homer\'s the odyssey books 1-4 PDF

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Prof. Jessica Nowlin...

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OPENING THE ODYSSEY ● Begins with an invocation of the Muses, who tell stories through humans (remember Hesiod and Theogony) ● First word of each epic sets the story: menis (“wrath”) vs andra (“the man”) ● Calliope: muse of epic poetry ● Odysseus: plunderer of Troy, world traveler ● Ultimately this is a tragedy ● Odysseus’ crew was at fault STRUCTURE OF THE ODYSSEY ● Books 1-4: The Telemachy ● Books 5-8: Odysseus with Calypso, arrival in Phaecia ● Books 9-12: Odysseus tells his story (internal narrative) ● Books 13-16: Odysseus returns to Ithaka, followed by Telemachus. Happy reunion ● Books 17-20: Odysseus (in disguise) abused by suitors, reunited with Penelope ● Books 21-24: Death of the suitors, ending BOOK 1: ASSEMBLY OF THE GODS ● Odysseus is stuck on Ogygia with Calypso ● Zeus: mortals blame everything on gods, when it is usually their own fault ● Athena supplicates her father (hiketeia) - grasping of knees ● Odysseus can finally go home, gods are in charge ● Athena as protector of heroes ● Athena visits Ithaka to give inspiration and good news to Telemachus, Odysseus’ son ● Telemachus exhibits good traits of a host ● Penelope is surrounded by suitors who are squandering the place’s supplies of food ● Laertes (Odysseus’ father) stays at his home, removed from society ● Athena’s disguise: Mentes, a copper merchant from Taphos ● Advice for Telemachus: Be like Orestes; call an assembly of the suitors, look for your father (Start with Sparta and Pylos) ● Telemachus has never had a father figure ● Athena tells Telemachus that Odysseus has been trapped on an island with a savage man (half-lie) ● Ithaka’s court bard, Phemios, sings a song about the fall of Troy and the stories of heroes who returned home ● Telemachus rebukes Penelope in front of everyone after she becomes upset with the song choice BOOK 4 ● HELEN: Married to Menelaos, sister is CLYMENESTRA ● PENELOPE is their cousin ● Helen’s tale ○ Odysseus snuck into Troy disguised as a beggar ○ Helen recognizes him and bathes him, proper xenia

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○ She learns the Greeks’ plans and is happy Menelaos’ tale ○ Greek captains are waiting inside the Trojan horse ○ Helen circled the ship, calling everyone’s name while imitating their wives’ voices ○ Odysseus saved them from Helen’s treachery Menelaos learned about Odysseus from Proteus, the prophetic god he had to wrestle in Egypt ○ Proteus shapeshifts ○ Defeated, Proteus tells him about the nostoi of all the Greeks, including the death of Agamemnon...