Role Of Nausikaa In The Odyssey

1) Athena played a huge role in ensuring Odysseus’ safety and acceptance on Skheria. On page 99, it quotes “so on this night the goddess, grey-eyed Athena, entered the palace of Alkínoös to make sure of Odysseus’ voyage home.” When Nausikaa was sleeping, Athena disguised herself as Dymas’ daughter, a good friend of Nausikaa, and instructed her go to the washing pools in the morning to do the laundry. Athena intentionally sent Nausikaa to the area where Odysseus was sleeping. She knew Nausikaa, the daughter of Alkínoös, would be able to assist Odysseus in the asking of Alkínoös’ and Arêtê’s assistance in his voyage home. As Athena had hoped, Nausikaa tidied him up, directed him to the palace, and gave him instructions on how to greet her parents.

Odysseus had been put through terrible conditions and was now naked and alone in the forest. His appearance startles Nausikaa and her maids. He is described by way of an epic simile. “He pushed aside the bushes, breaking off with his great hand a single branch of olive, whose leaves might shield him in his nakedness; so came out rustling like a mountain lion, rain-drenched, wind buffeted, but in his might at ease, with burning eyes-who prowls among the herd or clocks or after game, his hungry belly taking him near stout homesteads for his prey.” In this simile, Odysseus is being compared to a hungry lion who is hunting for his prey. Nausikaa and her maids are being compared to the lion’s prey. Because, Odysseus hasn’t eaten in an extremely long time nor has he been well rested, the girls are frightened when he emerges from the forest. It seems as if there are almost his “prey” while he is the “mountain lion” coming at

“Stranger, there is no quirk or evil in you that I can see.” (104). She understands the hardships that he had been through and does her best to make him feel welcome, offering him clothing, food, and a place to stay. Nausikaa feels badly for what Odysseus has been put through. This is shown by the way she addresses him using phrases like “a poor man in distress” (104) and “poor fellow” (105). However once Odysseus bathes and dresses himself, her opinions of him change. “Uncouth he seemed, I thought so, too, before; but now he looks like one of the heaven’s people. I wish my husband could be fine as he and glad to stay forever on Skhería.” (106) She no longer saw Odysseus as an uncivilized stranger, but as a man who she desired to be a husband of her’s. When speaking of how he should enter the city, she claims that people would question whether or not he would be her husband, and how they could potentially mistake him for a god. She was very complimentary and had developed somewhat of a crush. Nausikaa felt that Odysseus was a good man from the start, but her feelings towards him changed when he cleaned himself