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Cultural understandings of Marriage
Marriage in ancient cultures
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According to the Bible, love and marriage were treated with respect because they were divine before the eyes of God. He gave clear instructions to man and woman telling them to marry and bring forth children to fill His world. In essence therefore, man has to respect this institution called marriage and the associated strong emotions or love.
Homer’s poem portrays a different version of the same where man is free to cohabit with another woman while they are not married. In the poem we see Penelope living in the same quarters with as many as a hundred suitors and no law is present to avoid the sexual irresponsibility resulting from this. Some of Odysseus’s maid servants end up sleeping with the suitors.
The period before one marries is sacred according to the Bible where the husband-to-be respects the special bond with his lover. Joseph and Mary exemplify this putting into consideration his reaction to Mary’s pregnancy. He was confused because of her seemingly inconsiderate actions.
Homer’s odyssey however, portrays the picture differently where Penelope is seen to live with all her suitors in the same house they decide to sleep with the maid servants. It seems that Greek culture held little regard for the sanctity of marriage and love. The fact that some of the suitors decide to disrespect her feelings and, sleep with the house maids is a manifestation of this.
The odyssey again tries to illustrate how vain Greeks were in issues pertaining to love. Penelope has more than one hundred suitors trying to woo her while she is not the only girl available. The fact that she is beautiful is not enough to justify her attracting all those men while there is evidence of there being other ladies availabl...
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... for refusing to do as instructed by the Bible which is the word of God.
The Bible is very clear on the consequence one faces for not respecting the institution of marriage. Not obeying this is a sin and He is clear on the issue of marriage which He says is sacred. Therefore, those who decide to divorce their spouses face a very harsh judgment since God is clear on the issue of marriage.
Greek mythology on the other hand supported divorce and the end of marriage. When a woman adulterated or failed to conceive, the man was allowed to organize divorce and ask for his bride price. This shows that the Greeks were not as serious as Christians and Hebrews on the matters of divorce.
In conclusion, the fact that man believes in supreme beings does not mean he forgets his cultural predisposition. It again does not mean he is disrespectful to God or the gods.
Finally, some readers of this text might argue that it was not a just move by Odysseus to kill all the disloyal maids. An argument can be made that they had no choice in what they did, they can say that the maids were forced, like Medon said, “They were too strong, too many--they forced me to come and sing--I had no choice!” (22.372-373). It can be said that the maids acted out of fear for their lives. But to counter this argument it is pointed in the text that the maids slept with the suitors and some of them betrayed Penelope by telling the suitors that she was tricking them to get gifts instead of looking for a husband to replace Odysseus.
She is loyal, having waited for Odysseus for twenty years, not remarrying, though she thought he was gone for good. She also plays a much more active role in the marriage she has with Odysseus. Perhaps the most defining characteristics attributed to Penelope involve her role as a woman, in marriage and as a presumed “widow”. First, there seems to be a double standard, like described in Calypso’s case, between the loyalty of Penelope and the loyalty of Odysseus. Penelope is physically and emotionally loyal to Odysseus, while Odysseus is only emotionally loyal, meaning he has had sexual relations with other women within the twenty years he has been gone. During this time period in Greek culture, this was not frowned upon and was quite normal, suggesting that women were held to a different standard than men. In addition, as Penelope is presumed to be a widow, at least by the suitors, she is prized solely for her beauty. The suitors speak only of her beauty and none of her intelligence or of her personality or soul. This suggests that marriage was not always about love, and that women were judged and valued merely for their beauty. This idea further proves the act of sexualizing women during this
Marriage is considered as one of the most important decisions and events in a woman’s life, even though; she has no direct control over this romanticized idea, especially in this typical patriarchal society. The wisdom and cleverness of Penelope, which she uses in The Odyssey to free herself from the traps set up by the greedy and ruthless suitors, have distinguished her from the female supporting characters in the epic poem and hence, dismissed her from the assigned role as a female in a patriarchal society that the Greek’s culture had unequally attached for thousands of years. Penelope demonstrates her intelligence at the beginning of the epic poem when she cleverly esc...
In Homer's epics women were very respected by journey and warrior men. The women were looked upon as beautiful, nurturing human beings. The mortal women in Homer's "Iliad" were mostly known for being faithful wives and very giving mothers. These women care for their children, such as Odysseus's mother did, when he was in great need of confidence and reassurance. After the death of Odysseus's mother, she returned as a shade from the underworld to tell Odysseus, "Your wife weeps for your return as she lives in your house with a loyal heart, and your son has kept your kingdom whole."(90) This gave Odysseus the confidence in his heart to continue on home to Ithaca, to reunite with his dear wife, Penelope. A perfect example of how nurturing and dedicated the women were, not only to their children, but also to their husbands.
Homer’s Odyssey, by, is typically seen as a male dominated poem: the hero is male and the majority of the characters are male. We follow the men on their attempt to return to Ithaca. However, even though women are not the main characters, they are omnipresent through much of the story. Women play a very important role in the movement of the story line: they all want to marry, help or hurt Odysseus. During the course of his journey, Odysseus meets three different women who want him to be their husband: Circe, Calypso, Nausicca, and finally one woman who is his true wife: Penelope. Each of these women has a profound effect on Odysseus journey home. Yet, even though these women are much more powerful than ordinary Greek women are they still carry some semblance of the "good female" in Greek society.
