Major Theme in Odyssey and Inferno

Running head: MAJOR THEME IN ODYSSEY AND INFERNO
MAJOR THEME IN ODYSSEY AND INFERNO
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MAJOR THEME IN ODYSSEY AND INFERNO
Homer’s classic poem Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus who was engaged in the
Trojan War and hence he had to stay away from his family for almost a decade. The poem is
filled with many subtle themes however; two major themes are mostly evident – love for family
and loyalty. On the other hand, Dante’s masterpiece Inferno details the journey to salvation
through the different circles of Hell. The poem has several themes among which the major ones
are sin, punishment, love and God. This essay will shed light on loyalty and hospitality as a
major themes in Odyssey and the ‘everyman’ as the major theme in Inferno.
In Book 1 of the Odyssey, Homer introduces the hero Odysseus and speaks of the heroics
he displayed during the decade long Trojan War. However, the most glaring example of this
theme is visible from the accounts of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, who waited for him for 20
long years. In Book 1, the poet makes it evident to the readers about the loyalty of Penelope to
her husband by showing her sadness on hearing the song of the return of the men from Troy.
This is resonated in the following lines (Stanford, 2001)
‘Phemius, you know many another tale of men and gods, that the bards made famous, with
which to charm us mortals. Sing one of those while you sit here, as they drink their wine in
silence, but end this sad song that always troubles the heart in my breast, since above all women
I bear a sadness not to be forgotten. I ever remember my husband’s dear face, he whose fame
resounds through Hellas to the heart of Argos (Book 1, lines 329-331).’
Eumaeus and Philoetius also display loyalty that is the central theme in Odyssey.
Eumaeus, a servant of Odysseus, stayed loyal to his king even in times of crisis and helped him
throughout his journey to reunite with his son and wife. His loyalty can be evident from the
below lines in Book 12, lines 176-178.

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MAJOR THEME IN ODYSSEY AND INFERNO
“And I speak his name respectfully, even if he is not here”. He loved me, cared for me. I
call him dear my Lord, far though he be.”
Another recurring theme that is present in Homer’s Odyssey is hospitality. In ancient
Greek, the people regarded hospitality highly. Although many might see hospitality as a major
theme in any literary work as strange, but Homer did give great importance to this theme. The
poem is filled with instances of hospitality of the highest level. When Goddess Athena arrived at
the palace of Odyssey, his son Telemachus welcomed her warmly. It showed the kind of
hospitality the people of Greek offered to their guests.
“Welcome, stranger, here you will find hospitality, and after you have eaten you may tell
us why you are here (Book 1, line 105).”
Homer ably demonstrates this theme by showing the grace and dignity with which
Penelope treats her insolent suitors. The poem also makes careful use of motifs, one of which is
disguise. At the very beginning of the poem, the poet describes the hero as a “man of twists and
turns”. Athena too comes to visit Telemachus in disguise of a chief named Mentes.
In this section, the theme of everyman in Dante’s Inferno is discussed. Dante expresses
this theme throughout the poem by making use of symbols and phrases. In the first lines of the
poem, Dante introduces himself as man who finds himself lost in a dark forest “midway upon the
journey of our life” (Canto 1, line 1). The use of ‘our’ symbolizes the theme of everyman as it
can be related to each man who loses his path and commits a sin in life. It means that one can in
a way, identify with Dante and his journey to Paradise that is Salvation. It thus can be inferred
that the experience the poet gains in the journey is universal. In this sense, he is ‘everyman’.