...Demonstrations of Family Loyalty In ancient Greek societies where a woman’s most important role is that of caring for the home and family, the extent of a woman’s loyalty to her family is worthy of exploration. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, whose long absence from home tests her loyalty to him. In comparison to Penelope, Antigone from Sophocles’ Antigone is tested in family loyalty when a law forbids her to bury her brother. Jocasta from Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, similarly to Penelope, is tested when her husband’s innocence in a murder case is called into question. While Antigone displays more action in her demonstration of family loyalty, Penelope exhibits the ideal way of showing loyalty to one’s family as her willpower and careful strategies are more successful than that of Antigone and Jocasta. Women in most ancient Greek societies had few rights compared to men, and were submissive to their male superiors, but both Penelope and Antigone’s actions in defense of the loved ones contradict this custom. Penelope is more passive in her actions, telling her eager suitors, “‘Young men, my suitors… go slowly… until I can finish off this web… This is a shroud for old lord Laertes, for that day when the deadly fate… will take him down’”...
Words: 685 - Pages: 3
...Loyalty in The Odyssey Many human cultures assign values as well as worthiness to the existence of loyalty. As a Classical culture known for its emphasis of loyalty at home as well as abroad, the faithfulness of ancient Greeks in their relationships is exemplified in many Classical texts, such as Homer’s The Odyssey. In both ancient Greece as well as in The Odyssey, loyalty was the social norm because of the egalitarian nature of the city-state as well as because of the typical ancient Greek family structure. Not only because of social expectations as well as traditions was loyalty expected, but there was also an added pressure by one’s religious conviction such that it was believed that if the guests were in any way or manner mistreated, then the ancient Greek deities would punish the offender(s). There are several passages in Homer’s Classical text The Odyssey which illustrate these aspects of ancient Greek loyalty. In illustration of the faithfulness between Odysseus as well as his crew, there is a passage that notes loyalty in the crew-leader relationship: He saw the town as well as learned the minds of many distant men, as well as weathered many bitter nights as well as days his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. But not by will or valor could he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children as well as fools they killed as well as feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun… (651). It would initially...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...Vengeance is a cruel thing and in The Odyssey there is a lot of it. In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus let vengeance take over his mind. Vengeance is a bad thing to think about and you shouldn’t let vengeance take over your mind. Odysseus wanted to kill the people that were eating his food, drinking his wine, and trying to marry his wife. I believe that the most important topic in the story The Odyssey is vengeance. An example of vengeance is when Odysseus and his men stabbed the giant cyclops’ eye with a big spear on fire. Odysseus and his men stabbed the giant cyclops’ eye because the cyclops trapped them inside his house. The cyclops also ate one of Odysseus men. Than Odysseus let vengeance take over his mind and poked the cyclops eye. After Odysseus and his men poked the cyclops eye, they tried to escape and another of his men died. When Odysseus and his men escape the cyclops house they went straight to their boat and left. The cyclops told his dad Poseidon to revenge him and kill Odysseus and his men....
Words: 432 - Pages: 2
...Homer’s The Odyssey are probably the most famous of the epic. This is because of the fact that this is where much of the action of Odysseus’s journey back to Ithaca is described. However, these books work greatly as a whole. The Odyssey’s Book Nine through Twelve contain many major themes that help develop the characters in the collective piece. These selected books from Homer’s The Odyssey have many themes and values that including the importance of loyalty. Odysseus is often portrayed as a very loyal person. The very point of his journey is to return to his home in Ithaca to his wife and son. Odysseus is also very loyal to his crew and goes to great lengths to ensure their safety, such as using wax to put in their ears so that they could not hear the songs of sirens. Loyalty is also important to many of the creatures that Odysseus and his crew...
Words: 566 - Pages: 3
...Loyalty is like a shadow it’s something that’s with you all of the time, but sometimes it’s hidden. Most people don’t show their loyalty hidden, but loyalty is something that’s not supposed to be hidden .To me loyalty is when someone is there for someone else. Loyalty is a characteristic many people should strive to have; it earns the trust and respect of many. A loyal person would never be able to fail someone because they are trustable. Loyalty is everywhere and there are many different kinds of loyalty. Loyalty to strangers is one of the many different kinds of loyalty. We have all showed loyalty to strangers at least once. When people follow rules somewhere either at school, work etc. This shows loyalty. Loyalty doesn’t only earn the respect of someone, but being loyal to a stranger show that you respect them even if you don’t know them. When we follow rules at some place it shows we are staying honest to the rules and the rule makers. Our honesty shows loyalty. Another type of loyalty is to friends. We all have friends, but there are many components to being loyal to your friends. When your friends tells you something and they expect you to keep it a secret, keeping this a secret shows loyalty. Not keeping the matter a secret will show disloyalty. Disloyalty will lose a friend’s trust and it will be really hard to regain a friend’s trust when it’s been lost. When a secret, which is supposed to be kept, gets out the friendship itself is in danger of breaking. Helping...
