Intro: There are a wide variety of themes present throughout the Odyssey, written by Homer. Be it hospitality, perseverance, vengeance or power of the Gods, loyalty is truly the theme that brings the whole book together. Being 10 years after the Trojan War, many have forgotten about Odysseus and his men as they constantly brave what the gods throw their way. This essay will be talking about Odysseus and Penelope’s mutual loyalty to one another, the loyal relationships between Gods and men and finally, the loyalty Odysseus’ men show for him until death. This essay with prove to us that without loyalty, Odysseus’ legendary journey would have been put to an end near where they started. The general theme of loyalty is what kept Odysseus …show more content…
She tries to do the same to him, but he previously took an antidote that was handed to him by Hermes. Circe black mails Odysseus into not turning his men back unless he makes love to her. He with the witch for a ‘year’ on the island of Ogygia and finally decides that he needs to be with his true love so he leaves her. QUOTE!!(Book 11) On the return of the legendary Odysseus, Penelope really does not believe what she sees and claims the figure standing in front of her is actually not the man of her life. QUOTE!!(Book 23) Gods played a great role back in ancient civilizations and still do so to a certain extent, just not as intensely. Today, we have many different gods and religions, but for the most part, they are not nearly as serious as they were back in the days of Odysseus. Gods were believed by all to run the whole show and could end lives if they chose. Whatever humans did had to reflect on what the Gods would think of it since it was they who controlled the thin line between life and death of every living soul. The relationships between men and Gods are shown as a serious topic in the Odyssey for several reasons and are also shown through several examples. Athena is shown to be the most kind and helpful Goddess for Odysseus and this is shown by her doing all in her power to help him get back home to his family as
Fidelity is the crucial virtue in The Odyssey. Fidelity is what drives the story of Odysseus’s journey: it is both Odysseus 's reason for returning home and the means for him to get home. In the course of the story, Homer dramatizes the nature of fidelity by contrasting different forms of fidelity and their opposites. This essay will examine three forms of fidelity and the roles they play in Odysseus 's journey.
Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey, is a man of great courage who is married to Penelope, Queen of Ithaca. Even though it is clear that Odysseus is married to Penelope, he is involved in intimate relations with a few goddesses on his journey home to Ithaca from the Trojan War. For example, regardless of Odysseus’ longing to return home, he is tempted first by Calypso, spending eight years imprisoned on her island, and ultimately remaining true to Penelope in his heart. Also, he spends a year with Circe, a seductress, in order to liberate his men from living as swine. Furthermore, Odysseus’ faithfulness to Penelope is almost compromised when he and his men pass the Sirens—women who entice men to their “death” utilizing their beautiful voices. Additionally, Greek and Christian marriage standards are distinctly different. Christians believe that marriage is a sacrament, or union between one man and one woman that is blessed by the church, while pagans hold to a belief of self-uniting marriage known as “handfasting”— a historical term for a betrothal or wedding that is sometimes acknowledged as a temporary engagement. This paper will explain how Odysseus remained faithful to his
The main character of the story is Ulysses he is king of Ithaca he has a wife named Penelope and a son named Telemachus.Ulysses is known for his homecoming which took him 20 years to get home.Today I am gonna be writing about the theme of the Odyssey.The theme is loyal, I will be providing examples why the theme is loyal in the following paragraphs.
Do you believe in God? Do you consider yourself to have moral values? In the Odyssey by Homer, a soldier has yet to return home, from the Trojan war. He faces many challenges sent to him by the Gods and Goddesses, all so he can return home safely. The Odyssey is a reflection of the essential values and religious beliefs because of loyalty, acceptance, and cleverness.
Loyalty appears many times throughout the course of The Odyssey. Circe let Odysseus and his crew stay with her for an entire year. She gave Odysseus advice about how to get to the underworld to meet the blind prophet Tiresias, along with advice on defeating the beasts Scylla and the sirens. Circe was crucial for Odysseus's survival. His crew might have lasted too if only they listened to her as well. Circe also leads Odysseus to become more humble in the end because, in a way, she makes it so he can't make all of the rules and plans anymore, but just tells his men what she says is the right thing to
One of the most overused and cliche statements is “What you put in a relationship is what you will get out of the relationship” If a person is not loyal in the relationship and does not put much effort into it, they are going to get the same thing in return. This is relevant to the characters in the epic poem The Odyssey written by Homer translated by Robert Fagels. The main character, Odysseus is on his journey back home to Ithaca from being a part of the war in Troy. While he is on his journey, he also has his crew mates with him and they go through experiences that test their loyalty for each other. Throughout their journey together, Odysseus hurts his crew more than helped them. This results in Odysseus not deserving loyalty from his crew.
