Student Question
What is the analysis for this quote, where a character asks if a lady is a goddess or mortal, and compares her to Artemis?
Quick answer:
Odysseus is saying Nausicaa is both beautiful and pure - a combination that would drive any man crazy. Since this quote is from The Odyssey , I'm going to assume that the author of this post (and maybe the questioner) are well versed in the myths of Greece and Rome, so I'll leave out the basic background info from Wikipedia. In Greek mythology, Aura or Auros was the personification of the breeze and fresh, cool air. Her brothers were Zephyrus (the west wind), Eurus (the east wind), and Notus (the south wind). The only time her name appears in Greek literature is as part of a list of winds in Hesiod'
This quotation is from Book VI of The Odyssey when Odysseus wakes up on the shore of a strange land, naked and confused. He tries to cover himself with a branch, but the girls on shore are still afraid, and they run away - except for one. King Alcinous' daughter, Nausicaa, is compelled by Athena to stay, and Odysseus, hoping to get help from her, falls to his knees and begins a speech with this quotation.
Let's look at the deeper meaning of this quotation:
I implore you, Lady: "Implore" is an interesting word choice her. He could just say "ask", but to implore is to "beg someone earnestly or desperately to do something". This word choice makes Odysseus into a "beggar" here, putting her in a position of power, with which she could choose to help him.
you are most like great Zeus' daughter Artemis. You have her looks, her stature, her form: Odysseus doesn't just say she looks like a goddess - he picks a specific one to compare her to, Artemis. Artemis is the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon, and nature. By choosing Artemis, Odysseus is implying that Nausicaa is not just beautiful but pure, a valuable quality for a young woman in this culture.
If you are mortal and live on this earth [...] their hearts must always Be warm with happiness when they look at you: Here, he states that her family must be made joyful by her appearance, thereby implying that he also is made happy by it.
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