...bard known for a sensational memory and his ability to entertain an audience with the portrayal of his words. Two well known epic poems he told were The Odyssey and The Iliad. Both of these poems are very different from any story or poem written in ancient Greece. The structure, development, and the art of how each epic was told is the reason why each work is different and why each is called an epic. Especially the Odyssey it is the pentacle of an epic poem and contains everything needed to be considered so. The Odyssey is the great story of Odysseus and the sequel to Homer’s other epic the Iliad. The main character Odysseus is put through a lengthy journey on his return home to Ithaca from the battlefield of Troy. Over the span of 24 detailed books Homer tells Odysseus’ path and what he must face to get home. From the raging seas created by Poseidon, Odysseus’ lengthy stay with calypso, and his travels through the underworld. These and other conflicts that Odysseus faces are part of the elements to which make the odyssey and epic poem. In the first book of the Odyssey, Homer introduces a very important element of his Epic poems, the Muse. According to Aaron J. Atsma of the Theoi project, during the ancient time muses were the goddesses of music song and dance. In the odyssey when Homer is referring to the muse in the first book, saying “Sing to me of the man, Muse…” The muse he is referring to is known as Kalliope, the muse of epic poetry. This is important in the anatomy of...
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...Necessary” 1 In The Odyssey of Homer, disguise plays an influential role in the development of the plot and Odysseus’ return to Ithaca. In Book 1 of The Odyssey, Athena uses disguise to influence Telemachus. Athena comes to Ithaca disguised as Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus. Mentes convinces Telemachus to go search for his long lost father (1:271-279).1 Athena’s use of disguise in the opening book puts faith in Telemachus that his father may still be alive; this is very important for the development of the plot because Telemachus was on the cusp of giving up hope that Odysseus would never return home. The departure of Telemachus also reveals the character of the suitors as they plan to murder him upon his return to Ithaca. The suitors have already been characterized as greedy and disrespectful but their plot to kill Telemachus is evidence of how despicable they truly are. In Book 6, Athena uses disguise to persuade Nausicaa. Athena visits Nausicaa while she is asleep disguised as “the daughter of Dymas, famed for seafaring, a girl of the same age in whom her fancy delighted” (6: 22-23). Using this disguise Athena urges Nausicaa to wash clothes the following day (6: 25-31). Without Athena stirring Nausicaa in her sleep, her and Odysseus would not have been acquainted. Athena also persuades her to have a favorable opinion of Odysseus by making him appear more handsome and favorable than he actually is (6: 223-231). Athena’s use of disguise in this book of the epic is significant...
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...Critical Analysis: The Odyssey | One of the major themes in this epic The Odyssey is loyalty and perseverance. King Odysseus has been away from his land of Ithaca, wife Penelope and son Telemachus for twenty years. Ten of those years were spent with his faithful crew fighting in the Trojan War and the other ten years was spent trying to return home. Penelope didn’t lose faith in her husband after a rowdy and disrespectful crowd of suitors came and uprooted the palace. Penelope has a cunning that indicates she is a good mate for her wily husband. Antinous complains of it at the assembly in Book 2. The queen has a clever tactic as she worked on a weaving for three years, a shroud for the eventual funeral of her father in law in. Clearly buys her times to fool the young suitors. Her tactics eventually fail her after her malicious servants tell the suitors what the queen has been doing. I have to commend Odysseus for his perseverance on trying to get home to Ithaca and to his family. During Books nine thru twelve is where he did most of his wandering at sea thanks to Poseidon. In these books elapsed a little over seven years of his journey. I believe those year was the longest test of Odysseus loyalty and perseverance to return home to Penelope. Odysseus has to have two affairs just to continue his journey to Penelope. While thinking about his family constantly, he still remains very loyal to his men when the goddess- enchantress Circe turns them into animals....
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...Homer’s The Odyssey is important to the history of literature, but there is one part of Odysseus's adventures that have interested readers since the book was released, the part where Odysseus encountered the sirens. These interested readers often make different versions of this excerpt, from books to short stories to movies. In this essay, though, the focus is going to be purely on a single poem by Margaret Atwood, “Siren Song”, and how this poem and the original text comparably convey the sirens. The tones expressed to the reader from Odysseus’s poem is desperation. Odysseus’s heart “throbbed to listen longer” (20) to the siren’s “ravishing voices” (19). Odysseus was desperate to be released for the ropes that bound him to the boat so that he could go to the sirens. The tone used in “Siren Song” is misery. The siren notes how she doesn’t...
