Chapter 10 of The Odyssey is a cultural text that captures the ideals of the time it was written and sheds light on how people saw bravery and virtue. Hospitality, a prevalent pre-modern social custom, is at the heart of The Odyssey and is a fundamental part of the ancient Greek social order. This reading portrays ancient Greece’s cultural values like friendliness and courage. Aeolus, for example, is moved by Odysseus and extends the utmost kindness to him in the novel (Line 10). The Odyssey shows how individuals in ancient Greece valued “guest-friendship” as a form of hospitality. Under the norms of hospitality, it is customary for men to host visitors, give them food, bathing and friendship gifts, and guarantee safe overnight transit to their next destination. Odysseus’ ship is protected by an ox hide, which he secures around the ship’s mast and stows away. When guests arrive at their hosts’ houses, they are expected to behave in a manner that does not endanger their hosts’ safety or property.
Race and gender discrepancies are evident in The Odyssey, chapter 10. The Odyssey’s female characters shed light on ancient Greek society’s attitudes toward females at the era of the epic’s composition. This chapter is thought to be written in the 9th century, and it had a profound cultural impact on Greece and the rest of the Mediterranean area. ‘Alien’ people are racially categorized in the mythological realm of the novel in this chapter. The Odyssey is profoundly patriarchal because women are shown subtly smaller and weaker than males in practically every scenario. Circe’s ideological defeat to Odysseus is solely due to her status as a woman, not her state as a powerful individual. In this chapter, one can see the lowest point in The Odyssey for Odysseus and his crew. Temptation and wickedness can come from a woman. There are many examples of this in the book, like Circe’s use of her wicked poisons to erase all recollection of family (Line 258). The poem provides a glimpse into the culture even though less is known about living that era.
I think the writer presents the female protagonists of his work exquisitely. He showed that women might have wisdom and elegance, authority, and other qualities that males once thought of as possessing. Class and gender are strictly hierarchical at all levels, and crossing those boundaries was frowned upon for both sexes. Females in The Odyssey fit into one of a few categories: they were dangerous because they could lead and manage themselves without the help of men.
Chapter 10 of The Odyssey depicts the many challenges and lessons one must face and learn along one’s life journey. After reading this text, I feel it is vital to consider my options before acting on them to avoid getting into a trap. My above statement was triggered by Odysseus’ commitment to remain and struggle for his men rather than flee and save himself. People have been enticed or misled by their greed, just as Odysseus’s men were. In this book, Hermes aids Odysseus while Circe causes him harm. Individuals may see this passage via the life of a Greek hero named Odysseus. Odysseus was a man of great intellect and wisdom and was, in many ways, a better person than many of his contemporaries. Despite his greatness, Odysseus succumbed to conceit and succumbed to life’s harsh storms and tribulations because of his arrogance. I think the author addresses most of Odysseus’ hardships to give life lessons to the audience of this book.