Importance Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

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The value that is most vital to a relationship is loyalty. With loyalty comes reward and with disloyalty comes consequences, for loyalty builds trust while disloyalty destroys relationships. Throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer expresses the significance of these values. The characters’ acts of loyalty and disloyalty have dramatically different results. In a relationship, loyalty strengthens the bonds between two parties. In the Iliad, Hector knows that Helen adores him, but he only loves his wife and fighting alongside the Trojan forces (Iliad 56). Keeping his loyalty to his wife and the Trojans, Hector keeps up an excellent image and achieves glory for his people. Later on, Achilles listens to his mother’s wisdom and advice (Iliad …show more content…
Odysseus’ men act against Odysseus’ instructions and open the bag of wind that could have brought them home because they think it is filled with treasure (86). Consequently, they end up back to where they started: Aeolus’s homeland. Because of the men’s greediness that led to their infidelity, they all go through a much more treacherous journey. Years later, they are not loyal to him once again when Eurylochus persuades them to disobey Odysseus and eat Helios’s sacred cattle (96). As punishment, the gods kill them and Odysseus is the only man who returns to Ithaca. Shortly after, Odysseus learns that the arrogant suitors betrayed him by wanting to desperately marry Penelope, not caring whether or not he is alive (100). In vengeance, he kills them all. Disloyalty ruins people’s lives. Loyalty is displayed when Achilles does the right thing, Hector obtains glory for his people, and Penelope remains loyal to Odysseus. Disloyalty is shown when Odysseus’s men disobey Odysseus twice and the suitors plan on marrying Penelope. Loyalty is highly beneficial while disloyalty is extremely damaging because loyalty creates friendships whereas disloyalty creates enemies. The importance of fidelity is highly emphasized throughout the Iliad and the
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