Friday, October 9, 2015
Is the Slaughter Justified?
In Book 22 Odysseus with the aid of his son and loyal servants slaughters all the suitors (despite the pleas of mercy from some of them), all the maids, and even the priest Leodes. Are these killings justified? Could he have punished them without killing them? Could he have driven them from the house. Are some of the killings justified, but others not? What about the people they spared (Phemius and Medon) -- what was Telemachus' reasoning? Was it wise or prudent to kill them all?
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The slaughter of so many people in Odysseus’ home is justified. The slaughter is justified because mostly everyone who was killed, was killed for some type of betrayal. The suitors were at the top of the list for Odysseus. There in Odysseus’ home were hundreds of them, they were nasty, reckless, dirty, and selfish people. They were constantly trying to win over Penelope’s heart so they could become king of Ithaca. One of their leaders was Antinous, a rude self-centered person, worst of them all. He led the suitors in everything that they did. Their main goal was to kill Telemachus and then one of them marry Penelope to rule Ithaca. This was a very bad idea though because they didn’t know for sure if Odysseus was alive. Soon enough they found out, Odysseus was alive and disguised. All the suitors had died that day a horrible death, especially Antinous, he was shot with a bow and arrow through the neck. An example of this whole chaotic scene with the suiters running for their lives is where it says,
ReplyDeleteTerror gripped them all, blanched their faces white, each man glancing widely- how to escape his instant death?... So spare your own people! Later we’ll recoup your costs with a tax laid down upon the land, covering all we ate and drank inside your halls, and each of us here will pay full measure too- twenty oxen in value, bronze and gold we’ll give until we melt your heart. Before we’ve settled, who on earth could blame you for your rage? (Fagles 440-441).
Next on Odysseus’ list were his maids. Most of these maids were very disrespectful; they were worse than the suiters. They were in serious relationships with the suiters, stole from Odysseus and his family, and were lazy, not useful at all, and just disruptive to the kingdom in general. The end product of this was Odysseus told them to clean the dead bodies and clean his home spotless at once. Then he hung them immediately. On the other hand the loyal maids did their duties and respected Odysseus’ family for 20 years. As a result of this their lives were saved. An example of the horrible death the maids endured is where it says, “…so the women’s heads were trapped in a line, nooses yanking their necks up, one by one so they all might die a pitiful, ghastly death…” (Fagles 453-454). In conclusion, I think what Odysseus did was a good thing because the suitors and maids walked all over his family, especially his wife Penelope. They spent the last 20 years ruining the kingdom so much. The suitors thought that they could save their lives with money but they couldn’t because everything they did could never repay Odysseus and his family back. In the long run he saved his family from many problems these suitors/maids could have caused.
The slaughter of Antinous is justified, however, killing the other suitors is not justified. This is because Antinous is the ringleader of the suitors that actually devises heinous crimes, while the other suitors simply went with Antinous’ plans; the other suitors still commit some offenses, e.g. consuming tons of Telemachus'/Odysseus' food and drink and courting Penelope despite her lack of interest in remarrying. Antinous came up with the idea to kill Telemachus on his return to Ithaca, as shown by him saying, “Zeus kill that brazen boy before he hits his prime! / Quick, fetch me a swift ship and twenty men— / I’ll waylay him from ambush, board him coming back” (4.752-754). This is inexcusable, and Antinous deserves death for this. Although the suitors do not successfully carry this plan out, Antinous remains a danger to the peace as long as he lives; plotting another’s death shows that Antinous is incurably evil. This is confirmed by Antinous spurring the suitors on once more to kill Telemachus when he reaches home safely despite the suitors’ best efforts. Antinous says,
ReplyDelete“What a blow! See how the gods have saved this boy
from bloody death? And our lookouts all day long,
…
So here at home we’ll plot his death:
he must never slip through our hands again, (16.402-411)
The other suitors went along with Antinous’ plans the first time, as shown by, “They all roared approval, urged him on,” (4.758) however, they did not plot anything terrible themselves. Furthermore, the second time Antinous calls for Telemachus’ death, the suitors are actually somewhat reluctant to follow this plan, as shown by, “That brought them all to a hushed, stunned silence” (16.436). Therefore, killing Antinous alone would result in the end of the suitors’ evil plans. Even if a would-be successor arose, the killing of Antinous would set an example and deter other evildoers. As for the other suitors, they should be punished with a heavy fine, as that will cover the cost of the food and drink they consumed.
