The Odyssey Essay

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back on his life and think of a way he could avoided his fate, if only he had not made
mistakes. By not taking any of the blame for his own mistakes, he had focused all of his
condemnation on Clytemnestra and all women, even honest ones like Penelope. By
shifting the blame from himself and onto someone else’s shoulders then he could be
innocent for all his crimes and show that his death was sad and blameworthy. It may not
have given him the vengeance that he wanted, but it would compensate that he was not in
the wrong.
In closing, the actions of two women, Clytemnestra and Penelope, affect
Agamemnon and Odysseus in different ways. The naiveté of Agamemnon, and his
subsequent betrayal, causes him to condemn all women of all generations to come. Even
the kindly Penelope, whom he acknowledges as being a woman fit to be sung of for all
ages, is still tainted in his eyes by Clytemnestra’s wickedness. All women were
inherently evil. The goodness, however, that Penelope showed to Odysseus, in remaining
faithful to him and treating him with kindness even when she did not recognize him as a
beggar, justified her in his eyes. Odysseus acknowledged her goodness and was able to
trust her, unlike the bitterness of Agamemnon. Agamemnon had trusted Clytemnestra
faithfully and his trust was betrayed. Odysseus trusted Penelope also, but was more
cautious and put her trustworthiness to the test. If Agamemnon had done what Odysseus
had done then he would not have made the trip to the underworld so quickly. He might
also have been able to see that there was some goodness in women, as evidenced by
Penelope, and not have his views prejudiced against all women for all time.
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