter the stage as a leading figure in that drama. The image of the grieving woman, linked with the tears of the unknown warrior, point to a change that is occurring in that warrior’s character. At the beginning of his career, his only thought is for honor and glory on the battlefield. He cares little for the women, children friends and citizens who grieve his departure at home, and less for those who die at the hands of his warriors when they take the city of Troy. At this low point he thinks only of the sad outcomes of war, and his own lowly status on the edge of society, and perhaps for the first time also he truly appreciates the suffering of his family and friends at home. The minstrel’s song awakens old ties, and reminds him of duties that he has neglected in his years of wandering. In character terms, therefore, the tears mark a washing away of this ignoble exile status, which renders Odysseus weak, and the object of pity. Instead he stands up again and reveals the true character which he is destined to be. He declares his identity and significantly, turns to his benefactors and offers to reciprocate their hospitality. The phrasing of this offer reveals the pivotal moment of transfer from this present lowly state to a future rightful position: “that I, hereafter, when I have escaped from the pitiless day of doom, may be your host, though I dwell in a home that is afar.” (Book IX, 17-20) The account that Odysseus then gives is a rendition of the true events of the Trojan war, as opposed to the fictionalized rendering by the minstrel Demodocus. Instead of serving to entertain the present company, the narrative of Odysseus serves to re-establish him in the role that is rightfully his. The tears are left behind, and he steps up to the task of finding his way back to his homeland as a conquering hero. In a way this episode lets him work through his deep emotions and clarify his feelings of loss. Listening to the story has helped him to sort out his own past and work out a way towards his own future. In terms of plot and of character development, therefore, this analogy with a weeping Trojan woman is, temporarily apt, and ultimately replaced by a more fitting and permanent warrior image. References Homer, The Odyssey, translated by A.T. Murray. Cambridge, MA and London: Harvard University Press/Heinemann, 1919. Available online at: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D521 Read More