The Odyssey is a classic epic that tells the story of an ancient Greek hero named Odysseus and his journey back to his homeland of Ithaca. After fighting in the Trojan War he returns home. This epic poem has been passed down through generations in ways of storytelling, acting, and written text. It has become an essential part of Western literature. The Odyssey is a profound narrative that explores a diverse set of themes, including the consequences of human actions, the importance of loyalty, and the value of hospitality. These themes have played a constant role in everyone's life throughout history and are especially important in today's society. These themes come to us through imagery and mood, fostering us to look deeper into the individual characters and reflect on their arc throughout the poem and reflect how this …show more content…
Throughout the story, loyalty is a significant factor that drives the actions of many of the characters, including Odysseus. The loyalty Odysseus exhibits to his men as well as his wife is almost unparalleled. Odysseus is loyal to his men, and he risks his life to save them from danger. Throughout his time in the Trojan War and then his 10-year journey back to his wife, most people would have given up on a journey spanning 20 years. However, Odysseus persevered through his loyalty to a higher power than “gods and country” his wife. His wife Penelope and his son, Telemachus, remain loyal to him despite his extended absence, and they wait patiently for his return. His wife turns away suitors that offer her much more than a man who has been gone for 20 years. Loyalty was the reason this family was able to stay together and the reason for Odysseus’ final return. These examples highlight the importance of loyalty, both in terms of relationships and personal values. The consequences of actions play a role here as well, the consequence here is that the family and the lovers Odysseus and Penelope can
Without loyalty, Eumaeus would have ignored Odysseus’s commands instead. Additionally, in “Odysseus and Penelope” Penelope proves her loyalty to Odysseus by not marrying any of the suitors. She instead ‘“[arms herself] / … against the frauds of men’” due to her love
The Odyssey Essay The Odyssey is a life-long tale of love, war, and the mythical. Odysseus, the main character, is a brave man that battles monsters, mortals, gods, and goddesses to see his wife in Ithica once more. Throughout the story, Odysseus faces the death of his crew, the sacrifice of innocent lives, and the loyalty of family and kin. But he is not the only one struggling under brute conditions.
Loyalty is a very typical theme found in many pieces of literature. Homer's story “The Odyssey” conveys this abundant use of loyalty by displaying the adventures and temptations the main character of this story goes through to stay loyal to his spouse. Adventures The protagonist of this story, Odysseus, went through many adventures throughout 10 years to make it home to his wife, Penelope. For instance, during his journey, he was captured by Calypso (Homer 562).
Loyalty Is the Best Policy Imagine a world which had been ruled by a trustworthy leader for decades. The land and people are all at peace, but as soon as the leader turns their back to protect them, many of the once trustworthy and loyal citizens are now betraying this leader. Among all the traitors, some loyalty is still scattered about the land. It's hidden in small and unsuspected ways. This land is called Ithaca, Odysseus' home in the epic poem, "The Odyssey" by Homer.
Jonas Fisk Mrs. May English I Honors 15 March 2023 The Odyssey: Legacy or Loyalty In the ancient system of Feudalism, dukes, lords, knights, vassals, and serfs all had to display loyalty to the king or else the kingdom would crumble. Loyalty is made through connections. No connection is stronger than familial bonds.
He had hope that he would come back even after twenty years. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus by not marrying another man or losing hope. Another epic theme in The Odyssey is homecoming. The whole story is about Odysseus’ homecoming and all the struggles he faces trying to get home. Loyalty and homecoming are the main two themes throughout The Odyssey and they are shown a
Even though Odysseus has already faced so many tough situations like these, he continues to try to get back home, demonstrating the strength of his spirit. Through the use of his determination, he keeps his men going on the journey. Odysseus encourages his men to keep going, even when it seems impossible, or times are rough: like when they were blown back to Aeolus when Ithaca was in sight. Menelaus shows the importance of maintaining relationships and friendships through his interaction with Telemachus when Telemachus asks Menelaus to let him go back to Ithaca.
The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Homer, follows the journey of Odysseus as he faces nonstop trials that risk his life on his way home to Ithaca. Homer characterizes Odysseus’s extreme loyalty to portray the specific trait of a Greek epic hero. One day, Calypso is told by Zeus that she has to release Odysseus from her island, which she had been keeping him captive on. So, Calypso, mad at the gods' hypocrisy, tries one last attempt to get him to stay: “After all these years with me, you still desire your old home? Even so, I wish you well.
The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a Greek hero who embarks on a dangerous journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus experiences several hurdles
Although Odysseus occasionally does something for the short-term benefit of his crew, he does not deserve their loyalty because he does not sincerely care about them, trust them, or listen to them. Even when Odysseus is in the middle of nowhere in a boat with his comrades and crew members for twenty years, he still manages to not care about them and think of his own life as more valuable than any of theirs. An example of this is when Odysseus sends his men into danger instead of being a leader and going first: “All I spied was a plume of smoke, drifting off the land. / So I sent some crew ahead to learn who lived there -- / men like us perhaps, who live on bread?”
Because of this loyalty towards his father he continues to be guided by Athena and during his trip back from Pylos, Athena tells him to get dropped off slightly east of Ithaca which leads him to meet his father in Eumaeus’s House. Odysseus is another prime example of loyalty. When he is stuck on Calypso’s Island he is able to overcome the temptation to stay on the island with her and live an eternal life: “If you had any idea of the trials still in store for you, you would gladly stay with me, become immortal, and enjoy a life of bliss… Now, don’t be angry, Calypso… It is my one wish, the never-fading ache in my heart, to return to [Penelope] and to my own house” (Hinds 52).
Without a doubt in both The Odyssey and The Outsiders, loyalty, and impulsivity are both key characteristics in the novels. Penelope, Odysseus’ compassionate wife, and Dally, The Outsiders' tough bad boy share more characteristics than you may think of, but yet they are very different. Both characters are incredibly loyal to their friends and family, but Dally's sense of impulse is off the charts whereas Penelope carefully can think things through. For instance, we can perceive that during the time Penelope was waiting for Odysseus to come home... She was starting to create a tapestry and told the suitors that once she was finished weaving that she would find a new hand in marriage and remarry, which would also keep her loyal to Odysseus’
Though he might be putting himself in danger, the fact that Everett attempts to save Tommy proves his loyalty but also establishes confidence and determination, as he trusts himself to get Tommy out safely of the situation. Odysseus has the same affectionate and loyal personality, and he exhibits it when he finally embraces Penelope after 20 long years of separation: “The more she spoke, the more a deep desire for tears welled up inside his breast—he wept as he held the wife he loved, the soul of loyalty, in his arms at last” (Fagles, 388). Upon reuniting with Penelope, Odysseus’s reaction suggests that he was loyal to her throughout his journey. Odysseus only seems to be experiencing his love for Penelope in their moment of embrace, not a feeling of guilt one would get from breaking their partner’s trust or dwelling on his selfishness towards his now deceased crewmates. His loyalty is established by the fact that he is embracing Penelope with none of these thoughts or memories of guilt.
To please both sides I say Odysseus isn't loyal to Penelope, but rather loyal to the idea of being with
Penelope's loyalty is shown through her hope that Odysseus will return home and her persistence in not marrying any of the