Amelia Pasco

10/11/16

6*

Loyalty

How can loyalty affect someones life? The answer is loyalty can

often make friendships flourish or sadly end. When there is loyalty,

there is someone there to lend a helping hand in the most desperate

times. Having loyalty also gives a sense of security and trust that can

lead to happiness. The result of not having loyalty often ends with

nobody there to help in a time of need. In the epic poem, The

Odyessey, Homer demonstrates that loyalty leads to strong friendships

that can last for a lifetime. Without loyalty, there is chaos and

destruction. This can be shown through the encounter with Odysseus

and Penelope after Odysseus had been gone for twenty years, the

event with Odysseuss men and Circe, and when Odysseuss men

slaughtered Helioss cattle.

In The Odyessey, Penelope remains loyal to Odysseus in two

ways; when she protects herself from the suitors while still waiting for

Odysseus and when she creates the task of stringing the bow because

she knows only Odysseus can complete the task. While Penelope

protects herself from the suitors while still waiting for Odysseus, she is

in doubt that Odysseus is really Odysseus when he arrives. Odysseus

gets mad for this, but she had to know for sure that it is Odysseus to
remain loyal to him. Forgive me, dont be angry. I could not welcome

you with love on sight! I armed myself long ago against the frauds of

men, imposters who might come- and all those many whose

underhanded ways bring evil on! (21, 1397-1401). Therefore Penelope

creates the test of stringing the bow and in doing so she proves her

loyalty yet again. The test involves stringing Odysseuss huge bow, an

impossible feat for anyone except Odysseus himself (21, pg.698). By

creating this task, she ensures that only Odysseus is her husband, not

any of the other suitors. She is loyal because she makes it so it is

impossible to marry any of the suitors but Odysseus.

In The Odyssey, the goddess Circe turns Odysseuss men into

pigs. Eurylochus, a member of Odysseuss crew, sees what happens

and tells Odysseus. Down to the ship Eurylochus came running to cry

alarm, foul magic doomed his men! (10, 577-578). Eurylochus did not

tell Odysseus this because he had to, but because he had loyalty

towards his crew. If he was not loyal to his friends, he would not even

tell anyone what happened, just pretend it never happened and forget

all about it. Odysseus also showed loyalty when he learns that his

friends were gone (10, 583). He tries to save them, even without

protection until Hermes gave it to him. Odysseus leaves the ship and

rushes to Circes hall. The god Hermes stops him to give him a plant

that will weaken Circes power. Protected by the plants magic,

Odysseus resists Circes sorcery (10, pg. 675). Odysseus was willing to

sacrifice himself to save his friends because he had loyalty.

Odysseus tells his men to not harm the cattle of Helios because

he is yet again showing loyalty. Odysseus tries to warn his men about

the cattle because he is trying to keep them from destroying

themselves out of loyalty. Eurylochus is disloyal to Odysseus and tries

to get them men to disobey Odysseuss orders. Come, well cut out

the noblest of these cattle for sacrifice to the gods who own the sky;

and once at home, in the old country of Ithaca, if ever that day comes-

well build a costly temple and adorn it with every beauty for the Lord

of the Noon. But if he flares up over his heifers lost, wishing our ship

destroyed, and if the gods make cause with him, why, then I say:

Better open your lungs to the bid sea once for all than waste to skin

and bones on a lonely island (12, 884-894). Because Eurylochus was

disloyal to Odysseus, he leads all of the men away from Odysseuss

attempt to help them. Thus Eurylochus; and they murmured Aye!

trooping away at once to round up heifers (12, 895-896). The men

were not loyal to Odysseus and did not heed his warning, and so

brought death upon themselves.

In conclusion, there are many people throughout The Odysseus

that show loyalty like Penelope, Odysseus, and Odysseuss crew.

Loyalty is needed and with it, there is happiness and success. Without

loyalty, there is evil and destruction. The Odyssey shows this through
the encounter when Odysseus sees his wife, Penelope, after twenty

years, the encounter with Circe, and when Odysseuss men slaughter

Helioss cattle.