Lies in The Odyssey: The Ways Women Deceive Anonymous College

The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of the hero Odysseus’ decade long journey home. Throughout this journey the characters use lying to for a variety of reasons, and occasionally, they lie for no reason at all. The lies in The Odyssey do not have the strong moral stigma that is seen in Judeo-Christian society. In addition to their many other human-like traits, the Greek gods lie to each other and they lie in their many disguises in the mortal world. Lies are not inherently bad. Lies for self preservation are needed in several dangerous situations throughout the epic. Lying for self preservation is when a character lies to foster a safer or more prosperous situation for themselves. Two important female characters use lying to try to secure their safety. Homer uses lying in The Odyssey so that characters can manipulate conflicts, often for their benefit. Helen and Penelope both lie for self preservation, yet Helen’s lies are portrayed maliciously while Penelope’s lies are portrayed virtuously.

Helen is portrayed as a scandalous person in Homer’s Odyssey. Womens’ sexuality is rarley seen as positive attribute in this society. Helen is the daughter of Zeus and she was inhumanly beautiful because of this lineage. Her desirability...