Role Of Justice In The Odyssey

783 Words4 Pages
Men have been committing misdeeds since the beginning of humankind. Higher powers use a set system of laws in order to deal out justice to wrongdoers. Where there is no set system of justice, revenge becomes the only other alternative response to the criminal’s crimes. In addition, a conflict can also enrage a person so much as to cause them to seek revenge upon the wrongdoer. Revenge is a twisted, violent form of justice, where the person who seeks revenge is not interested in the criminal making amends to society, but rather wants to get even for the harm that is done to him by the offender. In the Odyssey, a Greek epic poem written by Homer, the gods of his world cause a unique environment to form, one that is devoid of justice. The Greek gods’ actions deceive Homer’s characters into thinking that revenge is an honorable solution thus causing many key problems in the poem to end with violent deaths. Without the gods’ support, justice is out of reach for Orestes, forcing him to avenge his father’s death by killing those responsible. Agamemnon, Orestes’ father, fights for ten years at Troy, finally winning, only to come home to meet his death at the hands of his wife Clytemnestra and her lover Aigisthos: “It was Aigsthos who designed my death, / he and…show more content…
Even where justice can be reached, the gods always sway the mortals to take revenge on the people who have wronged them. There are two ways to respond to a criminal’s offenses: one is to seek justice and the other thing one can do is seek revenge. Human nature desires that the criminal be punished and this will be achieved…and Desiring that a criminal be punished is a part of human nature that will come to fruition either by… Wanting a criminal to be punished is a part of human nature and will always happen whether or not the means are by justice or
Open Document