Words: 797 - Pages: 4
...Hagar El Zohiry Class Section: 91066 October 27, 2015 Loyalty is one of the major themes discussed in both “The Odyssey” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Loyalty is seen through Penelope and her husband in the book, and McGill and his friends in the film. In this paper I will explore and compare the theme of loyalty in both the film and the book. Loyalty is seen in many aspects of the book, one of which is Penelope’s wait for her husband for twenty years without committing any act of infidelity. Moreover, she was in a very dangerous situation because of the suitors, and she didn’t just give up in order to survive. Instead she used her intelligence and fooled the suitors by telling them that she will choose after she is done with the shroud....
Words: 670 - Pages: 3
...author and speaker, said, “You express the truth of your character with the choice of your actions.” This is true in The Odyssey by Homer, because Odysseus’ actions reflected on what kind of person he portrayed. Odysseus and I both exhibit the traits of self-control and loyalty. Odysseus and I both demonstrate the trait of self-control. In The Odyssey, Odysseus showed that he has self-control when he didn’t kill the Cyclops right away. Odysseus and his men waited until the Cyclopes was drunk until they “straight forward sprinted, lifted [the spear], and rammed it deep in [the Cyclop’s] crater eye” (906). This shows self-control because Odysseus could have killed the Cyclops by stabbing his liver, but he didn’t because he knew that they would have no way out of the cave. In addition, Odysseus was tempted into eating the Lotus flower because all of his men were so happy when they ate it. This demonstrates self-control because Odysseus could have eaten the flower, but he knew he wouldn’t have made it back home. On the other hand, I have also shown self-control. When I was shopping with my mother a couple days after...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
...The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer. The Odyssey is about the ten year journey of Odysseus trying to get home. He faces many challenges but eventually makes it back home. An epic poem must have a epic hero, plot, setting, archetypes, and themes. The Odyssey has all of these characteristics. The three that are the most present are epic plot, archetypes, and epic themes. Epic plot is a very present in The Odyssey. Epic plot consists of a long journey with many complcations. Throughout Odysseus’ long journey, he faces many challenges and peril. One instance of epic plot is that in the ninth book where Odysseus encounters the cyclops, Polyphemus. Polyphemus traps him inside his cave. Odysseus uses his intuition to get out of the cave. Another instance of epic plot is in the twenty-second book during the mass killing of the suitors. Divine intervention occurs on the behalf of Odysseus. “Athena’s presence becomes known to all, as the shape of her shield becomes visible above the hall” (1260,1261). Athena interferes by protecting Odysseus from the suitors’ arrows. Epic plot can also be...
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...Odysseus: An Epic Hero In The Odyssey written by Homer, the main character is Odysseus, an epic hero. He has to leave his home Ithaca, and ends up on a great voyage landing on many islands. All of which, is home to gods and goddesses, good and bad. Along the way he shows his very heroic characteristics, while battling these supernatural forces. For example when he fights the Cicones, the singing sirens, or even the one eyed beast. However ,Odysseus the great epic hero was still able to stay strong and proceed his way home. To begin, his loyalty is revealed by his crewman. He is almost like a big brother to them. His first sign of loyalty is revealed once he sees his undead crewman, Elpenor, left unburied on Circe's island. Elpenor has too much to drink, and ends up falling to his death. After, Elpenor falls, he asks Odysseus to return and bury him properly, so Odysseus ‘’...cut down timber on the foreland, on a high point, and built his pyre of logs’’ (209). Odysseus does not want one of his men to live unconsoled in the Land of the DEad, especially after he sees him face to face after his death. This is when he returns to...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...Odysseus the Great Do you ever thought of how hard it is to be a hero? How about what a hero really is? In Homer’s timeless epic The Odyssey,Odysseus of Ithaca is the hero. A hero is someone who is loyal to his country, family and gods. Odysseus, king of Ithaca because he is loyal to his country, family, and gods. “Odysseus leaves the ship and rushes to Circe’s hall. The god Hermes stops him to give him a plant that will act like as an antidote to Circe’s power” (page 7580).This shows loyalty to his country because Odysseus is willing to eat something that might kill him to save his men. “I sent out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of men that land sustained.They fell in, soon enough, with lotus eater, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet lotus to...
