ipl-logo

Examples Of Justice In The Odyssey

658 Words3 Pages

IV: Revenge v. Justice

Revenge and justice could be compared to a rope; these two terms convolute as they are employed synonymously, yet they noticeably overlap each other, all while still carrying a clear distinction between each other. One could draw this distinction by setting forth the notion of fairness; justice is, revenge isn’t. To that, I would respond that the mens rea of revenge could make it fair in many cases just as it could be unfair in other cases. Revenge is the central topic of Homer’s Odyssey, it also explains why Odysseus has a perilous journey home. Paradoxically, it also seems to be one of Odysseus’ main motivators. Justice often collides with the unwritten laws of hospitality and respect for family. For example, he seeks revenge on the suitors for disrespecting his home when he confronts the suitors, after killing …show more content…

Justice brings closure; when it is done it also closes the dispute. The downward spiral of revenge opens the door to an infinite vendetta that feeds on itself. One party gets satisfaction, and the other party wants its own satisfaction in return. This scheme leaves no room for resolution or compromise. Both sides have their own notion of right and wrong and their own motives. This unyielding mentality calls for a neutral third party to intervene to mediate and solve the discord. Justice intervenes logically, ethically, and legally. It has to do with making up for a wrong that most reasonable members of the said society would agree is wrong versus the opinion of the victim who is seeking justice. Revenge could also be defined as, usually violently, exteriorizing negative emotions. It can express a fiery desire for fatality. There is a perverted pleasure felt by causing suffering to those who caused it to

Show More
Related
1122 Words | 5 Pages

Can dishonesty be valuable if it was used to achieve desirable outcomes? Is lying considered justified if it was involved in a dangerous situation? It is not always bad to lie. As children, we were continuously taught to be honest. We have grown to be implanted with the fact that lying is unacceptable but admissible.

Read More
443 Words | 2 Pages

In the book the Odyssey, people broke into Odysseus 's house and tried to get his wife to marry them. They used is belongings for themselves, they broke into his house, and they tried to take the throne from him before even knowing if he was dead or not. In my perspective their punishment we 're not too severe they deserved to be punished for their actions. They threatened his wife and try to force her to marry them. Considering all that the Wooers did whether it was stealing, breaking, or forcing others to do what they told them to they all deserved what they got.

Read More
1122 Words | 5 Pages

Justice is derived from the root word just, meaning agreeing to what is considered morally right or good; treating people in a way that is morally right; or reasonable or proper. However, society has become so entangled up in the power which certain individuals possess, they forget all about what is “just”. The justice theory is that justice is at the advantage of the stronger. When an individual is described or depicted as being “strong”, that individual is typically of a larger build, possesses some sort of weapon that causes them to be mighty, and is typically large in size. No matter what circumstances arise, these individuals are expected to be victorious in each battle they fight.

Read More
1399 Words | 6 Pages

As the precise definition of justice cannot be definitively stated, the line separating just from unjust actions is incredibly obscure. Many factors may influence an individual’s perception of what constitutes justice, such as time period, culture, or personal morals. Thus, while an act may be considered righteous in one context, the same act may be ruled unjust in other contexts. For instance, when Odysseus finally returns home to Ithaca, as retribution for defiling his home and attempting to court his wife, Odysseus murders all of Penelope’s suitors. The extremely graphic depiction of his retribution had appeared almost superfluous, causing the morality of his actions to be brought into question.

Read More
255 Words | 2 Pages

In the story the Odyssey Odysseus travels from island to island to try to get back home to see his son and wife. Once Odysseus returned to Ithaca he soon realize the wooers had taken over his house and possessions. I believe justice was served because they wanted to take his wife, his food, and his wine. I don't think that Odysseus was justified by his actions because he didn't have to act like that. What I mean is he could have banished them instead of killing them.

Read More
262 Words | 2 Pages

Based on the article by Manual Velasquez (et. al.), “Justice and Fairness,” the concepts of justice and fairness are clearly illustrated as distinct from one another. Here, "Justice means giving each person what he or she deserves," while fairness "has been used to refer to the ability to make judgments that are not overly general, but that are concrete and specific to a particular case. " These ideas can be applied to the play, 12 Angry Men, where the playwright, Reginald Rose, illustrates the impossibility of true justice within a legal system where fairness is absent. Justice and fairness are connected and in the legal system you cannot have one without the other.

