ipl-logo

Examples Of Justice In The Odyssey

755 Words4 Pages

Imagine being apart from your family for over ten years, fighting for your life in a war, and in the many battles and problems you will face on your way home from war. Would you be able to fight a cyclops, pass a dangerous whirlpool and have to face the fact that your crew betrayed you? In the novel The Odyssey written by Homer, Odysseus must do all of these things and more. He has been away from his wife, son and many other family members for over ten years now, fighting for his life on his journey home after fighting in the Trojan war. But, after angering Poseidon by blinding his one eyed cyclops son, Odysseus must go through brutal situations to get home thanks to the fuming god. The theme, the search for justice, is very prevalent in this text because of the fight between Odysseus and the suitors, the reunion of Odysseus and his wife Penelope and when Odysseus visits his father Laertes and Athena must restore peace because of the fight that breaks out there. To begin, the theme searching for justice is shown clearly when Odysseus returns home and kills the suitors. The text states, “Odysseus took aim and hit him with an arrow in the throat. Its point passed through his tender neck.” This quote clearly supported the revenge and justice Odysseus was seeking on the suitors. It shows the how brutal Odysseus was and just how …show more content…

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

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Odysseus Wreck It Ralph And Homer's Odyssey

    624 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wreck it Ralph V.S Odyssey Hero Journey In almost all films and pieces of literature a hero’s journey is portrayed. A hero’s journey is an archetype present in all cultures and time periods. In a hero’s journey there are four main parts; however, there could be more. The four main parts are separation, initiation, discovery, and lastly return.

    Read More

  • Odysseus And Telemachos Go Too Far In Seeking Their Justice

    995 Words  | 4 Pages

    As the noble Odysseus’ returns to his beloved homeland of Ithaka, he comes to find a sea of suitors awaiting their chance at marrying his wife Penelope and taking his home as their own. After enduring a twenty year long odyssey, the Trojan war hero has run out of patience and seeks only to reunite with his family. Following his return, Odysseus and his son Telemachos plot to take their revenge on the suitors and retake their home. Their plan proves to be a success and their goal is reached, however a dilemma is now presented to the readers- did Odysseus and Telemachos go too far in seeking their justice? Post battle, it becomes evident that Odysseus and Telemachos’ actions were justified and rational due to evidence provided by Halitherses,

    Read More

  • Comparing Odysseus In The Odyssey And Siren Song

    336 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus always wanted to be the man who did what no man could do. This is very apparent in “The Odyssey” and “Siren Song”, two different works by two different authors in two different formats all about the same story. Odysseus deliberately faced the Siren’s death trap so that he could feel like a better man than any other. The Odyssey and Siren Song have very contrasting perspectives on the sirens intentions.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Greek Evil In The Odyssey

    418 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus yells, “...tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home’s on Ithaca (The Cyclops 505-506).” The most well-connected Greek evil thought is the abuse of false pride in the name of seeking praise in which it is not deserved, this is important to the context of the story because of Odysseus feeling the pride of harming a son of a god and wanting to see the praise showered upon him and not his other men. In the scene where Odysseus meets the Cyclops, he boasts about where he is from and what he had to do to get to the island to meet the

    Read More

  • Odysseus Tribulations In Homer's The Odyssey

    557 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey is an age old classic read around the world. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the story of the wayward Odysseus. The story follows the protagonist as he makes his way back home, dealing with man-eating Cyclopes, a vengeful god, and a possessive nymph. During the story, the reader sees many sides of Odysseus as he dealt with his tribulations, such the cunning and witful side, but also the pompous and indulgent side. To begin with, Odysseus is trapped on an island with the nymph, Calypso.

    Read More

  • Odysseus, The Wise Man In Homer's 'Odyssey'

    1319 Words  | 6 Pages

    Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, is a man that is looked at as a celebrity by humans because of his skillful fighting, and by the gods because of his intelligence and wits. The king went through numerous tasks and obstacles to get back to his homeland. One task in particular proves his power and the love he has for his loyal and wise wife, Penelope. Looking at lines four hundred fifty-one through four hundred seventy-one, the moment Odysseus, while disguised by the God Athena, proves to the suitors and workers that he is the rightful husband, king, and lord by stringing his own bow and shooting it through twelve axes; the task was quick and perfect for Odysseus.

    Read More

  • Is Odysseus A Hero

    500 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.

    Read More

  • How Does Telemachus Obtain Revenge In The Odyssey

    852 Words  | 4 Pages

    Odysseus seeks physical revenge, Penelope seeks emotional revenge, and Telemachus seeks emotional and physical revenge on the suitors and the effects of the war in The Odyssey, and while their actions may be seen as violent, their way of obtaining justice is acceptable because they used revenge to create clarity and justice for what they have lost. Odysseus mourns the loss of his men and the emotional damage that the war caused him through killing the suitors, displaying how revenge is often used as an attempt to heal pain. While on the island of Thrinacia, Odysseus and his crew attempt to escape the dangerous and destructive Charybdis and Scylla. As his men are “shrieking out [his] name for one last time”, Scylla throws Odyseus’ crewmates

    Read More

  • The Role Of Suffering In Homer's Odyssey

    1141 Words  | 5 Pages

    During Odysseus’ decade-long journey to his home, he encounters many forms of suffering, the most prevalent being transformative in nature. Transformative suffering, which is typically caused by mortals, themselves, alters a mortal being; albeit physically, mentally, or emotionally. In the first few years of his journey, Odysseus suffers the loss of much of his crew. He loses men while plundering a small island; he loses some to the lotus esters; and a few to Polyphemus. Throughout all these sufferings, Odysseus learns that he should listen to the advice of others; thus, transforming him mentally and emotionally through these sufferings.

    Read More

  • Odysseus's Trial

    1205 Words  | 5 Pages

    As an attorney for the side of the prosecution, I believe the jury’s verdict to find Odysseus guilty of first-degree murder was in good taste. The evidence and arguments of the prosecution proved to be irrefutable. Contrastingly, the arguments from the defense were cracked, founded upon technicalities, and did not justify letting a killer walk free. Both sides presented their case, but the strength of both was not equal. In the end, the lack of solid reasoning from the defense and the strong delivery of the prosecution led to the guilty verdict.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Crew In The Odyssey

    1764 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Epiphany In The Odyssey

    1094 Words  | 5 Pages

    Teiresias explains his lesson to Odysseus: As Fitzgerald writes, “But anguish lies ahead; the god who thunders on the land prepares it, not to be shaken from your track, implacable, in rancor for the son whose eye you blinded. One narrow strait may take you through his blows: denial of yourself, restraint of shipmates” (Fitzgerald 188). It is here that Odysseus discovers the error of his ways, and sees the scene from a different standpoint. He finally learns that it was his stabbing of Polyphemos that has angered the gods, who in turn have kept him from his home.

    Read More

  • Temptation In The Odyssey Analysis

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to

    Read More

  • Morality In The Odyssey

    1314 Words  | 6 Pages

    However, Zeus saw the two sides of the gods’ feelings towards Odysseus. “‘Great Odysseus/ who excels all men in wisdom... it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased,/ forever fuming against him..’” (1.78-83). Zeus created an equilibrium so that Poseidon could take out his anger on Odysseus through punishment, and Athena receives the duty of making sure Odysseus gets home to Ithaca.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Reciprocity In The Odyssey

    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

More about Examples Of Justice In The Odyssey

Open Document