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Was Odysseus An Act Of Exaggeration?

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Odysseus returns to Ithaca after sailing the open sea for 10 years. After his arrival, he is set to take revenge against the suitors. Odysseus Slaughters the whole hall, the innocent, and evil. Although many may believe that Odysseus act of revenge was an exaggeration, it was true that Odysseus action towards the suitors was fair and reasonable. On one hand, slaughtering the whole crowd was an act of exaggeration, and it was unnecessary. Though the suitors were bad, they did not deserve death as a punishment. Penelope says to the maid “Here is a poor man, a wanderer, driven by want to beg his bread, and everyone in the hall gave bits, only Antinous threw a stool and banged his shoulder” (l.1275-1278). Though the suitors were rude, some still had manners and had pity on Odysseus. Slaughtering all the suitors was violent and inappropriate. Odysseus himself had no pity for others and was straight out violent. …show more content…

The suitors were very rude to Odysseus, in general, Antinous, they had no respect for him. While Odysseus is talking, Antinous says to him “enough Eat and be quiet where you are, or shamble elsewhere, unless you want these lads to stop your mouth, pulling you by the heels, or hands and feet, till your back is peeling.” (l.1248-1251). Odysseus was attended lowly, like an animal, and the suitors did not attempt to help or stand up for him. They just left him to be looked down upon. When Odysseus challenged to compete in the competition, the suitors did not hesitate to allow him. The suitors ridiculed him, and one disdainful suitor said: “may his fortune grow an inch for every inch he bends it!” (l.1369). The suitors had no manner, and respect for Odysseus, they deserved death as a

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Being disrespectful is the worst thing you can do in Greece. Everywhere in the world disrespecting someone is not a nice thing to do. Odysseus never disrespected anyone, like when he said “give me a rag for cover, just some cloths” (bk5, Pg162). He respected the girls and wanted to cover after he got to the island without cloths. There were all girls except Odysseus

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128 Words | 1 Pages

Pride and honor The suitors seem dangerously proud, especially when Odysseus returns. In the end, the suitors have dishonored Odysseus and must pay for this. Justice Odysseus, like Orestes, will eventually be a deliverer of justice. Justice takes time. Neither Orestes nor Odysseus can act immediately.

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995 Words | 4 Pages

These statements illustrate that although the death of the suitors was unfortunate, it was brought on by the suitors themselves. Because the suitors and their kinsmen had been warned beforehand about the possible dangers their actions may bring, there is no reason that they should’ve remained around the home of Odysseus. The many warnings expressed towards the suitors leaves their actions inexcusable and provides evidence as to why Odysseus and Telemachos’ actions reached the severity that they

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327 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus lived in a time where there was no court of law to determine punishment and justice. For Odysseus to kill around 50 men just so they would not marry his wife, was immensely violent and brutal, but it was necessary. It was both morally and ethically correct to kill these suitors especially since there was no law enforcement back in this time period. This justice system was the norm for people of that age and no regrets or mercy is needed.

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After Odysseus reveals his identity a lot happens. Well when he comes home after this war a lot has been rearranged and Odysseus isn 't to happy bout it. Things were taken, wife was disrespected, and his house was just taken over by wooers and the maids. Yes I do believe Odysseus was justified in his own actions.

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244 Words | 1 Pages

In Book 17 when Odysseus returns to Ithaca in the disguise of a beggar, he purposely finds the suitors to face up against. I think this is both a situation that tests his disguise and teaches Odysseus a lesson that he can use in his plan to defeat the suitors. He does this in order to understand what he is up against in order to win back his household. During a portion of the time. He gets into a verbal altercation with Antinous, a suitor, who throws a wooden stole at Odysseus striking him in the back and he responds to the insult with: "…but he stood unstaggered by Antinous' blow- just shook his head/ silent, his mind churning with thoughts of bloody work.

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609 Words | 3 Pages

This quote shows Odysseus telling the suitors that he will kill all of them. This takes an immense amount of bravery, as there are so many suitors to fight. Telemachus even believed that he couldn’t do it. The bravery and skills of Odysseus led him to victory and he defeated all the suitors who took his

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896 Words | 4 Pages

He wants to take revenge on those who had disrespected him and his wife. He disliked the way that they had acted while he was gone, and believed that the only solution was death of them all. Odysseus is angered and desires to “[kill] till the score is paid. (1468)” This reveals Odysseus’s nature and how he values vengeance.

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432 Words | 2 Pages

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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1399 Words | 6 Pages

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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187 Words | 1 Pages

Odysseus’ slaughter of the suitors was an act of justice and revenge. The act was revenge because slaughtering 108 men for courting your wife and eating your food is insane. If someone did that present-day, society would frown upon the person who committed such an act. It would be considered mass-homicide and the person would be jailed for life. On the other hand, the act is a form of justice because of the setting of the story.

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1631 Words | 7 Pages

Before skillfully killing the suitors, Odysseus berates them for wasting away his wealth and harassing his wife "Without any fear of the gods in high heaven / Or of any retribution from the world of men" (22.39–43). Odysseus implicates the suitors by calling out their behavior as equally uncivil and impious. Though Odysseus massacres the suitors for their transgressions, his response was justified as retribution on behalf of Athena and the gods. On the other hand, Clytemnestra's murder of her husband was

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755 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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414 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus shows considerable hubris when he brags to King Alconis about slaughtering the small village of Ismarus. Odysseus claims that he and his men “stormed that place,” enslaved the women, and slaughtered those who fought. (Homer 43). Due to Odysseus’ arrogant decision to assault Ismarus, a few of his men died. This demonstrates how arrogance and the hunger for victory will lead to certain death.

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680 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus came home to find suitors who were trying to marry his wife when he was away at war for 20 years. They have ruined his home and made it into a place of their own, all they wanted was the fame and power that Odysseus had and did not care to respect Penelope and Telemachus. When Odysseus finally revealed himself in the epic, he was able to get his revenge against the suitors. It has been long awaited but was able to kill them all including the fact that justice was served after all those years of their disrespect. Odysseus was able to put his revenge on the suitors when he found the opportunity after finding a way to disguise himself that way to gain trust from his people in his home.

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