In the reading of Odysseus last week Professor Brann raised an interesting point. She asked “what do you think was the point of the game between Odysseus and Penelope?” And she also mentioned the idea that just maybe Penelope might have recognized Odysseus immediately.
I personally believe that there is a strong possibility that she had indeed recognized him in the instance she heard his voice. If we can agree that true love is an imprint of two lovers on each other it is a definite possibility. If that theory is accepted than even deaf, blind, and mute they would be able to know one another.
To answer the question as to why the games, I believe it was a way for the two to know one another once again. Ten years is a long time to be apart although once love exists it is never too late to find our back to it, it is nevertheless true that we as human need reassurance. I think that they needed to find their way back to each other; Penelope and Odysseus being who they are it is the perfect scenario.
So you think that the purpose of the game was not recognition, but reawakening? Like, they'd been gone for so long the spark went out, so they had to find a way to rekindle it?
ReplyDeleteSomewhat yes, I don’t believe the love they have for each other ever died. On the contrary I believe that it was so vivid that they wanted to make sure that the sentiments they bore wasn’t just for an idea. I think that they needed to find out that the person they loved was in fact still alive.
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