For this response, consider the theme that you have focused on in your note taking. For example, you might consider the theme of vengeance and/or justice as it plays out in the final books of The Odyssey. The obvious instance is that of Odysseus' slaying of the suitors. But within and surrounding that act of retribution are other mini-episodes of and commentaries on justice. For instance, look at individual characters and groups of characters: the goatherd, swineherd, and cowherd; women - including Penelope, Eurycleia, and the maids; the gods - Zeus, Athena, and Hermes; the suitors and their fathers; the ghosts of the dead--including the suitors and the heroes of the Trojan War.
In a minimum of 8-10 sentences, reflect on the aspect of the epic that you have focused on for the final books. Your reflection should indicated specific places in the text that engage with this theme. For example, if you have focused on the issue of gender roles, how do these roles play out in the final outcome of the epic. If you focused on divine intervention, what role does Athena take in the final book?
Superior responses use language from the text to support observations. Remember to cite quotes from the text correctly, incorporating quotes into your own sentences or using colons to introduce them. Use book numbers and line numbers. (19. 275-280).
Post your responses on the blog.
Responses are due by 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
As we read through the last books of the Odyssey we take away an issue that revolves around trust. In the earlier books we find that Odysseus is being taken advantage of by his suitors and soon realize that they dominated his home. Odysseus had trust for his suitors. He let them live in his home while he had gone on his journey. When he comes back as a traveler in disguise, he see's who the real suitors are. He only trust two of the suitors which help him in killing the rest of the bad suitors. Odysseus wants the suitors to feel bad about what they did. Penelope also feels hurt and says, "You who disgrace, devour a great man's house and home" (371. 435). See Odysseus gave his suitors trust. He wouldn't have thought his suitors would disrespect his home and family. We learn that things come back to bite you in the butt. The suitors learned this by the battle against Odysseus in his house but to no question they had lost.
ReplyDeleteUse more specific examples/direct quotes to illustrate your point. Also, we never have any indication that Odysseus trusted the suitors to begin with.
DeleteThe Odyssey is a book full of adventures based off of proving gender stereotypes wrong. A man is usually shown as the strong character, as the lady is represented as the “weak” character. In the ending books of The Odyssey, Odysseus is shown with his farm hands at his house (451; 250-251). They are crying and hugging him, glad that he is back. In any other book, they would not show the strongest of the strong, Odysseus, crying with his friends. Odysseus is depicted as a strong hero throughout the book, but certain instances show that he is not afraid to show his feelings. First on Calypso’s island, then once he returns home. The gender stereotypes throughout the world today were broken in The Odyssey, and I feel as if that’s what made the book so unique and amazing.
ReplyDeleteYou need specific, direct quotes to bolster your point.
DeleteLauren Holmes - Odyssey Theme
ReplyDeleteA theme that prevailed especially in the last few books of The Odyssey was love, and how it pushed characters to believe, be cautious, and be hospitable. First, Penelope invites Odysseus into their home, thinking he is a beggar. She lets this strange man in her home that she’s never met on the off chance he has information on her beloved husband. She defends him surely, saying: “...You heard from my own lips - that I meant to probe this stranger in our house and ask about my husband… my heart breaks for him” (19:102-104). Penelope also proves her deep love and commitment by admitting, “I yearn for Odysseus, always, my heart pines away” (19:151). The strength of love also brings caution; guards are put up to protect one’s heart, like Penelope. Penelope is in strict disbelief when the nurse tells her of Odysseus’ return. She says, “‘Hush, dear woman… Don’t laugh, don’t cry in triumph - not yet. You know how welcome the sight of him would be to all in the house, and to me most of all… But the story can’t be true’” (23: 64-70). Because Odysseus had been gone for so long, she was afraid to let her guard down and succumb to the ache in her heart for Odysseus. However, the love was not only portrayed by Odysseus and Penelope. The cowherd and swineherd (Philoetius and Eumaeus) showed their commitment and loyalty through love: “With that, pushing back his rags, [Odysseus] revealed the great scar… And the men gazed at it, scanned it, knew it well, broke into tears and threw their arms around their master, lost in affection, kissing his head and shoulders” (21:247-252). The theme of love is prominent in the last books of The Odyssey, as described by Odysseus, Penelope, Eumaeus, and Philoetius. Love will seemingly affect one’s outlook and show itself in many situations.
Nice use of direct quotes to illustrate your points. Review how to incorporate quotes, particularly in your final quote. It seems as though your examples illustrate how love brings out the best in characters.
