Aim: How does Homer's invocation establish tone for the beginning of the Odyssey?
Today’s Lesson:
Do Now:
CLASS DISCUSSION: How do you become inspired? Where does it originate?
I become inspired from just about anything. I could see someone do something, and I’ll get inspired to be like them. Or, I could see a weirdly shaped cloud and get an idea for a story that I have to write down.
Aurora F says she becomes inspired by listening to music, especially songs with a lot of emotion and negativity.
Cassandra N says that she gets random bursts of inspiration at night.
Lea T says that words with meaning to her give her inspiration.
Erica Y gets inspiration from things she interacts with. For example, she’ll see something and won’t stop thinking about it. She also gets inspired at random times at night.
Luca G gets inspired when he lets his mind wander and starts to think.
Bridget M says that she gets inspiration from random thoughts in her head, or when she does something while surrounded by people she loves.
Elizabeth F says that she gets inspired by media she enjoys, such as characters from a TV show.
Wendy L gets inspiration from songs or memories.
Tianna L says that she gets inspired by lyrics and songs, or random thoughts in her head.
Andrea D says that she gets inspired when she's alone, and has time to think by herself.
I answered this question.
The Nine Muses:
Muses serve as inspiration for poets and other artists
In Greek mythology, there were nine goddesses of arts, literature and science that served as muses
One of nine Muses inspired different forms of prose, poetry, drama, rhetoric, or general writing.
Homer’s invocation pays homage (special honor and respect) to these goddesses and to Ancient Greek culture in general
expresses the purpose of the narrative
Incorporates traditions familiar to his specific audience.
This video explained who the muses were and what they represented. Calliope was the muse of eloquence and epic poetry. Melpomena was associated with tragedies. Talia was the muse of comedy. Terpsichore was associated with dance. Cleo was the muse of history. Euterpe was the muse of lyric arts. Polyhymnia inspired the art of storytelling. Uriana was connected to astronomy. Erato was the muse of erotic poetry.
The Invocation of the Muse
What exactly is an invocation?
Quickly: Use your device to look up the term “invoke”
Invoke: To petition for help or support; to call upon a deity or a spirit to witness inspiration.
Homer’s invocation pays homage (special honor and respect) to the goddesses and to Ancient Greek culture in general.
expresses the purpose of the narrative
Incorporates traditions familiar to his specific audience.
Reading:
We then read the first 17 lines of Part 1 of the Odyssey, “The adventures of Odysseus”
In this part of the book, Homer addresses one of the Nine Muses, Calliope. He asks for help writing the tale of Odysseus. He explains Odysseus’ adventures, saying that “he saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men” and that “he fought only to save his own life, to bring his shipmates home.” Homer also introduces us to the characters in the Odyssey, and gives a short description about who they are.
What is your opinion of Odysseus so far after hearing Homer's invocation to the muses and learning about the Trojan War?
My group’s opinion of Odysseus is that he seemed quite desperate to survive. He was willing to do anything to see his family again, and was very persevering and strong willed. His deadly sin was Gluttony, as he feasted on the cattle of Helios, Titan of the Sun.
Aurora’s group said that their opinion on Odysseus was that a good military strategist with a lot of clever ideas. Since he is the protagonist, it is known that he is going to be cunning and brave.
How does Homer maintain the audience’s interest in the story, knowing that the audience is aware of the outcome from the very beginning?
The Odyssey’s writing is high energy and captivating. The way he writes makes him seem like he knows more than the reader, and believes that the gods told him the full story.
Luca’s team said that from the beginning, people would already be interested in the story. Although they already know the ending, they would still be interested in what happened in between.
Max’s team said that the use of language kept people entertained and on their toes about what might happen next.
What does the invocation of the Muse in the opening lines clarify about Odysseus’ culpability (responsibility for a fault or wrong; blame) during his voyage home?
Odysseus’ crewmates dragged him down with them. Although it was not his decision to eat the cattle, he is still responsible for his crewmates. All of the decisions they make are on him, and he must face the punishment with them.
Elizabeth F’s team said that Odysseus both holds responsibility for his crewmates actions, but is not responsible for their decision. He was the captain of the ship, though he was not the one to suggest that they eat the cattle of Helios.
Anticipation Guide:
Assigned was a survey asking us multiple opinion questions. At the end of the form was a question asking us to recite one of the previous questions and defend our decision. I chose to defend my position on the question about whether good people are rewarded with good things. I disagreed with this statement, as many stories depict the hero having an unhappy ending. In real life, many people who take advantage of others end up wealthy and well respected for much of their life.
Reflection
Today we learned about the nine muses as well as more about Odysseus’ character and motivations. Although I know a lot about Greek Mythology, I had little knowledge of the nine muses. It was really interesting to learn more about who they were, and it was nice to finally know what their purposes were. It was also enjoyable to read the beginning of the Odyssey, and they did a great job explaining more about Odysseus and his crew. Although it was only a few lines, they did a good job of expanding their characters and showing that they weren’t perfect. They were just people, and they made a lot of mistakes. One could use this lesson to learn more about the ancient Greeks and their culture, as well as the types of stories that were popular back then.
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