Punyataweekul 1

David Punyataweekul

Ms. Hochberg

English 9H, Period 7

16 October 2018

Deep-Fried Loyalty with Extra Cheese and Bacon

“True loyalty could not be easily found. Not in a year, perhaps not even in a lifetime,”

warned Amish-American author, J.E.B. Spredemann. In the epic, ​The Odyssey,​ a journey follows

a hero named Odysseus, who is longing for his return to his homeland and where he rules, Ithaca.

He battles and overcomes many obstacles during his voyage home. Of the many obstacles he

faces, disloyalty is the most threatening, which causes multiple turns of events in the plot. In the

epic, ​The Odyssey​, the author, Homer discusses the scarcity and positive effects of loyalty and its

importance by portraying the extent to which the characters remain loyal to each other and the

consequences that follow as a result of disloyalty.

Homer develops his theme of the importance of loyalty in Odysseus’s world by forming

relationships among the characters in the Odyssey that remain loyal to each other, in order to

achieve restitution in the final end of the epic. For example, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, is longing

for her husband’s return even after twenty long years have passed. When multiple suitors from

Ithaca and other neighboring lands invade Penelope’s home, they press for marriage, although

she did not give her consent to them. She later declares that she will chose to marry a suitor once

she is finished weaving a shroud, but every night she undos the weaving she has done for the day

(Homer 1306-1350). Regarding Penelope’s loyalty in her relationship, it shows true love.

Although an exceptionally long time has passed, she still remains faithful to her husband. This
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extent of loyalty enables herself to be saved by Odysseus from the suitors, who later returns to

Ithaca. The suitors are later defeated by Odysseus, where he and Penelope are able to resume

their lives. It also shows a persevering and assertive characteristics, where Penelope completely

refuses to accept the suitors’ coercing demands. Her deceiving trick of unraveling her shroud

shows her ongoing obedience to Odysseus, fighting against the suitors’ wishes to stay true to

Odysseus. This fighting mindset successfully brings Penelope a justified outcome of restitution

that she longed for when waiting for Odysseus. In addition, Eumaeus, swineherd and friend of

Odysseus, unknowingly invites Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, for dinner, where he mentions

his loyalty towards his master, Odysseus. At night, “Odysseus [sleeps] and the young hands

[sleep] beside him. Not the swineherd. Not his style to bed indoors, Apart from his pigs. He

[gears] up to go outside.”(Homer 595) This shows that Eumaeus proves himself dedicated to

Odysseus, and at the same time displays humbleness because of his choice to sleep outside, even

though high winds are present. When Odysseus departs from Ithaca, it was Eumaeus’ job to take

care of the pigs, where he is constantly committed to their care, disregarding his master’s

absence. Because of this, Odysseus’ heart is warmed because of Eumaeus’s dedication towards

his absent master’s possessions. In addition, this loyalty presents Odysseus a supporter, who

unlike the suitors, seek control over Ithaca. To prevent being overthrown, Odysseus needs

followers. He cannot rely only on himself and his son for restitution, unless Penelope will be

married off to the victor, and Telemachus will be killed. Eumaeus’ loyalty will later help Ithaca

be ruled by a rightful authority because he is true to his king. By observing the relationships

presented by these characters in ​The Odyssey​, Homer’s message towards the importance of

loyalty can be concluded.

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Throughout the epic, Homer develops his message on the scarcity of loyalty by creating

multiple events where characters who become disloyal suffer consequences of their actions to

represent his message. For example, when Odysseus finally returns, he faces the suitors and their

mischievous intentions to threaten his family and seek power. In response, Odysseus scornfully

shouts, “You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it home from the land of Troy. You took

my house to plunder, twisted my maids to serve your beds. You dared bid for my wife while I

was still alive. Contempt was all you had for the gods who rule wide heaven, contempt for what

men say of you hereafter. Your last hour has come. You die in blood. (Homer 1339-1449)”

Because of the disobedience of the suitors, where many are Ithacans, they receive critical

punishment by their leader, Odysseus, in return of their destructive intentions. From this

disloyalty, Odysseus faces even more obstacles, where the suitors wreak havoc for years while

he was absent. This causes him to use his time on Ithaca to fight them, instead of simply

reclaiming his land. Homer includes his message of the scarce distribution of true loyalty and its

power in this event. Considering the ratio of Ithacan citizens who were obedient to Odysseus and

those who are not, the disloyal individuals greatly outnumber those who are loyal. At the same

time, this shows the power of loyalty, where loyal individuals, like Eumaeus, are able to resist

the powerful force of the disloyal population. This bias automatically gives the suitors no chance

against Odysseus and his men. Similarly, while Odysseus is asleep, he recruits one of his men,

Eurylochus, to be in charge to watch the others, in confirmation that nobody will slaughter one of

Helios's cattle. However, Eurylochus instead authoritatively persuaded to the starving men,

“You've gone through everything; listen to what I say. All deaths are hateful to us, mortal

wretches, But famine is the most pitiful, the worst end that a man can come to. Will you fight

it?” In response to this disobedience, Zeus answered Helios’s demand and destroys Odysseus’
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ship, by lightning during a storm, killing all of his men. This also sends Odysseus back to Scylla

and Charybdis, where he escapes to Calypso’s island. Two authorities are disobeyed in this

event. It was Odysseus’s fault for being over-dependent on his men, who were clearly starving.

Up until this event, Odysseus’s men were loyal towards Odysseus, where they only begin to

suffer the consequences up until the point where they become disobedient for their hunger,

killing the cattle, despite the warnings made earlier. Eurylochus and his followers have

disobeyed Odysseus, and for their actions, Odysseus has disobeyed the gods, who bring

destruction to them all in return. This event also shows Homer’s message on the scarcity of true

loyalty. It is very unfortunate, and even unexpected, that Odysseus’s own men decides to commit

betrayal. In addition, Odysseus keeps loyal with his men by warning them of the consequences

that will arise if they slaughter the Helios’s cattle. However, on the other hand, Odysseus’s men

do not give back their loyalty. This ultimately shows an exceptional degree of betrayal because

the lack of obedience in return. Homer gives his message that true loyalty is especially difficult

to find by creating unfortunate situations to integrate them in.

By analyzing the degree of loyalty and consequences of disloyalty of the characters in the

Odyssey, Homer’s theme on the importance of loyalty can be discussed. Following Homer’s

theme, loyalty today does not appear to appeal to people as much as it used to. Of course, many

will show their respect to one another, but they rarely present any loyalty towards each other

anymore. By considering Homer’s message on loyalty’s importance, perhaps society today will

learn build faith in each other more often, to produce a more developed world.
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The Odyssey Essay Exam​ Works Cited

Homer, et al. "Odyssey" ​My Perspectives,​ translated by Robert Fitzgerald, vol. 2, Pearson, 2017,

oooooo​585-613.

Homer, et al. “Book Fifteen.” ​The Odyssey,​ Penguin, 1997, pp. 595–595