The Trojan War plays a crucial role in revenge in which the feelings of hostility between the characters develops leading to acts of vengeance against each other. For example, Agamemnon came back from the war to find that his wife had married Aegisthus, a coward who stayed behind while the others fought in the war. With her approval, Aegisthus kills Agamemnon and would have taken over his kingdom if not for Agamemnon’s son, Orestes. Orestes returns from exile and kills both Aegisthus and his mother to avenge his father. His act of bravery and courage to defend his father’s honor is continually praised by his peers and his father’s peers throughout the Odyssey. “Haven’t you heard what glory Prince Orestes won throughout the world when he killed
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After news of the massacre had spread, Antionous’s father, Eupithes, persuades the families of the suitors to murder Odysseus in order to avenge their children. However, Athena intervenes by killing Eupithes and removing the memory of the massacre from the families. Athena goes this far to protect Odysseus because the reason for Eupithes malice was unjust. When comparing the rationale for vengeance, Odysseus killed the suitors because they disrespected him and his property while Eupithes only wanted to kill Odysseus for killing his son. Although both were acts of vengeance, one was perceived to be more justified than the other. In the eyes of the goddess of wisdom, Athena saw that Eupithes intent to kill was not justified enough as Odysseus’ so she ended the perpetual cycle of fighting and violence with his death.
In conclusion, revenge not only performs as a dominant theme in the Odyssey but also a cultural profile for the characters. It fueled the plot of the Odyssey, creating a base for the main conflicts and a pattern of cause-and-effect that is based on divine or human interaction. For the characters, revenge served as a way to channel their rage and strength as well as motivate them to accomplish a goal or solve a
After news of the massacre had spread, Antionous’s father, Eupithes, persuades the families of the suitors to murder Odysseus in order to avenge their children. However, Athena intervenes by killing Eupithes and removing the memory of the massacre from the families. Athena goes this far to protect Odysseus because the reason for Eupithes malice was unjust. When comparing the rationale for vengeance, Odysseus killed the suitors because they disrespected him and his property while Eupithes only wanted to kill Odysseus for killing his son. Although both were acts of vengeance, one was perceived to be more justified than the other. In the eyes of the goddess of wisdom, Athena saw that Eupithes intent to kill was not justified enough as Odysseus’ so she ended the perpetual cycle of fighting and violence with his death.
In conclusion, revenge not only performs as a dominant theme in the Odyssey but also a cultural profile for the characters. It fueled the plot of the Odyssey, creating a base for the main conflicts and a pattern of cause-and-effect that is based on divine or human interaction. For the characters, revenge served as a way to channel their rage and strength as well as motivate them to accomplish a goal or solve a