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Should Odysseus Have Killed The Suitors

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Being killed for love was a big thing back in mythology times. Now a person killing for love would be put in jail for murder. People in mythology times loved people and were very loyal because the gods would reward them if they were. In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus should have killed the suitors because of the way they were acting towards him, the love for his wife, and the loyalty that his wife had for him. First, he should have killed the suitors because of the men at they were acting toward Odysseus. The suitors,mostly their leader, were acting mean toward Odysseus because he was disguised as a beggar. They were mean to him because they failed the test to string and shoot the bow and he asked if he could do the test. He strung and shot the bow perfectly, so his wife thought of him as a suitor. When Penelope left, Odysseus still had the bow, so that was his plan to kill them. Next, he should have shot the suitors because of the love he had for his wife. …show more content…

She tricked him and said, “Make up his bed for him, Eurycleia. Place it outside the bedchamber my lord built with his own hands. Pile the big bed with fleeces, rugs, and sheets of purest linen.” (Homer) Odysseus got really angry and then reminded Penelope about their secret. That was when she believed Odysseus that he was really her husband and that he really loved her. Last, he should have killed the suitors because of the loyalty his wife had for

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Penelope, his wife, is greatly affected; as many greedy suitors disrespect her and move into their home to try and win her hand in marriage. Throughout ‘The Odyssey’, the greed and folly of men play a huge part in increasing the difficulty and severity of Odysseus’s situations and ultimately change his fate and the directions of his journey. The greed and folly of men are largely represented by Penelope’s suitors. In the very first book of The Odyssey, the disgusting actions of the suitors were introduced to the readers.

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At the end of part 2 of the Odyssey, when Odysseus is finally home and confronts the suitors in his home, he decides to slaughter them all for invading his home and courting his wife: “Not for the whole treasures of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others will I hold my hand. There will be killing till the price is paid” (22.62-64). This quote from Odysseus shows that he was furious at the suitors, and he would allow no other atonement for their crimes except death. While the suitors all did wrong things, their actions did not deserve the death penalty. This shows that Odysseus was not thinking straight and being fair, and this is not something a hero would do.

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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.

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“Now I will bring them on as a trial for my suitors. The hand that can string the bow with greatest ease, that shoots an arrow clean through all twelve axes- he’s the man I follow, yes forsaking this house where I was once a bride,” (Od. 19.648-652). As soon as Penelope utters these words Odysseus urges her and assures her that her once lost husband will be home in time before the suitors can complete this task. This reassures Penelope that the beggar indeed is Odysseus.

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They hide the weapons and locks the doors from the suitors. Penelope challenges the suitors on who can string Odysseus’ bow and shoot the straightest at a target, that guy would get to marry her. None of the suitors could string it, but “Odysseus in disguise” could. Odysseus and Telemachus killed the suitors, he could claim Penelope. He finds her and rejoices that they’re together again.

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