DeleteAs the poem comes to an end, one of the more interesting themes that constantly reoccurs is patience. The specific occurrences that drew some thought were when Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca. First, a disguised Odysseus is greeted by a remarkably loyal servant. It wasn’t totally strange that Odysseus didn’t reveal his identity, but it’s still a bit confusing. He’d been gone for 20 years, you’d think that he’d want his return to be widely known. Fair enough. Odysseus shows his will power with his obvious patience a few more times, but the most prominent examples were his encounters with Telemachus, Penelope, and the suitors. Patience must play some intense part in Greek culture if Odysseus’ ability to wait was so clearly shown. His identity was eventually revealed to all, but seeing his own kin, grown and matured, as well as his wife, to whom he was still devoted, should have broken even Odysseus. Following seeing his family, Odysseus sees and, to some extent, interacts with the suitors. The suitors, the men who had slept with Penelope! How much self-control must it have taken to contain his rage? The rage so intense that payment of “all [of Eurymachus’] father’s wealth - all [Eurymachus possessed then,] and all that could pour in from the world’s end” (22. 65-67) could not keep Odysseus from slaughtering every last suitor. How ever he did it, patience is an essential theme that sticks out among the rest because of how counter-intuitive it begins in this context.
ReplyDeleteUse direct quotes to strengthen your point and provide depth and specifics. Also, the suitors did not sleep with Penelope; they tried to. The maids slept with the suitors.
DeleteIn the final book of the Odessey, by Homer, we see justice come to all of those who stayed loyal to Odysseus. As a reward for the loyal swineherd and cowherd's loyalty, Odysseus promises them "wives... property, sturdy houses beside his own, and... [they'll] be comrades to Prince Telemachus" (21. 241-243). They would acquire wealth through property and houses, and they would gain honor and respect with wives and being like brothers to Telemachus. The great benefits that loyal subjects of Odysseus receive show how valued loyalty is. While those who were loyal were awarded justice, traitors received vengeance for their disloyalty. The unfaithful maids in Odysseus's palace "were trapped in a line, nooses yanking their necks up, one by one so all might die a pitiful, ghastly death" (22. 497-499). Their grisly fate shows the severe penalty for disloyalty. There were no second chances or forgiveness for the backstabbers, only cruel punishments. The themes of vengeance and justice are prominently carried throughout the book, with the good being rewarded with justice, and the bad with vengeance.
ReplyDeleteWhose death is most extreme? Is there a significance to this? What do the maids have to do before they are killed? Supplement your analysis with additional examples/information.
DeleteRoman Medina
ReplyDeleteA very interesting aspect I found of The Odyssey is how Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, is involved in helping Odysseus throughout his journey. Indeed, Athena advocates for Odysseus at the beginning of the Epic to help him return home to Ithaca from where he was held captive on the island of Ogygia with Circe. Athena finds it unfair that he has been separated from his family for 20 years for killing one of the sons of Poseidon the cyclops.
One of the examples of Athena trying to help Odysseus is when she disguises Odysseus as an elderly man so that he isn’t recognized straight away on the island of Ithaca and so that he can visit the swineherd to get ideas of what the suitors are like (13. 490-500). Athena’s main goal here is to have Odysseus wait for Telemachus to return from Sparta so that he and his son can plot revenge on the suitors. A second example of Athena’s crucial intervention is when she goes and tells Telemachus that Odysseus has arrived and that he needs his help to kill the suitors (15. 10-30,). Here, very much like the previous example, Athena is having Telemachus meet with his father to discuss what and how to deal with the suitors. She acts as a mentor and a guide to help the main characters achieve their goals and be successful. Odysseus and his son have to trust her wisdom and listen to her advice. Their faithful obedience to Athena is key to their achievement and getting more help from her. The final example is when Athena sets peace between Odysseus and the suitors parents who want to start a fight (24. 570-600). The parents of the suitors are upset because Telemachus and Odysseus killed the suitors after they were trying to marry Odysseus’s wife. Her final intervention is a reward to Odysseus’ s bravery, determination to overcome obstacles, his loyalty to his men and his obedience to the gods. It is interesting to notice that in her several appearances she comes under disguise. Sometimes it is under the appearance of a foreign guest (1. 180-210), others as a young shepherd (13.490-500), and finally as an old man (24. 570-600). These strategies show how the gods test the humans trust.
These are examples help display how important are Athena’s interventions to help Odysseus return home. It has a circular effect because the Epic starts with her advocating to Zeus in favor of Odysseus’s returning home and it ends with her involvement to resolve the conflict between the suitors’ parents and Odysseus. Therefore, she plays a very important role.
