Justice In The Odyssey

Words: 1279
Pages: 6
Open Document
In many ways, the Greek god's’ constant presence in tn many texts of work underline how often people look up to them. Even if the gods themselves did not play quite an active role in the specific myth, they were still referenced to and revered for the power which they possessed. Often times, many resolutions were made by the words of the gods. As all powerful beings, many would assume that they must have held the answers to settle many disputes among the humans. However, while the gods have done many good for the humans, the justice that they have to the humans was not great or divine as many have thought to be. The unfortunate fact was that many of the conflicts was caused, in many ways by the gods, so attributing by the humans might have …show more content…
In one of Euripides plays, Hippolytus, son of Theseus, learned this the hard way when he insulted Aphrodite when he rejected the power of love as he prefer to remain unmarried and continue to chase Artemis (Line 113). To Aphrodite where her powers came from the love and sexual erotism, having him swore her off was the greatest insult he could ever done. And so, because love was one of the main attributes which was associated with her, his punishment came when Aphrodite cursed another person to be in love with him. Aphrodite proceed to took control of the Phaedra, Hippolytus’ stepmother, and made her feel deep in love with him. The madness was so much that she begged to be brought back to the mountains and hunt with Artemis and swore off her affection for him (Line 215-220). With the grief too much-committed suicide, but before she died she left a note which stated she was too ashamed to live once Hippolytus raped her. This was brought to the attention of Theseus and how to punished his own son for the alleged rape of his wife. His resolution was to tied the hands and feet of Hippolytus together and pulled by horses until he died. Here, while the goddess Aphrodite did not went down into the human world herself like Apollo did, her act to cause both of the death of Hippolytus and Phaedra demonstrated the fearsome powers which she can …show more content…
Once Theseus found out the truth, he begged to be punished but Hippolytus forgave him, and thus ending cycle of violence within the household (Line 1300-1430). This part nicely ended the story, but many would say that not all of the gods act on their own self-interest, but that there was true justice being served to the everyone. But Artemis also had something of a steak in this matter. As stated before, the gods received their powers was through honors and respect they have gain though their followers. In this moment, losing Hippolytus to Aphrodite's wrath would showed that Artemis was not powerful enough to protect her followers. So like Apollo, bring justice for the one that have been wrongly mistreated would meant bring justice to herself. So now, all maidens going into marriage with prey to Hippolytus to remind them the harshness of the word to those who do not want to pressure into transitioning to marriage. Additionally, she promised to seek revenge on Aphrodite herself so that none of her other followers would suffer like Hippolytus did (Line
Show More

Related Documents: Justice In The Odyssey

Examples Of Hospitality In The Odyssey

The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Allen Mandelbaum, is the story of a Greek hero, Odysseus, who struggles to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus experiences many hardships and obstacles along his journey. Among his many journeys, he encountered many forms of hospitality. In this epic poem, hospitality is crucial; its purpose is to provide aid to those who need it, a method used by the gods to test individuals. Awful hospitality, in which the gods do not, shows disrespect from the host…

Words 855 - Pages 4

The Pivotal Role Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

Women play a pivotal role in the Odyssey. Whether they are mortal women or goddesses their actions have heavy consequences in the turn of events throughout plot of the Odyssey. This is apparent from the beginning with the rape of king Priam’s daughter, Cassandra. This incident enrages the goddess Athena against the Greeks consequently delaying Odysseus's return to Ithaca. Athena‘s soft spot for Odysseus persuades her to encourage Telemachus to venture out to find his father, who she knows is on his…

Words 582 - Pages 3

Odysseus's Journey Essay

The notion of the journey is a fundamental thematic element in both The Odyssey and Inferno. Both of these narratives are bound together by journeys, although both have quite different effects. Homer and Dante used the theme of journey as a metaphor for maturing. In Homer’s The Odyssey, the plot reveals Odysseus’ struggles while he attempts to make a return to his homeland following the victory he and his men experienced in the Trojan War, and it is also concerned with Telemachus’ journey as he goes…

Words 508 - Pages 3

Greek philosophy Essay

right and wrong, good and evil, as well as a set of rules of conduct arising from these views. The key word here is society. This implies that the concept of morality was different in various cultures and in different periods of history. Homer in the Odyssey laid that concepts of morality, which for the modern reader may seem strange and even incomprehensible. It should also borne in mind that the main source of morality in the modern world is religion. In the holy scriptures accurately declared the rules…

Words 768 - Pages 4

How Is Odysseus An Epic Hero

he undertakes tasks no one else dare attempts, and because he takes a long journey and barely makes it home alive. In Homer’s, The Odyssey, we are introduced to Odysseus, the, main character. Napoleon once said, “True heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life, in whatever shape they may challenge us to combat”. Napoleons quote is relative to the odyssey because Odysseus overcame any challenge that stood in his way so that he could get home. Odysseus is an epic hero because he takes…

Words 483 - Pages 2

Authority Of Telemachus In The Odyssey

The subheadings used in his paper are as follows: "Politics in/of the Odyssey," "Who Will (Make) Penelope Wed?" "Getting There and Back," "The Trick with the Beggar," and "Conclusion." Based on these subheadings, the reader can gather an idea on what each of the paragraphs will focus on before even reading the paragraph, therefore…

Words 1916 - Pages 8

Essay Comparing Homer And Hesiod

Hesiod placed emphasis on the concept of Justice and Virtue, Homer looked more towards the values of Moderation and Honor. Justice is a theme throughout much of greek philosophy, and it can be seen in both Hesiod and Homer’s tales. In Hesiod’s Theogony, justice can be seen more than once, the most notable example being Zeus’s trickery in order to restore his siblings and earthly order. Justice can also be seen in Homer’s poetry, but the focus is not on the justice being served but the morals violated…

Words 621 - Pages 3

Odysseus As A True Hero In Homer's Odyssey

In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, a hero is defined by extraordinary abilities that they possess throughout seemingly impossible situations. Odysseus is repeatedly in what appears to be knowing situations, and not only does he overcome them, but helps his family, his men, and himself. It is his loyalty to his friends, bravery, and clever strategies that allow him to be recognized as the true hero, and restore peace in Ithaca making his broken family whole again. Odysseus puts aside his personal needs…

Words 624 - Pages 3

Good And Evil In The Odyssey

The Odyssey by Homer and The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, explores an array of different topics concerning key characteristics and features presented by an epic and a literature piece. One trait that is very notable is the concept “good vs evil”. In many works and epics, the concept of “good vs evil” is depicted as to be a hero who overcomes and defeats the evil, while observing all of the characteristics of a typical hero. Bravery, courage, honesty, longing for justice, mercifulness are some…

Words 1321 - Pages 6

Athena In The Odyssey

Athena is an important goddess and she is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. She is specifically known for her strategic skill in warfare and it is constantly portrayed as the companion of heroes. Zeus was told before Athena was born, that any child born to Metis would be more powerful than its father. Zeus was very worried by this and decided to swallow Metis before she could…

Words 614 - Pages 3