Free Essays on Homer's Odyssey: Love in the Odyssey:


Length: 495 words (1.8 pages)
Rating: Red (FREE)      
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Love in the Odyssey


There are many essential emotions that form the building blocks of our lives.  These emotions help to shape the people that we are. These feelings are emotional necessities to ultimately keep us happy.  No piece of literature these feelings more evident than the Odyssey by Homer.  Throughout the course of this book there is one major emotional theme: love.

Often times in life we search for a companion, someone to share our love and life with.  Odysseus and Penelope's lasting relationship is an obvious representation of love in the Odyssey. Although Odysseus is gone for twenty years he never forgets his faithful wife in Ithaca.  This love helps him persevere through the many hardships that he encounters on his journey home.  Penelope also exemplifies this same kind of love for Odysseus.  At home in Ithaca, she stays loyal to Odysseus by unraveling his shroud and delaying her marriage to the suitors that are courting her.  She always keeps the hope that her love, Odysseus, will return.  Odysseus and Penelope's marriage clearly illustrates the theme of love.

The Odyssey also illustrates other relationships where love is of great importance ? one of the most emphasized is the father-son relationship between Odysseus and Telemachos.   This relationship is a little awkward because they both never really got to know each other but they still care for each other's well being. When Odysseus hears of all the suitors devouring Telemachos's future fortune and mistreating him, he wants to return and revenge the misuse of his family and property.  Odysseus, like any parent, also misses his only child while he is at war.  Telemachos on the contrary also displays a lot of love for his father.  Telemachos leaves Ithaca, nexperienced, to find any knowledge of his father in hope that he is still alive.  Telemachos through out most of his life has lacked a father figure and desperately needs that special help and guidance from Odysseus as he becomes a man. Their relationship seems to show how love can give you the strength to carry on.

The other important father-son relationship that exhibits love is the one between Odysseus and Laertes.  Odysseus, when he returns, wishes to go see his father.  When he confronts his father and tries to hide his identity, he is unable to finish his story because of the great sorrow in his father's eyes.  This shows how much he loves his father and what great suffering he caused him. This anguish that Laertes exhibits also shows how much love he has for his son.  Since Odysseus was assumed to be dead, it almost sent Laertes into a kind of depression.   When Odysseus returned it gave Laetes an overwhelming happiness.  This is a case where love seems to be the cure for pain and grief.

Love is a major emotional theme in the Odyssey as evidenced by the relationships between Odysseus and his wife Penelope, as well as his relationships with Telemachos and Laertes.



Search for: [small class]   [think twice]   [reaction takes]   [inevitable death]  

Important Note: If you'd like to save a copy of the paper on your computer, you can COPY and PASTE it into your word processor. Please, follow these steps to do that in Windows:

1. Select the text of the paper with the mouse and press Ctrl+C.
2. Open your word processor and press Ctrl+V.

Company's Liability

Azete.com (the "Web Site") is produced by the "Company". The contents of this Web Site, such as text, graphics, images, audio, video and all other material ("Material"), are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. The Company makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the Material or about the results to be obtained from using the Material. You expressly agree that any use of the Material is entirely at your own risk. Most of the Material on the Web Site is provided and maintained by third parties. This third party Material may not be screened by the Company prior to its inclusion on the Web Site. You expressly agree that the Company is not liable or responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of other subscribers or third parties.

The Materials are provided on an as-is basis without warranty express or implied. The Company and its suppliers and affiliates disclaim all warranties, including the warranty of non-infringement of proprietary or third party rights, and the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. The Company and its suppliers make no warranties as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the material, services, text, graphics and links.

For a complete statement of the Terms of Service, please see our website. By obtaining these materials you agree to abide by the terms herein, by our Terms of Service as posted on the website and any and all alterations, revisions and amendments thereto.

in the April 2001 issue of MuscleMag International. The article revealed some of the latest techniques that modern bodybuilders have been using when steroids just are not enough. The two techniques mentioned are calf implants and the sight injection of an oil called Synthol. Although calf implant...rs from a genetic disorder called Trisomy 13 or Patau's Syndrome. Trisomy 13 is a syndrome caused by an extra 13th chromosome. As you may be aware that humans have 23 chromosomes in pairs of two. In your son's case the 13 chromosome has and extra pair. Normally it is thought that a Trisomy occur... Lagi as their God and that they were confident that he would show them the way one day. American Samoa was one of them islands not settled. Before, they were nomads and travelers of the South Pacific. The life of a Samoan is believed to be unique because of their way of life. The Samoans were taugh...e oHe retaliated by imposing trade sanctions himself from beef to mini vans. ·Were they scared of the American influence? §Or ·Were the Americans being too aggressive? ·Why Aggressive you might ask. Well I say aggressive because piracy has been growing and is virtually unstoppable.. ·China neve...




Copyright © 2006 azete.com. All rights reserved. Terms of Service