Vengeance In The Odyssey

The Human Need for Vengeance “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.” (Psalms 58:11) This idea of vengeance is a rather common theme seen in not only modern culture, but in pieces of literature composed many centuries ago as well. The Odyssey, a Greek epic written sometime between 750 and 650 BC, tells the story of a god-like man who was lost at sea and embarked on a challenging journey to his homeland. Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic written around 1000 AD, recounts the adventures of another god-like man who set out to protect the city of Heorot from several threats. Although written in differing time periods and cultures, The Odyssey and Beowulf share the common theme of vengeance. In looking at how these works portray vengeance, especially through the act of avenging loved ones and defending the home front, we gain insight into how vengeance is a core characteristic of humanity as a whole rather than a result of the time and environment one is born into. In The Odyssey, Odysseus made the decision to blind Polyphemus after being trapped by the cyclops. He decided that taking away Polyphemus’ sight would be wiser than taking away his life due to the knowledge that Polyphemus was the only one who had the ability to remove the boulder from the entrance to the cave. During the ship’s departure, Odysseus’ ego …show more content…
During the battle, Beowulf used his brute force to completely rip off the arm of Grendel, which he kept as a trophy. Heartbroken and angered by her son’s death, Grendel’s mother barged her way into the town hall demanding revenge for her child. When the people of Heorot woke up, she became frightened and fled taking with her one of King Hrothgar’s dear friends. Because she took his friend, Hrothgar gave Beowulf the task of killing the grieving mother. Beowulf agreed and ultimately defeated