Gender rolls appear in everything these days, including a 3,000-year-old epic. In the Odyssey particularly there are two specific characteristics, emitted clearly between two characters: Penelope vs. Calypso. Penelope; represents the traditional housewife. She has all the characteristics that fit the term in this day and age. She is dutiful and loyal to her husband for the entirety of the 20 years that he is gone; “’Why, any tramp washed up on Ithaca’s shores scurries right to my mistress, babbling lies, and she ushers him in kindly, pressing for details, and the warm tears of grief come trickling down her cheeks, the loyal wife’s way when her husband died abroad (14. 146-150).” She has many suitors who are yearning for her adoration and is constantly pressured to remarry. Penelope in fact makes a deal with the suitors, proclaiming that when she is done weaving her a burial shroud she will marry one of them: “’(Penelope) Young men, my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more, go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until I can finish weaving my web.’ (Antonius) ‘Her very words, and despite our pride and passion we believed her. So by day she’d weave her great and growing web- by night, by the light of the troches set beside her, she would unravel all she’d done. (2. 105-118)” Penelope entertained them with this plan for years, until finally they caught on. Always remaining loyal to her husband no matter what.
ReplyDeleteThe opposite archetype is that of Calypso. Calypso is referred to as “the lustrous goddess” repeatedly throughout the book. She is charged with “taking advantage” of Odysseus. Calypso is in fact campaigning for sexual equality between men and women, though it isn’t clearly stated. Calypso is the opposite of Penelope in many ways, mainly sexual. She is tied with many negative connotations, yet many people prefer her to Penelope, who is characterized as “weak”.
Penelope is very weak, whereas Calypso is shown as strong, the feminine vs. feminist characterization. People use the term, ‘slut’ to describe Calypso, whereas Penelope is ‘conservative’. If you look at the whole epic overall, neither of the two main female characters are looked upon with good intentions. The archetypes tied to them are too strong the people in this day and age are too particular.
You make some interesting observations here, but I asked you to focus on the last five books of the epic in your response. How do these gender roles play out at the end?
DeleteLoyalty is one of the most important themes throughout all of the Odyssey, but especially in the last few books. As you see repeatedly throughout all of the Odyssey, it is important to stay loyal to your mortal and immortal leaders. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he mercies the ones who were loyal all throughout. The suitors, however, we're not so lucky; "You dogs, you never thought I would any more come back from the land of Troy, and because of that you despoiled my household, and forcibly took my serving women to sleep beside you, and sought to win my wife while I was still alive, fearing neither the immortal gods who hold the wide heaven, nor any resentment sprung from men to be yours in the future. Now upon you all the terms of destruction are fastened." (22, 35-41) The importance of loyalty is portrayed through this quote because the suitors tried to steal Odysseus' wife, when they were supposed to take care of her. Odysseus showed no mercy for them. Although, he lets the ones who demonstrate their loyalty are spared and told they would be treated like a part of his family. The theme of loyalty is very important and it is valued throughout all Greek society.
ReplyDeleteWho else is loyal/disloyal? Please review how to incorporate quotes.
DeleteThroughout the Odyssey the gods have played an important part deciding Odysseus's fate. One of the gods that played the largest part in Odysseus's fate was Athena. In the last few books she contributed to how the finial battle against the suitors played out. "Athena helped him plot the slaughter of the suitors" (19. 1-2). on multiple occasions. When the finial battle was just beginning "Athena, taking the build and voice of Mentor" (22. 214-215). went to Odysseus to put "their force and fighting heart[s] to proof" (22. 249). Throughout the battle with the suitors Athena would put a "whole salvo wide of [their] mark" (22. 269). in hopes of protecting Odysseus and his fellow fighters. However, despite her efforts to keep the warriors fighting against the suitors, the warriors still would get a few cuts: "Amphimedon nicked Telemachus on the wrist—the glancing blade just barely broke his skin" (22. 290-291).
ReplyDeleteAlthough Athena didn't play as large of a part as the foreshadowing led the reader to believe, she still played a large part. In fact if it wasn't for Athena, Odysseus would have never survived his journey home.
True. Why is this significant? What does she do at the very end, after the battle is over?
DeleteIn The Odyssey, we see that showing hospitality and kindness to strangers is something that is always praised. The hero Odysseus is shown hospitality many times throughout his journey, especially by the swineherd once he returned home to Ithaca. The swineherd kills one of his best pigs and roasts it for Odysseus, despite the hero being in the form of a pitiful beggar. The reader can get the idea that the people of the time valued generosity. This is why it’s so shocking to see Odysseus act out his violent revenge on the suitors once he returns to his palace. Although it’s apparent that the suitors were not very good people, Odysseus shows no mercy as he brutally goes about slaughtering all of them. One might think that this kind of violence would be saved for the mythical monsters Odysseus encounters. Not even the suitor that begged at Odysseus feet was spared. The theme of showing generosity was not visible on these pages, instead we see the theme of acting out violent revenge. From this, a new theme could be that despite showing hospitality and generosity most of the time, it is human nature to revert to a savage-like state when someone has provoked you.