Read More
650 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the history of mankind, society has defined itself by law and the order that law creates. “Laws are the binding rules of conduct or action which the vast majority of the society has to abide”. Justice on the other hand is rather an abstract concept. There is no right or wrong definition of justice, but is rather agreed upon the concept of being fair and equal. Many would assume that the sole purpose of law is to establish justice, which seems like a wonderful philosophical theory but is slightly difficult to follow.

Read More
1314 Words | 6 Pages

What is the definition of a good person? The view of a good person changes as time goes on. However, the Odyssey is still the foundation of human morality. The Odyssey, created by Homer, is an ancient telling of a man named Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. The morals found in the Odyssey show readers the benefit of being able to view situations from multiple points of view.

Read More
1487 Words | 6 Pages

Injustice versus Justice in And Then There Were None Everyone has varying opinions on the definition of justice and injustice, and acts of which may be seen as fair or unfair to different individuals. A dictionary says that justice is the quality of being just; righteousness; equitableness; or moral rightness.

Read More
1455 Words | 6 Pages

Revenge is an emotion that has not only consumed many, it has been simplified that in all fairness one turn deserves another. Within the Iliad and its ever-present themes, the theme of revenge is against the Trojans due to Paris taking Meleanus ' wife Helen who was claimed to be the most beautiful woman in the land. Also, Achilles goes against Agamemnon who to take revenge on Achilles takes away his prize that he rightful deserved and

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

The reader can clearly see the theme searching for justice throughout the end of the story. The theme searching for justice can be easily spotted in the text when Odysseus returns home to fight the suitors, his heartfelt reunion with his lovely wife, and the peace that Athena restores to Ithaca. It is clear to see many characters were searching for justice, and what they believed was right. This was a time of hardships and problems, and sometimes choosing between what was right and what you believed in can make a large

Read More
1190 Words | 5 Pages

A major theme in the Odyssey is reciprocity: people getting what they deserve. Reciprocity is an important theme in the Odyssey because it explains why Odysseus’ journey was very long and treacherous. Eurylochus, Antinous, and Odysseus all suffered consequences due to poorly made actions. Each of them made the wrong decisions which lead to death and a long/adventurous journey. Eurylochus was the first to be killed by Odysseus and his men due to his actions.

Read More
753 Words | 4 Pages

Revenge is out of hate and anger, when you want revenge you’ll do anything to get it. Revenge doesn’t solve anyone’s problems because when an individual gets revenge on another individual, that person is going to retaliate and want revenge too; it’s just an ongoing cycle of hatred and anger. An example of this is in the movie John Q, in this movie John Q the father of Michael, comes to find out that his son has a serious heart condition and the family isn’t wealthy enough to pay for the procedure. As his son gets sicker and sicker John Q made as much money as he could, he soon became desperate. John Q wanted revenge on the hospital, because they didn’t put his sons name on the transplant list for a new heart.

Read More
718 Words | 3 Pages

“Retribution” or “Retributive justice” can be defined as “a theory of justice that considers punishment, if proportionate, to be the best response to crime.” (Wikipedia, 2016) Peter Koritansky, philosopher and author made a distinction between two views on retributive punishment in his work entitled “Two theories of retributive punishment: Immanuel Kant and Thomas Aquinas” in 2005 in which he believed that the Thomistic understanding of retribution is superior to that of Kant and this write-up is going to outline the reasons as to why he think this is the case. To illustrate this, it is vital therefore that we understand the Kantian retributivism and Aquinas’s understanding of punishment. Firstly the Kantian retributivism or the theory of retributive by Immanuel Kant suggests that punishment in the form of coercion of force is necessary to establish justice and to punish criminals, he emphasized that “Punishment by a court…can never be inflicted merely as a means to promote some other good for the criminal himself or for civil society, but that it must always be inflicted upon him for the fact that he has committed a crime”

Read More
1196 Words | 5 Pages

The concept of justice varies depending on the country, their cultures, and on individual people. Justice and mercy are important themes in The Merchant of Venice and are supported by quotes in the play; it is clearly seen that these two virtues cannot be achieved simultaneously. Justice calls for “an eye for an eye” and mercy asks for forgiveness and compassion towards the one who did wrong. Using examples from The Merchant of Venice, it can clearly be seen that these two human virtues can not be pursued at the same time. There are various definitions as to what justice truly is.

Read More

More about Examples Of Justice In The Odyssey

Related Topics

Open Document