Lizzie Ochs

Mr. Palcsey

Honors English 10

12/21/17

The Importance of Relationships

The relationships between Odysseus and gods, goddesses, and humans are prominent in

the epic The Odyssey. Odysseus both destroys and builds relationships with the gods, goddesses,

and humans throughout his journey home to Ithaca. These relationships are important because

without them, Odysseus would be lost. The main individuals Odysseus has powerful

relationships with are Athena, Telemachus, and Eumaeus.

In this epic, Odysseus has the strongest relationship with the goddess Athena. Athena was

with Odysseus through every step of his journey, from beginning to end. In book 1 of the epic,

Athena goes to Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, and tells him to go to Sparta. She also mentions

Odysseus still being alive, even though everyone back in Ithaca believes him to be dead. On his

way back from Troy, Odysseus gets trapped on the island of Calypso. In book 5, Athena is the

only one that tells Zeus that something needs to be done about Odysseus being trapped on the

island. Without Athena’s words of wisdom, Odysseus probably never would have left the island

of Calypso. When Odysseus leaves the island in book 5, Poseidon sends a storm, causing

Odysseus’ raft to break and him to lose hope. But, the entire time Athena is with him, and she

guides him safely to shore. Multiple times Athena causes sleep to come upon Odysseus when he

is so exhausted that he needs the help of the gods. Later in the epic, in book 13, when Odysseus

is brought back to Ithaca by the Phaeacians, Athena makes it so that Odysseus cannot recognize
anything or where he is. Athena does this not as an act of evil, but in an act of protection to

defend Odysseus from the suitors that would want to kill him if they knew he was alive and back

in Ithaca. When it comes time for Odysseus to fight the suitors, Athena’s presence is there, and

she comes to their aid in times of need. Athena is present until the end where she, along with the

help of Zeus, bring peace to the land of Ithaca. From the beginning, Athena was solely trying to

help Odysseus.

While Odysseus was away from home, he didn’t have much time to bond with his only

son, Telemachus. But, in book 16, he finally returns home, and reveals himself to Telemachus.

They both rejoice and embrace each other with hugging and kissing. This shows the remarkable

father and son bond Odysseus and Telemachus share. When Odysseus reveals himself, he gains

an automatic trust for Telemachus and their relationship already begins to grow. For example, in

Odysseus’ fight against the suitors in book 22, Telemachus says he will stand by his father’s side

and fight until all of the suitors are dead. Even though Telemachus may be frightened or

intimidated by the suitors, he knows the assistance his father is going to need. The act of

Telemachus standing by Odysseus’ side happens once again when the suitors’ parents try to

attack Odysseus for killing their sons. During this time Telemachus is there for his father. In

book 23 of The Odyssey, Odysseus reveals himself to his wife, Penelope. Throughout this

process, Penelope is skeptical and doesn’t know for sure if Odysseus is who he says he is.

During these moments, Telemachus is heartbroken and just wants to see his father and mother

together again. This shows Telemachus yearning for the well-being of his mother and father.

Eumaeus is a servant of Odysseus. He is the swineherd of the palace, and he and

Odysseus had an extremely strong relationship with much trust before Odysseus left to fight at

the Battle of Troy. When Odysseus returns home from Ithaca in book 13, he first goes to
Eumaeus’ hut because he knows Eumaeus is one of the few servants that can be trusted. At first,

Odysseus does not reveal himself to the swineherd, but over time comes to realize that Eumaeus

has been truly faithful to him in his absence, and reveals himself. Eumaeus is another character

that stands by Odysseus in the fight against the suitors in book 22. Odysseus chooses the

swineherd to be on his side of the fight because he trusts in him that he would never betray him.

The swineherd Eumaeus stays loyal to Odysseus throughout the entire epic.

Having strong relationships is all about trust. Without trust, the relationship will be

broken and no longer exist. In the epic The Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates healthy

relationships, but also defective ones. He shows meaningful relations with Athena, Telemachus,

and the swineherd Eumaeus. Each of these relationships shares in the fact that they are healthy,

although there are others that Odysseus has bad relationships with. With these individuals, he is

able to build strong connections and work with them to achieve his goals. With these individuals,

Odysseus shows a genuine interest to be mutually beneficial. He is not just looking out for his

own personal gain, but also considers the well-being of the other person in the relationship.
Theme for Midterm paper
One for hamlet, one for Odyssey
1 hour
3 choices
In blue book, write the number you choose and book EX. Hamlet 1:
Hamlet themes:
Emotional and psychological instability
The supernatural essence
Conscience formation
Odyssey themes:
Definition of an epic
Definition of an epic hero
Essence of justice