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Theme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

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In The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds, the countless examples of loyalty result in Odysseus and his family reuniting. When Odysseus is said to be dead or lost at sea, over a hundred suitors arrive at his kingdom, all wanting to marry his wife Penelope. Despite the hundreds of suitors constantly pestering her, she refuses to marry any of them. She continues to postpone her remarriage by telling them that she will remarry once she is done with her shroud, but destroys her work every night: “I wove a shroud for Laertes. All day I’d weave, but at night I’d pick out the work by candlelight. The trick worked for 3 years, but then my maids betrayed me” (Hinds 191). Her loyalty towards her husband is what kept her from marrying any of the suitors. Because …show more content…

When Athena, disguised as Mentes, tells him that he should go to Pylos for news of his father, he is quick to listen for this reason: “But why wait? Get rid of these thieves. Call the inlanders to assembly… Take a good ship with twenty oars and go abroad for news of your father… [Telemachus responds] I will” (Hinds 9). Because of this loyalty towards his father he continues to be guided by Athena and during his trip back from Pylos, Athena tells him to get dropped off slightly east of Ithaca which leads him to meet his father in Eumaeus’s House. Odysseus is another prime example of loyalty. When he is stuck on Calypso’s Island he is able to overcome the temptation to stay on the island with her and live an eternal life: “If you had any idea of the trials still in store for you, you would gladly stay with me, become immortal, and enjoy a life of bliss… Now, don’t be angry, Calypso… It is my one wish, the never-fading ache in my heart, to return to [Penelope] and to my own house” (Hinds 52). Due to his loyalty and love towards Penelope, he leaves the island on a wooden raft and begins his return back to Ithaca facing many hardships on the

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1277 Words | 6 Pages

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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191 Words | 1 Pages

Without loyalty, Eumaeus would have ignored Odysseus’s commands instead. Additionally, in “Odysseus and Penelope” Penelope proves her loyalty to Odysseus by not marrying any of the suitors. She instead ‘“[arms herself] / … against the frauds of men’” due to her love

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872 Words | 4 Pages

There are many examples of loyalty in The Odyssey. Mainly loyalty is shown when Penelope waits for Odysseus to return to Ithaca, Odysseus trying his best to return home, the gods being loyal to Odysseus throughout his journey, Telemachus helping his father with his journey, and the swineherd being loyal to Odysseus. One of the most prominent examples of loyalty in The Odyssey is shown through the character Penelope. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus. She has waited on the island Ithaca for twenty years in hope of Odysseus returning.

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627 Words | 3 Pages

He had hope that he would come back even after twenty years. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus by not marrying another man or losing hope. Another epic theme in The Odyssey is homecoming. The whole story is about Odysseus’ homecoming and all the struggles he faces trying to get home. Loyalty and homecoming are the main two themes throughout The Odyssey and they are shown a

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

The Odyssey the reader follow Odysseus as he leaves the Trojan War and makes his way home to Ithaca. On the way there he bounces from island to island introducing himself to everyone he meets, and embraces every diversion possible on the way home to Penelope. Although Odysseus kills the suitors when he gets back to Ithaca showing he is loyal to Penelope, the choices that he makes on the way home show his is not loyal because he cheats on her, is not in a hurry to get home, and does not tell Penelope when he gets home. As Odysseus made his way home he made choices so he could get home, but

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757 Words | 4 Pages

He has been dropped off back on Ithaca by the Phaeacians. On his journey back to Ithaca Odysseus has changed greatly. As the prophecy has said he has returned home on a strangers ship, without his crew, and as a broken man. Odysseus has gone to his loyal swine herder, Eumaeus. This passage that is spoken by Eumaeus represents two themes.

