Revenge Theme In The Iliad And The Odyssey

This story details the challenges he faces on his voyage back to Ithaca and when he returns home. Soldiers still have a war mentality even after the war ends. Odysseus and his men plundered the island of Ismarus: “I stormed the place and killed the men who fought”(Homer pg.562). They stopped on the island to rest on their journey home, and they sacked Ismarus because they were still in combat mode. The gods punished them for this because the gods did not understand that soldiers stay in combat mode after war.

Aias had fought alongside Odysseus in the Trojan War. While Odysseus was finding his way back to Ithaca, Aias had killed someone who Athena favored, which angered her. He had escaped punishment, and took pride in doing so. He “in his insolence yelled that the gods’ will and the sea were beaten, and this loud brag came to Poseidon’s ears. He swung the trident in his massive hands and in one shock from top to bottom split that promontory, toppling into the sea” (Odyssey 537).

In grief Achilles wants to fight Hector for what he did. Hector has two choices, either to fight Achilles or hide behind the walls of Troy. Hector exclainms doubtedly “What shall I do? If I retreat behind these walls, … And now that I have ruined them all by my rashness, I am ashamed to face the men and women of Troy, or some base fellows may say-Hector thought too much of his own strength, and ruined us all!”

Odysseus shows considerable hubris when he brags to King Alconis about slaughtering the small village of Ismarus. Odysseus claims that he and his men “stormed that place,” enslaved the women, and slaughtered those who fought. (Homer 43). Due to Odysseus’ arrogant decision to assault Ismarus, a few of his men died. This demonstrates how arrogance and the hunger for victory will lead to certain death.

When Telemachus asks Odysseus how can they win because they are drastically outnumbered by the suitors, Odysseus responds,”Is it not indeed enough for us to have Athena and father Zeus beside us (Mandelbaum, Book XVI, pg. 325)?” Odysseus convinces his son that having gods on their side matches any number of

Both Agamemnon and Odysseus, have wives besieged by suitors and a son who, logically, dislikes them. The story of Agamemnon parallels that of Odysseus. But Agamemnon's story turned negative: the suitor killed him and married his wife, though his son, Orestes, avenged his death. This foreshadowing effect is only a brief statement by Zeus in Zimmerman’s interpretation as time is a vital resource in a play while in an epic it is held in excess. Homer’s ability to enhance the epic with secondary characters came from years of oral history and time but pays off tenfold.

Achilles is maddened and appeals to his goddess mother saying, “If I am to die soon, shouldn’t I have what I want?” Feeling only sorrow for her son, Thetis requests Zeus to cause to Greeks to lose until Achilles fights again. Slowly the Greeks are pushed back farther and Agamemnon pleads with Achilles, offering Briseis back. Achilles declines due to his pride and the Trojans come close to burn the Greek ships. Even when a ship was burning, Achilles refused to fight and instead sends out Patroclus.

Boom! It shocked her, her own brother has died why “why would this happen to me, she repeated to herself. Antigone begins with the two sons of Oedipus, Eteocles and Polyneices, who are fighting for the kingship of Thebes. Both men die in the battle. Their successor, Creon, decides that King Eteocles will be buried, but Polyneices, because he was leading a foreign army, will be left on the field of battle.

The Trojan War was led up to the fact that Paris took Helen from her husband, Menelaus. He wanted revenge on Paris, so the Greek gods and warriors of Sparta battled and fought each other for 10 straight years. Eris rode into battle, one of the days, and was intrigued by the bloodshed and slaughter of the Trojan War. The Trojans became victorious in the end and Helen was brought back to Menelaus. Although difficulties arose, the Trojans were determined to win the

After Odysseus blamed the gods, Poseidon, started creating bad seas forcing him not to

“On wrongs swift vengeance awaits” (Pope). Agree or not, these wise words from Alexander Pope describe well what Homer’s The Odyssey is about. In this novel, characters often seek vengeance for things or people they have lost. This is shown through Poseidon’s actions to Odysseus and his men after they stab the Cyclop’s eye, Odysseus’s men being killed by Zeus after they eat Helios’s cattle and Odysseus killing all of the suitors once he returns to Ithaca.

It’s ancient times before the reign Napoleon or Romans. Before the Persian War and even before Athens built her Parthenon or Sparta held Thermopylae. It’s the era of the Greek city-states where numerous legends and tales born. One of which being the timeless Iliad told by Homer. The Iliad displays a tale of heroes that fight for the Greek or Trojan cause.

Achilles anger increase with the death of patrocles by him wanting to kill all of the Trojans. Achilles started to throw their bodies in the river which displayed that he showed no remorse or compassion for them. Achilles treated Hector’s body as if he wasn’t a person. He dragged him and kept torturing him for twelve days even thought he was already dead. The burial of hector is a symbol of how Achilles anger is calming down.

Achilles, the main character of Homer’s epic The Iliad evolved throughout the epic in many ways. The story helps Achilles development as a person. In the beginning of the epic we see Achilles with many flaws and by the end of the epic we see him move past from his flaws and see him overcome them.