Loyalty In Homer's The Odyssey

Words: 1812
Pages: 8
Open Document
Loyalty: a noun used to describe how loyal someone is to another person or group. The word loyalty plays a huge role in The Odyssey, by Homer. The book tells the story of Odysseus, the King of Ithaca in Ancient Greece, and his 20 year long journey to get home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. In the book, Odysseus is called upon to go fight in the Trojan War, forcing him to leave his wife and newly born son. After 10 years of fighting, Odysseus is finally able to go home, however, it is not easy. Odysseus and his crew end up sailing around greece and fighting for their lives. After three years, Odysseus’ crew end up all dying, leaving Odysseus alone. Shortly after, he is kidnapped by a nymph named Calypso and is held on her island for seven more years. Throughout Odysseus’ journey, there are many moments where Odysseus is …show more content…
Up with you, look, there’s still some meat and drink in our good ship. Put our minds on food--why die of hunger here? (10.191-95)
In this quote Odysseus is trying to lift the spirits of his men, so that they will not give up. His men should be loyal to him because without him, they would have given up. Odysseus is also a great leader, when he stuffed his men's ears with beeswax: “...and I stopped the ears of my comrades one by one” (12.193). This shows Odysseus as a great leader because he is tactical and knows what to do. His crew should be loyal to Odysseus because if he had not put the beeswax in their ears, they would have fallen under the spell. Odysseus also shows he is a good leader who deserves his crew's loyalty when he creates the plan to attack the cyclops. Odysseus spends a lot of time planning a way to trick the cyclops, and attack him. Part of his trickery comes from when Polyphemus asks him his name, “...Nobody--that’s my name, Nobody…” (9.410) Odysseus is so smart and tricky he is able to come up with a way to trick the cyclops, proving he is a good leader who deserves the loyalty from his
Show More

Related Documents: Loyalty In Homer's The Odyssey

Loyalty To Family In Homer's The Odyssey

Homer uses metaphor and allusion to reveal the theme of importance of loyalty to family. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, he discusses how loyalty to family is worth the effort put into it. The protagonist, Odysseus, is stranded on Calypso’s island and is presumed dead, so suitors swarm his household in an attempt to gain his wife Penelope’s hand in marriage. In dialogue between Penelope and Antinous, “Wait until I finish this cloth, for I don’t wish to waste all the thread I have spun… there she…

Words 278 - Pages 2

Loyalty And Relationships In Homer's The Odyssey

Loyalty and relationships are like plants -- they both require commitment and nurturing in order to grow. When a relationship is uncared for and loyalty is broken, the relationship eventually dies and wears out, much like when a plant is neglected. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, loyalty is displayed when individuals are faithful to each other, their actions will be rewarded, whereas, those who are false-hearted will be castigated. Penelope and Odysseus’ mutual devotion throughout their twenty…

Words 861 - Pages 4

From Loyalty To Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

Loyalty is a force strong enough to compel man to do the impossible. In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, must return to his home. Along the way, Odysseus wrestles with many challenges, and suffers excruciating pain. He must cross seas, fight beasts, and stave off women determined to take Odysseus as a husband, all while an angry god is set on him not returning. Along with the physical pain, Odysseus must bear the pain of leaving his family. When Odysseus set out for Troy…

Words 150 - Pages 1

Odysseus Loyalty In Homer's The Odyssey

Odyssey Essay In the literature, The Odyssey, whose written by Homer. A character named Odysseus faces many conflicts throughout his journey to return home after the Trojan War. Throughout his journey, he illustrates different characteristics that allowed his beliefs to find the way to Ithaca with the crew of men he was taking them. While he displays characteristics such as bravery & eager, but his loyalty is the most significant in The Odyssey. Odysseus loyalty shows his respect to others & sometimes…

Words 381 - Pages 2

The Definition Of Loyalty In Homer's Odyssey

What is the definition of loyalty? Does a picture of a king, queen or a loyal companion come to mind. The dictionary says loyalty is: “the quality of being loyal to someone or something.” Even when Odysseus was lost, he still kept his mind on his home and wife. Also, when she doubted him being back, he kept calm and knew she would see him as her husband. When someone said that the only reason he wanted to see his home is to see his son, he told them about how much he loved his wife. Finally, when…

Words 486 - Pages 2

Loyalty In Odysseus Of Homer's Odyssey

Loyalty is something that should be earned through hard work, respect, and honesty, it is something that can be expected just because of who or what you are. Odysseus, was at sea with a crew for 20 long years and didn’t show the respect and honesty which created a huge problem. Because of Odysseus’s selfish ways and not respecting the loyalty of his crew already, he made enemies, lost time, and all this aloud time for his homeland to be taken over by suitors. Many good were people died, disrespected…

Words 565 - Pages 3

Odysseus Loyalty In Homer's Odyssey

This the importance of trust for Odysseus. The protagonist expects trust, especially because he respects and trust others. During the story, Odysseus proves his loyalty again and again. When people don’t show respect or loyalty, that person receives the serious punishment of death. In the ancient greek culture, respect and loyalty are two of the most sacred traditions of their time. The historic leader Odysseus can kill anything in his path by staying very calm and clever. “Straightforward…

Words 203 - Pages 1

Penelope Loyalty To Her Husband In Homer's Odyssey

Homer uses allusions and metaphors to depict Penelope’s loyalty to her husband, Odysseus. In the epic poem, Odyssey, Penelope is forced to marry one of her suitors after her husband disappears during the Trojan War. Penelope comes up with a plan to weave a cloth, and once she finishes weaving it, she can remarry. However, her suitors do not know that she is discreetly unraveling her work at night. In the text, Antinous says, “There she was all day long, working at the great web; but at night she…

Words 270 - Pages 2

How Is Odysseus A Hero

Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey, follows Odysseus, a heroic figure whose journey shows the essence of heroism. Homer’s Odyssey has been recognized as one of the oldest works in Western literature, and it has influenced many works following it. More often than not, a story needs a hero, and Odysseus is considered one of the first. The qualities he possesses aid him in overcoming numerous challenges, navigating dangerous waters, and ultimately succeeding in his mission. Throughout the epic poem, Odysseus…

Words 462 - Pages 2

Greek philosophy Essay

right and wrong, good and evil, as well as a set of rules of conduct arising from these views. The key word here is society. This implies that the concept of morality was different in various cultures and in different periods of history. Homer in the Odyssey laid that concepts of morality, which for the modern reader may seem strange and even incomprehensible. It should also borne in mind that the main source of morality in the modern world is religion. In the holy scriptures accurately declared the rules…

Words 768 - Pages 4