Entry 5
Wow. We are finally here. Our long journey just as Odysseus's is about to come to an end. This is my final entry for this series and it will ow begin.
Book 17: The Beggar at the Manor
Most of this section is based around his dog which is hard to make 300-400 words so, expect extra opinions and comments in this entry.
When Odysseus reaches his home, he sees his dog that he trained from a puppy, Argos. But it is not very happy. He is scrawny, old, and laying on a dung pile. Eumaeus is talking about how it was Odysseus's dog and how it was over 20 years old. This is a good example of irony because Odysseus is right there. When suddenly, Argos recognizes Odysseus wags his tail and dies. The reason the dog finally died was because he now accepted death. His master was home and all was well.
Here is where the irony comes into play. As Eumaeus was a more than exceptional host, the people at the house mock and abuse Odysseus for being a beggar. This is very strange because back in these ages and in epic stories, being a good host is very mandatory and important.
This is now the end of my blogs thank you very much for reading.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Entry 4
Book 16: Father and Son
In this book it is now finally time to return home. When he is there he must, as you know, take out all the suitors so Athena disguises Odysseus as a beggar. As he returns home, he meets with Eumaeus the swineherd who tells him everything that has been going on at home. So Odysseus goes to Eumaeus's house to meet his son, Telemachus. When he gets there, he notices Eumaeus and Telemachus have a great relationship.Telemachus treats him as a father but it is very ironic because Telemachus's real father is standing right in front of him! When Odysseus is standing there trying to talk to him, for some reason, Telemachus thinks that the gods are paying a mean trick on him and that the beggar is a god not his father. Odysseus informs him that he is indeed his father and they must no return to their home and get rid of the suitors, but not to tell the mother because she might give it away. Eumaeus and Telemachus treat him very well as a guest in the house, which is very ironic compared to what is about to happen.
Book 16: Father and Son
In this book it is now finally time to return home. When he is there he must, as you know, take out all the suitors so Athena disguises Odysseus as a beggar. As he returns home, he meets with Eumaeus the swineherd who tells him everything that has been going on at home. So Odysseus goes to Eumaeus's house to meet his son, Telemachus. When he gets there, he notices Eumaeus and Telemachus have a great relationship.Telemachus treats him as a father but it is very ironic because Telemachus's real father is standing right in front of him! When Odysseus is standing there trying to talk to him, for some reason, Telemachus thinks that the gods are paying a mean trick on him and that the beggar is a god not his father. Odysseus informs him that he is indeed his father and they must no return to their home and get rid of the suitors, but not to tell the mother because she might give it away. Eumaeus and Telemachus treat him very well as a guest in the house, which is very ironic compared to what is about to happen.
Entry 3
Book 11: The Land of the Dead
When Odysseus enter the under world, he meets with the blind prophet, Tiresias who informs him that since he has been gone there are many suitors looking to take his wife and his son is looking for him. But while he is down there, he sees two very unexpected people, his mother who died of a broken heart, and his friend Elpenor. He had apparently fell off a roof one night when he was drunk and died. He asks Odysseus to please bury him when they get home. Then Tiresias tell him of an island he will soon come across. It is the island of Helios and there are many young cattle. You must not eat them when you get there or there will be grave consequences. Guess what? They eat them and Odysseus's boat and crew sink and everyone dies except him and that's how he ends up with Calypso. But that is later, back on track with book 11. So now there is a divine intervention. A god tells him about the future monsters. If you wish to hear the songs of the sirens, have your men tie you to the mast and put bees wax in your men's ears. Also take the path of Scylla the six headed monster, not the path of Charybdis the monster who sucks in water. Scylla only can kill six of his men, but everyone else will survive. If you take Charybdis, you might all survive, or you might all die.
Book 12: The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis
Odysseus has his men tie him to the mast so he can hear the sirens song. He continues to resist until they are out of sight. Now he reaches the paths of Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus takes the smart way of Scylla and only loses six men.
Book 11: The Land of the Dead
When Odysseus enter the under world, he meets with the blind prophet, Tiresias who informs him that since he has been gone there are many suitors looking to take his wife and his son is looking for him. But while he is down there, he sees two very unexpected people, his mother who died of a broken heart, and his friend Elpenor. He had apparently fell off a roof one night when he was drunk and died. He asks Odysseus to please bury him when they get home. Then Tiresias tell him of an island he will soon come across. It is the island of Helios and there are many young cattle. You must not eat them when you get there or there will be grave consequences. Guess what? They eat them and Odysseus's boat and crew sink and everyone dies except him and that's how he ends up with Calypso. But that is later, back on track with book 11. So now there is a divine intervention. A god tells him about the future monsters. If you wish to hear the songs of the sirens, have your men tie you to the mast and put bees wax in your men's ears. Also take the path of Scylla the six headed monster, not the path of Charybdis the monster who sucks in water. Scylla only can kill six of his men, but everyone else will survive. If you take Charybdis, you might all survive, or you might all die.
Book 12: The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis
Odysseus has his men tie him to the mast so he can hear the sirens song. He continues to resist until they are out of sight. Now he reaches the paths of Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus takes the smart way of Scylla and only loses six men.
