Ethics of Revenge and the Meanings of the Odyssey

This book is the first in-depth examination of revenge in the Odyssey. The principal revenge plot of the Odyssey --Odysseus'' surprise return to Ithaca after twenty away and his vengeance on Penelope''s suitors -- is the act for which he is most celebrated. This story forms the backbone of the Odyssey. But is Odysseus'' triumph over the suitors as univocally celebratory as is often assumed? Does t...