A Number of Homeric Values and Themes in the Story of Agamemnon - Research Paper Example

The Odyssey Homer features the story of the passing away of Agamemenon, brother of Menalaos, as well as comrade-in-warfare of Odysseus, at hands of his wife, Clytemnestra, novel lover, Aegisthus, and Aegisthus’ ensuing death at the dispense of Orestes, Agamemnon’s son, is brought up repeatedly throughout the Odyssey prominently. This is because they are portrayed to distinguish the murderous unfaithfulness of Clytemnestra with the devoted faithfulness of Penelope, as well as Orestes, along with his sister Electra faithfulness to their father by avenging the murder by killing their blood mother Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, her lover. When Clytemnestra is compared to Penelope, Clytemnestra gets seduced by Aegisthus when her husband is away on war, and as time goes by she gets no word of the ongoing warfare coming to an end, she feels weak and gives in to the affective advances of Aegisthus (Homer 57). On the other hand, Penelope, in spite of all of her disapproval for the suitors, leads them on. She utilizes her womanly wiles to mask her subterfuge of undoing, each nighttime, her day’s labor on the entombment shroud, and makes the suitors to offer her gifts, asserting that she will get married to the individual who offers her the finest things. Nevertheless, no matter how much time went by Penelope does not give into having another man in her life. The audience is reminded throughout the epic of the disloyalty of Clytemnestra and the loyalty of Penelope even though both of them were in the same situation they took separate paths. Clytemnestra chose a path that led her to death that came from her own flesh and blood, whereas Penelope chose the path to her happiness. The repetition of these accounts also aids the listeners, who did not possess the profit of a text, to retain the details of the story, as they listen to the epic and connect one incident to another to see connections (Homer 98). The story pertains to Odysseus’ situation in that both hе and Agamemnon are in the same situation when their stories are introduced. They both leave home for war and leave their wives, along with kids back at home. Agamemnon and Odysseus take a lot of time in war, and no word is sent home of the war ending any time soon or them returning home. Other men who want to marry them go on with their seduction. Agamemnon’s wife Clytemnestra gets tired of waiting and believes that her husband may never come back, and she gets a lover by the name Aegisthus, who is planning to kill Agamemenon if he ever comes back. At the same time, Odysseus’ wife has countless suitors pursuing her, she leads them on and gets material things in the process, but she at no point gets a lover or decides to get married to another man because Odysseus may not be coming back. When Agamemenon returns home, his wife and his lover, Aegisthus get him killed (Homer 138). Aegisthus revenges on Agamemnon because in a clash over the kingship, Atreus, Agamemnon's father, kills Agamemnon’s siblings and then served then as dinner to his father Thyestes. Here, we see that Aegisthus is killed by avenging a mistake that Agamemnon’s father made. The same thing happens to Aegisthus later on, when eight years afterward, Agamemnon's son Orestes, currently come of age, goes back to Mycene, and takes revenge for his father's demise by killing his own mother Clytemnestra and Aegisthus. However, when Odysseus gets back home, he finds his wife as faithful as he had left her with his only son. Odyssey gets into a contest, which he wins to establish his identity, kills the suitors, along with retaking the Ithaca throne (Homer 219). The traits that Odysseus has that might prevent his suffering a similar fate include his sharp intelligence. Odysseus’s swift thinking assists him out of a number of very hard-hitting circumstances, as when he breaks out from the cavern of the Cyclops, or when he hides from view his massacre of the suitors making his minstrel to strike up a wedding ceremony tune. Odysseus has the capacity to convince individuals easily, which might prevent his suffering a similar fate. This is because he is an eloquent speaker, as well as has the aptitude to win over or even maneuver his audience with no difficulty. For example, when he initially speaks to Nausicaa on the isle of Scheria, for instance, his suave, reassuring approach speedily wins her conviction (Homer 277). The courage, as well as wisdom of Odysseus assist him stay alive through the entire epic, and might prevent his suffering a similar fate. For instance, Odysseus slays the Cyclops whilst the giant is sleeping even if the giant ate two chaps minutes prior to. Odysseus has daring to stand up for what he believed in and by no means lets the outlook of other individuals keep him from carrying out what is true. Odysseus demonstrates his courage all through the epic for he is swollen with pride, and does not desire to leave any task unfinished, which might prevent his suffering a similar fate. Odysseus frequently hesitates prior to acting, since he uses rationale to assess the situation that saves him, as well as his men countless times. Odysseus distinguishes that there is no improvement devoid of the understanding to back it up. Utilizing courage, intelligence, and wisdom as traits will help Odysseus to maybe prevent his suffering a similar fate (Homer 320). This story is important for both Penelope and Telemachus, as well, and their characterizations because both of them get to realize to take care of one another when Odysseus is away, and avoid making mistakes that could lead to their downfall. Telemachus turns out to be additionally assertive and protects his mother Penelope by meeting head-on with the suitors, as well as condemning the exploitation of his estate. Penelope in spite of pressure from her suitors on her to get married again, she never loses confidence in her husband (Homer 245). If Telemachus had not been assertive and let the suitors pursue his mother, she might have given up and decide to remarry, making things extremely worse when Odysseus returned because he would want to take revenge for her remarrying. On the other hand, if Penelope did not have faith, and had finally remarried after whichever number of years, there could have been grave consequences on her, Telemachus, and whoever she could have gotten married to out anger of disloyalty by those closest to him, who are Telemachus and Penelope. The story illustrates a number of Homeric values and themes, implicitly. Homeric values include restoring civilization concerning Odysseus, as well as the suitors. A rabble of conceited suitors have shifted into his fortress, courting his wife, putting together commands from his servants, as well as depleting his house stocks with their repeated feasts and festivities. This height of disrepute for a man’s house and belongings would have been adequately unflattering for the Greeks. However, the wicked Suitors have even conspired to assassinate Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. Prior to that Odysseus can truthfully enjoy his go back to civilization; he has to eliminate the danger of the wicked Suitors from his home. Homeric themes include loyalty, which can be seen when Clytemnestra gives up on his husband, Agamemenon who is away in warfare, and takes a lover, Aegisthus in his place (Homer 345). She proves to be disloyal to her husband, while her husband Agamemenon is faithful to her because when he is ready to go home, he has his mind on his wife and children. On the other hand, Penelope stays loyal to her husband, Odysseus and still waits for him for twenty years before his return, without being remarried. Odysseus yes does return home to Penelope his wife, but he has taken Nausicaa as his lover when he is at war making him disloyal to his wife in terms of not taking another woman to bed. The other theme in the story is revenge whereby different individuals take revenge on other because of various reasons. Aegisthus takes revenge on Agamemenon because Agamemnon’s father had killed his siblings. On the other hand, Agamemnon’s son takes revenge on his mother Clytemnestra and his lover, Aegisthus when he comes of age with the help of his sister. Another theme is betrayal whereby Clytemnestra betrays her husband and even plots to get him killed with the help of his lover Aegisthus, even when she is supposed to stand by her husband, leading to Agamemnon’s death, and ultimately Clytemnestra’s and Aegisthus’ (Homer 367). Work cited Homer. The Odyssey. Trans Johnston, I. 2nd ed. RicherResourcesPublications, 2007. Print. Read More