In Book XXIV of the Odyssey, the reader is shown how Odysseus stayed disciplined with the motivation of returning to his family from the start of the story to the end. When Odysseus comes to what seems as the end of his long journey, he does not hesitate to leave to go see his father. With all of the qualities that Odysseus exhibits on these journeys, he is the iconic symbol for an epic hero. Throughout the entire story, Odysseus has a devout motivation to return to his family in Ithaca. Although he becomes distracted along the way with nymphs and lotus flowers, nothing is obstructive enough to deny his return home to his family. Odysseus’ actions in Book XXIV are a simple reminder to how dedicated Odysseus was to returning to his family. Despite having made the family of the killed suitors unpleased,
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Odysseus does not even stay a full day in his own home after being absent for 20 years, but instead sets out on a trek to see his father. He realizes by being gone for so long that his father has suffered from his absence noticing that he was “worn with age and a grieving heart,” instead of having the king like appearance he was supposed to (Homer 573). Odysseus tells his herdsmen and son to leave them alone so he can speak to his father alone. He does this because he is going to test his father to see whether or not he recognizes him, and he wants this special moment to be shared between them alone. Odysseus performs the test to Laertes to simply “feel him out” so he doesn’t rush into his reunion (Homer 573). Once he notices that Laertes had a “black mist of pain” come over him, Odysseus could no longer take the pain and embraced him (Homer 573). Odysseus was not motivated by seeing his father in pain, but by the moment of rejoice when he and his father kiss and embrace after 20 years of
Odysseus does not even stay a full day in his own home after being absent for 20 years, but instead sets out on a trek to see his father. He realizes by being gone for so long that his father has suffered from his absence noticing that he was “worn with age and a grieving heart,” instead of having the king like appearance he was supposed to (Homer 573). Odysseus tells his herdsmen and son to leave them alone so he can speak to his father alone. He does this because he is going to test his father to see whether or not he recognizes him, and he wants this special moment to be shared between them alone. Odysseus performs the test to Laertes to simply “feel him out” so he doesn’t rush into his reunion (Homer 573). Once he notices that Laertes had a “black mist of pain” come over him, Odysseus could no longer take the pain and embraced him (Homer 573). Odysseus was not motivated by seeing his father in pain, but by the moment of rejoice when he and his father kiss and embrace after 20 years of