The slaughter of a majority of the suitors were unjustified. By Odysseus' perspective, he comes home to over a hundred suitors who are each taking food from the palace, treating those surroundings poorly, plotting to kill his son, each in attempt to marry his very own wife with all of his possessions and the kingdom he rules. But this is not completely unreasonable. Odysseus has been gone for years, presumed dead, and the suitors, as well as even Penelope's parents, say it is time for Penelope to find a new husband to rule over the kingdom, which is true other than the fact that Odysseus is really alive, unknown by all. Odysseus would then have the right to kill every one of the suitors if they had refused to exit the palace but that is not the way it played out. Odysseus wanted revenge. Eurymachus plead for mercy: "'Spare your own people! Later we'll recoup your costs'" (Fagles 441). But no matter, Odysseus had set out to kill, and killed. But he didn't stop at that. There were many innocent maids who had given in to their natural pleasures for the suitors. Those who had done so were there by a disgrace to Odysseus. "[S]o the women's heads were trapped in a line... so all might die a pitiful death" (Fagles 454). Here Odysseus hanged many maids who had served and worked for Penelope and the palace for years. It was all one man, one who had taken his revenge unjustifiably on large sums of men and women who had followed what was told of them or given in to large opportunity which most men would love. It is this which makes the slaughters unjust.
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ReplyDeleteYes, the slaughter in book 22 is mostly justified. The suitors were taking advantage of the hospitality of the family. They ate all of the food, lived in Odysseus’ house and courted Penelope relentlessly, for all 20 years that Odysseus was at sea. Not only that, but they plotted to kill Telemachus and had sexual relations with the maids. Many of the maids were raped. To top it all off, they were not sorry for what they were doing. The only time they began to even remotely apologize was when Odysseus threatened to kill them all. If Odysseus had died at sea and not come back, the suitors would still be after Penelope and Telemachus would probably be dead by now. Even though some of the suitors were not as violent and rude as the others, all the suitors are still guilty because of their association with each other. Especially because when Penelope started yelling at them for plotting Telemachus’ murder, Eurymachus tries to get in her good graces by saying “So to me, your son is the dearest man alive,” even though he would have killed him too. So Odysseus was right in killing the suitors, but Telemachus was too cruel with the murder of the maids. The mass hanging of the maids was not justified, except for Melantho. Melantho was not loyal to Odysseus in his absence. She was rude to him and called him a pest, tramp, and other degrading names throughout his time disguised as a beggar. She also was sleeping with a suitor voluntarily. Melantho was really the only maid that deserved to die.