Entry 2:
Book 9: New Coasts and Poseidon's Son
This is a part where the medias res comes in. It starts with Odysseus is talking with Alcinous about his travels.
In the first part, you are informed that Odysseus is the son if Laertes' son.
Now comes the part of the famous lotus eaters. They basically are drugged by the lotus that grows on their island. So the entire time they are there, Odysseus ties his crew to the boat to prevent them from eating the lotus.
After that they reach the famous island that has all the cyclopes. So when they reach there, there is a perfect plan to take and eat the cyclops's food, but for some odd reason, they decide to wait for the giant. So when he gets there he is startled and casually eats some of Odysseus's men. So at night him and Odysseus are talking and Odysseus offers him a bag of the most delicious wine. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus's name, he tells him it is Nohbdy. After Polyphemus has gone to bed, Odysseus stabs his eye out and the giant started screaming "NOHBDY HAS STABBED MY EYE!" Then Odysseus and his remaining me tie themselves to rams and make an east escape out.
Book 10: Circe, the Grace of the Witch
Odysseus then lands on the island of Aeolus and he gives him a bag of wind and a bag of storm. They use the bag of wind to get home, but Odysseus's crew thinks he is hiding gold in the extra bag. When they open in, it sends them all the way back to Aeolus who denies them any further help. After this, they travel to Circe's island. Circe is witch who is knitting and singing when Odysseus and his crew get there. After a short period of time, she turns his men to pigs. One of Odysseus's crew mates Eurylochus, tells him to sail away fast but he doesn't listen. When Odysseus is traveling there, Hermes gives him a special plant called Moly, which makes him resistant to Circe's magic. When he gets there, he threatens her and tells him to turns his men back. She does but then Odysseus locks her in a cage. She then tells him to go to the underworld and talk to a blind prophet.
Book 9: New Coasts and Poseidon's Son
This is a part where the medias res comes in. It starts with Odysseus is talking with Alcinous about his travels.
In the first part, you are informed that Odysseus is the son if Laertes' son.
Now comes the part of the famous lotus eaters. They basically are drugged by the lotus that grows on their island. So the entire time they are there, Odysseus ties his crew to the boat to prevent them from eating the lotus.
After that they reach the famous island that has all the cyclopes. So when they reach there, there is a perfect plan to take and eat the cyclops's food, but for some odd reason, they decide to wait for the giant. So when he gets there he is startled and casually eats some of Odysseus's men. So at night him and Odysseus are talking and Odysseus offers him a bag of the most delicious wine. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus's name, he tells him it is Nohbdy. After Polyphemus has gone to bed, Odysseus stabs his eye out and the giant started screaming "NOHBDY HAS STABBED MY EYE!" Then Odysseus and his remaining me tie themselves to rams and make an east escape out.
Book 10: Circe, the Grace of the Witch
Odysseus then lands on the island of Aeolus and he gives him a bag of wind and a bag of storm. They use the bag of wind to get home, but Odysseus's crew thinks he is hiding gold in the extra bag. When they open in, it sends them all the way back to Aeolus who denies them any further help. After this, they travel to Circe's island. Circe is witch who is knitting and singing when Odysseus and his crew get there. After a short period of time, she turns his men to pigs. One of Odysseus's crew mates Eurylochus, tells him to sail away fast but he doesn't listen. When Odysseus is traveling there, Hermes gives him a special plant called Moly, which makes him resistant to Circe's magic. When he gets there, he threatens her and tells him to turns his men back. She does but then Odysseus locks her in a cage. She then tells him to go to the underworld and talk to a blind prophet.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Entry 1
Entry 1: Hello, I am Jack Graham and this is my first of five blogs for this series. Essentially it is a summary of the story by Homer, The Odyssey. I may also add some of my own thoughts throughout. So here it goes!
Book 1: A Goddess Intervenes
Before I start the story, I have to tell you the background. It all started when Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world, was kidnapped by Paris for Troy. Thus calling on Odysseus to go and find her during the war in Troy. So 10 years later, he leaves and goes on several journies and it ends up taking him 10 extra years to get home. The entire book is mostly his journies which I will now tell you about.
In the first part of this book, Homer is praying to the Muse (Goddess of inspiration) for inspiration so he may tell the story of Odysseus. He recovers the story and it goes like this.
As you may know, Odysseus has a son Telemachus, who has now grown into manhood and is mourning trying to find his father. So now for ten years Odysseus has been wandering the seas. Athena talks to Zeus about it and agrees to help.
Book 5: Calypso, the Sweet Nymph
This book uses Medias Res, which is where it starts in the middle and has a flashback to the other adventures. So it starts with Odysseus on island of Calypso and Zeus's messenger Hermes, tells her she must let Odysseus go. She obeys but not in a way you would expect. To show power, she tells Odysseus she made the decision to let him go. So for a long while, she helps him build a raft, but he tries to get him to stay by talking about Odysseus's wife and how she could not be as good as Calypso. But Odysseus leaves anyway. Odysseus sails for seventeen days and ends up on the island of Scheria.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)