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Respect In Homer's The Odyssey

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Respect in Homer’s The Odyssey is influenced by other people’s actions through hospitality, loyalty, and revenge. Homer highlights that the importance of respect is that people receive the respect they deserve. So if they show respect in good hospitality and staying loyal, then they will receive the same treatment. Hospitality is displayed by Telemakhos and the Phaiakians. Loyalty is shown through Odysseus and Penelope’s relationship, along with Orestes and Agamemnon’s. Homer also shows that if people do not display respect then they will be punished using revenge. Revenge is presented by Helios and Polythemous, with the help of the gods Zeus and Posiedon. Homer illustrates the significance of showing respect multiple times through various …show more content…

The importance of respect is represented through each character of The Odyssey. Respect through hospitality, is shown through every character in The Odyssey that has a home. Each time a guest comes to visit a house, good hospitality is expected of the host. Since the gods visit people, sometimes disguised as mortal men or women, it is common for the host to be polite to any visitor, in fear of disrespecting a god. Respect is also shown through the family by loyalty to each other. A husband-wife relationship that exhibits loyalty is Odysseus and Penelope. Out of their respect and love for each other they waited, and were finally reunited. Another example of loyalty in the family are the father-son relationships. A loyal father-son relationship is exhibited through Orestes and his deceased father Agamemnon. After Agamemnon’s wife’s betrayal, Orestes is loyal to his father, and sides with him. Respect, or the lack of it, is shown through characters need for vengeance through the epic. Since respect is such an important theme, when someone is disrespected by another, justice is encouraged by the gods. When Odysseus’s crew disrespects Helios by disobeying his orders, Helios’s calls for revenge. In another instance, Odysseus disrespects Polythemous who also calls for revenge. IT is very unlikely to disrespect someone and not receive justice. Homer strongly emphasizes throughout the epic that respect is earned. To receive proper respect, you must give proper respect. If proper respect is not given than not only will it not be received back, but punishment through revenge is very likely to come from the person insulted. Respect is determined by everyone’s individual actions in hospitality and loyalty. While the lack of respect given will determine the

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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).

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