ReplyDeleteConsider how the suitors betrayed Odysseus's hospitality. Could this connect? You need specific, direct quotes to illustrate your point.
DeleteIn the Odyssey, divine intervention plays a huge part in Odysseus' long journey home, from convincing Calypso to release him to sending storms to block his way. When Odysseus returns to his native land only to find a group of obnoxious suitors courting his wife, he must once again seek help from the gods to be rid himself of these intruders. Disguised as an old man, he scopes out the extent of his people's loyalty and willingness to fight. His cowherd replies to Odysseus' probing questions with a prayer to the gods: "'Father Zeus...Let the master come--some god guide him now! You'd see...my fighting arms in action!'" (21. 226-229). Odysseus then reveals himself to the cowherd and the swineherd, another trusty follower, and assures the two men that "'If a god beats down the lofty suitors at [his] hands," he would reward them greatly (21. 240). It is easy to see here that the men are very dependent on the gods for their fate. Not only do the cow and swine herds believe that the gods alone can return their beloved master to them, but Odysseus is also confident the success of his future plans is completely in the hands of the gods. This reliance on the divine is even more evident when Odysseus finally wields a weapon against the suitors, saying, "'Apollo, give me glory!'" (22. 7). Odysseus wins the fight against impossible odds, apparently because of assistance from the gods. The next day, when the suitors' families begin plotting their revenge on Odysseus, Athena asks Zeus, '"Will you prolong the pain, the cruel fighting here or hand down pacts of peace between both sides?" (24. 255-256). Zeus replies that it is her own choice. So, Athena arrives at the battle and commands each side to make peace. Then, when Odysseus makes no move to stop his slaughter, she warns him not to "'court the rage of Zeus who rules the world!" (24. 697). Odysseus obeys immediately. Here, the gods treat the men like playthings. Zeus so carelessly hands off the fates and lives of many men to his daughter, as if it did not matter to him either way. Athena uses her power to stop these men from war just as she used her power to help Odysseus throughout the entire work. One might go so far as to ask the question: if it weren't for Athena, would Odysseus have even made it home? Clearly, the gods have complete control over the lives of men and are always using this power as they please.
ReplyDeleteInteresting analysis. How does Athena ultimately get the two sides to make peace? This moment is divine intervention at its best; it's almost as if she wipes away the entire slaughter from every happening.
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ReplyDeleteInteresting analysis. How does Athena get both sides to stop? This is divine intervention at its finest; it's almost as if she makes it so that the slaughter never happened at all.
DeleteA big theme focused on, not only in the final chapters but throughout the entire book, was the protral of women. The words Homer uses to describe them, especially for the queen, gives them an appearance as feeble and sexualized. The phrases such as "...dissolved into tears" and "...cradling, glistening veil across her cheeks" and "...the lustrous queen" (Homer, Page 425) give an image of weakness. The queen is displayed as a women whom can not hold her own without a man by her side. Not only that but Homer makes it seem like Penelope can not function without a man. Penelope represents a small, weak, and stereotypical women. This is a big theme through the final chapters that should not be overlooked. It is a issue that Homer has made very prominent.
ReplyDeletePlease remember that when quoting from an epic poem, you use book numbers and line numbers, not page numbers. This response would be stronger if you had more specific quotes to illustrate your point. How does the epithet of "the lustrous queen" make her seem weak?
DeleteIn the Odyssey, one prominent theme was that there are two sides to everyone, and the message was that utilizing both can be very beneficial if done correctly. All of the important characters had to hide their true selves and feelings at times. While Odysseus was away, Penelope was forced to pretend to be interested in the suitors even though she wasn't. Her strategy to get out of marrying was to pretend to weave a shroud. She said that when she was done she would marry, but by night, she would unravel the cloth because she truly despised the suitors and had no intention of marrying any of them. This strategy helped her for years. For Odysseus, he had to pretend to be a beggar when he returned to Ithaca. He had to pretend to like the suitors and to not know Penelope. For Telemachus, he had to pretend to be aligned with the suitors and not know Odysseus even though he was plotting against them with his father. One example of this is when Odysseus instructed Telemachus to say, "I stowed them away, clear of the smoke... / When you're in your cups a quarrel might break out, / you'd wound each other," (19. 7-12) as if to protect them, but in reality, to use against them. In the end, using deception and even pretending to be other people or feel differently than they did helped all of these characters. Penelope remained single for Odysseus, Odysseus got revenge and restored his family, and Telemachus got his father back and got to help him get revenge.
