The Odyssey

“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns”[1]

So begins Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. As in the Iliad, the character trait described in the first line becomes a major theme throughout the book. Odysseus is a man of twists and turns, using his skill at turning phrases to twist almost every event to his favor. Other characters also are deceptive to achieve their ends.

Athena, for instance, often assumes the shape of a mortal whom every one knows when she is trying to get people to do things[2]. Athena’s bent towards deception may play a large role in why she favors Odysseus so highly. The similarities between Athena and Odysseus may also be why he alone has his appearance changed to aid his deceptions[3].

The theme of deception can also be seen back in Ithaca. Because Penelope is unable to secure peace from the suitors by force, she carefully works to secure peace and time by using deception. She tells the suitors that she will pick a husband when she has finished weaving a funeral shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’s father. Then at night, she unravels all the day’s weaving. When she is found out, she insinuates that she will marry the suitor who gives the best gifts[4].

Telemachus too is learning to be a man of twists and turns as he comes into his manhood. It seems at first that he lacks his father’s ability with words, but as his character grows, he begins to show that he has inherited his father’s excellence with falsehood. However, it is not until he is able to watch his father in action that he truly begins to exercise this gift.

When Odysseus arrives in Ithaca, deception plays a role even in Odysseus’s most intimate relationships. He at first hides his identity from Telemachus[5]. Then, he hides his identity from Penelope until the suitors have been destroyed[6]. When he reveals himself, Penelope tests him to make sure that it truly is him by telling him a falsehood that only he would recognize[7]. When Odysseus goes to Laertes, he again at first conceals his identity[8].

Thus, the Odyssey is laced with deception in much the same way that the Iliad is laced with rage. While in the Odyssey deception seems to be without major consequences, in reality deception often goes hand in hand with fractured souls and lives.

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[1] Homer, The Odyssey, 1.1

[2] ibid., 1.22-23

[3] ibid., 13.492-500

[4] ibid., 2.94-122

[5] ibid., 16.13-214

[6] ibid., 23.1-110

[7] ibid., 23.110-230

[8] ibid., 24.260-364