The Lessons of Loyalty in The Odyssey, a Poem by Homer

The epic poem The Odyssey written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald is the story of a man as he embarks on an unexpectedly lengthy and brutal journey home from the Trojan war with his crew of males. Along the way, the protagonist, Odysseus is confronted by many conflicts and obstacles that he must use his strength, abilities, or swift thinking in order to overcome, learning essential life lessons along the way. Throughout Odysseus’ travels in the epic poem The Odyssey, the reader can perceive the importance of loyalty and perseverance not only for the accomplishment of Odysseus in finding and reclaiming his house, but also to have accomplishment in society nowadays.

The theme and life lesson of loyalty is demonstrated all through the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, as Odysseus have to face numerous challenging challenges and temptations to abandon his family, his wife, his home, and his beliefs. By staying loyal, Odysseus is capable to have a driving force behind his will to return to his property and loved ones and eventually succeed. For instance, when Odysseus is trapped on the island of Ogygia, held hostage by the goddess Calypso, he is extremely depressed, longing for his home and his family members no matter what Calypso did for him: “By nights he would lie beside her, of necessity, in the hollow caverns, against his will, by one who was willing, but all the days he would sit upon the rocks, at the seaside, breaking his heart in tears and lamentation and sorrow as weeping tears he looked out more than the barren water” (Homer 5.152-158). Odysseus is in despair of his scenario, he longs for his residence and his family members and he is getting held against his will. He is becoming kept on a lovely island with endless food from Calypso and a gorgeous woman in in heavy pursuit of him numerous people would get in touch with this a paradise, yet Odysseus is getting held against his will as he is determined to remain loyal to his household as effectively as himself and his morals. Loyalty is a life skill that is still applicable to society today. It is the basis of any partnership whether it be a friendship, romantic, or a company relationship. In order to succeed in today’s society, loyalty is completely paramount since of the immense number of relationships that you should make in order to succeed, no matter what your profession or lifestyle may possibly be. The life lesson of loyalty is continually demonstrated to the reader throughout the epic poem and it is still quite critical and applicable to life nowadays.

In The Odyssey by Homer, the theme of perseverance is indisputable as Odysseus embarks on a brutal ten year journey to find his residence and his household, getting to encounter countless challenges along the way. Although providing up could have been the logical selection on several occasions for the duration of his journey, Odysseus is in a position to use his perseverance and drive to continue onward all through the lengthy years. His perseverance and determination also causes others to appear up to him and to be inspired by his determination and will to succeed: “You are a hard man, Odysseus. Your force is greater, your limbs never ever put on out. You should be made all of iron, when you will not let your companions, worn with hard perform and wanting sleep, set foot on this land, exactly where if we did, on the seagirt island we could after far more make ready a greedy dinner but you force us to blunder along just as we are via the running night, driven from the island over the misty face of the water” (Homer 12.279-285). Odysseus is noticed as a leader not due to the fact of his rank or his power, but simply because of the way that he carries himself and the hardworking, never ever quit character that he has adopted. This attitude that he carries himself with provides his fellow crew the notion that he is invincible and an apparent organic leader. The ability and trait of perseverance is equally if not far more crucial as it was in the age of Odysseus. In our society these days one must operate challenging in order to achieve something of worth, specially when it comes to academics and one’s profession. Perseverance is a lesson that clearly stands out all the way through this epic poem, teaching the reader the fabled lesson that in order to succeed a single have to perform hard and be devoted.

The themes of loyalty and perseverance are prominent all through the epic poem The Odyssey written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald as Odysseus embarks on a lengthy and difficult journey home from fighting in the Trojan war. Odysseus continuously expresses these traits as he overcomes the countless obstacles major up to his return home. Without these expertise, Odysseus would’ve been forever lost at sea or trapped on the island of Calypso obtaining abandoned his family and his beliefs. As an alternative, his actions and traits teach the reader beneficial lessons that are still relevant nowadays, over 1200 years following this poem was written.