Hospitality in The Odyssey Essay Sample

📌Category: Homer, Odyssey, Poems, Writers
📌Words: 882
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 25 March 2022

When people think of heroes they think of strong, smart people. Odysseus isn’t portrayed that way in the Odyssey. He is sometimes rude and disrespectful. Odysseus is on a long and difficult voyage home to Ithaca after participating in the Trojan War, according to Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. Throughout the Epic, Xenia is an important cultural value. Xenia, or hospitality, is a Greek notion of generosity and friendliness that translates to "guest-friendship." Politeness shown to folks who are far away from home When Odysseus arrives, he follows these "rules" of hospitality. Along the trip, he stops at a number of locations. We also see how not following Xenia might be harmful. Xenia is an important part of Odysseus' trip. Without the majority of people's hospitality,he would have not made it back to Ithaca. In the Epic Poem, The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds, the Greek value of hospitality, both in giving and receiving, is beneficial to a society’s success.

There are two  ways Hinds demonstrates hospitality in The Odyssey. Odysseus is the one who receives the hospitality on his journey while Penelope is giving hospitality. Penelope, is a character who’s house is being raided by the suitors who wish to marry her to become the king. Telemachus  is sick and tired of them coming to his house and killing the fat sheep and eating them all for themselves. He calls a meeting with all the noblemen and explains what is currently happening to him. The men reveal that  the reason why she accepts them is because she wants to wait for Odysseus' return. So she makes a plan to make a shroud for his father’s funeral but every night takes it apart to wait for her husband's return.  “ … She stretched a warp all across her broad loom and told us it was to be a fine shroud for her husband’s father, Laertes. She could not marry, she said, until she had completed it, for it would bring shame on her if he should die and had no shroud to cover him. We agreed, and she wove all day at her loom for three long years, but at night by candlelight she would unpick her work. Finally we discovered the trick, with the help of one of her maids''.End of page 15 . While one finds hospitality in penelope and the suitor, another instance can be found with odysseus.   A good example of people helping him during his journey is the Phaecians. They take him in and help him by creating a new ship and they also treat him as one of their own. They create a festival for him with games, food and fun. Some young people come to him and challenge him and he defeats them. The reason why they take him in  is because Zues protects beggars. “Rise, stranger. You speak well. Zeus watches over all beggars, and to honor him, we will grant your plea” Pg 81.  In the odyssey Hinds shows hospitality with Penelope and the suitors and Odysseus with the phaeacians. 

There are two other ways that Hinds illustrates hospitality in The Odyssey. When Odysseus receives hospitality from both the Cyclops and Calypso. The Cyclops gives Odysseus negative hospitality and eats most of his crew. But Calypso on the other hand gave Odysseus great hospitality but wanted to love him. Instead of treating him well and giving him respect, the Cyclops eats his crew mates and doesn’t let him escape. But karma does come back to him because they find a way to escape and blind the cyclops. They  also take his cattle and run. “  Sir, we are travelers from afar who chanced upon your shore and found your cave. We humbly beg your hospitality. Remember that guests are under the protection of Zues” Odysseus says that. “Zues? Ha! We Cyclopes do not fear the gods” . Hinds includes evidence in this quotation about the theme of hospitality. While the cyclops doesn’t give much hospitality to Odysseus, Calypso gives much more to odysseus. Calypso is kind to Odysseus and even offers him immortality to stay with her forever. He declines and wants to go back to his wife and son. She feeds him and gives him water. Eventually Hermes comes to her and tells her the gods said that she must free Odysseus. “Oh, forlorn man, stop your tears. I am ready to let you go. … I’ll give you stores of food and drink and tell you how to reach your home. The rest will happen as the gods will it”. Hinds highlights evidence in this quotation about the theme of hospitality.

The Greek value of hospitality, including giving and receiving, is important to the success of a civilization, according to Gareth Hinds' epic poem The Odyssey. When you zoom out of just Greek civilization you can see that hospitality helps everyone in the world. It makes you feel good when you are giving or receiving hospitality. When you are kind to others it will always come back to you. When you aren’t kind it will always come back to you too. In The Odyssey By Gareth Hinds its proven multiple times. With  the Cyclopes and how he kills Odysseus’ men and it comes back to him by getting stabbed and all his cattle are taken. With Penolope and how she is faithful to her husband for 20 years and the gods give her a happy reunion with her husband. There are multiple ways hospitality is shown in the real world and you should always be kind to others because you never know what can happen to you if you aren’t.

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