There are many key factors, motives, and themes to take into consideration when reading the Odyssey and analyzing Greek Civilization. Honor is one of those key factors. Homer does a great job making it evident that the suitors were everything but honorable. It was a brutal fight, but was necessary for Odysseus. Among the many deplorable things that the suitors did to Odysseus and his home, was that they tried to steal his wife Penelope, and at one-point try to kill his son Telamachus, as well as Odysseus. The suitors were disrespectful, in the sense that they took advantage over staying their welcome gaining wealth from Odysseus’s home, something unacceptable in Greek cultures, and for these reasons odysseys killings of the suitors were justified.
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“Listen to me you suitors, who persist in abusing the hospitality of this house because its owner has been long absent, and without another pretext than that you want to marry me…I will bring out the mighty bow of Odysseus... and quit this house of my lawful husband, so goodly, and so abounding in wealth” (Odyssey, Book 21, page 2). Penelope shows us here that the suitors have taken complete advantage of their home, and she will no longer let that occur. Penelope indicates that Odysseus behavior towards the suitors will be justified. She is using Odysseus as a threat in a way. In the larger sense, his anger becomes worse when listening to his wife speaks these words so angrily.
These entire factor's lead-up to Odysseus devising a master plan to kill the suitors. This is a justified action and response to the events that Odysseus witnesses. It turns into being a massacre, but for good reasons. If he did not kill the suitors himself, he would have been the one to be killed. He had to take action against the suitors, in the name of honor and loyalty he saw as completely
“Listen to me you suitors, who persist in abusing the hospitality of this house because its owner has been long absent, and without another pretext than that you want to marry me…I will bring out the mighty bow of Odysseus... and quit this house of my lawful husband, so goodly, and so abounding in wealth” (Odyssey, Book 21, page 2). Penelope shows us here that the suitors have taken complete advantage of their home, and she will no longer let that occur. Penelope indicates that Odysseus behavior towards the suitors will be justified. She is using Odysseus as a threat in a way. In the larger sense, his anger becomes worse when listening to his wife speaks these words so angrily.
These entire factor's lead-up to Odysseus devising a master plan to kill the suitors. This is a justified action and response to the events that Odysseus witnesses. It turns into being a massacre, but for good reasons. If he did not kill the suitors himself, he would have been the one to be killed. He had to take action against the suitors, in the name of honor and loyalty he saw as completely