Homers Odyssey with Its Ethics and Values - Essay Example

ETHICS AND VALUES The Odyssey is a remarkable story of one man’s journey back home, a journey of return to his loved ones. For Odysseus, nothing is more important that family. That said, there are other values in the story that are very important. One is a collection of martial values—honour, fellowship, solidarity—that runs like a golden thread throughout the story. Another is the duty of the living towards the dead. All of these have played an important role in my own life. Just as Odysseus tries to live his life according to this values—familial love, martial honour, and duty to those gone before us—so do I try to live my own life. However, one of the big problems in trying to live this way is the problem of temptation which sometimes thwarts our best efforts. In this essay, I will explain what I mean by this statement. The Odyssey is a great story to examine issues such as ethics and values. It is the story of a man trying desperately to return home after many years away fighting in a terrible war. But he is being punished and his journey is very dilatory. He must constantly deal with obstacles. Each obstacle presents in its way a moral or ethical challenge that will try Odysseus. Although my own life is very different that Odysseus’, and much less straightforward, nevertheless, I too have been challenged by obstacles that have made me think hard about the values I live by. But I have been challenged by more than obstacles. I have also been challenged by the temptations that come with obstacles: the temptation to give in to what is easiest or safest and avoid taking responsibility for fighting on, for continuing to sail home. Temptation is a powerful force that can make us turn our backs on the values we hold closest to our heart. This is a lesson from the Bible, when Jesus is tempted by Satan, but it also a lesson that again and again comes up in the Odyssey. When Odysseus spends time with Circe he begins to forget those he truly loves, he is caught in her spell and the temptation of an easy life that she offers. Also, when Odysseus approaches the Sirens, he is likewise tempted, but this time has taken precautions, asking his men to tie him to the mast to prevent him jumping into the sea to get close to the Sirens and their song, which would mean he would never see his wife or children again: They sang these words most musically, and as I longed to hear them further I made by frowning to my men that they should set me free; but they quickened their stroke, and Eurylochus and Perimedes bound me with still stronger bonds till we had got out of hearing of the Sirens voices. Then my men took the wax from their ears and unbound me. This passage and this issue spoke to me quite strongly. In my own life I struggle to face down temptation and do what is right. I have never had to ask my friends to tie me down to prevent me from doing something I would later regret, but I have had to straighten my spine and steel myself to avoid doing such a thing. For example, I recently wanted to buy a new car, but it was $2,000 more than I wanted to spend. I really loved this car and I kept coming up with reasons to justify spending the extra money. You could say the car was singing me a siren song. I had to sit down and think really hard about the decision, just like Odysseus. I had to think about what was really important and all the more useful things I could spend that $2,000 on. There is another temptation that often crops up in the Odyssey: that is the temptation to glorify all battles or quests. It is partly the temptation of self-righteousness. Many of the suitors to Penelope exhibit this behaviour. They think they can do whatever they want because Odysseus is not there. They have betrayed the values of their countrymen—respect for martial and familial values and indeed respect for the dead (because they believe Odysseus is dead)—in other words they have given into temptation to do what they desire to do, not what they should do. Values and ethics are not related to desire—they are related to consistent principles. The suitors are warned by a speaker near the end of the story to beware of Odysseus if he should come back because he will be very angry and punish their unethical behaviour. He speaks for a while and when he is finished speaking, [More than half the suitors] raised a loud shout, and at once left the assembly. But the rest stayed where they were, for the speech of Halitherses displeased them, and they sided with Eupeithes; they therefore hurried off for their armour, and when they had armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupeithes led them on in their folly Indeed, these suitors have broken many bonds and values between themselves and Odysseus. There are the ones mentioned above, but there are also the duties a guest owes to his host. The suitors miserable fail in this regard too. What is their punishment for such a disgraceful performance and abjuration of ethical duty? Odysseus kills them all with bow and arrow. I personally have never done anything as bad as the suitors, but I have felt very low when I was younger and took advantage of the hospitality of a friend’s family, not even buying them a gift after they were very kind to me. It was easy to be lazy and thoughtless like the suitors. It is much more difficult to be honest and serious like Odysseus. The Odyssey is chock full of examples of difficult ethical issues. Odysseus charts a course home based on his own values, as we all try to do. In the journey of life there are many obstacles that test us and tempt to leave the straight and narrow path. We are judged based on how we deal with these obstacles. Read More