What is being loyal to someone mean? Well being loyal means the quality of being loyal to someone or something. And in the epic poem Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fagles Odysseus does not show that to his crew. Even though Odysseus does not show loyalty to his crew he cares about his crew he doesn't deserve full loyalty from his crew members because he puts his crew in unknown places , does not communicate with them , and he waste time on his journey. but some may say that Odysseus helps his crew when they need the help and he is caring for them. They also might say that he is trying to get the crew out of hard situation like with the lotus eaters when his crew lost all memory he knew that they were in danger so he got
The acts of heroes inspire people and the way they fulfill their life. Homer’s novel The Odyssey and The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell by John Crawford both show similar heroic traits. Odysseus and John both reveal the heroic qualities of loyalty and determination while returning home. In these novels Odysseus and John show loyalty and determination through dependence, trust, and perseverance.
Loyalty is a rare trait among humans. Throughout the Odyssey, by Homer, this theme is conveyed in many ways reflecting Odysseus, to prove he is a loyal man among other virtues. Odysseus combats many trials throughout his journey to come back it his wife, and in doing so proves to the Gods Zeus and Poseidon he is worthy of returning to his home. Home expresses many themes of virtues through the literary devices characterization, loyalty, and willpower.
Odysseus is the most remarkable character and the hero of the text “The Odyssey”. Although Odysseus is considered to be a hero in the text, he does not have an epic entrance of a hero. It actually begins with the crucial presentation of figure that captive in the island of a nymph Kalypso. Based on the facts were given, Odysseus is not a character who symbolizes the stereotype of physical strength. The more important he values is the dependence on deliberate strategies rather than masculinity. His devotion to own family is the most significant point of Odysseus. The metaphorical significance of Odysseus’ perspective of Family Ideology since the long journey is the heart of being a family hero.
THE LOYALTY IN THE ODYSSEY The Odyssey is an epic poem that shows the importance of loyalty. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, goes to war to protect his kingdom, immediately after his son Telemachus is born. When he is off at war, he experiences various obstacles that put his life at risk while still proving his loyalty to his family. Throughout the course of the poem, significant examples of the importance of loyalty in Ancient Greece are shown through Penelope, Telemachus, and along with Odysseus.
As shown in The Odyssey by Homer and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, loyalty is a huge asset to the happiness of life because it makes family stronger and trust more dependable.
The Odyssey Essay One of the most significant values of Greek culture demonstrated in The Odyssey is loyalty. A prime example of this is when Odysseus turned down Calypso’s offer to stay on the island with her, and in turn, he would become immortal. He told her, “Yes it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home…” (1515). An addition, a substantial precedent of the characters in the book being adherent is when Odysseus has to make a tough decision on whether to have a possibility that six of his men could die from the six-headed monster known as Scylla, or that all of his men could die by an enormous whirlpool known as Charybdis. He has to make a decision on what's best for the most amount of his men.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, there is an ill-fated man named Odysseus who is trapped on an is his fretful, teenage son, Telemachus, who rules his palace on the Greek island of Ithaca, and eventually goes on a quest to Pylos to find his missing father. Odysseus eventually escapes his island to go to another island, Phaeacia, where he tells his entire story after leaving his home, while Telemachus learns his dad will be soon coming home. Odysseus, with the help of the Phaeacians, returns to Ithaca where, with his son, kills all of the suitors of his wife, Penelope. One of the main themes of this story is loyalty, which means a strong feeling of support or allegiance to someone else. Someone who is loyal is extremely valuable, back in Ancient Greece and in the modern era. Despite the infidelities and disloyalties, many characters will continue to br faithful and honest to Odysseus, revealing that being loyal always has its rewards.
Loyalty is recognized as a high moral value in many different cultures and societies today and in ancient civilizations. It has also been used as a standard for the ideal hero in different populations. Such communities include the ancient Greeks, who had respect and awe towards public heroes because of the “loyalty” shown to the people. To emphasize the importance it holds in the ancient Greek values, Homer’s, The Odyssey, displays loyalty in various characters, such as Penelope, Argos, and Eumaeus. Odysseus, the main character, and hero of the epic poem has many that are loyal to him such as his wife, Penelope.