In Homer's epic story The Odyssey, there were many major themes. One of these was the recurrent theme of violence, which plagued the story throughout. The editors of The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces states that "The Odyssey was not successful in resolving the problem of violence." To be able to make this statement, one must first determine if the violence that took place was justified, and then come up with alternatives to the violence. Lastly, they must be able to say that there is a definitive sign of violence to come in the future. I do not believe that this can be done effectively, and therefore I do not believe that the editors statement is correct. In the end, the violence is resolved. Whether one considers the human heart to be the resolution, or divine intervention, either way the problem of violence was completely resolved by the end of the story. .
To determine how the violence was resolved, we must first look at the forms of violence that existed in the story. The premise of the entire voyage that the story was based on was about violence. Odysseus left home to go to war in Troy. This was the first of the violence in the story, and after the war was won, the violence in that area ended. It was only the beginning for Odysseus however, for his journey was just getting off the ground. As Odysseus completed each leg of his voyage, he lost a few more members of his crew, and it seemed that tragedy lurked around every corner, or wave as the case may be. This violence was always present; whether it was unavoidable, as was the case with Scylla and Charibdis, or perfectly avoidable as it was when the crew decided to feast on Helios" golden flock. One of the most brutal displays of violence that took place during the wily Odysseus trip home was in the case of the Cyclops. .
Neither reply nor pity came from him, but in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor.
