Loyalty In Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

Loyalty is different for everyone. It means more to some people than it does to others. It is more difficult to gain for some people than others, but in the end, loyalty is important and must be respected if given. Odysseus understood that. He knew the value of his word. He knew what he was capable of and the lengths he would go for the people he was loyal too. Odysseus did not hand out loyalty like a free sample at the food court. He was not loyal to everybody, but Odysseus was loyal, just like every epic hero, but only to the people who truly deserved it. In Odyssey’s eyes, the gods were above all else. Odysseus believed they were good, and when forced to be bad they were given a reason. He was loyal to the gods because they are magnificent, powerful, and true. They more than deserve his loyalty. One may say that this is the cause of fear, but Odysseus knows his strength. He would not go to such great lengths for fear, only loyalty. Even when he questioned Athena’s choices he still stuck to her plan. He stayed loyal to her and trusted that she would bring him back to his family. …show more content…
Where people get confused is that, Odysseus was not loyal to the Ithaka that he came home to, but the one he left. He fought for his home in Troy and on his voyage back. The suitors may have looked after his home while he was gone, but they were never worthy to deserve his loyalty. They were arrogant and cruel to his family, and his kingdom. Once he returned he had no choice but to fight the evil that had encountered his kingdom when he was away, even though he knew it would hurt the trust between him and his people. His loyalty to his family was stronger than his loyalty to