Aim:How does the episode of "The Land of the Dead" further our understanding of
Odysseus as the epic hero?
Do Now: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION
What are some of the cultural traditions we use to honor the dead?
Consider your culture and/or religion - What do you and your family do in order to mourn the passing of a loved one?
How might these traditions be observed in order to honor fallen warriors & soldiers?
In today’s do now we discussed various traditions used to honor the dead. Some of the traditions named were burying the body, visiting the gravesite, and telling stories of the person. In my culture, it is proper to visit the gravesites of family members, take care of the grave, and bring “gifts” to the deceased one’s resting place. We also discussed how these traditions can honor those that fell in battle.
Moving on, we learned about the Greek concept of Death and The Underworld. The slides we read are shown below:
The Greeks believed that that after death, the soul went on a journey to the Underworld
The Underworld was deep beneath the Earth and was ruled by Hades and his wife Persephone
In the afterlife, the soul would either receive punishment or a state of bliss depending on choices made during life
At the end of this journey, they would be brought to three judges who would decide their fate:
Would they go onwards to Elysium (a comfortable place where the sun always shone), or would they be punished and sent to Tartarus?
The Greeks believed that that after death, the soul went on a journey to the Underworld
The Underworld was deep beneath the Earth and was ruled by Hades and his wife Persephone
In the afterlife, the soul would either receive punishment or a state of bliss depending on choices made during life
At the end of this journey, they would be brought to three judges who would decide their fate:
Would they go onwards to Elysium (a comfortable place where the sun always shone), or would they be punished and sent to Tartarus?
We continued, now learning about greek traditions regarding the dead. In ancient Greece a proper burial was required, otherwise, the Greeks believed, the soul would remain trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. According to greek traditions, it was also important to remember the deceased one, to tell stories of how they lived, or the spirit of the dead one will cease to exist. The slides we read are shown below:
The Greeks held elaborate burial rituals
A proper burial was necessary, omission of burial rites was seen as an insult to human dignity
If the body was not given a proper burial according to Greek ritual, the soul would remain trapped between the worlds of the living and the underworld.
In ancient Greece the continued existence of the dead depended on their constant remembrance by the living
If one forgot to honor and remember the dead one was considered impious and, while this particular breach of social conduct was not punished as severely as Socrates' breach, it was certainly frowned upon severely.
Afterwards, we read “Land of the dead”. It is too long to transcribe, but I linked it for your reading pleasure.
In “Land of the dead” Odysseus was told by the goddess Circe to seek Tiresias, a mortal endowed with the power of prophecy, in the land of the dead. Following her advice, he ventures to the land of the dead and calls upon Tiresias’s spirit, who warns him of consequences should he not be careful on his journey.
When we finished reading we answered some questions as a team. The questions are transcribed below:
As Odysseus prepares to meet the dead he says, “Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, / vowing to slaughter my best heifer (cow) for them…” (line 555-556). What can be inferred about ancient Greek beliefs concerning death and the afterlife from these lines?
Discuss Elpenor's request to Odysseus (lines 598-608).
What details does he want Odysseus to remember about his burial?
How does this reflect the Greek ritual of death?
How does Odysseus react to seeing Elpenor (Lines 580-585)?
How does he react to Anticlea (his mother) (Lines 614-619)?
What characteristics of Odysseus do we see displayed in this scene?
Although not a god, Tiresias has been endowed with the power of prophecy. Consider the following advice Tiresias gives to Odysseus regarding the remainder of his journey home: “One narrow strait may take you through his blows: denial of yourself, restraint of your shipmates.”
What leadership advice is Tiresias giving to Odysseus?
In addition, what instructions does Tiresias give Odysseus in order to quell Poseidon’s rage?
After we answered the questions we defined Foil. “In literature, a foil is a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character. The objective is to highlight the traits of the other character. The term foil, though generally being applied to a contrasting character, may also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference between two things.
What we observe in literature very often is that a foil is a secondary character who contrasts with the major character to enhance the importance of the major character. The etymology of the term foil testifies the aforementioned assertion as the word is taken from the practice of backing gems with foil (tool), so that they shine more brightly.
“
This lesson I learned of ancient traditions, and read ancient stories, and I feel more connected to the people who came before me, then ever. I also learned what foil means in a literary context.
This lesson was also a double lesson.
Aim: How does Odysseus' strategic leadership further characterize him as an epic hero in "The Sirens" episode of Homer's Odyssey?
Do Now: WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION
How would you define the term “flattery”?
In today’s do now we defined the term flattery as “praise said in order to get into someone's good graces, not out of genuine appreciation.
On the next slide we learned about the sirens in order to give us context for “The sirens”
The sirens are seductive creatures that lure sailors to their death with their song.
Upon hearing the song, sailors are led to the Wandering Rocks where their ship crashes and sinks.
Sirens are often depicted as half-bird/half-woman (they have also been used in many modern examples as mermaid type creatures).
On the next slide, we are given a summary of what Odysseus and his men do before they face the sirens.
“Odysseus and his men return to Circe’s island where they give Elpenor proper burial rites and burn his body. Before they leave, Circe gives Odysseus some important advice for the next portion of his journey. She warns him of the sirens he will encounter. With their songs, the sirens lure sailors to their destruction at the Wandering Rocks. She tells Odysseus to put beeswax in his men’s ears so that they will not hear the song.
The Sirens sing of desire, and promise wisdom and knowledge.
Legend has it that no mortal has ever heard the song and lived to tell the tale, but if Odysseus insists on hearing the song himself, then he should have himself tied to the mast of the ship. “
After we read “The sirens”. Here, Odysseus travels to the Wandering Rocks where the sirens reside, in preparation, his men stuff their ears with beeswax so as to not hear the siren’s song. Odysseus, however, wished to hear the song himself and tied himself to the mast and ordered his men not to untie him no matter what he said.
After we read “The sirens” we were supposed to answer some questions in teams, unfortunately, the lesson ended during this time, and we were cut off. I will transcribe the questions regardless.
Why does Odysseus address his men “sore at heart”?
Why does Odysseus decide to tell his men about Circe’s forecast?
What does Odysseus reveal about his character by sharing this information with his men?
Circe insists that Odysseus “alone should listen to their song.” He directs his crew to “tie me up…lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me.” What leadership qualities does Odysseus demonstrate here?
What character traits are revealed in Odysseus’ desire to hear the Sirens’ song? “I carved a massive cake of beeswax into bits / and rolled them in my hands until they softened … Going forward / I carried the wax down the line, and laid it / thick on their ears..”
Consider this action along with their successful escape and assess the leadership qualities revealed by Odysseus.
It is unfortunate that this lesson was cut short due to a COVID altered schedule, for we didn’t have the chance to fully learn from the lesson.
No comments:
Post a Comment