Words: 1224 - Pages: 5
...Bailey Ormond Friday, October 6th “Disguise Is Necessary” 1 In The Odyssey of Homer, disguise plays an influential role in the development of the plot and Odysseus’ return to Ithaca. In Book 1 of The Odyssey, Athena uses disguise to influence Telemachus. Athena comes to Ithaca disguised as Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus. Mentes convinces Telemachus to go search for his long lost father (1:271-279).1 Athena’s use of disguise in the opening book puts faith in Telemachus that his father may still be alive; this is very important for the development of the plot because Telemachus was on the cusp of giving up hope that Odysseus would never return home. The departure of Telemachus also reveals the character of the suitors as they plan to murder him upon his return to Ithaca. The suitors have already been characterized as greedy and disrespectful but their plot to kill Telemachus is evidence of how despicable they truly are. In Book 6, Athena uses disguise to persuade Nausicaa. Athena visits Nausicaa while she is asleep disguised as “the daughter of Dymas, famed for seafaring, a girl of the same age in whom her fancy delighted” (6: 22-23). Using this disguise Athena urges Nausicaa to wash clothes the following day (6: 25-31). Without Athena stirring Nausicaa in her sleep, her and Odysseus would not have been acquainted. Athena also persuades her to have a favorable opinion of Odysseus by making him appear more handsome and favorable than he actually is (6: 223-231). Athena’s use...
Words: 1229 - Pages: 5
...Moat men who have been away from family – want to return to them. When a person travels long distances they happen to come upon obstacles. Pride is the most important thing that keeps men going. In the book “The Odyssey” and the film “O Brother Where Art Thou?”, we can compare three basic subjects: characters, events, and the journey. Even though the characters in the book and film have some things in common; they are very different. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus lied to his men for the sake of keeping them safe. While in “O Brother Where Art Thou?” Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, Everett lied to Pete and Delmar so he could stop his wife from remarrying. Hence forth, Odysseus gives more of an honorable standing in the sense of loyalty to friends and family equally. While Everett seems more focused on his family. As the plots of the compared unfold, there are events that are alike. Odysseus dressed as an elderly beggar man to fool the suitors – so he could see his wife. Everett on the other hand, dresses as an elderly hobo – who is a part of a singing group to fool Homer and the suitor; so he could see his wife. Both of the men used elderly disguises to fool people in...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...Heroes are defined as people who help and save people. It could also be defined as someone who goes on a dangerous adventure with many obstacles that the person has to surmount. Heroes are everywhere. Odysseus is the hero of the “Odyssey” by a blind poet, Homer. Odysseus fights in Trojan War for 10 years and it took him another decade for him to get home. He had to pass many hardships to get to his homeland Ithaca. The three main stages in Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” that exemplified in Homer’s The Odyssey are the crossing of the first threshold,the road of trials, and freedom to live. For example, Joseph Campbell describes that the crossing of the first threshold is the hero which is Odysseus who is accompanied by the guide which is Athena, the goddess of wisdom goes beyond the boundaries of his or his everyday, enter the wilderness, and has the first encounter with...
Words: 905 - Pages: 4
...The Odyssey v. The Hobbit In the stories "The Odyssey" by Homer and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, there are many similarities. The main characters, Odysseus and Bilbo, are trying to get themselves and their crews home. Bilbo and Odysseus have many things in common such as their cunning abilities in trickerySome of the similarities between the two are the settings, the challenges, the enemies, and coming home. First, the setting comparison. One place that can be compared in both stories is 'The Land of the Dead' in "The Odyssey" to 'MirkWood', which is a forest, in "The Hobbit". Both places have masking around them so that it is difficult to see, for example, the fog in 'The Land of the Dead' and the thick trees in 'MirkWood'. Both are also filled with dead people, though none are actually seen in "The Hobbit", but are frequently talked about....
Words: 447 - Pages: 2
