Theme Of Punishment In The Odyssey

In Homer's epic poem, “The Odyssey,” the themes of retribution ring strongly along with the notion of unjust punishment, or, more accurately, the grievances the world itself can put on man. At the end of the work, a battered Odysseus arrives home to find the peace of his house sundered by the many suitors who had taken up residence there. Even when Odysseus finds himself home, he cannot find a true peace, he must yet struggle more. Though now he finds himself with an ally: his son, Telemachus. This is the character whose nature this paper is most concerned with. Telemachus and Odysseus contrive a plan to kill all of the suitors that have invaded their household. They decide to slaughter them all by barricading them in the great hall and then attack them. This plan works flawlessly, and the suitors all lie dead by the end. Then, Odysseus decides the maids must but dealt with and requests that Telemachus cut their throats. Instead, Telemachus decides to hang them all; giving them a

It would seem that the larks, a bird generally associated with innocent foolishness, would represent those who were tricked by the suitors. Likewise, the dove represents purity, peace, and freedom and would seem to represent those who fell into youthful love. However, they are all cast in the same lot, by the same man: Telemachus. Telemachus has an interesting relationship to the crime that the maids committed. Firstly, Telemachus spent his life in similar conditions to the maids, being stuck entertaining and serving the suitors. Further, Telemachus loathes trickery, as he often bemoans the wanderers that come to his mother with false tales of Odysseus. However, this loathing seems to be directed at the tricksters, rather than the beguiled. Though it is not illogical that he should hate the maids for being tricked. To examine this, one must examine those that had