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ReplyDeleteThe slaughter of those who betrayed Odysseus is justified because they were all disloyal to him in some way. All of the suitors were courting his wife, eating his prized livestock, and robbing the castle of its riches; they also plotted the murder of Telemachus. Many of the maids were in support of the suiters’ plan and were sleeping with these men as well. The goatherd, Melanthius, sided with the suitors and brought them weapons during their battle with Odysseus. Leodes was killed because Odysseus saw through his untruthful pleas. At the request of Telemachus, Phemius and Medon were spared; he insisted that they are innocent. Phemius was spared because the suitors were forcing them to sing; they outnumbered and overpowered him. Medon was spared because he tended to young Telemachus while Odysseus was away. Odysseus killed these disloyal people because he wanted to get revenge. Vengeance is important to these people; this is shown in the tale of Orestes and Aegisthus. I’m not saying that killing all of these people was wise, but it was justified.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the slaughter for majority of the suitors was unjustified. Odysseus made the brave decision to go on this wild journey in search of fame, I know that he knew deep down there would be sacrifice to leaving his native land. After a certain amount of time it is a fair to let go of the past and start a new life with someone else or at least try to. Although the suitors did not wait enough time, in their defense they did believe he was dead after all, everyone did. What the suitors did was not the way a gentlemen would handle a broken hearted women, however they were in rush to compete with others for their own chance in getting Penelope’s hand in marriage. They took over Odysseus house, they ate his food, they plotted to kill Telemachus and they planned on an attempt at marriage with Penelope. Even Penelope’s parents believed after a certain point that it was time for Penelope to move on. I believe if the suitors knew Odysseus was alive, then the slaughter would have been most definably justified. If Odysseus had reasoned with the suitors and gave them a warning to get out of his house or else he would have killed them then it would have been the right decision to kill them. Not only was the killing of many suitors unjust, the killing of many innocent maids was taking the slaughter to far. The killing of the maids was described as, “(S)o the women’s heads were trapped in a line… so all might die a pitiful death( Fagles 454).” These women were not part of the suitors take over, they were simply doing their job. These women had been working for Penelope and in the palace for many years did they have a reason to die? No, Odysseus took his anger out on everyone for no reason anyone could understand. For all these reasons listed above, in my eyes Odysseus was wrong to do what he did, and the slaughter was unjust.
ReplyDeleteEliminating a threat is like killing a weed, in order to full eliminate the threat, you’d have to kill every single root of the weed in order to prevent it to revive. This weed would represent the threat that any living suitor or maid might revenge. Take Eurymachus as an example, he first started off being for mercy:
ReplyDelete…the man [Antinous] who drove us all [the rest of the suitors] to crime!...
But now he’s received the death that he deserved.
So spare your own people! Later we’ll recoup
your costs…
covering all we ate and drank inside your halls… (22.51-59)
His reasoning that Antinous was the only bad apple sounded reasonable, but his attitude changed within minutes. He started to convince other suitors to kill Odysseus, and then attempted but failed to assault Odysseus:
…Eurymachus spoke again, now to the suitors: “Friends!
This man [Odysseus] will never restrsin his hands…
So fight…
Charge him, charge in a pack…”
Brave talk—
he drew his two-edged sword, bronze, honed for the kill
and hurled himself at the king with a raw savage cry
in the same breath that Odysseus loosed an arrow
…lodged in the man’s liver…
the mist of death came swirling down his eye. (22.73-93)
This proves that even though the suitors begged for mercy, they still all have the potential to revenge, just like Eurymachus. Killing all the suitors was the only way for Odysseus to eliminate all chances of being revenged on. Some might suggest that Odysseus should put punishments besides death on the suitors. However, the longer the suitors live, the higher chance Odysseus can be killed by them. Another comment is that Odysseus should have spared the maids, as they are harmless. Even so, the maids were meant to be loyal to Odysseus at all costs. Now that the maids have betrayed Odysseus, Odysseus simply cannot trust the maids to serve him anymore, as the maids have the chance to poison his food or stab him while he is sleeping. Besides the suitors and maids, the priest Leodes was also killed, Odysseus reasoned that since Leodes was the “prophet” for the suitors, he must have prayed for the death of Odysseus, as none of the suitors thought Odysseus would actually be alive, thus the disloyal priest who cursed him should die. Regarding Phemius and Medon, Odysseus respected Telemachus’s decision to not kill them as Telemachus said:
“Stop, don’t cut him [Phemius] down! This one’s innocent.
So is the herald Medon—the one who always
Tended me in the house when I was little—
Spare him too…” (22.376-79)
After all, it was wise for Odysseus to eliminate all the suitors and maids, which would allow him have a worry-free life on Ithaca.
