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Background of the Odyssey
*The story is about Odysseus coming home and Telemachus growing up DEATH OF ACHILLES -Armor: Odysseus vs. Ajax -SACK of TROY & outrages of Achaeans -Corrupted temples, committed sins, rape, murder in it DIFFICULT HOMECOMINGS -Agamemnon killed by wife -Odysseus hounded by Poseidon
Background of Odyssey continue
-Difficult homecomings -Agamemnon killed by wife & her lover -Odysseus hounded by Poseidon BACK IN ITHICA: been 20 years since Odysseus left home -Suitors in Odysseus house thought he died -Odysseus son Telemachus all grown up
Odyssey Themes
XENIA: hospitality, guest-friendship -Xenos: guest, host, guest-friend -Greeting, food & lodging, bath, gifts given -Identity asked after welcome and meal -Ongoing relationship (btwn host & guest) --Can be passed down through generations of family (sacred) NEW TYPE OF HEROISM -home…
Odyssey 1: Proem (opening)
-ate the oxen of hyperion the sun: eat things not supposed to -don't say his name- no one knows him
Agamemnon's Story
-Zeus recalls fate of Agamemnon: infidelity of wife, killed by Aegisthus, Agamemnon avenged by Orestes -Foil for story of Odysseus (parallels): Agamemnon & Odysseus, Clyemnestra & Penelope, Orestes & Telemachus *Anxiety about Odysseus' homecoming
Telemachus Growing up
-Welcomes Athena in disguise, Xenia observed carefully -Penelope dismissed: never spoke to her that way before. Mother is shocked/obeys Telemachus making baby steps -Suitors reprimanded: claiming authority in household
Telemachus growing up continue
-Plan to call assembly: assuming father's authority in community, Telemachus tells the whole city what the suitors are doing b/c he wants to find allies. but doesn't work so well. First assembly in 19 years -Plans for travels: Kleos through travel like Odysseus, Telemachus in a state of …
calypso (odyssey)
a nymph who falls in love with odysseus when he lands on her island home of ogygia. calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go
Odyssey 5: Calypso
-Calypso's offer: promises of immortality (be my husband ill make you mortal), Warnings of suffering (If you leave you'll experience a great deal of suffering)
Odyssey 5: Calypso
-Odysseys' refusal: homecoming over immortality, fortitude against suffering -Calypso vs. Penelope: immortal beauty of Calypso, Penelope as best match for Odysseus b/c she is exactly like him, she's clever, of the same mind as Odysseus
Book 8 Odyssey
Odysseus' raft is broken up, but he manages to make it land. -Rescued by a princess, receives excellent Xenia. -While he's feasting they ask him his story
Book 9: Odysseus' Travel
-Careful storytelling: begins with emphasis on home over wealth, odysseus lies b/c wants to look better -Recklessness vs. Restraint -Cicones (Odysseus says let's get out of here but men want to stay), unexpected attack of companions -Lotus-Eaters (narcotic effect): Men forget about hom…
The Cyclops
Description: no laws of assemblies, don't worship gods -Xenia gone wrong: Odysseus & men help themselves but men are eaten -Problems w/ eating in Odyssey: people keep eating and drinking things they shouldn't throughout the story. Ex; feast, lotus-eaters
Blinding of Polyphemus
-Walking stick: non-warlick weapon -Escape under sheep
Book 9 Odyssey continue..
Cleverness & Glory -Odysseus gives his name as "Noman." When the Cylcopes ask Polyphemus what's wrong, Poly says "Noman is hurting me." -Odysseys revealed: curse of Poly, must reveal identity to achieve Kleos, -Odysseus vs. companions: Odysseus generally seen as "strong" and making the…
Odyssey Book 10: More adventures: Aeolus
-Odysseus welcomed -Bag of winds given as gift -Ruined by companions b/c they released the winds. Aeolus decides that some god must be angry at them and now wants nothing to do with Ody and his crew
Odyssey Book 10: Laestrygonians (Giants)
-Men eaten -Eating gone wrong: another perversion of hospitality gone wrong (Xenia)
Odyssey Book 10: Circe
-Men turned into pigs: drugs mixed into food/drinks, they are now a food source and in danger of being eating again -Rescue by Odysseus: Hermes gives Odysseus magic paint to protect him from Circe's spells and drugs -Men cared for: food/hospitality, Circe's take care of them -Circe a…
Odyssey 11: The Underworld
Elpenor: death of friend, importance of burial; he died and no one noticed so asked for Odysseus to return to Circe's island to bury him Tiresias: info about homecoming Ghosts of women: Odysseus' mother, trying to win over the Queen of island so he emphasizes the importance of mothers, …
Heroes in the Underworld
Intermission: Arete praises Odysseus and calls for gifts, Alcinous asks about heroes Agamemnon: warnings about women, anxiety about safe homecoming Heracles: compares himself to Odysseus, suffering & fortitude, Odysseus tells the story in a way that characterizes himself the way he want…
Achilles on Death
This shows the different emphasis what makes a hero in different stories. The model of Achilles' heroism isn't valued in the Odyssey.
Odyssey 12: Final Adventures
Female monsters: The Sirens, Scylla & Charybdis, Cattle of the Sun eaten
Book 12: The Sirens
Odysseus listens, tied to his pole. His men have wax in their ears.