ReplyDeleteConsider the deception that Athena uses at the end to wipe away the memories of the suitors' families. This example would fit well with your thesis.
DeleteOdysseus is characterized to be superior to all other men all throughout the book. Some of the epithets describing him are "the master improviser," "wily," "mastermind of war," and "the hero." I think these epithets are used to enhance the story and point out a theme. Odysseus is known from the beginning to be good at war because he won the Trojan war, which sort of gives him all the traits of a good soldier like bravery, strength, and intelligence. I think that Odysseus had all of these traits but was most prominently intelligent. He won the Trojan war from being clever, he was resourceful on his journey home, and he was cunning and able to improvise when he was home and disguised. In the moments where Odysseus' strength is in the spotlight, his brilliance and cleverness is still suggested: "Once he'd handled the great bow and scanned every inch, then, like an expert singer skilled at lyre and song - who strains a string to a new peg with ease, making the pliant sheep-gut fast at either end - so with his virtuoso ease Odysseus strung his mighty bow." (21. 452-456). I think that because Odysseus' qualities associated with his smarts seem to be the more important qualities to the theme, Homer is suggesting that being smart is a greater quality than the others and possibly the greatest. While strength will get you so far, intelligence is necessary to win.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Explain how this passage highlights his intelligence. What other instances of this do you see in the final books?
DeleteIn the final books of The Odyssey, the theme of father and son bonding occurred several times. Telemachus proves his love and loyalty for his father as they work together and Telemachus sticks up for Odysseus. They work together to create a scheme to kill the suitors. Odysseus orders Telemachus to "stow [the suitors'] weapons out of reach" (19. 4) and Telemachus follows his father's commands without hesitation to ensure they complete their mission. Telemachus proves himself loyal to his father by doing as his father wishes. When a suitor attempts to hit Odysseus with an oxhoof, Telemachus sticks up for his father by saying: "you can thank your lucky stars you missed our guest...Else I would have planted my sharp spear in your bowels!" (20. 340-342). Telemachus is clearly protective over his father and is willing to hurt anyone who attempts to hurt the people he loves. Telemachus sticks up for Odysseus once more when he scolds his mother and asks her why she won't "sit beside [Odysseus], engage him, ask him questions?" And he tells his mother that her heart is "harder than a rock!" (23. 113-118). Telemachus expresses his love for his father in this short segment by showing how hurt he is that his mother will not accept Odysseus. These multiple examples all show that Telemachus is loyal to his father and that he would protect him and stick up for him because Telemachus loves him.
ReplyDeleteConsider how much of a contrast this is to the character we see in the opening books of The Odyssey. How much has Telemachus changed?
DeleteOne of the many reoccurring themes that I found throughout the “Odyssey” was hospitality. Towards the end of the epic, this becomes a very important theme, as Penelope is hospitable towards the beggar. This beggar is her husband, Odysseus. Her hospitable attitude is demonstrated when she says: “Now bring us a chair and spread is soft with fleece so our guest can sit” (19. 106-107). Without her welcoming him in, Odysseus’ entire plan to slaughter the suitors would have been very difficult, or possibly not even been carried through. In addition to this, her generosity to have Eurycleia “bathe him well and rub him down with oil” (19. 367-368), is only a testament to how hospitality plays a part in Greek lives. Today, you would not find anyone allowing a poor person into their house and certainly bathing them. Another instance where we find hospitality playing a large part in the epic, is the suitors invasion and control of the kingdoms resources. Here, this is almost the opposite of the first example. The suitors are taking advantage of the hospitality while Odysseus is away. Consequently, his return to his wife and kingdom might not have been so monumental if the suitors had not “[Plagued] [the] palace day and night, drinking, [and] eating [them] out of house and home” (21.79-80). As a result of the suitors severely abusing hospitality, it leads to their demise. The suitors illustrate the theme of hospitality throughout this epic, not just in the second to last book where they are slaughtered. Some other minor examples that occur are when he first arrives in Ithaca, at the swineherd’s house, and at the end when he goes to see Laertes. Overall the generosity towards strangers and those you do not know, determined much of the plot throughout this epic.
ReplyDeleteTrue and insightful. Consider the figures who are punished the most severely, and how they were some of the most egregious examples of the flatting of hospitality.