I believe the slaughter was definitely justified. The suitors have plagued Odysseus's household for the 20 years he has been gone. They have been eating all of his food and drinking all of his wine without giving anything in return. Penelope obviously did not want to marry any of them, but they still stayed to court her. She tried to keep them away with a clever plan. She told them
ReplyDeleteYoung men,
my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web… (19.156-59)
During the day time, Penelope weaved the shroud as she was supposed to, but at night, she undid all of the work she had done. After three years of tricking the suitors, her maids showed the suitors what she was doing. After this they forced her to finish weaving. “So I finished it off. Against my will. They forced me.” (19.175). Odysseus’s death was also never actually confirmed. They were even plotting to kill Telemachus. Antinous said
Quick, fetch me a swift ship and twenty men-
I’ll waylay him from ambush, board him coming back
in the straits between Ithaca and rocky Same.
This gallant voyage of his to find his father
Will find him wrecked at last! (4.754-57)
Penelope also might have planned the massacre by planting the bow in the hall where all of the suitors would be. The killing of the maids was as justified as the suitors. They were very disloyal to Penelope and Odysseus. As mentioned before, the maids were the ones to expose Penelope’s deception to the suitors.
Based on the information from The Odyssey, I believe that the slaughter of the suitors, maids, and the priest was without a doubt justified. There are many reasons that lead me to my decision which include: the suitors plaguing Odysseus’ house for 20 years while he was away at Troy, the suitors eating and drinking all of Odysseus’ food and drink, the suitors trying to court Odysseus’ wife Penelope, and the suitors wanting to kill Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. These are just a few of many other reasons why Odysseus’ slaughter of the suitors, maids, and priest was justified. Another reason why it was right for Odysseus to slaughter all of the suitors was because if Odysseus only killed one or two of the suitors, there would be a bunch of other suitors that would want to kill Odysseus to get vengeance for their fellow suitors. So the only real way to get rid of all the suitors and keep him and his family safe was to kill every single one of them. As for the maids, there slaughter was justified as well because when Odysseus came to Ithaca disguised as a beggar and was staying in his house, the maids insulted him. An example is when the maid Melantho
ReplyDelete“Cock of the walk, did someone beat your brains out?
Why not go to bed down at the blacksmith’s cozy forge?
Or a public place where tramps collect? Why here-
blithering on, nonstop,
bold as brass in the face of all these lords?
No fear in your heart? Wine’s got to your wits?-
or do you always play the fool and babble nonsense?
Lost your head, have you, because you drubbed that hobo Irus?
You wait- a better man than Irus will take you on,
he’ll box both sides of your skull with heavy fists
and cart you from the palace gushing blood!”
That is the reason I think the maids’ slaughters were justified, because they did not show good hospitality to a stranger, and it just so happened that the stranger the maid insulted was the king, Odysseus. Lastly, the slaughter of the priest, Leodes, was also justified because Leodes was the “prophet” of the suitors, and because everyone thought that Odysseus was dead, he would’ve prayed for Odysseus’ death. When Odysseus spared Phemius and Medon, which was the right decision because Odysseus took the word of his son, Telemachus, on this decision. What better person to listen to than Telemachus considering he has been living with them for the past twenty years. Telemachus’ reasoning behind not killing these two suitors was
“Stop, don’t cut him [Phemius] down! This one’s innocent.
So is the herald Medon—the one who always
tended me in the house when I was little—
spare him too!”
In conclusion, that is why the slaughter in book 22 of The Odyssey was justified.
I believe that the slaughter in book 22 was justified. Odysseus did have a reason to slaughter the suitors. The suitors were taking advantage of the kingdom, Penelope, and Telemachus. They were taking their hospitality to an extreme. They took over the kingdom by holding their ground. The suitors refused to leave until Penelope chose one to marry. The suitors also felt that it was necessary to kill Telemachus. They were harming Odysseys family which is one of the many reasons why the slaughter is justified. The Suitors did not feel bad about their actions. They did not think what they were doing was wrong; coincidentally, Odysseus killed them. It was necessary to kill everyone who was involved with the suitors as they were all part of the plan. Even if Odysseus just killed the leader of the pact the other men would know the plan and could still attack. There is not another punishment for the suitors as cruel as death. The other punishments may not have as much of an impact. I believe that it was very wise of Odysseus to kill all of the men involved. All of the men knew the plans and could have come back and relapsed the plans. The suitors were forcing Penelope to take part in something she did not want to; consequently, Odysseus needed to punish them severely.
