Between both epic poems by Homer; The Iliad and The Odyssey, the reader is able distinguish a variety of themes that set both stories apart. But there are also multiple instances where the themes of the poems overlap and actually build off of each other. This is where Homer is able to help the reader fully understand both stories by implementing themes through both poems and a multitude of characters and situations to help his message get across. One of the biggest similarities between both poems is actually the main theme in The Iliad; vengeance. As the poem starts “sing, goddess, the anger of Achilles” (Homer, “The Iliad” 4) the reader is able to understand that this poem will not be a story of happiness. This is also prevalent in The Odyssey
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Loyalty; or the lack of, is seen several times throughout The Iliad. The most prevalent case would be with Paris and the kidnapping of Hellen (Homer, “The Iliad”). Whereas the complete opposite happens in The Odyssey, when Penelope is able to remain loyal to Odysseus while he is lost on his travels (Homer, “The Odyssey”). Although Hellen did not necessarily have a choice with her riotous ways the lack of loyalty exemplifies why loyalty is so important in Homers poems. He essentially puts Hellen against Penelope, showing the reader what true loyalty looks like and comparing it to treachery and what both can …show more content…
We see this through the stories that Dante tells us in The Inferno. He depicts that Lucifer is stuck in the ice at the bottom of the inferno, a symbol and literal representation that because of this fact he cannot be “on our shoulder” aiding us in the wrong direction away from God (Dante). The Divine Comedy allows the reader to interpret their own lives and the sins that they have committed in order to contemplate where they will end up. If the reader decides that where they will resign for the rest of their life is not where they desire; the inferno or purgatory, then they must take control of their life, for their eternal being depends on
Loyalty; or the lack of, is seen several times throughout The Iliad. The most prevalent case would be with Paris and the kidnapping of Hellen (Homer, “The Iliad”). Whereas the complete opposite happens in The Odyssey, when Penelope is able to remain loyal to Odysseus while he is lost on his travels (Homer, “The Odyssey”). Although Hellen did not necessarily have a choice with her riotous ways the lack of loyalty exemplifies why loyalty is so important in Homers poems. He essentially puts Hellen against Penelope, showing the reader what true loyalty looks like and comparing it to treachery and what both can …show more content…
We see this through the stories that Dante tells us in The Inferno. He depicts that Lucifer is stuck in the ice at the bottom of the inferno, a symbol and literal representation that because of this fact he cannot be “on our shoulder” aiding us in the wrong direction away from God (Dante). The Divine Comedy allows the reader to interpret their own lives and the sins that they have committed in order to contemplate where they will end up. If the reader decides that where they will resign for the rest of their life is not where they desire; the inferno or purgatory, then they must take control of their life, for their eternal being depends on