The virtue of justice as it exists (in The Odyssey)
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Part 1
The virtue of justice as it exists (in The Odyssey).
The term virtue of justice is derived from two words virtue and justice. Virtue is a norm, which is accepted in a certain community as a good conduct. It may not be inscribed as in law but it is the way of life that every member of that community is expected to follow (Homer, 1). In The Odyssey, there are various conducts that are accepted by the community, which are connected to justice. Justice is the good, which is done on others. Justice applied in law requires a litigator of either a judge or an arbitrator to be enforced. In this paper, we analyze the poem “The Odyssey”, which dates as back as 8th century. From the poem, it is clear that the virtue of justice does not exist. This is both in political, spiritual and judicial grounds. Yet the society has its own norms that keep it going along even without the virtue of justice.
In the Odyssey, there is no virtue in justice, the events that happen to the main character Odyssey pass through many problems in life and this ends up as a tragedy for an adventure that was supposed to bring justice for the country “fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home” (Homer, 2). Odyssey had travelled for Trojan War and the poem is about his ten-year journey to his own country. The journey itself seems as if justice is a thing that never exists.
On the other hand, Odysseys son fights it out with men who have proposed to marry off his mother. During the ten-year period that Odyssey stays in the war, it is assumed that he has already died and the persons that surround her are willing to take her for a wife. On the other hand, Odyssey is “that day he comes of age and longs for his native land” (Homer, 3). This is the tradition for every widow to be married for the continuity of the family. During that time, the gods for impersonation mistreat Odyssey. While being punished is justice, it does not serve him any good nor his wife and son. He loses his ship and all the crew in a big storm and taken to a place that he does not recognize.
“What is justice, according to The Odyssey?”
According to Odyssey, justice is only served when the nature allows all truth to be known and that those who pay for their sins should not be punished alongside their families or dependents. While Odyssey presents justice through power of gods, it also shows how a sin done by odyssey leads to punishment of his wife and son. It also leads to the punishment of the men who are with Odyssey. Justice is thus when law enforcement does not affect the persons that are not involved.
Part 2
Does justice rule or pervade human society in The Odyssey?
The events that occur in the Odyssey create an unkind position for people living together or are associated with persons who have committed evil. Odyssey cheats Poseidon a god that he is not himself. The rivalry among the gods is shown on how they treat one another. The Goddess that safeguards Odyssey has to fight it out with other gods.
These rivalries among the gods of greet ends up tormenting the human kind. Each of the gods has to protect the subjects, which on the way torment the persons. On his way to Greek, Odyssey finds solace with the god of winds who does not give him, power for the west wind. This wind would give them freedom. Odyssey has to spend more time in the desert because this is not possible.
Justice in Greek allows men to propose marriage to women. However, this ends up being a vice as opposed to being a virtue to Odyssey’s wife. This is a problem to Odyssey’s son to deal with older men. According to the law in Greek, women do not have as much say as their men counterparts do. This is the reason why Odyssey’s wife cannot merely say no to all men that she is supposed at least to be a wife for her to be supported and secured.
While the society requires that Odyssey’s wife should be remarried, the reality is that Odyssey is not dead. This is an injustice on one part and justice on the other part (Homer, 1). Odyssey’ son is greatly affected by the situation and has to use all his efforts to defend his mother. The position of the son and his ability to defend the mother is also shown as an injustice since “But now the suitors trooped in with their entire swagger”, (Homer, 7). For the son to defend his mother he is forced to forsake his own life, his ambitions and his goals. The justice on land leaves the boy a hardened man who is not even ready to accept the return of his father.
The journey that the son embarks on is also a hard one. The audience is then left with the big question; what was easier for the gods to tell? the son to search for his father’s truth or to tell him the truth. While the gods are expected to be all knowing and powerful it seems for the poem that this is not so and this is why Athena sends Odysseys’ son to seek for the truth that she does not know.