The Odyssey

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews Homer's "The Odyssey", explaining how Homer utilizes the lie as a motif and, in so doing, establishes a moral dichotomy. The paper describes how "The Odyssey" is populated with lies and with liars, but the liars operate differently from one another. The paper assesses how the lies themselves act as methods of characterization.

From the Paper:

"In The Odyssey, Odysseus and Penelope both tell lies, and both do so to preserve their homes, but their motivations seem to differ slightly. Penelope tells her lies with a heavy, but faithful, heart. Odysseus lies with relish, seeming to enjoy his skill at dissembling. Both are rewarded, and their intentions are primarily virtuous. However, as at many points in The Odyssey, when wily, brilliant Odysseus is lying, he seems less than empathetic. More often than not, he seems arrogant, displaying the hubris that caused many of his initial problems. Nevertheless, if a liar's motivations are (mostly) pure, the lies themselves seem to be less of a sin and more of a virtue."

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