Scylla & Charybdis
Odysseus chooses Scylla over Charybdis. The loss of six crew members for certain or the chance of the entire crew dying.
Cattle of the Sun eaten
-Eating gone wrong AGAIN -Odysseus told them not to do it, but the crew is stupid/reckless. Companions cannot control themselves, but Odysseus shows restraint. Recklessness of companions Restraint of Odysseus -Shipwreck & death of companions -Arrival on Calypso's island
Odysseus as storyteller
Reckless vs. Restraint: other men in story are not as good as Odysseus. Ody is trying to get sent home, wants Arete/Alcinous to like him. Not his fault he lost men, tried to save them Women in Odysseus' story: threat to survival & homecoming, uses these women as examples to say he won't …
Odyssey 17: Back in Ithaca
Books 13-16 -Odysseus returns home, disguised as a beggar, odysseus revealed to Telemachus -Odysseus testing servants, using his disguise to see the truth of what's going on in his house -Odysseus mistreated in his house: Antinous throws footstool, Fortitude of Odysseus
Odyssey 21: The contest
Penelope proses the contest of the bow, she gave Odysseus a weapon if he decided to reveal himself and start on his revenge -The bow: given to Odysseus by a friend, never taken to war, Distancing himself from war, this is the closest he ever gets to battle -Odysseus' identity is reveale…
Book 22
Battle with suitors -help from Athena/Telemachus/Eumaeus/Philoetius -Suitors killed Makes females servants carry out the bodies of their dead lovers (the suitors) then hangs them from the rood -The other shepherd has his hands, feet, ears cut off
Book 22: Telemachus All Grown Up
-Almost strings the bow but stopped by Odysseus, living up to father's standard -Pretends he can't string the bow, using weakness as disguise, uses cleverness -Slaughter of suitors: creates & enacts plot with father
Book 23: Odysseus & Penelope
-The trick of the bed: Penelope outsmarts Odysseus, she tests him saying the maid will bring out their marriage bed. But their marriage best uses a living tree as one of the best posts. Odysseus gets angry, demanding to know who cut down that tree- proving again who he is -Odysseus & Pen…
Odyssey 24: The end
Reunion with Laertes: testing Laertes, Odysseus' identity revealed (give info only two of them would know), cycle of disguise & recognition complete -Conflict with families of suitors: three generations of heroes fight together, Laertes kills one person and there's almost a battle -Inte…
Odysseus & Hero Motifs
-Born of mortal parents: no divine birth or extraordinary childhood -Adventures: impossible tasks, quest for homecoming, conquering monsters -Trip to underworld -Opposition; monsters trying to eat him/goddesses wanting to keep him -Help from others -Scar as token of recognition -Dea…
Odysseus & Hero Motifs
-Death of friends: companions, carefully crafts the story so Odysseus takes no blame -Rewards: Marriage & kingdom restored, starting new life vs. return to old life -Hero roles: failed savior, cannot save companions, saves them many times but in the end fails. No founder or civilizer.
Aeneas & Odysseus
Parallels: wandering heroes, visit same places, same suffering -Aeneas not like Odysseus: Looking for new home, not old one. New wife and kingdom in Italy, companions preserved, glory tied to the future (what matters is what will happen after he is gone)
Aenied 8: Aeneas & Evander
Aeneas looking for allies o Brought by Tiber river to future site of Rome o Welcomed by King Evander · Evander provides Aeneas with troops o Evander’s son Pallas sent with Aeneas o Aeneas as role model for Pallas · Aeneas joins force with Tyrrhenians o …
Stop-Loss: Return home from war
3 best friends who return from war in Iraq -Welcome with parade, accepted by community -Acknowledgement of Service: Medals awarded, senator offers help in the future -Reunited with families -Recalling war; stories make others uncomfortable, soldiers alienation from civilians, isolatio…
Struggle at Home
Brandon: Discharged and denied, leaves home as fugitive, goes to find senator Steve: Troubles with fiancé Tommy: wants back into army, alcohol abuse, discharge from army, suicide
Marriage and Fidelity
-Tommy thrown out by wife; shooting of wedding gift symbolizes him destroying marriage. -Steve and Michelle conflict: steve married to the arm, Michelle says she can't be an army wife b/c not strong enough -Brandon and Michelle: Suggestions of romantic involvement, remain only friends, …
Odysseus, Aeneas, and Brandon
Odysseus: Difficult journey home, reintegration into household and community Aeneas: Difficult journey and forced into a new war, creates new household and community Brandon: Successful homecoming and reintegration, journey and forced return to old war *Aeneas is moving forward, Brando…
Post War Heroes
Relationships to war: Leaving war behind vs. returning to war Outcome of war: victory vs. defeat Odysseus on winning side, Aeneas on losing as they leave Trojan war, Brandon leaves before war is over.
Patton, Platoon, and Stop-Loss
Patton: traditional model of war, heroism, glory, WW2 and optimism Platoon: destruction of traditional war heroism and glory, Vietnam war and pessimism Stop-loss: Exploration of aftermath of war, Iraq/Afghanistan and awareness of PTSD

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