Theme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey

In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus the King of Ithaca endures a long journey home after the Battle of Troy. While away from his palace, suitors wishing to marry his wife and disloyal servants infested the halls of his palace. The suitors and the disloyal in his kingdom deserved to die because of their inability to act as accepted by the Gods while their king Odysseus was away at war. In the Odyssey how people behave is a crucial part of how their fate is decided. Odysseus, his son Telemachus, and the swineherd Eumaeus represent virtue and loyalty, and the standards to which the suitors and disloyal fail to live up to do. Ultimately, it is loyalty and virtue which Odysseus values most, and it is the lack of these qualities which …show more content…
In every home, Odysseus is a guest he acts with respect and is grateful, not only towards the host but also towards the hosts home and belongings. One example is when Odysseus finds himself in the land of the Phaeacians as a guest of King Alcinous. Odysseus did not ask for much from the Phaeacians, he only asked for help in returning to his homeland and did not overstay his welcome. The Phaeacians genuinely enjoyed having Odysseus as a guest as he shared with them the stories of all his adventures. On the other hand, the suitors in Odysseus’ palace do not exhibit the same respect. They are uninvitingly residing in the halls of Odysseus’ palace. The suitors have killed and feasted on Odysseus’ cattle, sheep, and goats and drinking his wine. Along with devouring Odysseus’ belongings, the suitors are guilty of carelessly forcing Odysseus’ bard to sing for them for their pleasure. The suitors have been disrespecting Odysseus’ family while he has been away from Ithaca, they are persistent in forcing his wife Penelope to choose one of the suitors to marry. Despite Penelope’s reluctance to name a suitor and her repeated delays the suitors continued to take advantage of Odysseus’ absence and have refused to vacate the palace. The stark contrast between Odysseus’s behavior and that of the suitors foreshadows the rift that occurs on his return. This dichotomy lays the …show more content…
When Odysseus enters his palace disguised as a beggar with help from goddess Athena, Odysseus is not happy with the way that the suitors are treating him. The suitors voice that they are disgusted by this beggar and that Eumaeus the swineherd is allowing the beggar to enter the palace. Odysseus makes his way down the lineup of suitors at the table asking for food, testing the suitors hospitality in the hope that they will be generous and respectful. Although the suitors were hesitant and spoke with disrespect towards the beggar, most of the suitors gave the beggar some bread and meat to eat by the door. One of the suitors Antinous, acted with great disrespect by throwing a stool at Odysseus, with his only motivation being that he is a starving beggar. The actions the suitors took while in the position of a host were not up to the standards that Odysseus set. Mortal men's level of ability to be hospitable to all guest is a great influence in the fate that is decided for them by the