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...| | | | M. Sept. 10 | Welcom to class | | W. Sept. 12 | Intro to Mythology | T 3-22 (T=Thury) | M. Sept. 17 | The Oedipus Myth | ACM 235-236 (nos. 66-68)Oedipus the King, T 305-353 | W. Sept. 19 | Oedipus Rex 1 | Finish or re-read T 305-353 | M. Sept. 24 | Oedipus Rex 2 | Lévi-Strauss, T 354-369 | W. Sept. 26 | Oedipus and Structuralism | “ | M. Oct. 1 | Gilgamesh | The Epic of Gilgamesh, T 192-227 | W. Oct. 3 | No class—UMich Plato conf. | | M. Oct. 8 | Thanksgiving | | W. Oct. 10 | Gilgamesh and Structuralism | G.S. Kirk “A Lévi-Straussian Analysis of G.”, T 228-238 | M. Oct. 15 | Ritual & Liminality | Victor Turner, “Forest,” T 417-429 | W. Oct. 17 | Demeter & Ritual | Hom. Hymn to Demeter, T 430-448 | M. Oct. 22 | Tricksters: Prometheus | T 381-383, 396-402, 27-29, 38-41Review Lévi-Strauss, T 280-294 | W. Oct. 24 | Tricksters: Hermes | Hom. Hymn to Hermes, ACM 187-197 | M. Oct. 29 | Dionysus: Myth & Bacchae | T 495, 509-514Euripides, Bacchae (44-83) | W. Oct. 31 | Bacchae | ACM 21-22 (D1), 47 (M2), 48 (M4), 212-213 (Ode 2.19), 394 (1130) | M. Nov. 5 | Exam 1 | Odyssey Books 1-8 | W. Nov. 7 | Hesiod Theogony 1 | Hesiod Theogony ACM 129-160 | M. Nov. 12 | Hesiod Theogony 2 | Same | W. Nov. 14 | | | M. Nov. 19 | | | W. Nov. 21 | Hesiod Works and Days | Hesiod “The Ages of Man” T 41-44 | M. Nov. 26 | | | W. Nov. 28 | Enuma Elish | T 61-81 Mesopotamia: Enuma Elish | M. Dec. 3 | Heracles 1 | | W. Dec...
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...Kendra Perkins Matt Fox Eng 112 14 December 2011 The Odyssey: Comparison of Genders in Greek Mythology The Odyssey by Homer may be seen by many as a heroic story of a man on his journey home; however, there is an underlying story of the trials in the roles of men and women and the relationships between them. Men and women are portrayed differently in Greece, as in other societies. Men are considered to be the more powerful of the two and are responsible for the protection of their home. Women, on the other hand, are thought to care for the children and are also responsible for the supervision of both the interior and exterior of the home while the men are away. As a man, Odysseus showed great leadership in the war at Troy and was considered the hero at the Trojan War. His wife Penelope, on the other hand, exemplified the role of a woman and leadership in her daily duties of caring for the home and all of their possessions within. In her attempts to do so, she was overcome by suitors and was unable to stop them from partaking of all of their meat and drinks. This essay will explain the underlying roles of men and women in ancient Greece as well as modern day. The beginning of the novel takes place in Ithaka at the home of Odysseus. Suitors have overrun his home in the pursuit of marrying his “widow” Penelope. Telemakhos, son of Odysseus, felt it was a shame that these men would come into their home and eat and drink their house empty. Athena, daughter of Zeus, came to Telemakhos...
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...the questions below each night as you read the pages assigned in your textbook, American Odyssey. The questions will be answered in order as you read and will be found from pages 1 – 113 in your textbook. You can CLICK HERE to access the online version of American Odyssey. Additional Study Tools: Who were the first people to make it to the America’s and where did they come from? (p. 4) the paleo Indians, and they came from India (Beringia) They were following their food source, mammoths. 2. Identify the location of and describe America’s longest mountain range. (p. 15-16) 3. Identify the location of and describe America’s longest river. (p. 15-16) 4. Identify the location of the Northeast, Southeast, Great Plains, and Southwest Native American cultures. (complete THIS online activity to learn) 5. What was Iroquois culture like? (p. 17-19) 6. How did initial European settlement in North America impact the native people already there? (p. 19) 7. What was the Age of Exploration? (p. 22-23) 8. What was moved from continent to continent in the Columbian Exchange? (p. 32-33) 9. What were some positive effects of this trade? Negative? (p. 32-33) 10. Why do we know so little about Early Native American cultures? (p. 33) 11. Where did colonists establish their early settlements and why? (not in book… get the answer during class) 12. Why did the Africa slave trade start in America...