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913 Words | 4 Pages

Although Odysseus was given two chances to stay with a beautiful woman and become immortal, his love for Penelope, never ceased. Odysseus maintained his loyalty to his beloved because Homer wanted Odysseus to have heroic traits to make him more appealing as a role model in

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133 Words | 1 Pages

Odysseus battle advice could prove the loyalty of the clan and tribes that are part of the king’s regime. Although, many of the clan and tribesmen were completely worn out and ready to retreat, for they had been gone from home for nearly a decade. A man surely does not want their pride questioned. Speaking ill of them in a manner of incompetence of completing the fall of Troy. Can spark a full renewal of rage and confidence, so showing the clan and tribes in a more vulnerable state where each captain is to lead his troop into battle can show the king who is truly willing to put forth true power to eliminate the enemy, and who is weak in showing force, for they may even fall behind other troops for

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822 Words | 4 Pages

Penelope and Odysseus’ mutual devotion throughout their twenty-year separation conveys that those who remain committed to one another will be glorified. Meanwhile, those who commit deceitful actions demonstrated by Odysseus’ ship crew and his maids reveal that those who choose to be unfaithful will be punished. Odysseus and Penelope’s strong love and fidelity to one another, even after Odysseus’ long absence, demonstrates that faithfulness will lead to being awarded. Penelope had many chances to remarry while her husband was gone and seemingly lost at sea. She, however, rejected many of the offers given to her by the suitors and remained devoted to her husband or at least, his husband’s memory.

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1826 Words | 8 Pages

Loyalty in The Odyssey Most people believe that they are loyal, but are they loyal to the extent that Penelope is to her husband whom she hadn't seen for over twenty years? How about Odysseus, who struggled through so many difficult circumstances just trying to make it home to see his wife and son? Is any person’s dog really as loyal as Argos, who waits for two decades for his master come home before dying? Loyalty in The Odyssey is a very important virtue as it is shown by Penelope’s hopefulness, Odysseus’s perseverance, and other characters’ almost unrecognized acts of homage.

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1190 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus suffered the consequence of being away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope for 20 years. Odysseus was told by Athena and other gods, what to do during his journey. All of them told Odysseus that he couldn’t tell his men because they’d suffer a consequence. Odysseus listened to Athena and the gods because he only thought about himself and didn 't think about what his crew would say or do. When Odysseus and his crew passed by the mainland where the Cyclops lived, they were only going to stay for two days, but then out of curiosity, Odysseus wanted to see what kind of beast the Cyclops was which made them almost die.

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1204 Words | 5 Pages

It was through Athena’s persuasion that convinced Zeus to have Calypso to let Odysseus leave her island. In response to Athena, Zeus said, “You conceived it yourself: Odysseus shall return and pay the traitors back” (Homer, Odyssey, V.26-27). The only reason Odysseus was free and performed the actions that he did after leaving Calypso’s island was all attributed to Athena. Whenever Odysseus appeared to be in a perilous situation, it was Athena who always aided him. “But Zeus’s daughter Athena countered him at once.

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1547 Words | 7 Pages

People may say that Odysseus is not loyal to Penelope because he has affairs with Calypso and Circe, and isn’t loyal to Penelope when he came back. However, Odysseus is loyal because he has reasons for why he is with other women and he shows his loyalty to Penelope when he reunites to Ithaca. Also, this story can help people in the real world. This story can help relationships in ways that if a loved one leaves for a while to never lose loyalty for them. Always have hope in seeing each other again and to never lose the loyalty between each other.

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1524 Words | 7 Pages

He deserves loyalty from his crew because he tries to save them, he forgets about his needs, and does not actively put them in danger. Even though Odysseus puts his crew in bad situations at times. Well throughout the journey Odysseus figures out new ways to save and find his way back home. Even when his crew tries to ruin his journey he still keeps an open mind and will do anything for them. And as Mario Puzo once said, “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.”

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116 Words | 1 Pages

The definition of loyalty is the devotion and fidelity to a group. person or a cause. The opposite of loyalty is treason and faithlessness which is also known as disloyalty. In the modern world, there is a major difference in people who are either loyal or disloyal. Looking back to ancient Greek society, the difference between the loyal and disloyal is the same as today’s society.

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