Books 5 - 8 are about how Odysseus left Calypso's island and traveled many weary days and nights on sea, landing on Scheria, the island of the Phaiacians. They tell of his relaxing yet sorrowful time there, spent celebrating and playing the local games.
They tell Odysseus' story.
They back up the themes of hospitality and loyalty. Hospitality because they show the kindness of the Phaiacians to a complete stranger and loyalty because they show Odysseus' loyalty to his home and family and the loyalty of Athena to make sure he reaches his home safely.
These books are important because Odysseus finally leaves Calypso's island, beginning his journey home, and provide a setting for Odysseus to tell his story.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Odyssey - Book III
Summary: Telemachos, Athena, and the crew reach the shore of Pylos. Athena tells Telemachos that he has to be the one to speak to Nestor regardless of how shy he is. They find Nestor and his sons preparing a feast. Mentor (Athena) and Telemachos are welcomed. they begin the feast with the proper ceremonies of praying to the gods. Athena prays to Poseidon for safe travel and thanks the Pylians and Nestor. They all eat. Nestor asks about his guests and Telemachos tells him his business. He asks Nestor to tell him all he knows about Odysseus. Nestor begins to tell Telemachos about the Trojan war and how many men were slain. He says that Odysseus was a grand man and was amazing, they never argued about anything. He says that a lot of people died and how Menelaos and Agamemnon split the men because of their differing opinions. Nestor and Odysseus went with Menelaos, but Odysseus went back to Agamemnon so Nestor lost track of him then. Soon Nestor got back to Pylos without news of anyone else. He talks about the men that lived and died. He talks about the murder of Agamemnon and then Telemachos says he wishes the gods would give him power to get vengeance on the suitors. Then Nestor asks about his situation with the suitors and how much Athena loved Odysseus and if only Athena would show love to Telemachos things would get better. Telemachos says he doesn't think that will happen, but Athena says it's easy for the gods to bring Odysseus home but that death is something even the gods cant stop. Telemachos says that his dad will never come back and asks Nestor more about Agamemnon's death. Nestor tells him all about it. After Menelaos and Nestor set out from Troy, Menelaos went to Egypt and prince Orestes killed Aigisthos. Menelaos returned home. Nestor tells Telemachos not to stray to far from his house or the suitors will take everything, and that he should go see Menelaos if he wants more info about his father. Nestor gives him all his services to go see Menelaos. Then the sun sets. Then Athena says they should make sacrifices to Poseidon and they do. Athena and Telemachos want to go back to their ship but Nestor is hospitable and makes Telemachos stay. Athena takes the shape of the bird and flies away. Everyone is amazed and makes lots more sacrifices. They all go to bed. In the morning they make another sacrifice to Athena. Telemachos is bathed by the daughter of Nestor. Meanwhile, peeps prepare food. They get everything ready to go see Menelaos and Telemachos leaves with one of Nestor's sons. They travel all day then rest. Soon it's light out again and then they travel all day.
King Nestor of Pylos was an Argonaut in his early warrior days and helped to fight the centaurs. He fought on the side of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. He was believed to be about 110 when the war started but was still revered for his bravery and speaking abilities. He had about nine children.
King Nestor of Pylos was an Argonaut in his early warrior days and helped to fight the centaurs. He fought on the side of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. He was believed to be about 110 when the war started but was still revered for his bravery and speaking abilities. He had about nine children.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Odyssey - Book II
Setting - market-place of Ithaca, Telemachos' house, Odysseus' storehouse, the beach, the ship.
Characters - Telemachos, the criers, Athena, Aigyptios, Eurynomos, Peisenor, the Councillor, Antinoos, Zeus and his eagles, Halitherses Mastorides, Eurymachos, Mentor, Leocritos Euenorides, the wooers, Eurycleia, Penelopeia, boat crew.
First speech, Aigyptos - He tells everyone to shut up and listen to Telemachos.
Second speech, Telemachos - He says he has no business to talk about there except his own private needs. He explains the current situation with his mother and the suitors and tells them he wants them to leave because they won't ask her father for a proper proposal, eat all of his animals, and won't go away. Telemachos says he would defend himself if he could and that the men should be ashamed and fearful of the gods.
Third speech, Antinoos - He says that Telemachos has a ad temper and is blaming them for something thats not their fault. Antinoos says that the problem is Penelopeia's fault for tricking the nation for almost four years. She's been weaving a shroud for Laertes and said she'd pick a husband when shes done weaving it, but she unravels it every night. Once they discovered what shes doing she is forced to finish the shroud. He tells Telemachos to send his mother out of the house and make her marry somebody. Antinoos says that Athena has blessed her because Penelopeia is beautiful and clever, but she used her cleverness to trick them. He tells Telemachos that the suitors will not leave.
Fourth speech, Telemachos - He says he can't send his mom away because she bore and raised him and because he can't pay back the dowry to Icarios. Her dad will be bad enough, but she'll call down the Avengers on Telemachos. He says that if they think its right for these men to take his stuff, then they can go ahead, but he will ask Zeus for vengeance.
Fifth speech, Halitherses Mastorides - After the eagle thing, he says there will be trouble from Odysseus for anyone who tries to marry his wife and that there will trouble for anyone else who lives on Ithaca. He wants to talk about how to stop the men. He talks about how he previously made a prophecy about Odysseus that came true. His prophecy was that Odysseus would go to war, lose everything, and then come home 20 years later.
