The Odyssey

The most prominent motif throughout the story is that of homecoming. Odysseus’s intense desire to return home dominates his thoughts and directs his actions, and this goal is emphasized in the narrator’s introduction, which calls on the Muse to “tell the story of [Odysseus’s] suffering, his trials and adventures, and his bloody homecoming” (1). Throughout his decade of wandering, Odysseus’s unwavering desire to return home emphasizes The Importance of Family Loyalty. Even when the goddess Calypso offers to make Odysseus immortal if he chooses to remain with her, Odysseus is intent on completing his homecoming, telling Calypso that though “no mortal woman can rival [her] for beauty of face and form […] it is his one wish, the never failing ache in [his] heart, to return to [Penelope] and to [his] own house” (52).

Odysseus’s homecoming is contrasted with the homecomings of other heroes. Some of these homecomings—like that of Menelaus and Helen—are successful, while others—like those of Ajax and Agamemnon—are not. Agamemnon’s homecoming is juxtaposed with Odysseus’s and stands as its opposite in almost every way. Agamemnon, unlike Odysseus, reached home quickly and easily, entering his home openly, but his wife betrayed him and plotted to murder him rather than welcome him home.