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.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Vocab. Words
mirth - Bugsy was filled with mirth when she got the steak bones.
liege - "My liege! How dost thou have known that I had snatched thine prize heffer from thine royal stables?" exclaimed the surprised stable-boy.
parricide - Lizzy Borden committed a parricide.
verity - The teacher questioned the verity of Jake's excuse.
avarice - The dragon's avarice implored it to eat the kingsmen and raid the castle.
avaunt - Avaunt ye, scurvy devil!
posterity - Some of Shaky's posterity live in Juneau.
homage - The endearing fans paid homage to their blessed Avenged Sevenfold.
cloistered - The cloistered monks chanted all day long.
equivocator - The president is an equivocator.
eminence - Eminence comes with the title of "Supreme Ruler of All".
avouch - The murderers went to the priest to avouch their sins.
thralls - The man became a thralls after reading "Ishmael".
malevolence - Harold had malevolence toward Fifi for breaking his Faberge egg.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Duff Man's Thoughts
Grand Scotland is surely headed to its ultimate doom. Our beloved King Duncan hath been murdered and the culprit is thus far still unbeknownst to I, along with the entirety of the nation. We all have our own suspicions though, including myself. Tonight is Macbeth's royal coronation, the day he is taken up into kingship, of which ceremony I shall not be attending. I am undecided as to whether or not Macbeth committed this heinous crime to our nation, but he has shown to acquire much suspicion. I fear our future highness is a murderer. I cannot attend the coronation tonight in good conscious. Perhaps by my not attending I have raised suspicion on myself? And what about the late king's sons? Where have they run off to, and why? Could they have killed their own dearest father? What of the drunken, dead guards? Rumor is that they had plotted to kill King Duncan. But then why did Macbeth kill them? He says to have slain them in love, but can he really be trusted at this point? Tis best not to think of such dastardly things. Yet, it is a necessary evil that that which we do not wish to think or speak of must be undivulged eventually if we are to truly understand such matters and therefore be able to aquire our own opinion in knowledge. Whoever the deceitful murderer, it is too late to attend the coronation now regardless of the possibility of my being accused of some sort of ill deed, and presently, our new "honorable and holy" King Macbeth is the primary suspect so it is surely best not to keep company with such villains. I must think on these issues more.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Vocab. Sentences
surmised - Frank surmised that Jill had taken his water buffalo after he stumbled upon some of such animal's droppings on her lawn.
bounteous - Carmichael, for that was the water buffalo's name, certainly had produced a bounteous supply of scat on Jill's lawn.
consort - For many months, Frank did not consort with Jill.
corporal - He did however, devise many plans to retrieve his water buffalo from Jill, many involving corporal punishment.
chalice - Perhaps he would place poison in her chalice.
undivulged - He must keep such plots undivulged though, unless the law somehow discovered Jill's body in the ditch outside of Saskatchewan.
prate - Frank suffered so greatly from his beloved water buffalo being gone, that he would prate for hours upon hours to himself.
dauntless - He was dauntless in his attempts at deducing whether or not Jill had actually taken Carmichael or if she had simply roamed through Jill's yard on her way to Burger King.
chastise - If it ended up that Carmichael had just gone to the nearest Burger King, Frank decided that he would chastise her for her deliberate stupidity.
surfeit - He considered not providing her with the surfeit of food she has become accustomed to over the years.
bounteous - Carmichael, for that was the water buffalo's name, certainly had produced a bounteous supply of scat on Jill's lawn.
consort - For many months, Frank did not consort with Jill.
corporal - He did however, devise many plans to retrieve his water buffalo from Jill, many involving corporal punishment.
chalice - Perhaps he would place poison in her chalice.
undivulged - He must keep such plots undivulged though, unless the law somehow discovered Jill's body in the ditch outside of Saskatchewan.
prate - Frank suffered so greatly from his beloved water buffalo being gone, that he would prate for hours upon hours to himself.
dauntless - He was dauntless in his attempts at deducing whether or not Jill had actually taken Carmichael or if she had simply roamed through Jill's yard on her way to Burger King.
chastise - If it ended up that Carmichael had just gone to the nearest Burger King, Frank decided that he would chastise her for her deliberate stupidity.
surfeit - He considered not providing her with the surfeit of food she has become accustomed to over the years.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Essay For Short Story Unit Final
Some authors base their characters off other's creations, while some think outside the box
and create their own masterpieces. While in some characters it is harder to see similarities or
differences, in others it is easy. Nearly all characters can be compared and contrasted, even if
it's as obvious as they're both human or neither of them owns a pet platypus.