Sixth speech, Eurymachos - He rebukes Halitherses Mastorides and say that he can prophesy better than him in this case. He says that not every bird is an omen and that Odysseus is dead. He wishes Halitherses had died to so he wouldn't be talking like he knows what God wants and anger Telemachos. He says he expects that Halitherses is going to get some sort of gift from Telemachos later for saying all these things. If Halitherses continues cajoling Telemachos then Telemachos will be the first to suffer and Halitherses will pay. He says that the suitors won't leave because theres no one there to scare them off so Telemachos should just get his mom to marry one of them.
Seventh speech, Telemachos - He says that he has nothing more to say to the suitors because the gods and everyone else knows what he wants already. He wants to borrow a fast ship and twenty men to get him to Sparta and Pylos. He wants to find out about his father there. He says that if his father is alive, he'll wait for him, but if hes dead then he'll give him a funeral and give his mother away to a suitor.
Eighth speech, Mentor - Hes being sarcastic when he says that everyone should just be mean to each other and never kind and gentle and that noble Odysseus never ruled any of them like a kind father. He says he doesn't grudge all the people who are taking advantage of the house of Odysseus, but they're going to be sorry because they think he'll never come back. He is ashamed of the ones who are quiet and don't try to get rid of the suitors.
Ninth speech, Leocritos Euenorides - He says that Mentor is crazy and just wants to cause trouble. There are too many suitors for them to drive away, even if Odysseus came back he wouldn't be able to fight them off. He says that what Mentor says is backwards and everybody should just leave. He says Mentor and Halitherses should help Telemachos with his voyage, but they'll have to wait a long time for news because Telemachos will never complete the voyage.
The book ends with Telemachos, Athena, and his crew sailing.
Book II is the start of Telemachos' voyage. It also foreshadows the future conflict with Odysseus and the suitors.
I predict that Telemachos will find his dad and bring him home. I also predict that all the suitors will be killed.
Characters - Telemachos, the criers, Athena, Aigyptios, Eurynomos, Peisenor, the Councillor, Antinoos, Zeus and his eagles, Halitherses Mastorides, Eurymachos, Mentor, Leocritos Euenorides, the wooers, Eurycleia, Penelopeia, boat crew.
First speech, Aigyptos - He tells everyone to shut up and listen to Telemachos.
Second speech, Telemachos - He says he has no business to talk about there except his own private needs. He explains the current situation with his mother and the suitors and tells them he wants them to leave because they won't ask her father for a proper proposal, eat all of his animals, and won't go away. Telemachos says he would defend himself if he could and that the men should be ashamed and fearful of the gods.
Third speech, Antinoos - He says that Telemachos has a ad temper and is blaming them for something thats not their fault. Antinoos says that the problem is Penelopeia's fault for tricking the nation for almost four years. She's been weaving a shroud for Laertes and said she'd pick a husband when shes done weaving it, but she unravels it every night. Once they discovered what shes doing she is forced to finish the shroud. He tells Telemachos to send his mother out of the house and make her marry somebody. Antinoos says that Athena has blessed her because Penelopeia is beautiful and clever, but she used her cleverness to trick them. He tells Telemachos that the suitors will not leave.
Fourth speech, Telemachos - He says he can't send his mom away because she bore and raised him and because he can't pay back the dowry to Icarios. Her dad will be bad enough, but she'll call down the Avengers on Telemachos. He says that if they think its right for these men to take his stuff, then they can go ahead, but he will ask Zeus for vengeance.
Fifth speech, Halitherses Mastorides - After the eagle thing, he says there will be trouble from Odysseus for anyone who tries to marry his wife and that there will trouble for anyone else who lives on Ithaca. He wants to talk about how to stop the men. He talks about how he previously made a prophecy about Odysseus that came true. His prophecy was that Odysseus would go to war, lose everything, and then come home 20 years later.
Sixth speech, Eurymachos - He rebukes Halitherses Mastorides and say that he can prophesy better than him in this case. He says that not every bird is an omen and that Odysseus is dead. He wishes Halitherses had died to so he wouldn't be talking like he knows what God wants and anger Telemachos. He says he expects that Halitherses is going to get some sort of gift from Telemachos later for saying all these things. If Halitherses continues cajoling Telemachos then Telemachos will be the first to suffer and Halitherses will pay. He says that the suitors won't leave because theres no one there to scare them off so Telemachos should just get his mom to marry one of them.
Seventh speech, Telemachos - He says that he has nothing more to say to the suitors because the gods and everyone else knows what he wants already. He wants to borrow a fast ship and twenty men to get him to Sparta and Pylos. He wants to find out about his father there. He says that if his father is alive, he'll wait for him, but if hes dead then he'll give him a funeral and give his mother away to a suitor.
Eighth speech, Mentor - Hes being sarcastic when he says that everyone should just be mean to each other and never kind and gentle and that noble Odysseus never ruled any of them like a kind father. He says he doesn't grudge all the people who are taking advantage of the house of Odysseus, but they're going to be sorry because they think he'll never come back. He is ashamed of the ones who are quiet and don't try to get rid of the suitors.
Ninth speech, Leocritos Euenorides - He says that Mentor is crazy and just wants to cause trouble. There are too many suitors for them to drive away, even if Odysseus came back he wouldn't be able to fight them off. He says that what Mentor says is backwards and everybody should just leave. He says Mentor and Halitherses should help Telemachos with his voyage, but they'll have to wait a long time for news because Telemachos will never complete the voyage.
The book ends with Telemachos, Athena, and his crew sailing.
Book II is the start of Telemachos' voyage. It also foreshadows the future conflict with Odysseus and the suitors.
I predict that Telemachos will find his dad and bring him home. I also predict that all the suitors will be killed.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)