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the killings were justified. I don’t think the death of the maids were justified. The maids were disloyal and went behind the royals family's back. Once doing that they went into the side of the servants and they should have the same consequence as everyone else that participated. So I do think the maids slaughtering was also justified. When Odysseus was 20 years, hundreds of suitors harassed his wife and plotted to kill his only son Telemachus. Although, there were some suitors who deserved to be killed more than others. Antinous was the leader of the suitors who plotted to kill Telemachus to make sure no one got in his way to marry Penelope and gain power. Most of the suitors probably feel into peer pressure and maybe were not entirely on his side, they were still apart of the group. In the beginning of the book, Telemachus even told the suitors that if they didn't back off something bad was bound to happen to them, but of course they didn't listen. In this case, it is not like Odysseus jumped to the conclusion that all the suitors were bad, when he dressed as a beggar he was with them for a while and saw who they really were; jerks who have no hospitality and aren't fit to rule. In conclusion I do think that the slaughter was justified because everyone who was on the opposing side of Odysseus was out to get his wife, thrown, and plotted to kill his only son Telemachus.
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ReplyDeleteThe slaughter Odysseus and his son Telemachus preformed was partially justified. There are several reasons for both sides. To begin, Odysseus had been gone for 20 years, leaving his wife and place in the throne vulnerable. Throughout his entire absence, suitors were attempting to court his wife Penelope. They harassed her daily and put heaps of pressure on her to pick a suitor to marry so they could gain power and control over Ithaca. The suitors also conspired to kill Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. It is because of these atrocious act from the suitors the slaughter is somewhat justified. However, Odysseus’s method of killing was not justified because of how shaming and gory he made the attack. Odysseus shot Antonius directly in the throat, and even went as far as to rip off a suitor’s genitals and feed them to the dogs. An execution would have been a much more humane, yet still punishing and deserving consequence. Another reason the slaughter was not justified was because of the killing of the maids. While Odysseus was gone, the maids had slept with the suitors and this was considered a betrayal of the royal family. Amidst his rampage, Odysseus took it upon himself to brutally hang the maids outside the castle in the public view. Similar to the unhuman deaths of the maids, Odysseus could have executed them or even not have killed them because their crimes were nowhere near as harsh as the suitors. The killing of the maids was literally and figuratively overkill. Overall, the slaughter was partially, but more not justified than it is justified.
