How Is Odysseus Loyal

Loyalty & Disloyalty in The Odyssey

The Odyssey has many themes of loyalty in the story as well as themes of disloyalty. Throughout the story, Odysseus’ relationships with characters prove these motifs. Odysseus himself is a primary example of loyalty and he shows it in the interactions with the characters. Many of the disloyal interactions result in consequences that affect Odysseus in the form of the adversities he goes through in the story.

The god’s relationship with Odysseus symbolizes loyalty and disloyalty. For instance, Poseidon’s relationship with Odysseus. Odysseus mocks the gods and states that “the gods could not stop the Trojan War'' (Iliad, near the end). This is disloyalty to the gods, specifically Poseidon, as the gods help

Throughout the story Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus by waiting 20 years for her husband to return. Odysseus shows his loyalty to Penelope by wanting to go home as far as rejecting immortality for Penelope. Penelope proves this when she says “How I long for my husband--alive in memory, always” (88). Odysseus shows his loyalty to Penelope when he tells Calypso to “Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you, your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all and you, you never age or die… Nevertheless I long--I pine, all my days'' (159). Odysseus chooses Penelope over a Nymph who is far more beautiful than her. Odysseus even goes on to reject Calypso’s offer of immortality if he stays so that he can be with Penelope. Odysseus isn’t loyal to just his crew or his wife, he is loyal to Ithaca and his son. Telemachus is loyal to his father even though Telemachus does not know Odysseus at all, he still gives loyalty to Odysseus. Odysseus’ servants also show loyalty, mostly Eumaeus the swineherd, who is loyal to Odysseus after 20 years and helped him fight the suitors. Eumaeus goes as far as to build a wall to defend Odysseus’ pigs and sleeps outside to guard his swine. Philoetius the cowherd, is also another servant who is loyal to Odysseus and helped him fight the suitors. The relationship between Odysseus and Argos the dog is also a bond of loyalty because Argos waited for Odysseus to return. Odysseus and the suitor’s relationship represent disloyalty.Odysseus revealed himself to the suitors and didn't care if he was king or if he was back, they were going to kill Odysseus anyway and still planned on courting Penelope. This lead to Odysseus’ vengeance on the suitors killing them