DeleteThe theme of revenge and getting what you deserve is a theme that occurs throughout "The Odyssey". When Odysseus returned to Ithica, his main goal was to slay the suitors for their efforts to marry his wife Penelope. In order to achieve this, he had to act like he was somebody else, even when around Penelope. The fact that he would rather seek revenge against the suitors than reveal himself to his loving wife shows that revenge is one of the most important aspects of life to the Greeks, if not the most important. In book 19, Penelope was talking to the suitors about how they should treat their new guest, which was Odysseus. In her speech, she said, "If a man is cruel by nature, cruel in action. the mortal world will call down curses on his head while he is alive, and all will mock his memory after death" (19. 388-390). Penelope is saying that all cruel men will get what they deserve, and that rightful revenge will be cast upon them. This is also foreshadowing as Penelope was talking to the suitors about revenge and getting what you deserve, and the suitors ended up getting what they deserve from Odysseus later in the book. Revenge is a big part in Greek society, as shown by "The Odyssey", and all men will end up getting what they deserve, both before and after they die, based on what Penelope said.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts. Do you think a quote like this makes it seem as though Odysseus is justified in his slaughter of the suitors?
DeleteThe gods play a special role in the way events of the Odyssey unfold. While virtually all events in the Odyssey can be traced back to the actions of a god or goddess, gods always act indirectly and through others, only by manipulating and guiding fate. Each otherworldly entity in the Odyssey interacts with mortals differently, but there seems to be a pattern. The more important and powerful a god or goddess, the magnitude of their exposure and to the mortal world is smaller and their actions must be more indirect, even though more powerful gods tend to affect fate the most. This principle is evident from the book: Zeus, the king of the gods, never goes to the mortal world in the book while Poseidon, while he did shape the fate of Odysseus, more directly controlled the wind and waves causing Odysseus’s shipwreck. Furthermore, minor gods and goddesses such as Calypso or Circe can give prophecies but the more major goddess Athena can appear on earth in person only under disguise. When fighting off the suitors, Odysseus never was conscious of a goddess pretending to be just a loyal subject; however, he knew “in his bones” (22. 220) it was Athena. Finally, demigods and the remaining otherworldly creatures had no reservations about being part of a battle or the mortals knowing their identity. The rules governing the way goddesses interact with mortals are implied throughout the Odyssey and in my opinion, are a complete enigma.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting observations. I would like to see more of a focus on the later books, which is what I asked you to write about. What purpose do you think such a hierarchy serves?
DeleteI focused on the role of the gods as I read the final books of The Odessey. Obviously, Odesseous got his revenge on the suitors that ruined his house and tried to marry his wife, Penelope. Without the gods' help Odesseous would have perished under the suitors numbers but with the help from the goddes of wisdom, Athena, Odesseous slaughtered his wife's suitors. In book 22, Odesseous starts his killing of the suitors. Athena, who favors Odesseous, helps protect Odesseous by sending the suitors spears way off target. (22. 268-274) If Athena, goddes of wisdom, hadn't had a hand in Odesseous' vengeance then he would have, most likely gone down. Also, in the last book, Athena and Zeus had a huge hand in the outcome of the war that would have been if not for the gods. (24. 580-602) If not because of the gods, Odesseous would have started a war, in that he would have killed everyone, but Athena, yet again, steps in and ends it with a peace treaty. We see how the gods had a huge hand in Odesseous' success and we can infer that without the gods he would have not succeed.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Use direct quotes from the text to support your claim. How does Athena achieve peace in the end? Also, does this intervention make Odysseus less of a hero in your eyes?
DeleteHospitality Reflection
ReplyDeleteHospitality is a recurring theme throughout the Odyssey and is prevalent in the final books of this epic. For example, Penelope allows Odysseus to stay in her home even when she believes he is a lowly beggar. Peneople having Eurycleia wash Odysseus' feet shows how much the Greeks value hospitality and generosity. Nowadays, it is practically unheard of for someone to let a stray hobo stay at their house, let alone hand wash their feet. Additionally, Penelope showed extreme hospitality towards the suitors for decades by allowing them to live in her home and feast off her husband's food. In the end, the suitors abused her hospitality and were ultimately killed for it. In today's society, abusing someone's hospitality would be considered rude, but it wouldn't be justifiable causation for murder, which demonstrates the extreme value of hospitality in Ancient Greek society. Hospitality is one of the most important themes in the Odyssey; Odysseus constantly relies on the hospitality of strangers and those who disrespect hospitality are severely punished.