ReplyDeleteThe slaughtering of the suitors is justified, but hanging the maids was not. The suitors invaded Odysseus’ home, tormented Telemachus, son of Odysseus, and tried to court Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, while Odysseus was returning home from the Trojan War. They took advantage of the cities by taking their food and would not leave. The suitors posed a threat to Ithaca because they plotted to kill Telemachus. If Odysseus had not returned home and intervened when he did Telemachus would most likely be killed. Also, when Odysseus returns home and is disguised as a beggar he warns the beggars multiple times to leave or pay the price. In book 18 it states “[S]pirit you home before you meet him face-to-face/the moment he returns to native ground!/Once under his own roof, he and your friends,/believe me, won’t part till blood has flowed.” (18.168-18.171) this is a warning from Odysseus to the suitors stating that they should leave or when Odysseus returns he will force them to leave, but not before shedding blood. The suitors do not listen to this warming and continue to live their lives in Odysseus’ home. All of these details and reasons makes the killing justified. However, hanging the maids was not justified. Each person has an opinion of someone and the maids should be allowed to express their opinions about Odysseus without being hung. The maids should have received a less harsh punishment. They should have been released from the kingdom and be forced to find work elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus slaughter is somewhat justified those who betrayed and were traitors to him deserved to be killed for they weren't faithful to their king which is considered treason which is punishable by death. Most of the suitors were there to take Odysseus kingdom and wife they wanted to take his place. Although some may say that there were ways to solve this problem without death, back in Greek times honor and pride was a major part of someone's identity for Odysseus to keep his honor and pride he must kill those who want to take his place and those who committed treason against him. These suitors have trashed his home and turned some against him, they want to court his wife and to kill his son. He kills them to restate justice and pride. The suitors also attempted to kill Telemachus, now in modern times those who attempt murder are arrested. Back then to deal with these matters and to reinsert family honor was to kill those who tried to harm. I believe that the maids deserved to be killed as well. They weren't faithful to their king and they were already trying to get in good with the suitors as a replacement. Odysseus killed the suitors and maids quickly giving them a quick death he wasn’t vicious just getting revenge. He spared those who deserved to be spared and killed those who betrayed him. The suitors offered to pay back all they took, but then Odysseus would have lost some respect and honor from others. The only way to keep his honor was to kill all who weren’t faithful.
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ReplyDeleteFor some, the slaughter was entirely necessary, while for others, it was not. When planning the attack, Odysseus knew that the first killing had to leave a strong impact on the suitors. While this was not directly stated in the book, it was made clear that the suitors had a tendency to rebel. He had to make his point known with the first shot. He knew that Antinous had to be killed first because he was the most imposing suitor. Antinous was the leader of the rebellion against Telemachus, and he was ready and willing to murder disguised Odysseus, even though he was unaware of the beggar’s true identity. Next, Odysseus killed Eurymachus. Eurymachus offered to pay everything back and more, but Odysseus killed him anyway. When begging for his life, Eurymachus says, “So spare your own people! Later we’ll recoup your costs with a tax laid down upon the land, covering all we ate and drank inside your halls” (22. 57-59). Odysseus had no grounds to believe what this man was saying. For all Odysseus knew, he could also be lying when he said that Antinous was the only one who was truly vengeful. I also believe this murder was just. If Odysseus were to only kill one suitor, the rest would think he was weak and unwilling to kill more than one. If they were to realize this, they would most likely lead another rebellion to try to kill Odysseus. While most of these people were justly killed, Anphimonous was the least just murder. Many times, he stood up for Telemachus and was on the side of Odysseus. However; Odysseus did not necessarily know this. He did not have the grounds to trust why Anphimonous was telling him. Odysseus simply figured that all the suitors were bad people and deserved to die. While some parts of the slaughter, including the killing of Antinous and Eurymachus, were entirely deserved, others, such as the killing of Anphimonous, were not.
ReplyDeleteI think the slaughter of some people were justified and some were not. I think that Odysseus had the right to kill Eurymachus because he was plotting to kill Telemachus. He also just wanted to marry Penelope for fame and riches. Antinious was also plotting to kill Telemachus, so I think he also deserved death. Eurymachus offer to pay off all of the debt that he was in and begged for mercy before he was killed as shown in this quote, “with a tax laid down upon your land…each of us here will pay full measure too, bronze and gold we’ll give until we melt your heart” (22. 57-59). I think when Eurymachus offered to pay off his debts that was a wrong thing to do in that situation because Odysseus was angry and being offered money for courting his wife was not a good idea. Amphinous's death on the other hand was not justified. Amphinous did not try to kill Telemachus and sometimes stood up for Telemachus and Odysseus, so I do not think he should have died. I also think the servants’ deaths were not justified because even though they made mistakes they should not have died. Most of them had served Odysseus for many years and had been worthy all that time, so they should still be alive except Melantho. I think Melantho’s death was justified because she was sleeping around. Melantho frequently slept with Penelope’s suiters. I think that since she did this Odysseus had a right to kill her because as his family’s servant she should not have been sleeping with the men courting his wife.
