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Hospitality In The Odyssey Essay

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Through The Odyssey, the theme of hospitality is extremely important. In Grecian culture, being is a good host is highly valued and expected by guests. Hospitality was one of Zeus’s ground rules of ancient society. It is a crime against Zeus to commit an offense against a host or guest. Hospitality is an honorable characteristic. It was believed that not being hospitable would result in punishment from the gods. Throughout the Odyssey, three distinct events show the importance of hospitality during the Homer era. The first is Odysseus and the Phaeacian’s who are honorable hosts. The next is the suitors occupying Odysseus’s house, who are shown as horrible guests. Lastly, Odysseus is the guest of Polyphemus, who is an awful host. By comparing and contrasting these three events, one can show the importance of hospitality. The fear of Zeus compels the characters …show more content…
Generous hospitality is respected and favored by the gods; however, this does not stop the hubris of characters in the odyssey from defying the code of hospitality. Violating the rules is a capital crime that result in death or injury. The Phaeacians were seen as the ideals hosts; however, due to long withstanding prophecies, “a well-built ship” (XIII, 198) of theirs was cast to stone. The gods still have the divine say in all matters. Hospitality is a crucial component and value in Homer’s era as seen in The Odyssey. For the Greeks, hospitality was a divine right. The host was expected to show hospitality and make sure the guest’s needs were met. In Homer’s era, a person's ability to abide by the laws of hospitality determined civilized characteristics. Throughout The Odyssey, there are several examples of hospitality that represent the idea of respect and nobility and it is clear from each that this is an important custom that carries a great deal of

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