Aim: How does The Odyssey, Book X further enhance our understanding of Odysseus’ plight; through his journey as a hero?
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.
- An obligation is something that we do because we feel that it is morally right and something that is expected of us. An example that was shared in class is doing chores when our family members are tired or busy. I think a lot of people can relate to an experience like this, especially at home. It usually relates to paying someone back through for a service.
Project Description:
We discussed our upcoming Odyssey PostCard Mini Project in class, and viewed some reference projects to give an idea of the objective of this project. The main premise of this project is to demonstrate artistically and accurately depict a segment of Odysseus' journey by creating postcards? Details for this project can be found linked here.
Epithets:
In this portion of the class period, we went over the importance of epithets, and what it was, exactly. Epithets a descriptive word or phrase, usually adjectives, that expresses something about the subject of the epithet. We took notice that Homer often uses epithets in his writing, Commonly, epithets are emphasized to the reader as a defining characteristic or trait of the subject, while also giving more insight and background information. They can be used to identify a character’s basis, and if they are portrayed in a positive or negative perspective.
Some examples of epithets in Homer’s other work would be describing Achilles as “swift-footed, godlike, shepherd of the people.” Just from these descriptive words used for Achilles, we can tell what kind of person he was, and what his role was in a story. Another example of epithets is the goddess of wisdom, Athena, being described as “the clear eyed goddess.” This is very fitting, and we get a good example of her sharp personality.
Homer introduces many characters in his stories, and epithets can be used to help characterize them by a defining trait. Without them, the large cast of characters can get confusing. Epithets can also commonly be found in The Odyssey, Book X, which we read asynchronously as reference material.
Group Discussion:
Using our knowledge from Book X and the previous passages we read, we split with our groups into breakout rooms to have a discussion about the contents of the books. This video summarizes some of the misfortunes we talk about in our discussion.
Many factors contributed to why Odysseus and his men encountered so many problems on their journey. We argued that Odysseus’ men were the cause of so many misfortunes along the way. Their greed and curiosity ultimately led them to their untimely deaths. Odysseus also had a role in delaying their way home. Although many of his actions are heroic, his leadership could be described as lacking in certain cases. Not all of their experiences can be blamed on Odysseus’ leadership, or his men’s own desires, though. Bad luck and being at the wrong place at the wrong time also seemed to plague Odysseus and his crew.
Specifically, on Circe’s Island, it was the curiosity of them that caused them to be turned into pigs. We thought that Circe’s Island was harsher than the Lotus Eaters. The text detailed how it was enjoyable for the men, and they were in a state of bliss. During his time there, Odysseus met Hermes, who was able to help him. Hermes used his trickery on Circe, and not Odysseus. Hermes’ role in this story is letting Odysseus know how to counter Circe’s magic. He also lead Circe on in thinking she was going to get something out of this whole ordeal.
Despite making a deal with Circe, Odysseus thinks she’s a witch and a liar, who manipulated him.Odysseus agrees to sleep with Circe, under the condition that she must turn his men back into humans. His heart is heavy and he is hesitant to do this, thinking of his wife and his homeland. He feels homesick, and wants to return to his family, so he feels guilty sleeping with Circe. Odysseus is obligated to do this for the safety of his men, and it seems like he isn’t willing to do this at all. He has technically been faithful to his wife, since he shows remorse for doing something he knows is wrong. He did this for the greater good, although he feels guilty nonetheless.
This “heroic” act is followed by Odysseus’ men needing to remind him a year later that it is time to return home. He seems to forget his end goal and he no longer cares for his journey back to his home.
Reflection:
A recurring theme in our class and group discussion is how Odysseus’s status of “hero” can be debatable. He does make some important decisions that benefit his men, but he also makes some poor leadership choices. The combination of bad luck, human selfishness, curiosity, and questionable decisions lead to the demise of Odysseus’ men. There were many unnecessary delays in their trip that could have been avoided. This video shows the duality of Odysseus’ behavior, as a leader and a human.
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