In The Odyssey, there is a depicted hero who seeks enormous and violent revenge on his enemies. Odysseus returns to Ithaca after a twenty-year absence and not only kills all one hundred and eight of Penelope's noble suitors but then slaughters and mutilates his own disloyal servants. A study of heroic behavior shows that, while not yet the equivalent of a justice in the modern sense, revenge was part of a developing concept of retributive justice based on fairness and mutuality. In this era, it
Homer’s Odyssey and Sophocles’ Electra both feature characters on a journey for justice. Odysseus questing for a return to his long-separated family and Electra working towards bringing her mother to task for the past murder of her father. United by a quest towards a goal, both characters converge and diverge at specific points. Odysseus and Electra are in agreement on motivational value and specific strategy, but they present vastly different approaches to the notion of revenge and the role of the
The Odyssey: Justification of Revenge The definition of revenge is the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands. Not frowned upon entirely, revenge can be viewed as a just act, but overdone causes greater forces (such as the police) to step in and prevent someone from crossing the line, or punishing them for an offense. So what made it acceptable to fight, battle and even kill a person who had wronged you in the era of the Greeks? What
work is “The Odyssey”. Homer was believed to be the first and most fascinating epic poet of his time by the ancient Greeks. Many scholars believe “The Odyssey” was composed near the end of the 8th century and is a sequel to “The Illiad”. Although “The Odyssey” was composed near the end of the 8th century, many scholars believe that it was orally passed since around 1200 B.C. During the time in which “The Odyssey” was written major economic and social changes were underway. “The Odyssey” illuminates
Through its almost three millennia of existence, Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey , has been a source of insight into the principles of Ancient Greek civilization and culture. The poem’s themes reveal different traditional values that make up the foundation of Ancient Greek society. One of the motifs which The Odyssey examines is the nature of thumos , or heroic courage. In this essay, I will argue that the Iliadic goal of glory through thumos is slowly overcome by a newfound Odysseadic objective to
shown in The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, The Aeneid by Virgil, The Song of Roland, and
In Homer’s unequivocal epic “The Odyssey,” after a wandering of 20 years, King Odysseus returns to his home and questionably wreaks righteous vengeance on the suitors who attempted to take his wife in marriage. As Odysseus journeys back to his home of Ithaca, he gains the information that pompous suitors have overtaken his home with the intent of marrying his loyal wife. Each suitor, with the scheme to take the throne, abuse hospitality in the court of Odysseus and each day come to “slaughter flocks”
Source A as it states that the Ancient Greeks were “ruled by Law…which respected justice”. Ancient Greece in 507BC instituted a democratic system with three branches. However, the members of this were only open to male citizens over the age of 18. This meant that both women and slaves had no voting rights. This led to Aristocrats controlling the democracy and contradictory to what the Source A suggests, an ideal justice was not achieved since the poorer society did not share the same political power
impersonal, and unrighteous, caring only about his own selfish desires. This essay is going to contrast Jehovah, the God of the Bible, and Zeus, god of the Greeks. The Bible talks a lot about God’s love, peace, and saving grace, but the Iliad and Odysseys only mentions what Zeus wants to do that would benefit him, not others. As well as, Zeus never gives grace or mercy to someone because they ask, but only if it is necessary. Some may say these two gods are equally powerful, but they would be wrong
waited for over nine years to get justice for her daughter that Agamemnon had slaughtered simply to be able to get to the war more quickly. In these times as well, the women were much younger than the men they married, and they often did not love them, but that did not mean that they did not love their children. If anything, these women would cling to their children even more, as one of the only things they had some amount of control over. The character of justice that is evident here is that of a