The Odyssey: Justifying Revenge
...ntentionally unrecognized. Odysseus observes the state of affairs and endures the suitors’ ridicule until he has rightly won a contest offering his own wife as the prize. With Telemachus, Odysseus takes his revenge and kills the suitors in a fury. The disgrace the Suitors’ bestowed upon themselves, and the blessings that Odysseus unknowingly receives from his fellow man as well as the immortal gods in the heavens above justifies Odysseus to take his revenge on the Suitors. “How disgraceful!” he cried. “So the cowards want to creep into the brave man’s bed? (4. 334)” Here, Menelaus expresses his disgust for how the Suitors act. The Suitors enjoy themselves at the expense of Penelope and Telemachus. They listen to the minstrel and drink Odysseus wine stores late into the night and feast on his flock by day. “At any rate these banqueters in your house strike me as domineering and insolent. Any decent man would be disgusted at the sight of such disgraceful behavior. (1. 226)” The Suitors had previously plotted to murder telemachus, Penelope’s only son, but had failed. The Suitors hold no respect for anything, ignore all of the omens and prophecies of their own death, covet everything Odysseus ever had, and unknowingly threaten the Goddess Athena. Considering how well transgressors fare under the heavens it is a wonder that Zeus did not send lightning bolts to destroy the Suitors himself. Odysseus unknowingly receives from his fellow man as well as the gods a blessing to take his revenge on the suitors. Zeus as well as his daughter Athena had always favored Odysseus. Constantly she is inspiring strength or courage in Odysseus to the point where no man could ever get in the way of what the gods mean to accomplish. “For never in my life have I seen the gods display such open affection as Pallas Athena showed in her championship of Odysseus. (3. 220)” Nestor explains to Telemachus that if only he had Athena looking out for him as much as his father did things would not be as difficult. But Telemachus, whether he was aware of it or not, received much assistance from Athena in searching for news of his father. Since this is all in accordance that Odysseus may return home with his family, unscathed, Athena may only be thinking of Odysseus while helping his son, Telemachus. All that have witnessed the Suitors’ behavior recogn...