The Justification Of Odysseus Revealed In Homer's The Odyssey
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The Odyssey by Homer is a Greek epic that tells the story of Odysseus, who has been away fighting the Trojan War for nineteen years. Odysseus has been captured on the Island of Calypso and is desperate to get back to his wife and his son. Odysseus faces many challenges trying to get back to Ithaca, and is assisted by the gods. Odysseus home has been taken over by a group of people the wooers and they are plotting to kill his son and marry his wife. Once Odysseus returns and his identity is revealed he and his family seek revenge on the wooers which ends in the death of the group of wooers.
Odysseus’ anger is understood and rightful, but his actions were not justified. While the wooers attempted to kill his son at port, (they planned to ambush Telemachus as he passed through on his voyage to find his dad which was described to be a sorry end to his journey) they did not actually kill him. As a father of course he wants to protect his son but murdering an entire group of people is not justified. The many years he has spent at war and on the island of Calypso have added to his rage against these people as he thinks about the damage they have done to his home and the plots against his family. The wooers are also disrespectful in trying to wed his wife, but this does not mean death is justified.…show more content… There was no consideration for who deserved punishment or the individual person, everyone was massacred. In the story Eurymachus tries to apologize and admit fault even repays the damages but this does not change the actions taken by Odysseus and the punishment the wooers receive. Odysseus does not give any mercy even when he is begged for it. Regardless of their cries, Odysseus is covered in blood and described as a terrible site; his anger has made him act like an