Leonard Mead from "The Pedestrian" is a simple man who enjoys walking at night instead of
watching T.V.. Commander Barton is the captain of an EDS ship flying to deliver important
medicine to another planet in "The Cold Equations." Other than both they're stories are
futuristic, they don't seem very similar, but they are in some ways. Both characters don't like
the rules that have been set for them. Mead doesn't think he should go to jail for just walking
down the street after dark and Barton doesn't want to follow the law and kill a young stowaway
girl on his ship.
It is easy to see how the house from "There Will Come Soft Rains" and Henry from "The
Californian's Tale" are similar. They both are unable to understand that the people they are
missing aren't there anymore. Their lives go on just as if nothing had happened. The house
continues with its daily schedule thinking that its inhabitants are still living in it and actually
going along with the routine. Henry believes that his wife, who is most likely dead and has been
absent for 19 years, will be returning home shortly from a visit to her family. They are different
in that the house thinks that its missing people are still there and Henry who, except before
around the time of year that his wife had left and he still believes that she is at home with him,
knows she is gone but thinks she is still coming back.
Harrison Bergeron, from the short story of the same name, and the lawyer from "The Bet"
are also similar and different. They are the same because Harrison Bergeron does not want to
follow the rules made by the government, and believes that they are stupid, and the lawyer, at
the end of the story, believes that the laws made by our society are wrong. They both defy their
societies and openly oppose them. However, Harrison is against society even in the beginning
because he wants to be the best as he thinks he rightfully should be, whereas the lawyer comes
to a deeper understanding of life by the story's end and throws away his old life and the
accepted ways for an as worthwhile and meaningful life as he can have in this world.
Almost all characters can be compared or contrasted. For some, the points may be blatantly
obvious, but you can dig deeper than just external attributes, and find more meaning in them.
and create their own masterpieces. While in some characters it is harder to see similarities or
differences, in others it is easy. Nearly all characters can be compared and contrasted, even if
it's as obvious as they're both human or neither of them owns a pet platypus.
Leonard Mead from "The Pedestrian" is a simple man who enjoys walking at night instead of
watching T.V.. Commander Barton is the captain of an EDS ship flying to deliver important
medicine to another planet in "The Cold Equations." Other than both they're stories are
futuristic, they don't seem very similar, but they are in some ways. Both characters don't like
the rules that have been set for them. Mead doesn't think he should go to jail for just walking
down the street after dark and Barton doesn't want to follow the law and kill a young stowaway
girl on his ship.
It is easy to see how the house from "There Will Come Soft Rains" and Henry from "The
Californian's Tale" are similar. They both are unable to understand that the people they are
missing aren't there anymore. Their lives go on just as if nothing had happened. The house
continues with its daily schedule thinking that its inhabitants are still living in it and actually
going along with the routine. Henry believes that his wife, who is most likely dead and has been
absent for 19 years, will be returning home shortly from a visit to her family. They are different
in that the house thinks that its missing people are still there and Henry who, except before
around the time of year that his wife had left and he still believes that she is at home with him,
knows she is gone but thinks she is still coming back.
Harrison Bergeron, from the short story of the same name, and the lawyer from "The Bet"
are also similar and different. They are the same because Harrison Bergeron does not want to
follow the rules made by the government, and believes that they are stupid, and the lawyer, at
the end of the story, believes that the laws made by our society are wrong. They both defy their
societies and openly oppose them. However, Harrison is against society even in the beginning
because he wants to be the best as he thinks he rightfully should be, whereas the lawyer comes
to a deeper understanding of life by the story's end and throws away his old life and the
accepted ways for an as worthwhile and meaningful life as he can have in this world.
Almost all characters can be compared or contrasted. For some, the points may be blatantly
obvious, but you can dig deeper than just external attributes, and find more meaning in them.
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