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| 17314. LOYALTY IN “THE ODYSSEY” AND “BEOWULF”. This paper compares the treatment of the theme of loyalty in Homer’s “The Odyssey” and the 8th century Anglo-Saxon work, “Beowulf”. The paper discusses how the loyalty theme is related to domestic issues in The Odyssey and to warfare and tribal issues in Beowulf. Argues that The Odyssey and Beowulf, demonstrate that matters of loyalty and disloyalty were taken very seriously in both the Greek and the Anglo-Saxon societies. In The Odyssey, the disloyal servants are tortured and killed; in Beowulf, disloyal lord and thanes alike are subjected to extreme disgrace and loss of status. Despite the differential treatment of the theme of loyalty in the two texts, it is clear that loyalty was a subject of great concern in both of the societies that the texts depict. KEYWORDS: tribal warfare honor loyalty ancient literature. Written 2005. 13 pages, 40 footnotes, 10 bibliographic sources. 3,202 words. |
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