Loyalty In Odysseus And Argos

Loyalty is the foundation for any type of relationship-- relying on one another to have faith in the other person. When that faith dwindles is when their true devotion is tested. Both “Argus” by Alexander Pope and Argos Recognizes Odysseus by Theodoor Van Thulden use Odysseus coming home from war to a welcoming greeting from his old dog he had left behind to show that loyalty can last a lifetime if trust is put into the right person. Both of these works have been compared and used as a way to represent true love and patriotism between two beings. The poem “Argus” by Alexander Pope explains Argos’ condition when Odysseus returns from the ten year Trojan war and his ten year journey back. Argos is described to have been mistreated, neglected
and longing for his master’s return. Argos is under the impression that his master has forgotten about him-- abandoned him, even. So when Argos sees Odysseus, he is unable to do anything except greet him happily before letting death consume him. All of Argos’ hope that had piled up over the years had spilled into Odysseus’s hands as he held Argos for the last time. The poem explains in detail how badly Argus was treated while Odysseus was away, stating how Argus was “unfed, unhous'd, neglected, on day¨ (“Rich dog, Poor Dog¨) Argus's heart should have been filled with despair or anger even, but yet he still welcomed his master home even after Odysseus had left him by himself. Despite how he was treated, Argus still wished to be with Odysseus, Pope stating that he was, "Longing to behold his ancient lord again.” (“Rich dog, Poor Dog¨) This shows that he kept his hopes up all 20 years Odysseus was away. Pope uses these descriptive phrases to set the mood of the poem-- a relieving yet sorrowful scene. Alexander Pope was born in the spring of 1688 in London, England to Alexander and Edith Pope.
Being an only child, he had much time to himself; therefore giving him an opportunity to explore his interests and develop a love for writing poetry early on. He was self taught, only attending school a few years due to his religion-- which greatly restricted him and his family from many things in London. Whatever he didn’t teach himself, he learned from a priest that tutored Alexander from time to time. His first piece of poetry ("Ode To Solitude") was composed at only age twelve, and it set the frame for all his other pieces. Throughout his lifetime, he taught himself French, Italian, Latin and Greek, which aided him in his translation process of both "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey”. Though poetry occupied most of his time, he had a love for architecture. Using money from successful works, he had built a beautiful grotto-- much of which was demolished after his death on May 30th, 1744. He was diagnosed early on in his childhood with Pott’s disease, a form of Tuberculosis that affected his spine-- stunting his growth, so he never exceeded 4'6. He was also a lifelong sufferer of headaches because of the aforementioned disease. Alexander had 16 major works all composed during 1709-1735, though after 1738 he had lost motivation and wrote very little during these times. He was never married, though he had many female friends whom he often wrote to. "The Rape of the Lock" and his
translation of “The Odyssey" are his two most known works. Argos Recognizes Odysseus by Theodoor Van Thulden in another work of art that represents true devotion towards someone you love.
In the painting, Odysseus and two of his crew members can be seen greeting Argos-- who is staring lovingly up at Odysseus, having awaiting his arrival for 20 years. They both are filled with joy despite the fact Argos is old and close to death. Though Argos had been abandoned for 20 years, he still looks very muscular and fit from years of training. It can be concluded that Argos was once a strong and fierce dog in his younger years, however, regardless of how fit Argos looks, he is still in a dying state. He and Odysseus manage to have a moment together before Argos is taken by death. This painting alone speaks volumes of how relieved both Odysseus and Argos are to finally see each other. Odysseus was not expecting to see Argos, yet Argos had waited his entire life to meet with his master once again. It can even be said that Argos had put off death until Odyesseus’ return. Thulden uses facial expressions and the character’s body language to set the mood of this painting. The mood can be described as heavy-hearted and conflicting; Argos is happy to see Odysseus, but Odysseus knows Argos is dying and he does not have much time with
him. The painter of this emotional masterpiece is Theodoor Van Thulden-- born on August 9, 1606 in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. In the beginning of his career, he was heavily influenced by Mannerism-- a style of art that was popular in Europe from 1620-1680. During schooling, he picked up art and quickly made it a frequent hobby of his. Theodoor started his work with bright, bold colors in his paintings, but as he got older and became more experienced, his works began to radiate calming emotions, with less color and more feeling put into it. Theodoor grew up speaking Dutch, but taught himself English throughout his teenage years. his religion greatly influenced his works-- he often painted biblical scenes and did stained-glass windows for the church he attended regularly. He was greatly experienced in more than one medium, often working with engravings, drawings, stained-glass windows and altar-pieces. This gave him much more diversity and he was able to distinguish himself from other artists in his time. He moved to France in 1626 to make copies of Mannerist paintings at Fontainbleau. Theodoor frequently worked with Peter Paul Rubens-- a close friend whose art style is very similar to Theodoor’s. He married Maria Van Balen in 1632, a woman that came from a family of artists. After his marriage, he and his wife moved back to the Netherlands for the better painting opportunities. Theodoor lived a healthy life, dying on July 12, 1669 from old age. Even after he had ceased work, he still received large sums of money and praise from fellow artists. He is most remembered for doing historical and mythological works-- along with his religious pieces. He is important for bringing influence of Flemish Baroque painting into the Dutch Republic. The theme that connects both of these works is exhibiting the result of true loyalty and trust in those you love. Both of these works are renowned examples of these traits. The bond between a dog and his owner can be felt through each of these works differently-- yet the aura of admiration and devotion can be felt simply by examining the meaning of the poem and painting. Portraying the love and loyalty that Odysseus and Argos share for each other, the painting compliments the poem by giving a visual representation of what the poem is expressing. Alexander Pope and Theodoor Van Thulden have succeeded in rendering the feeling of staunchness through their works, “Argus” and Argos Recognizes Odysseus. Argos had every right to be hateful to Odysseus after his sudden departure, but his obedience and devotion outweighed any hate Argos could have had for his master. In return, Argos was able to see the person he loved most before he passed. Trust in those you love and your trust will not go unappreciated, it will be returned in the form of love and loyalty given back to you. Both “Argus” by Alexander Pope and Argos Recognizes Odysseus by Theodoor Van Thulden depict this through two different types of art-- but are connected by the shared theme of love, trust and loyalty.