Book VIII, Lines 101-106
“This was the song
The renowned bard sang. But Odysseus
Pulled his great purple cloak over his head
And hid his handsome face. He was ashamed
To let the Phaeacians see his tears falling down.
Whenever the singer paused, Odysseus
Would wipe away his tears, pick up his great cup
And pour libations to the gods.”
What’s significant about this passage is the way that Odysseus shows or rather conceals his emotion in parallel to Penelope and Telemachus. Odysseus cries in response to a song which recalls on his feud with Achilees who dies as well as the fact that the destiny of Greeks and Romans was predetermined. Odysseus’ reaction is rather different than that of Penelope and Telemachus. Penelope cries because of the song that tells of men coming back from war and Odysseus is not one of those men. She gets dismissed as being dramatic and running the mood which in a sense also reflects on the gender roles in the Odyssey. Women are certainly more accepted for showing their emotions but also plays on the stereotype that women are more dramatic and are supposed to yearn for their lovers remaining dependent on them. Penelope is supposed to cry in despair and constantly grieve Odysseus, displaying her loyalty to him. But also we see a parallel between Odysseus and Penelope as they are moved by songs and have a connection that is far beyond their great intellect. Odysseus, on the contrary is crying because of his feud rather than because he misses Penelope and Telemachus. Odysseus is ashamed to show his emotion as it would perhaps decline his image as a hero. The fact that he is using a purple cloak is also significant as well. It represent royalty, rarity and subconscious. The fact that it represents the subconscious is important because, Odysseus is reminded of who he was and his past and who he is now. He might have lost himself a little during his travels, but now he has finally gained that self-awareness. The color purple also displays conceit and pomposity which we see Odysseus show later as he is challenged by an athlete and responds by praising himself. However looking at the way Telemachus displays his emotion, it is more accepted and actually serves the purpose of gaining pathos from his audience. By displaying his emotion, Telemachus able to gain a following and persuade others that he is truly in need of help to find his father. This complexity of emotion in the Odyssey makes it difficult to perceive if a true hero is supposed to show his emotion or hide it. We constantly see Odysseus inspiring his men to stop grieving but he himself is guilty of this. In this particular instance, Odysseus hides his emotion while with Circe, he bluntly starts crying as he is forced to visit Hades (the underworld god). This could mean that it is accepted to show one’s emotion in front of a woman, even a goddess, as long as it’s not in front of a man. Even though, Telemachus is not ashamed to cry in front of men, it is his own immature way of getting what he wants. While in Odysseus’ case it is the memory of a lost friend and a foe and the way that world could have been if the conflict between the Romans and Greeks never happened.
I think your analysis of the symbolism of the purple cloak is dead on, and I agree with it fully. Throughout the epic, most of the characters develop through their interactions with other characters. Like you said, emotion plays a role in this, and I’m curious what emotion, if any, would purple represent?
I find myself in agreement with you when you talk about the use of emotion and the Odyssey and it’s complexity. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when it is okay to cry and when it isn’t. There was a passage in the Odyssey where everyone in the room starts crying and doesn’t hide it at all. However Odysseus hides his crying here. Perhaps there is a personal reason for this, such as trying to maintain anonymous.
I totally agree with your perception of emotion as such an important part of this epic. I also think that many of the actions carried on by the characters in this epic are driven by emotion. On the other hand, it’s noticeable that most of the time men cry in this epic, they cover their faces so nobody sees their tears. Is the objective of this action, to not show weakness to others? Could this be part of their manners? or is there any other type of reasons that could demonstrate the main objective of this action?
Very ambiguous
Hi Ana,
This response does a truly wonderful job of linking this moment to others like: moments not only when characters weep, but when they weep specifically in response to a song or story. Your analysis of how gender plays into both Penelope and Odysseus’ manner of weeping, and the responses their audience have to that weeping, is particularly interesting. (What do you make of the fact that it’s Telemachus, specifically, who instead of displaying sympathy for his mother, chastises her? Is this moment only about cultural assumptions regarding women–or is Telemachus trying to prove something about his own manliness, too? And if that’s the case–is his weeping, later on, more complicated than it at first appears?)
I would love to hear more about the specific details of the passage. You are spot-on that the purple cloak is a rich fabric (where did he get this cloak?? Does that matter? Is Telemachus’ cloak–which also features, in his weeping scenes–also purple?). You mention it may represent the subconscious. As a reader, I am not sure I quite follow your thinking here, but there is definitely something going on with the cloak as a means of concealment that in fact REVEALS his emotional state. The very gesture designed to hide his weeping of course calls attention to him; as he masks his face, he becomes extremely conspicuous.
Overall, this is a complex and thoughtful response. It raises many questions, especially about gender and displays of emotion, and while it only poses provisional answers, that seems to be a function of the text’s complexities, rather than the author’s (your!) refusal to think deeply. Well-done.
Best,
Prof Kolb