While the relationship between Odysseus and Telemakhos is a blind love, the relationship between Odysseus and Penelope is a love between two people who just want to be together. Odysseus shows his love towards Penelope throughout the Odyssey. In spite of the fact that Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, he never forgets his wife back in Ithaca. One example of how much he wanted to go home was when he went to the island of the Lotus-Eaters. He could have stayed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters where everything he ever wanted was there, but the thing he wanted the most was to be with his wife. Penelope likewise displays this kind of love towards Odysseus.
...tested Odysseus to make sure it was him for she “feared some man might come and cheat [her] with his tale” (Homer, 226) showing how truly loyal she is to Odysseus. Although Odysseus was unfaithful there is no consequence for his actions for he is a man but for those women who were unfaithful it could be see how they are punished by men. In the case of Odysseus’ maids they were “unworthy” for they laid with the suitors and as punishment Telemachus says that “By no honorable death [their lives will be taken]” (Homer, 220). The difference in expectations between men and women when it comes to loyalty promotes gender inequality which makes the views The Odyssey has on society rather misogynistic.
Then there is Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. She is depicted as an individual. Homer makes her character appear very clever and also very loyal. Never once during Odysseus twenty years of absence does she remarry. She tolerates the suitors in her home for ten years but never chooses, always with the hope that her first husband, Odysseus, will return.
The theme of women in the Odyssey is essential in establishing one of the if not the main message in the poem. The paradoxical messages give insights into the lives of the characters and generalizations into the reader's lives. Although this theme would have a noticeable affect on the poem in its absence, it is odd that in a story about war and adventure that they hold such dominating roles. In the setting of the Odyssey, women did not have a status that measured up to that of a man. However, whether seen as demonic or angelic they still hold in the example of Odysseus a significant role in the determination of the final fate of a man.
The character of Penelope is portrayed as the archetype of the proper Homeric woman. She is faithful, passionate, and has her heart set on waiting for Odysseus’ return. Despite the constant pressures from her suitors, she puts them off by telling them that she will pick a new husband after she completes a burial shroud for Odysseus. The delaying tactics Penelope uses reveal her sly and cunning side. Although Penelope is intelligent, beautiful, and essentially has all the characteristics of the proper Homeric woman, because of her gender, she is forced to submit ...
Often times in life we search for a companion, someone to share our love and life with. Odysseus and Penelope's lasting relationship is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca. This love helps him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home. Penelope also exemplifies this same kind of love for Odysseus. At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying her marriage to the suitors that are courting her. She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return. Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love.
The character of Penelope in Homer's Odyssey reflects the faithful wife who waits twenty years for the arrival of her husband. Only a strong woman could sustain the stress, anxiety and confusion resulting from the chaos of a palace with a missing king whose fate is unknown. Her responsibilities and commitments toward the man she loves are particularly difficult to keep, under the strain of the situation. Although she does not actively pursue an effort to find him, her participation in the success of Odysseus' homecoming can be seen in her efforts to defend and protect the heritage, reputation and the House of Odysseus in his absence. As Odysseus withstands his trial, Penelope withstands her trials against temptations to give in to the many anxious suitors, to give up on her faith and respect for her religion, her husband and even her self. Penelope's strength in keeping the highest standards in her function as a wife, woman and mother contributes to the success of Odysseus' homecoming by keeping the home and family for him to come back to.
Atwood is playing with two levels of myth here: the Homeric myth of ‘faithful Penelope’ and cultural myths about women as either submissive or domestic (Howell 9). After marriage Penelope spends most of her time alone in boredom and Eurycelia, former nurse of Odysseus, often reminds her duties as wife by saying, “So you can have a nice big son for Odysseus. That’s your job” (63). Furthermore, Atwood recounts the vulnerability of alone woman in the male dominated world. To grab opportunity of being king, a number of suitors assemble at Ithaca, to marry Penelope, and she thinks, “They all were vultures when they spot the dead cow: one drops, then another, until finally every vulture for miles around is tearing up the carcass” (103). Moreover, Atwood argues about the partiality of sexual of freedom along with the vexed relationship between man and woman, as the former can do sex with any other woman such as Odysseus’s affairs with the goddess and whores, but the woman is restricted to marriage like Penelope. The foremost fatuous allegation makes on Penelope is about her faithfulness and loyalty for her husband Odysseus, and she defends herself from any sexual conduct in the chapter, “slanderous gossip”. The death of Amphinomus, the politest suitor among all, leaves the question of marital infidelity among the genders.
A husband and wife do not appear to be a choice that means ?forever? anymore. When a person plans to marry, it should be when they are ready to start a family and begin acting responsibly. All marriages have their ups and downs, and we are prone to argue; but we need to let love conquer hate, not the other way around. The divorce rate is too high and it affects everybody. There should be no reason for a person to give up their marriage for selfish reasons. Arguments between husband and wife occur, of course; but when something is wrong, it should be worked-out peacefully. The meaning of a divorce is betrayal; it?s unfair and the cruelest situation to put your ?loved? one through. For instance, if a man wants to divorce his wife aft...
In a ‘biblical marriage,” God desires unity in marriage. Marriage is a binding contract that is filled with the soul of God and the two individuals. Marriage is about being open and understanding. Faithfulness and integrity make up the body of the marriage while God makes up the soul. Humans selfish desires make married life difficult and undesirable. Matthew 19:3-9, Jesus answered the problematic topic of divorce in marriage. Saying how the purpose of man and woman was to have a relationship with each other. Eve was the perfect companion for Adam. Born from his side, their relationship symbolically showcases the importance of being equally yoked. God never designed divorce when he created marriage, but with people committing adultery or other