In book 16th of Odysseus, Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus. What does the reaction of the two characters tell us about the Greeks' attitude towards the expression of emotion? How does their attitude differ from ours?

Question

Jazlene Villarreal

Social Studies

13 April, 06:19

In book 16th of Odysseus, Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus. What does the reaction of the two characters tell us about the Greeks' attitude towards the expression of emotion? How does their attitude differ from ours?

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Answers (1)

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Craig Hansen · Answer 1

They were in touch with their emotions.

Explanation:

When Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus, both the characters started crying. Odysseus then kisses his son and they both allow their emotions to flow. This highlights that the Greeks were open in terms of expressing their emotions and had an open attitude towards the expression of emotion. It does differ from the American culture where I think that showing emotions is still considered a weakness for men. An American man is still supposed to not cry in front of their family or in public and is not supposed to show emotions of too much love or too much anger. Only in movies we tend to hear or see emotional scenes with anger or love but in real we still refrain from showing emotions.