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...EXAMINATION OF DUTY AND SELF CONTROL IN THE ODYSSEY Aashna Jamal INTRODUCTION Under the rule of Zeus, events did not occur in isolation but in interdependence causing there to be a flux in the totality of events and the whole drama being played on a cosmic plane. The central theme of Zeus’s rule is the preservation of his “ oikos” or household management where the prevalence of order over Chaos is of utmost importance. In this paper, using the Odyssey as a case study, I will examine the thematic importance of the decisions taken by a hero in accordance to or defiance of self control and pietas and the consequences they lead to. These expectations are clearly marked out for the reader who waits in anticipation to garner the fate of the hero. I will analyse the themes of self control and pietas or duty in the Odyssey and discuss their special significance in this epic. I will then briefly talk about the Hindu concept of duty or Dharma with reference to the Ramayana. I however do not intend to use the concept of monomyth coined by Joseph Campbell also referred to as the hero's journey(which is a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world.) in comparing these epics. The example of the Ramayana will only serve my purpose of highlighting the theme of duty in mythologies across the world. Lastly, I will conclude with the importance of inspecting these themes because of their significance to the plotline. Georg Wissowa notes that pietas was...
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...Name: Period: Odyssey Test Review Sheet Date: . . Answer these questions on a separate piece of paper. Use your notes and the text to help you answer these questions and comment for the Know, Identify, etc. statements. General knowledge: 1. List the characteristics of an epic. 2. List the epithets found throughout the story, know what each epithet describes, and know the effect of including epithets in the piece. 3. Know the places that Odysseus visited throughout the story (look at your map). If Odysseus had a specific obstacle or triumph at those places, you will need to know the details behind the events. For example, if Odysseus has to fight off a monster, you would need to recognize exactly how Odysseus escaped and won. List specific events from his journey here or on the map. If you are making notes on the map, simply write “see map” for this question on the review. There is no need to write the same information twice unless you care to. 4. Know what a Homeric simile is, identify Homeric similes found in the story, know what the similes are comparing, and the effect of including the Homeric similes in the text. 5. Know what an allusion is and be able to identify allusions mentioned in the text. 6. Know the characters listed below. You need to know what role each character has played throughout the story. Aeolus Athena Eurymachus Menelaus Calypso Helios Poseidon Agamemnon Alcinous Cicones Hermes Tiresias Antinous Circe Laertes Telemachus Ancient Greece and Background...
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...months goes into the planning, flight design, and logistics. “It’s really nice to know most of the reviews are over and we’re finally ready to launch,” said Bill Rujevcan, mission director for the company’s next flight. More than 300 people take the trip to the company’s equatorial launch site about 1,400 miles south of Hawaii. The crew includes workers from several nations, including: Ukraine, Russia, Norway, the Philippines, and the United States. Ukraine-based Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash build the Zenit 3SL rocket’s first and second stages, while Energia of Russia manufactures the Block DM-SL upper stage for the rocket. Norwegian ship officers manage marine operations, and Filipino deckhands work on both the Sea Launch Commander and the Odyssey launch platform. U.S. employees from the Boeing Co. fill management roles and provide the flight design, payload fairing, and satellite adapter. Astrotech, a contractor, oversees processing of customer payloads inside a clean room at the company’s Payload Processing Facility at Home Port in Long Beach, California. After 27 missions in nine years of business, Sea Launch is thriving in the do-or-die commercial launch industry. The company’s Zenit 3SL rocket has suffered three setbacks in that time. Two were total failures. The rocket’s success rate places it among the top tier of heavy-lift launchers on the commercial market, and the company’s launch backlog seems to confirm that. Sea Launch is already booking payloads for launch...
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...signs of intelligence. Stories say that young Tom read all of his father's books before he was five including the Bible and a book about the History of Europe, but surprisingly did not like school. He and his father were very close and did everything together. He taught him map making and how to play the violin and horse riding. When Tom was 14 his dad died and he fell into despair finding no one came to comfort him, not even his family. He wrote that he felt, “thrown on a wide world among entire strangers, without a friend or guardian to advise.”. (History Reference Center) His father commanded him to finish his education. He went to a boarding school and the headmaster at the school, Reverend James Maury, had a library bigger than his father. That is where he learned Greek, Latin, studied history and mythology and became fascinated with the rise and fall of Rome and their leaders who caused it. He was also fascinated with Shakespeare and wrote to his friend, “lessons may be formed to illustrate and carry home to the heart of every moral rule in life” (History Reference Center). At age 19, he went to college to take up the study of law [there were no law schools back then so he had a tutor] where he was a student at the top of his class. When he was at college he was reading classics for fun like Homer’s the Iliad, the Odyssey, and a Roman poet. He loved books and stated, “a lawyer without books is like a workman without tools” (History Reference Center {a different source})...
