Exploring The Theme Of Loyalty In Homer's Odyssey

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

Loyalty to family, community, and the gods is an important quality in the lives of ancient Greek citizens. These qualities are clear demonstrated in The Odyssey through Penelope, Telemakhos, and Odysseus.

Loyalty has always been seen as a commendable trait, not only in human beings but in any creature, all through history. Soldiers have admired their enemies for their loyalty to fallen comrades, thousands of stories have been written about the intense loyalty animals portray for their owners, and even companies in the workforce look for loyalty in potential employees. Loyalty has been seen as something that distinguishes the trustworthy from the untrustworthy, and something that sets the great apart from the good. The archetypal hero commonly has a cause, whether it be another person or personal beliefs, that they are loyal to, and this unwavering loyalty is what makes them appear so highly in the eyes of the reader. Loyalty can be found in practically any work of literature, but within The Torah, The Odyssey, and Inanna is the idea that true loyalty, although a rare attribute, is the key to a successful relationship.

In The Odyssey, the theme of loyalty relates to Odysseus’s physical journey back to Ithaca. Many characters in the epic are loyal and faithful, like Penelope, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and even Odysseus himself. Penelope remains loyal to her husband, by not choosing a suitor during the 20 years he’s gone. “And there she [Penelope] sat down with the case on her knees and burst into sobs as she drew out her husband’s bow,” (Homer 317). Just carrying out Odysseus’s bow with such sorrow shows how in love she was with Odysseus and how the thought of choosing a new husband moved her to tears. As Penelope remained loyal to Odysseus and

The times have really changed throughout history and especially from the Odyssey was written, how we see certain things right now are completely different from how people used to see them back in the days.Media’s emphasis on loyalty, ambition and trust are drastically different from the Odyssey and because of this shift, it has transformed today’s generation.

The Odyssey displays many traits about women, in which one is about loyalty. The best example of loyalty is

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, there are many important themes throughout the course of this epic poem; an example being loyalty is the strongest suit in a time of uncertainty. In The Odyssey, an example of loyalty is shown through the use of characters and their devotion to the protagonist, Ulysses. The story follows Ulysses and his obstacles while he attempts his journey back home to Ithaca. Ten years have passed since the end of the Trojan war, and Ulysses and his men have encountered situations which have delayed their travel back to Ithaca. From a man-eating cyclops to a witch who turned his crew into swine, Ulysses’ hardships did not change his faithfulness to his family and people back home. The lesson that the audience should learn based

In Homer’s classic epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus remains loyal to his men and they are faithful in their loyalty to him as well. Odysseus's men travel with him through many dangers, such as their meeting with the dreadful Cyclops and the meeting with the Lotus-Eaters. They all stick with each other to help one another through these harsh and difficult times. Their individual loyalty stems from their feeling of belonging and identity within their supportive group.

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

The Odyssey is a tragedy based legend made by a great ancient poet called Homer, telling about a man named Odysseus and his difficult journeys from the Trojan War back to home, Itacha, where his son and wife who are waiting many years for his return. Some of Odysseus’s men declined his warnings and betrayed, which did not show loyalty but disobeyed. But loyalty shown in the Odyssey was well played along Odysseus and his men, though their journey of dangers. Him and his crew faced a Cyclops who made a prayer to Poseidon, his

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 major theme displayed in Homer’s epic, Odyssey. Homer gives the characteristic of loyalty to Telemachus, Penelope, Odysseus, and Eurycleia. There are also some characters that show disloyalty. These characters are Antinous, and a few of Odysseus’ maids. Telemachus goes on a journey to find information about his father who he has never met. Penelope makes sure she doesn’t marry a suitor until she knows for sure that Odysseus is dead. She waits twenty years for Odysseus’ return. Odysseus is always focused on one thing and that is to get home to his family. Eurycleia keeps secrets for both Telemachus and Odysseus. Antinous disrespects Odysseus, he is very ungrateful and very rude. Some of Odysseus’ maids were sleeping with the suitors, so they were punished. If someone was loyal to another person they would be rewarded and if someone was disloyal they would be punished.

“Few men can keep alive through a big surf to crawl, clotted with brine, on kindly beaches in joy, knowing the abyss behind: and so she [Penelope] too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband, her white arms around him pressed, as though forever…,” (LL 1414-1418 pg 709). In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer “creates” many relationships in the Odyssey. But, why, what's so important? Well, Homer shows the importance of relationships through hospitality, love, and loyalty.

Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus for 20 years, waiting for him to return home and Eurycleia is loyal to Odysseus and tells him who had been disloyal to him while he was away. When Homer recorded The Odyssey, members of the household and staff were loyal to the paterfamilias. Loyalty was expected in ancient Greek times out of respect. Women and servants were submissive to the paterfamilias and their loyalty demonstrated this. Homer demonstrates Penelope’s loyalty by not being tempted to sleep with the Suitors and waiting for his return.

Loyalty and perseverance have been in everyone but not all of us can achieve what the impossible can. The impossible are the ones that do without asking. We probably see one every day or someone you know like a soldier willing to go into battle to risk his life and are four legged friends that keep us company at home. These are the types of people and dogs that have been loyal and have persevered in our society. This theme of loyalty and perseverance can be connected to the book The Odyssey by Homer. Odysseus the main character in the book is lost at sea for over twenty years. His wife, Penelope has not given up hope as she thinks about where Odysseus has been. This sacrifice of not remarrying shows how loyal of a wife Penelope is to her husband. Also, Telemachus’s has to chosen to go on a journey to find his father with the assistance of Athena. These major theme that occurs has been seen in both the modern world and the Odyssey. I need more and a thesis