ReplyDeleteIn the 22nd book of the Odyssey, Odysseus did himself, his wife, and his son a huge (and very much needed) favor. Beginning with Antinous, the one that was the most despicable, Odysseus shot down each and every one of the horrid and vile suitors with a bow that only he could string, an action which not only was justified, but greatly necessary. For twenty whole years the suitors remained in Odysseus’s home, attempting to claim his wife as their own, refusing to leave until she picked one to marry, even though she of course wasn’t ever even enthusiastic to get with any of them anyway. Even worse, the suitors, led by Antinous, plotted for many years to kill Telemachus while what was left of their household was vulnerable due to Odysseus’s absence. The main reasons why the slaughter was justified are that the suitors essentially wanted to court his wife, kill his son, and steal Odysseus’s due place as king. However, there is another factor which concerns the maidservants in his home; they did not exhibit loyalty toward the royal family and Melantho even went as far as to sleep with some of the suitors. After Odysseus had finished putting an end to the suitors’ corruption (quite brutally, may I add), he and Telemachus went ahead and publically hung the maids after sending them to dispose of each and every dead body that lined the halls. This event somewhat skews the justification of the slaughter, as the maids didn’t do anything nearly as bad as what their punishment called for; they never even planned to hurt Odysseus or Telemachus directly. Therefore, the slaughter of the suitors was justified because of what they had in store for Penelope and Telemachus; however, the slaughter of the maids was not.
ReplyDeleteThe slaughter of the suitors was justified, but the hanging of all the maids was not. Since Odysseus left Ithaca, for the past 20 years, the suitors took over his home and were harassing Penelope nonstop. The suitors took advantage of him being gone by courting Penelope and trying to marry her so they can get power over Ithaca. Let alone, the suitors were planning to kill Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, in order to get the power and force Penelope to marry one of them. Odysseus cares so much about his wife and son, that it seems the slaughter was out of anger and getting back at the suitors for all the pain they have caused to his family. The suitors had no mercy for what they did and had no remorse whatsoever until Odysseus threatened to kill them as revenge for the torture they put upon Penelope when he was gone. Eurymachus says, “But here he lies, / quite dead, and he incited it all- Antinous-/ look, the man who drove us all to crime!” (22.49-52). Eurymachus explains that Antinous’ death was justified because he was the leader of the suitors and he was the one who got in to the other suitors heads so they follow what he says; Antinous is the one to blame for this whole problem. In agreement with Eurymachus, Antinous was the one to start all of this by threatening to kill Telemachus and courting Penelope in an attempt to get power over Ithaca. The rest of the suitors followed what Antinous was telling them, therefore they are held accountable for their part, while Antinous is held accountable for his part, so their slaughters are justified. However, the slaughter of Antinous and the other suitors are justified, the massive hanging of the maids is not justified. While the maids did betray Odysseus’ trust, what they did was far more minor while being compared to what the suitors did. The only maid who actually deserved the punishment was Melantho because she mocked Odysseus and made fun of him. She slept with the enemy and had no regrets about it. While Melantho was the only maid who deserved to be punished, the other maids should not have been punished by death, but by some other means. Overall Antinous, the suitors, and Melantho’s deaths were justified, but the death of the other maids were not justified.
