Question

while odysseus spoke an old hound, lying near, pricked up his ears and lifted up his muzzle. this was argus trained as a puppy by odysseus, but never taken on a hunt before his master sailed for troy... abandoned there, and half - dead now with age, old argus lay: but when he knew he heard odysseus’ voice nearby, he did his best to wag his tail, nose down, with flattened ears, having no strength to move nearer his master... and death and darkness in that instant closed the eyes of argus, who had seen his master, odysseus, after twenty years. —the odyssey, homer what does argus symbolize? what detail in the passage shows argus’s symbolic meaning?

Explanation:

For "What does Argus symbolize?"

Argus, as a dog in the passage, has been loyal to his master Odysseus (Ulysses) for years, even when abandoned. In literary contexts, such a loyal animal often symbolizes faithfulness and loyalty, especially enduring loyalty over time and through abandonment. His reaction to hearing his master’s voice (trying to wag his tail despite weakness) and dying after seeing his master after many years reinforces this symbolic meaning of unwavering loyalty.

To show Argus’s symbolic meaning of loyalty, the key detail is his reaction when he hears Ulysses’ voice: “he did his best to wag his tail, rose down, with flattened ears, having no strength to move nearer his master... And death and darkness in that instant closed the eyes of Argus, who had seen his master, Ulysses, after twenty years.” This detail shows his lifelong loyalty—despite being old, abandoned, and weak, he still recognizes his master and tries to show affection, dying right after seeing him, emphasizing his unwavering faithfulness over twenty years.

Answer:

Argus symbolizes loyalty (especially enduring, faithful loyalty to one's master over time, even through abandonment).

For "What detail in the passage shows Argus’s symbolic meaning?"