Damon And Pythias Retold By William F. Russell

I am analyzing the short story called,"Damon and Pythias" retold by William F. Russell. Having a true friendship is a blessing in life. We all have someone in life that we can rely on no matter the circumstances. Let's all ask us though, are we willing to sacrifice our lives for our friends? In this story, there were these two young noblemen whose names were Damon and Pythias. Damon and Pythias were the best of friends. They were so devoted to each other that all the people admired their friendship. It was impossible for anyone to persuade them to turn on each other or convince them to betray each other. Unfortunately, their friendship was put on the line when this tyrant named Dionysius accused of Pythias of trying to overthrow him. Therefore, Pythias was sentenced to die.
The tone of this story is a little frustrating knowing that Pythias' innocence cannot be proven.
Damon and Pythias lived on the island of Sicily, in a city called Syracuse. The purpose of this short story is to demonstrate how important it is in life to find a real, true friend. This story shows the loyalty of Damon and Pythias have toward each other. Damon showed devotion of friendship to Damon when he decided to take Pythias' place in prison so that Pythias could go to see his relatives to make sure they were taken care of before he was put to death. When the king said to Damon that he would be put to death if Pythias did not return, Damon was willing to take that chance. Pythias did return though, proving to Damon that he was right in trusting
him. The symbolism is the sacrifice Damon was willing to give for friendship. We love each other as human beings, and we want what is best for those we love and call friends, however offering oneself up for sacrifice shows a genuine commitment to the other. In this short story, Damon has set an excellent example of what sacrificing for another person means. Even though Damon had realized that his friend Pythias might not be able to come back from his relatives' area in time, he still trusted that Pythias would have had a good reason. When the tyrant, Dionysius, asked Damon if he wasn't afraid that Pythias might take the opportunity and not return at all? Was he willing to be executed in his place? Damon replied with a smile, "There is no need for me to feel afraid, O King, since I have perfect faith in the word of my true friend, and I know that he will certainly return before appointed time.Unless, of course, he dies or is held captive by some evil force." Even so, even should the noble Pythias be captured and held against his will, it would be an honor for me to die in his place." It clearly shows that this theme is about unconditional friendship. We all have friends, but can we all say that it would be an honor to die for them? A genuine friendship is what Damon and Pythias had. They were so devoted to each other that nothing could break their bond. Importantly, Damon mentioned that he had trust for his friend. Therefore, trust is demon also an essential component of true friendship. At the end of the day, we all like to know that we have friends that would do anything for us. Through the happiness and conflicts and the arguments and laughter. If you ever wonder what a true friend should do, just remember the story of "Damon and Pythias." We have noticed that trust and loyalty are all we need in friendship to keep it forever.