The Odyssey: A Tale of Redemption

2140 Words5 Pages

The epic poem called The Odyssey, which was written by the poet Homer, is one of the many classical stories from Ancient Greek culture. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey back home from the war with Troy, which had occurred in Homer’s other epic Greek poem, The Illiad. Odysseus faces many trials and quests in his journey home and to take back his kingdom from the suitors, such as meeting the witch Circe, blinding a Cyclops named Polyphemus, dealing with Poseidon, and staying with the goddess Calypso. The poem has many themes that are relevant to it. One such theme is the factor of redemption. Redemption is usually a typical subject in any kind of religion, like the Greek religion and Christian religion. The story of Odysseus has an underlying message of him receiving redemption from the Greek gods. The Odyssey is a tale of redemption because it deals with Odysseus being forgiven by the gods after having to go through many trials and wrongs to rightfully claim back his wife and the throne of Ithaca.

What exactly does the term redemption actually mean? M. Wayne Clark, in his editorial titled “Redemption: Becoming More Human” in Expository Times, gives his own thoughts and ideas on what this word really means. Clark says that this word has several specific meanings. One of these is that “‘redemption is salvation from the states or circumstances that destroy the value of human existence itself’” (76). This is saying that this term is about being forgiven for past sins and crimes that someone has committed. Sins and crimes are known to be very fragile to someone’s right to exist as a human. Clark says another way that redemption can be defined is that it is a type of forgiveness that removes someone’s sha...

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...ne and kill all of the suitors that took advantage of his wife Penelope’s hospitality for so many years. This story shows that gods from any religion, like the Catholic faith and Greek religion, show forgiveness for almost anything. Redemption is something we all receive.

Works Cited

Clark, M. Wayne. "Redemption: Becoming More Human." Editorial. Expository Times Dec. 2003: 76-

81. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.

Gabriel, Andrew K. "Contemporary Images for Communicating the Atonement

and Redemption: Liberator and Lover." McMaster Journal of Theology &

Ministry 10.(2008): 53-68. EBSCOhost. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.

Halkin, Hillel. "Sailing to Ithaca." Editorial. Commentary Nov. 2005: 69-76. EBSCOhost. Web. 13 Feb.

2011.

Homer. "The Odyssey." The Norton Anthology: World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W.

Norton &, 2009. 274-563. Print.

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