ipl-logo

Theme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

436 Words2 Pages

In The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds, the countless examples of loyalty result in Odysseus and his family reuniting. When Odysseus is said to be dead or lost at sea, over a hundred suitors arrive at his kingdom, all wanting to marry his wife Penelope. Despite the hundreds of suitors constantly pestering her, she refuses to marry any of them. She continues to postpone her remarriage by telling them that she will remarry once she is done with her shroud, but destroys her work every night: “I wove a shroud for Laertes. All day I’d weave, but at night I’d pick out the work by candlelight. The trick worked for 3 years, but then my maids betrayed me” (Hinds 191). Her loyalty towards her husband is what kept her from marrying any of the suitors. Because …show more content…

When Athena, disguised as Mentes, tells him that he should go to Pylos for news of his father, he is quick to listen for this reason: “But why wait? Get rid of these thieves. Call the inlanders to assembly… Take a good ship with twenty oars and go abroad for news of your father… [Telemachus responds] I will” (Hinds 9). 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). Due to his loyalty and love towards Penelope, he leaves the island on a wooden raft and begins his return back to Ithaca facing many hardships on the

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

    191 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Examples Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

    329 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Odysseus Lack Of Loyalty In Homer's The Odyssey

    1180 Words  | 5 Pages

    Odysseus makes the journey back to Ithaca because he wants to see Penelope. Even when he gets trapped on Calypso’s island for seven years, slowing him down. Eventually, Calypso lets a forlorn Odysseus go by a demand from Hermes. Despite Calypso being the most beautiful being in the world, Odysseus wants to leave, which causes Calypso to ask “‘Son of Laertes… after all these years with me, you still desire your old home? Even so, I wish you well.

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Odyssey Essay

    627 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Importance Of Trust In The Odyssey

    1451 Words  | 6 Pages

    Ziad K. Abdennour, President and CEO of Black Hawk Partners once said, “Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three,” (Quotefancy). Odysseus, king of Ithaca and his dwindling crew have been wandering for 10 years since the Trojan War. During this time, they were involved in a series of adventures and faced many obstacles as they struggled to return home to their families. Without honest, cooperative soldiers Odysseus would never have returned home to his wife and son.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Loyalty Analysis

    1313 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Odyssey the reader follow Odysseus as he leaves the Trojan War and makes his way home to Ithaca. On the way there he bounces from island to island introducing himself to everyone he meets, and embraces every diversion possible on the way home to Penelope. Although Odysseus kills the suitors when he gets back to Ithaca showing he is loyal to Penelope, the choices that he makes on the way home show his is not loyal because he cheats on her, is not in a hurry to get home, and does not tell Penelope when he gets home. As Odysseus made his way home he made choices so he could get home, but

    Read More

  • Relationship Of Odysseus And Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

    103 Words  | 1 Pages

    This quote is very important because Odysseus and Penelope finally reunited after long years. Odysseus and Penelope have a strong relationship because Penelope shows loyalty, love, and faith. Odysseus loyalty is in his battles to get home to his wife. Penelope's loyalty is steady as she waits for Odysseus while raising their son, staying faithful to him and refusing to take a suitor. The quote represents the love they share across miles and over the years is very resisting as both promise that they will be reunited.

    Read More

  • Odysseus And Greed In Homer's The Odyssey

    1277 Words  | 6 Pages

    His fate and journey are ultimately changed by the actions of others who are selfish, greedy, and foolish. The suitor’s greed gave him the extra desire to finally return to Ithaca, and his journey changed as he became desperate to return to Penelope. The selfishness crew caused his journey to be delayed, as he was forced to travel for ten extra days. The foolish crew, and their need to die with full stomachs caused Odysseus to be alone and stuck on an island with Kalypso resulting in more time away from

    Read More

  • Disrespecting The Gods In Homer's Odyssey

    1204 Words  | 5 Pages

    After finding Proteus, Menelaus was not allowed to sail home due to not respecting the gods. Proteus says, “How wrong you were! ... You should have offered Zeus and the other gods a handsome sacrifice, then embarked, if you had hoped for a rapid journey home across the wine-dark sea" (Homer, Odyssey, IV.529-532). By not paying his respects to the gods before going off to war, Menelaus had his voyage prolonged as a result. The only way he could home was to go back to Egypt and pay his respects to Zeus, the king of the gods.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

    872 Words  | 4 Pages

    There are many examples of loyalty in The Odyssey. Mainly loyalty is shown when Penelope waits for Odysseus to return to Ithaca, Odysseus trying his best to return home, the gods being loyal to Odysseus throughout his journey, Telemachus helping his father with his journey, and the swineherd being loyal to Odysseus. One of the most prominent examples of loyalty in The Odyssey is shown through the character Penelope. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus. She has waited on the island Ithaca for twenty years in hope of Odysseus returning.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Loyalty To Penelope In Homer's The Odyssey

    1547 Words  | 7 Pages

    People may say that Odysseus is not loyal to Penelope because he has affairs with Calypso and Circe, and isn’t loyal to Penelope when he came back. However, Odysseus is loyal because he has reasons for why he is with other women and he shows his loyalty to Penelope when he reunites to Ithaca. Also, this story can help people in the real world. This story can help relationships in ways that if a loved one leaves for a while to never lose loyalty for them. Always have hope in seeing each other again and to never lose the loyalty between each other.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Return To Ithaca In Homer's Odyssey

    358 Words  | 2 Pages

    Several instances of strong allegiance to Odysseus can be seen as Odysseus returns to Ithaca and interacts with Eumaeus under disguise. Odysseus’ wife, Penelope, is one of the reoccurring examples of continued loyalty to Odysseus throughout the epic. Eumaeus mentions that anytime someone comes to Ithaca proclaiming “news” concerning Odysseus, Penelope will welcome them and ask for details, only to be disappointed and continue grieving. Even ten years after his disappearance, she shrugs off her suitors in hopes that he will someday return to her. She has come up with numerous schemes to avoid marriage, thus preventing another from ruling Ithaca in Odysseus’ absence through marriage to her.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Reciprocity In The Odyssey

    1190 Words  | 5 Pages

    Odysseus suffered the consequence of being away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope for 20 years. Odysseus was told by Athena and other gods, what to do during his journey. All of them told Odysseus that he couldn’t tell his men because they’d suffer a consequence. Odysseus listened to Athena and the gods because he only thought about himself and didn 't think about what his crew would say or do. When Odysseus and his crew passed by the mainland where the Cyclops lived, they were only going to stay for two days, but then out of curiosity, Odysseus wanted to see what kind of beast the Cyclops was which made them almost die.

    Read More

  • Whats The Difference Between Loyalty And Loyalty In The Odyssey

    116 Words  | 1 Pages

    The definition of loyalty is the devotion and fidelity to a group. person or a cause. The opposite of loyalty is treason and faithlessness which is also known as disloyalty. In the modern world, there is a major difference in people who are either loyal or disloyal. Looking back to ancient Greek society, the difference between the loyal and disloyal is the same as today’s society.

    Read More

  • Essay On Loyalty In The Odyssey

    1524 Words  | 7 Pages

    He deserves loyalty from his crew because he tries to save them, he forgets about his needs, and does not actively put them in danger. Even though Odysseus puts his crew in bad situations at times. Well throughout the journey Odysseus figures out new ways to save and find his way back home. Even when his crew tries to ruin his journey he still keeps an open mind and will do anything for them. And as Mario Puzo once said, “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.”

    Read More

More about Theme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

Open Document