Valid points. This response would be stronger if you had some direct quotes to back up your points. Similarly, what specific examples can you find that highlight how specific characters are treated who breach the laws of hospitality?
DeleteThe theme that I choose to focus on is Jealousy. This is most prevalent when he tests his wife, even when he knows she has been faithful (book 11). He is Jealous if the suitors. They had been hitting on his wife for around 20 years. He was jealous that they had been living the life that he was supposed to have lived, and he wasted a lot of it on some divine wild goose chase that he didn't even want to partake in in the first place. It's ironic because he spent a lot of his time away fornicating with Calypso, the nymph. Anyway, he misses that life he wanted to live, and takes it out on the people around him. Namely the suitors. And, for some odd reason, his dear wife.
ReplyDeleteYou need specific examples from the later books. How does the theme of jealousy play out? Is Odysseus shown as being justified in his jealousy? How does he take out his jealousy on his wife?
DeleteDuring the last couple of books, I've noticed lots of vengeance as a theme. I first noticed it when Odysseus and Telemachus were scheming up a plan to take over the suitors. Another sign of vengeance was when he finished straining his bow "Horror swept through the suitors, faces blanching white, and Zeus cracked the sky with a bolt..."(437). This quote show how Odysseus was motivated to finish his bow so he could kill the suitors, and by the looks of the suitors they seem pretty scared. Also, when odysseus killed all of the suitors, it shows how much he wanted to get rid of them, "... Odysseeus in the thick of slaughtered corpses, splattered with bloody filth like a lion that's devoured some ox of the field and lopes home, covered with blood,"(451). I like this quote a lot because it gives an example of what it was like when Odysseus killed these suitors. I shows him as a hungry tiger eating another animal. These quotes help illustrate is the overall theme in books 21-24.
ReplyDeletePlease review how to incorporate quotes. You are giving examples of vengeance, but what image of vengeance does the work display? Is it shown as positive, necessary, justified, negative?
DeleteLoyalty is a big part of the Odessy. Near the end of the book those who were loyal survived Odysseus's wrath. He kills everyone that is not loyal to him. We can also see loyalty playing a big part in Book 12 when Odysseus's crew betrays his promise and eats Helios's cattle."Letd drive of pick of Helios' sleek herds"(281. 370). After they killed the cattle they got struck by lighting . It seems like those who are not loyal in the Odyssey get killed while the loyal prosper.
ReplyDeleteYou need to incorporate specific examples and quotes from the end of the epic. Also, please review how to incorporate quotes and proofread.
DeleteA theme in the Odyssey was Odysseus constant effort to connect with his family but instead, always experiencing separation in many different forms. Oddly, he traveled to the underworld to find his way back to his family that he was separated from for over twenty years while he was fighting in wars and was stranded on a goddesses’ island. He always wanted to get home. He went looking for a prophet to tell him how to get home. Instead, he was creating a greater divide as the underworld is the most separated place in the universe. It is the place of the dead, and Death is the ultimate separation. Once in the underworld, he connects with his mother and many dead friends, leaders, crew members and warriors. Odysseus compliments Achilles and says that he was a great leader and that he was still leading over all of the dead. He says, “but you Achilles, there is not a man in the world more blessed than you – there never has been, never will be one. Time was, when you were alive, we argives honored you as a god, and now down here, I see, you lord it over the dead in all your power. So grieve no more at dying great Achilles. (11. 547-559)" But Achilles says, “no wining words about death to me shining Odysseus! By god, I would rather slave on earth for another man, some dirt poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive – then rule down here over all the breathless dead. But come, tell me the news about my gallant son.” Even in death, Achilles was focused on life. Like Odysseus, he did not want to be separated from his family.
ReplyDeleteThe assignment here was to write about a theme as it relates to the final books of The Odyssey. How does this theme come up in the end?
DeleteAt the end of this epic poem gender roles are still an issue and have a huge part in the poem. Females in the last part of the epic poem were obviously spilt into two types of women; seductive women or Penople, a woman that only looks at one man and waits for him. In lines 470-490 in book 22 they take the maids that slept with the suitors and start to attack them. This part in the poem is basically saying if a women sleeps around and "betrays" a man those women should die. The part that seems is little off. The only reason those women slept with the suitors is because the master of the house, Odysseus, was gone for twenty years! In book 24 in lines 210-223 Agamemon is praising Penople for waiting. He says "the fame of her great virtue will never die" which is completely different from the way the maids were treated. Then he compares Penople to Clytemnestra, who killed her husband. These comparisons show the roles women were supposed to have in Greece during that time. Gender roles were throughout the whole poem, but they especially were shown in the last four books.
