Aim: How does The Odyssey, Book X further enhance our understanding of Odysseus’ plight; through his journey as a hero?
We started the class by reviewing some examples of postcards for our mini postcard project. Ms. Peterson showed us multiple postcards- some good ones and some bad ones. But we mostly looked at what exactly we needed to do for the project:
create two postcards of two different locations
write two paragraphs per post card of your journey at that location (speaking as Odysseus)
name of location in the front
a stamp in the corner
an address the postcard is being sent to
a brief description of the picture on the postcard
We also clarified how we were able to draw a picture on the front of the postcard instead of using a photo, as long as you do not forget to put a label/title. We then moved on to the google slides of today’s lesson.
Do Now: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION
Describe a time when you, or someone you know, felt something had to be done out of obligation (a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment). Tell the outcome.
A few students started by sharing some things that they felt they were obligated to achieve. Some responses we heard from some students were:
obligation to do homework to get a good education and good grades
obligation to go to the doctor’s office to make sure they are healthy
obligation to return a favor to somebody as a “thank you”
obligation to give a pregnant lady or an elderly person their seat on the bus or train - Ms. Peterson
We can see that everyone has some sort of obligation in their lives whether it be a major obligation or a rather small one.
After our discussion had ended, we moved on to learn about epithets.
Epithets:
An epithet is an adjective or a descriptive phrase that expresses a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
Homer repeatedly describes many of his characters or objects in his story with the same phrase.
Epithets are a common element of epic poems that let the reader easily identify the character or object (similar to a nickname!)
One character or object can be given many different epithets
We can see many examples of epithets in the Odyssey Book X (Ms. Peterson has also advised us to note that the X is the roman numeral for 10, not the english letter X). Some of these examples are:
Odysseus:
We see Odysseus being referred to as "The great tactician" which creates the image of Odysseus as being intelligent, and probably comes from his being the initiator of the idea for the "Trojan horse."
Athena:
Athena is referred to as "The clear eyed goddess" helps the reader imagine that Athena is alert, and wise - farseeing.
Sunrise:
The sunrise is referred to as the “Rosy Fingered Dawn” to give imagery of its beauty.
We then are faced with the question, “Why do you think Homer may use epithets?” After brainstorming, we were able to discuss our opinions. We concluded that Homer used epithets to differentiate between people that he wrote about. It gives more of a description to give the reader a larger understanding of the thing being talked about. It also helps the poem flow easier and makes it easier to remember who and what we are dealing with.
Lastly, we were put into breakout rooms with our teams and we answered a few questions. Here are the responses me and my team have concluded with:
1) How does Odysseus and his men find themselves faced with problems?
Odysseus and his men constantly encounter problems in the form of monsters, storms, and villainous magicians. However, Odysseus’ men are usually the main cause of these problems in Book X, such as cutting open the bag of wind Aeolus gave them or getting turned into pigs by Circe by blindly feasting on her enchanted food.
2) How does Circe’s Island compare to the Land of the Lotus Eaters?
Their actions are very similar as they both seem to be inviting and welcoming with no ill intentions. However, Circe willingly drugs the men's foods to turn them into swines while the Lotus Eaters cannot make their own decisions other than offering a lotus.
3) Describe the “deal” Odysseus strikes with Circe, as well as her response/instructions.
Odysseus trusts Circe a lot to follow her directions even though he knew she attempted to trick them. Odysseus's emotions reveal that family is a priority to him because even though he lived a luxurious life for a year he still wanted to get back home and possibly talk to the ghost to learn about Penelope.
4) Hermes has a reputation for “trickery.” Consider that he is the one who informed Circe that Odysseus would be coming, as well as he advised Odysseus as to how to “best” Circe with her magic potions and wand. Do you believe that Hermes has used his “trickery” on one or both of them? Why/Why Not?
I think Hermes has tricked only Circe because Hermes gave Odysseus the exact directions on how to best Circe. He also gave Odysseus an object that made Odysseus immune to Circe's spells. Originally, Circe thought she was going to turn all of Odysseus's crew into swines but due to Hermes interfering, the next events were altered into Odysseus's favor.
5) Based on your understanding of Epithets and their use, identify some epithets in Book X or from previous readings.
Odysseus is referred to by multiple epithets throughout Book X. For instance, during his encounter with Circe, he is described as a "man of many resources". Odysseus is described as a "man of many resources" three more times throughout the encounter with Circe." The repetition of this epithet furthers the notion that Odysseus is a resourceful man who makes use of his many possessions.
Reflection:
From today’s class I was able to learn about epithets and why they are used. I learned that they have a great importance in writing and that they can be very useful in literature. Not only do they give a sense of figurative language in your writing, but they also help keep track of people and things. Instead of just constantly naming things/people and expecting you and the reader to be able to remember who or what they are, giving them an epithet helps remember their importance in your writing and what meaning they hold to the story. I also was able to analyze more to the Odyssey and read deeper to find epithets in the writing. It was an interesting learning experience which I feel I took a lot from. Now that I know what epithets are and how they work, I will be able to read poems and other works of literature a little easier, since I will be able to pick up on these epithets which can give me a further understanding on what I am reading. I also would like to maybe try using epithets in my own piece of writing one day and really work on my usage of them.
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