Theme Of Revenge In The Odyssey

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Revenge as a means of Obtaining Justice in The Odyssey
The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus, the hero, traveling home after a 10-year war in Troy. Throughout the story revenge as a means of obtaining justice is a prominent message. Homer describes the extents, limits and nature of revenge as well as obtaining justice through it. He dos this with Odysseus revenge on the suitors and maids in his house, Helios revenge on Odysseus and his men, Poseidon's revenge on Odysseus and the suitors families revenge on Odysseus.
The first way Homer is able to show revenge as a means of obtaining justice is through Odysseus revenge on the suitors and maids. In this example he shows the nature of revenge as well as the extents. The suitors have ruined Penelope and Telemachus's life, as Telemachus reflects, “my home and all I have are being ruined [...] these men spend their days around our house killing our beeves and shep and fatted goats, carousing, soaking up our …show more content…
Homer also shows the extents and nature of revenge. When Odysseus and his men trick the Kyclops by “[putting the Kyclops] to shame and [blinding the Kyclops] (Odysseus 160)”. The Kyclops is then able to get revenge by praying to his father, Poseidon, that “Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home: Laertes [..] Let him lose all companions and return under strange sail to bitter days at home”(Kyclops 161). Homer is showing here how the Kyclops is able to get revenge on Odysseus even when Odysseus thought he was beat. It is showing the nature of revenge is make the person who committed the act suffer for a long period of time. It also shows how the Kyclops is able to get revenge on Odysseus as a means of obtaining justice for the pain that was inflicted open him. This also shows the extents of revenge and how inflicting temporary pain one person can inflict long lasting pai on

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