ReplyDeleteI think the slaughters in the end of the book were almost all justified. For the twenty year that Odysseus was away, the suitors harasses and made Odysseus’s wife Penelope feel quite uncomfortable. They all wanted to marry her because they all assumed that Odysseus was dead. I understand that they would assume he was dead, but since he was not, they were not being loyal to their king. Even though all of the deaths were justified, some of them were more justified than others. For example, Antinous was the most justified death. He led a group of suitors to try to kill Odysseus’s son, Telemachus. He attempted to murder Telemachus which now would not cause Antinous to die, but back then this was perhaps taken much more harshly. Antinous was the first to be killed by Odysseus, “But Odysseus aimed and shot Antinous square in the throat,” (22-10/pg.440). But he did not stop there, he killed all of the suitors probably to show power and that he will not be defeated. While all of them were justified, some of them were barely justified, like the maids. While what the suitors did was terrible by hurting or attempting to hurt his family, the maids just got with some of the suitors. While back then he might have been angered by this to the point where he killed them, he did not have to kill them because what they did was nowhere ear to as bad as what the suitors did. But Odysseus was probably very angry with the maids for what they did even if it was not that bad. They still were not loyal to Odysseus by getting with the suitors. So yes, the maids were not loyal to him and made mistakes, but it is unclear if the all deserved to be slaughtered or not.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the slaughter was completely justified. Odysseus was away for 20 years to come home to find a large group of men that eat all of his food, trashed his house, tried to kill his son, and then marry his wife. Plus on top of all of this, Odysseus is the king of Ithaca. Just the fact that they tried to court his wife would be enough, but they did much more than just court his wife. Their slaughter was completely reasonable as they created the mess. Even though they offered many gifts and to give back what they taken, there is no equivalence. Nobody can exchange items for memories. The suitors tried to kill his son, even though they failed, they still tried to kill his son. The suitors cannot give anything equal to what pain and suffering they have caused Odysseus. Therefore, their slaughtering was justified. Even the suitors that was just there but did not participate in trying to kill Telemachus. They still did all the other actions. Next, the maid also deserved to be slaughtered. They committed treason as they not only took the suitor’s side, but also spoke badly about Odysseus. Some even had sex with the suitors, proving their disloyalty. For the people that they spared, Telemachus showed wisdom beyond his own age. Telemachus saw everything and knew that the singer had nothing to do with the suitors. He was forced to sing for them and nothing that he did was for personal gain, unlike the suitors. The herald was also innocent as he was also not in Odysseus’s halls for personal gain. The herald and the bard showed respect towards Telemachus opposite to what the suitors did.
ReplyDeleteThe slaughter in chapter twenty-two of the maids and suitors is most certainly justified. Not only was this legal it was not immoral of Odysseus to do this. People who disagree with my previous two sentences are focused on one thing, the present. Now a days not only would Odysseus’s slaughtering of those who have wronged him be immoral, it would most definitely end in the arrest and death penalty of Odysseus. However, back in the Bronze Age of Greece people solved most of their problems if not all problems with violence. Because of that unspoken law previously mentioned, Odysseus probably does not feel morally poor about his actions. Looking at his actions from a legal standpoint, the reason he was not arrested is because he is the king. He is the law, court, jury, and judge. Now, some might argue that the killing of Eurymachus was not justified. Right before Odysseus killed him, Eurymachus begged for his life and offered to pay for any damage he has done to the house and for all of the food he had eaten. So, Odysseus should have spared him, right? Wrong. While Odysseus was gone Eurymachus tried to marry Odysseus’s wife, kill Odysseus’s son, and eat all of Odysseus’s food. Eurymachus represents all the reasons Odysseus went on this killing rampage. On top of that, Odysseus has no reason to believe that Eurymachus will hold his word and pay Odysseus for everything he has done. Overall, not only is Odysseus’s killing justified, it is one hundred percent legal.
ReplyDeleteI think the slaughtering is justified because Eurymachus said, "'If you, you're truly Odysseus of Ithaca, home at last, you're right to accuse these men of what they've done--- so much reckless outrage here in your palace, so much on your lands. But here he lies, quite dead, and he incited it all---Antinous--- look, the man who drove us all the crime!'" (Book 22 lines 45-52). This shows that the slaughter was justified because Eurymachus admitted to doing all the things that they were accused of. Not only that, but the suitors were trying to sleep with Odysseus' wife. No matter what it is not the right thing for the suitors to do because if somebody is with someone else than there is no reason to get with someone else. This shows that the slaughter was justified because Odysseus has an absolute right to feel hatred towards them and back then it was okay to kill someone for doing something like that.
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