Themes of the Odyssey :: essays research papers

Throughout the Odyssey there ar many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. To conjure a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the add of money one had determined the status he held in the classic society, and this explains Odysseuss love for plunder). To start with the most common one, the role of the gods, one domiciliate see many such allusions thrown all over the odyssey. The epic poem starts in Mt.Olympus where the gods are discussing what will happen to Odysseus , Master knave and warrior of Ithaka. As it so happens he is on the island of Kalypso, one of the lesser gods. Also, as Odysseus travels, one learns about the role of the gods in non only his travels still other peoples ones too. Agisthos, the man who stole Agamemnons wife and killed him, was sent a pass along from Zeus by Hermes, giving him the information of what will happen if he kills him. Also, Menelaus, the r ed haired king of war, had to wrestle with a sea-god in rule to gain acceptance and sail all the way back to his fatherland of Sparta, and acquire news about the rest of his companions. He would not find out about his brothers demise until he got home.The next two themes are interelated, Betrayal and Revenge, with Greed and Glutony.THe gods punish those who show greed and glutony, but that does not mean that they cannot be punished as well. A prime showcase of this is when Posiedon is out feasting among the sun-burnt races that were deemed to be his own. While he was feasting, Odysseus escaped the island of Kalypso, something that Poseidon did not like and was to late to stop from happening. While he was being gluttanos and eat all that food, Odysseus had escaped. Another example would be the murder of Agamemnon. Agisthos was greedy and precious money and status, as well as Agamemnons wife and Agamemnons wife betrayed Agamemnon when she went sullen with him and even more so wh en they both killed him. However, the theme of Betrayal is a great deal closely followed by the theme of Revenge. Agamemnons son, Orestes, would go back and avenge his fathers death, putting to death Agisthos and his mother even though later on in classical mythology he knew he would be punished for killing her.