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...2/19/16 Hephaestus (Hephaistos) Hephaestus, known as the god of fire, is a Greek god. He is well known for being a blacksmith, and many more things along with creating and sculptors. He has been introduced and mentioned in many historical books. Such as Homer’s epics, the Odyssey, and the Iliad. Hephaestus was one of Zeus and Hera’s son. Hera, the supreme goddess created and bore Hephaestus herself. When Hephaestus was born Hera was petrified because he was weak and crippled. She was mortified, she didn’t want other god and goddess to look down upon her. “Never again will the other gods laugh at me.” (Reusser, pg8) She ended up throwing him down from Olympus. He landed in an ocean and Thetis and Eurynome sea-nymphs found him took him to an island named Lemnos and took care of him. During the time on the island he became a blacksmith He started out creating little things but, as he got better and better he started to create larger more elegant things. For example, furniture for Gods houses and buildings.” From the golden slaves for his personal use to the bronze giant Tolos who guarded the island of Crete” (Forman) People where really attracted to his work and he became famous for his inventions. As years past he became extremely skilled and was even able to make precious stones and statues from metal. Realizing that he can use his crafting for revenge also. He never fully forgave Hera for rejecting him as a small child. When Hera asked him to make an extravagant furniture...
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...Theme of Revenge in Homer's Odyssey Homer’s The Odyssey is not just a tale of a man’s struggle on his journey home from the Trojan War, but of his struggle from the consequences of revenge. The Odyssey weaves in different characters’ tales of revenge from the gods and what impact revenge actually had on those characters. Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseus’ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestes’ revenge on Aegisthus, Zeus’ revenge on Odysseus and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus. Orestes’ revenge is the first important example of the gods’ revenge in the poem. In Book 1, Hermes told Aegisthus, “’Don’t murder the man,’ he said, ‘don’t court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes…” (Homer 260). King Nestor delivers the story of Orestes’ revenge to Odysseus’ son Telemachus, while Telemachus is visiting Nestor to discover answers about his fathers’... The Character Medea's Revenge in Euripides' Medea Medea is a tragedy of a woman who feels that her husband has betrayed her with another woman and the jealousy that consumes her. She is the protagonist who arouses sympathy and admiration because of how her desperate situation is. I thought I was going to feel sorry for Medea, but that quickly changed as soon...
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...Red Dragon by Thomas Harris: A Look Inside The Serial Killer’s Mind Red Dragon by Thomas Harris is a dark piece of psychological fiction that was published in 1981. The novel is the first in a trilogy featuring the infamous character Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist and psychopathic serial killer. However, Lecter is not a main character in this novel. Rather, the antagonist and killer is Francis Dolarhyde, whom the police jokingly refer to as the Tooth Fairy because of the bite marks he leaves on female victims. Harris does a masterful job of creating background on the killer that delves into the makings of a serial killer. Thomas Harris gives the reader an understanding of Dolarhyde’s mindset when committing his horrific crimes by detailing the abuses the killer suffered as a child (Sexton). Harris takes the reader from the infant born with a cleft palate so disfiguring he was left to die through the cruelty of a childhood that included abandonment, a mean and mentally unstable grandmother, and taunts from his stepsiblings. In doing so, the author provides significance to some of the killer’s actions (Cowley). This research paper will examine the underlying psychopathology of serial killers that often stems from abuse in childhood, turning the human into the monster. Red Dragon begins with the FBI and the police on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whom police have nicknamed the Tooth Fairy because of bite marks left on victims. The public is duly alarmed as the...
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...Homer wrote about the Odyssey around 850BC and I think it reflected the society of that time greatly. I think the biggest idea of The Odyssey was the suffering. Since in Book 19 page 403, it revealed that “let his name be Odysseus… the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.” We could tell that throughout the whole book, the ultimate purpose of Odysseus’s adventure and suffering was to return home. He endured so much pain which lived up to his name and matured through all that he overcame. So that through suffering, he became the hero the ancient Greek admired and advocated, but he still remained a flawed being. The principle thing Odysseus learned was that God can control fate and he was destined to go home. In book 12, Odysseus’s crewman ate the cattle which disobeyed his orders of not eating the cattle while he went off to pray. They later died of eating the Sungod’s finest cattle since the crewmen at the same time disobeyed god. (Page 281-282) And what was interesting was that God put Odysseus to sleep while the crewmen ate the cattle. So God gave the people free will to decide what to do, but at the same time let it happen while Odysseus could have saved them. So I may say that the God made the crewmen die. The end of the book was the most amazing part to me. When Odysseus and the avengers for suitors were fighting, they only stopped fighting because the Gods would be angry. They were not actually in peace but pretended to be in order not to enrage Gods. I think...
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