Student Question
In The Odyssey, how are men more negatively affected by their emotions than women?
Quick answer:
In "The Odyssey," men are shown to be more negatively affected by their emotions than women. When Odysseus reunites with his son Telemachus, they both cry, which Odysseus implies is unworthy of their status. In contrast, Penelope remains composed and logical upon reuniting with Odysseus, prioritizing verification over emotional display. Telemachus criticizes her apparent lack of emotion, but Penelope argues for restraint until Odysseus's identity is confirmed.
To answer this question, let's compare one of the most emotional reactions of men in The Odyssey with that of a woman. In book 16, Odysseus is reunited with his son Telemachus for the first time in decades. At first, Telemachus expresses shock at his father's unexpected return. Odysseus tells him, "is not princely, to be swept away by wonder at your father's presence." They then both engage in a tearful embrace. While crying in such a situation may not be a negative reaction on its own, Odysseus' comments seem to indicate that doing so is beneath his family's elevated station. Nevertheless, they both shed many tears at this moment.
Compare this to the reunion of Odysseus and Penelope in book 23. After being told that the suitors are dead and the old stranger is actually Odysseus, Penelope goes to talk to him. Her approach is much more logical and initially dispassionate than her son's. Despite all the stress, grief, and humiliation she has endured for the last several years, Penelope maintains her noble demeanor. Telemachus berates and insults his mother for her apparent lack of emotion.
My mother, cruel mother, that hast an unyielding heart, why dost thou thus hold aloof from my father, and dost not sit by his side and ask and question him? No other woman would harden her heart as thou dost, and stand aloof from her husband, who after many grievous toils had come back to her in the twentieth year to his native land: but thy heart is ever harder than stone.
She responds by telling her son that now is not the time for large emotional displays. Rather, she must put her feelings aside until she has confirmed that the stranger really is Odysseus.
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