Odysseus Defense

Words: 405

Pages: 2

Open Document

In the trial of Odysseus vs the People, Odysseus was brought up on the charges of murder and breaking and entering. Despite both sides having strong arguments, I support the defense due to their counterpoints being strong, clear, and concise. Their thorough analysis and summary of the charges indicated that they were better prepared. A key moment in influencing my support of the defense was when they eloquently refuted the prosecution’s claim about the Cyclops’ cave. By correctly pointing out that the cave could in no way be perceived as a residence, they established the fact that the charge of breaking and entering could be justified. One of the prosecution witnesses, the Cyclops, said, “They broke into my house and ate my food”. However, …show more content…
They argued that Odysseus did not know this fact, and he was not intending to break in, he was just following laws from his homeland. This argument not only disoriented the prosecution, but also demonstrated the weakness of their position. In addition, the defense brilliantly laid out their case, claiming self-defense to explain Odysseus’s behavior towards the suitors and the maids. In the defense argument, they said, “The suitors overstayed their welcome”, this shows how the suitors violated Xenia by being cruel and uncouth to the hosts. They were rude to Penelope by displaying no mercy for her missing husband and also plotted to kill Telemachus. Not only this, but they were extremely rude to Odysseus when he was disguised as a beggar. The defense was able to make it very clear that Odysseus and his family felt incredibly disrespected, and felt revenge was necessary. Odysseus, who was ‘the man of the house’ was forced to protect his family and home, which exemplified how it was not a murder spree, but self-defense. Odysseus is not the offender in this situation. The ruthless suitors, unloyal maids, and the man-eating cyclops were the real

Odysseus Vs Ithaka Essay

verdict in Odysseus vs the state of Ithaka seems aloof because the defense had stronger points, although the defense did not have adequate time to fully extend and impact each point because of how small the timeframe was for their attorney's closing statement. Even so, there points of Zenia and other customs went relatively untouched compared the prosecution's more modern laws. The first points that the prosecution made in their opening statements were to prove, without Odysseus killed cruelly…

Words 1031 - Pages 5

Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

them. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is no hero. Yes, he might have fought bravely, but he had only fought one war and was considered a hero. Also, Odysseus is not considered a hero. He was not very responsible on his way home from Troy. Odysseus had been sidetracked and ended up going a total distance of 5,270 miles. A 5,000 plus mile trip takes approximately 32 days on a boat. With this information, it tells the readers that a twenty-year trip could have taken 32 days. Odysseus was on the boat for…

Words 422 - Pages 2

Role Of Weapons In The Odyssey

strength, and helped him defeat the suitors and reclaim Ithaca. The bow was far superior to all the weapons used by the suitors; the swords and spears. In a face-off between Odysseus and Eurymakhos, the suitor “drew his sword as he spoke, a broadsword of fine bronze, honed like a razor on either edge… But the kingly man [Odysseus] let fly an arrow at that instant, and the quivering feathered…

Words 284 - Pages 2

Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

desperately as a last resort. In my opinion, Odysseus was extremely heroic. But, he also had moments where he was a coward. For example, in book 9 of the Odyssey, he was very heroic. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the Polyphemus, the Cyclops cave. There was a huge rock covering the cave entrance, trapping the men in there. In this book, Odysseus would be known as a hero since he saved himself and most of his men. Sadly, six of them got eaten by the cylcops. Odysseus knew the only way out was for Polyphemus…

Words 950 - Pages 4

Odyssey: Odyssey and quickly Spots Odysseus Essay

Odyssey Book 17 Aim: How does Odysseus test the loyalty of the people of Ithaka? 1) Why do Telemachus and Odysseus split up? •Telemachos wakes and says that he must go to town so Penelope can see with her own eyes that he is in fact alive. He leaves and orders that Eumaios is to bring "the beggar" to town during the day so that he can beg for food. •Back in the great hall, Penelope is ecstatic to see her son alive. She asks him for news of Odysseus, but Telemachos tells her to be patient.…

Words 1043 - Pages 5

Calypso In The Odyssey

depicts to have held Odysseus captive for seven years, is portrayed in a negative light, which leads readers to misinterpret Calypso for a manipulative, malicious goddess; however, Calypso actually is an extremely benevolent person who is just madly in love with Odysseus. Calypso is often thought of as some evil, cold-hearted goddess, but she is actually a very hospitable individual after thorough analysis. Calypso sees Odysseus, a complete…

Words 1765 - Pages 8

What Role Does Telemachus Play In The Odyssey

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey is very much centered around Odysseus and his twenty-year long journey home, but the story of his son Telemachus is also of great importance. The Odyssey starts in medias res, which means "in the middle of things," and the first four books of the epic focus mainly on him. Telemachus is important to The Odyssey not only to let readers know the goal of the poem, but also because of his growth throughout the epic and the role he plays in the end at assisting his father…

Words 924 - Pages 4

Agriculture: Trojan War and Aeneas Essay

being built in a city. One might easily imagine that this represents a sort of ideal, a compendium of those things necessary for a civilization: In addition to streets, boundaries, and buildings, the Carthaginians are building a citadel (the base of defense of the city), and they are dredging harbors (in order for shipping to occur and thus for trade and commerce to happen). In addition, they are enacting laws and choosing “magistrates” (judges) to interpret and apply those laws. The “senate” which…

Words 1711 - Pages 7

Trojan War Research Paper

the war and with the festivities distracting them, they let their guard down and they passed out, drunk. Then, during the middle of the night, a number of soldiers led by Odysseus sacked Troy from the inside. They killed their soldiers, took their supplies, and caused chaos throughout the land. After this quick attack, Odysseus and his men set sail for home, following the rest of our army. Now that the soldiers have returned, all worries and doubts are no more. Life is finally back to the way…

Words 4722 - Pages 19

Achilles: The Ancient Greek Hero from the Movie Troy Essay

only too happy to oblige, though Agamemnon's decision comes mostly from his desire to sack Troy. Odysseus (Sean Bean), king of Ithaca and under command of Agamemnon, goes to convince Achilles to accompany them in the conquest of Troy. He finds him sparring with his young cousin, Patroclus (Garrett Hedlund), who is more than eager to join in the fighting. But Achilles refuses to go, despite Odysseus' assurance that this war will go down into history. Achilles later seeks advice from his mother, the…

Words 9856 - Pages 40