ReplyDeleteYou make some interesting observations here. Use more direct quotes to illustrate your points.
DeleteIn the final books of the odyssey, I focused on finding the recurring theme of hospitality. When Penelope is being very nice to the beggar, that just showed up at her door, who just told stories about Odysseus. After his heart touching stories, she says "come, women, wash the stranger and make his bed, with bedding, blankets and lustrous spreads to keep him warm..." (19. 364-365). In this quote, Penelope is offering some random beggar a warm place to sleep and a bath all because the random beggar told her stories of Odysseus, her husband. Later in the story, Penelope stands up for the man against Antinuos, saying "how impolite it would be, how wrong, to scant whatever guest Telemachus welcomes into his house." (21. 351-352). In this quote, Antinuos, one of the Penelope's suitors, denies the beggar a chance to complete Penelope's challenge, and Penelope not only stands up for the man, but thinks it would be outrageous if they didn't give him a chance. It turns out Odysseus was the beggar, just in disguise to trick the suitors, and all of Penelope's hospitality payed off.
ReplyDeleteI like your specific quote here from Book 21 to illustrate the importance of hospitality. Go even further with your analysis. How are the suitors punished for their abuse of hospitality?
DeleteOdyssey Response
ReplyDeleteLexi Demeter
In the final books of The Odyssey I focused on the theme of an unexpected hero and the strength of a true hero. An example of this is illustrated in book 21. Penelope retrieves Odysseus's bow and announces she will marry the first suitor who can string it and shoot and arrow through a line of 12 axes. The suitors one after another attempt to string the bow and all attempts fail, the suitors then feel disgraced because this makes them all inferior to Odysseus. Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus asks for a shot and is simply laughed at Antinous claims he will just embarrass himself. """You, you grubby swineheard, are you crazy?""(21. 405) Antinous mocked. He then grabs the bow, easily strings it, and shoots his first arrow through all 12 axes. ""My strength's not yet broken yet, not quite so frail as the mocking suitors thought.""(438. 476-477) Although a hero, Odysseus in this scene appears to be a very unexpected hero dressed as a beggar to then shot the arrow through all 12 axes. In this scene Odysseus demonstrates his superiority to the suitors and regains his title of the most powerful man in Ithica.
Why do you think Homer chose to draw such a sharp contrast between Odysseus as a beggar and Odysseus as a king? What function does his humility as a beggar serve in these final scenes?
ReplyDeleteIn the last few books of the Odyssey many people ended up getting punished or rewarded. The people who did good ended up being rewarded unlike the suitors and maids who did bad. Through out the whole book the suitors were talked about poorly. They were eating all of the good food and trashing the castle. Odysseus did not like that at all, so he made a plan to kill all of them. Odysseus killed every suitor who had done something wrong, but two were spared. Telemachus begged for them to be saved: “Stop don’t cut him down! This one’s innocent. So is the herald Medon— the one who always tended to me” (22. 376-378) Telemachus wanted the people who did good to not die as a reward. The swineherd and cowherd, who had helped Odysseus and Telemachus kill the suitors, were reward for their loyalty and bravery by Odysseus, who said: “I’ll find you wives, both of you, grant you property” (21. 341). They were going to be treated extremely well because Odysseus now thought of them as Telemachus’ brothers. The women who had relationships with suitors were all killed because of the terrible acts they did. In the end Odysseus was finally rewarded for everything he had gone through during is journey. He had been punished day after day, but when he had finally done everything he had wanted to, he was rewarded. Athena had, “handed down her pacts for peace between both sides” (24. 599-600) to give Odysseus, for the rest of his life, a peaceful kingdom. After all that he went through and defeated, he was finally rewarded with the best thing he could get, which was peace.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of these punishments and rewards? What do they suggest about mentalities of the time? Do they seem fair to you?
ReplyDeleteThe recurring theme I noticed the most in "The Odyssey", by Homer, was hospitality. Hospitality shows up consistently throughout the whole book. Hospitality happens on all different levels from small gifts to abundant feasts and places to live. Not once is Odysseus told he can't eat with someone. Odysseus sees and expects hospitality from even his enemies. Circe, the sirens, and Polyphemus are all examples of situations in which hospitality has occurred. In the end of the epic once Odysseus is home you see the hospitality he receives from his family and servants at home. "Telemachus with the two herdsmen carving sides of meat and mixing ruddy wine. Before they ate, the Sicilian serving woman bathed her master." (24. 402-404). This quote shows the hospitality as well as any other quote in the book. These people drop everything to pamper Odysseus and please him. That is why "The Odyssey's" number one theme is hospitality.
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