1. Assume that Ithaca had courts of law and that the suitors were hauled into court instead of slaughtered. What would the charges be? If you represented the defense, how would you argue the case? 2. As an extensive project, read another primary epic, such as The Iliad or the […]
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1. The Telemachus subplot is a traditional coming-of-age story. What standard elements does this subplot share with other coming-of-age stories? Why and in what way does the prince change? 2. Consider two of the following as symbols — Odysseus’ great bow, the shroud that Penelope weaves for Laertes, the island […]
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Achaeans here, a collective name for all Greeks, including Ithacans. Achilles famed warrior, hero of Homer’s Iliad. Ajax (4.560) the Greek warrior whose offense at Athena’s temple resulted in Odysseus’ wanderings; not to be confused with the Great Ajax, whom Odysseus defeated in the contest for Achilles’ armor. ambrosia food […]
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Here is information about some of the best and most noteworthy film adaptations of Homer’s The Odyssey: The Odyssey 1997 Director: Andrei Konchalovsky Rated: PG-13 This made-for-TV adaptation of The Odyssey features impressive special effects and occasionally includes accurate scenes, but does not provide a reliable account of the original […]
Read more Study Help Film Versions of Homer’s The OdysseyStudy Help Famous Quotes from Homer’s The Odyssey
Here are examples of some of the most famous quotes from Homer’s The Odyssey, (850 BC). These will help you gain a deeper understanding of this ancient epic poem, which is considered to be one of the very first extant works of Western literature. “Tell me, Muse, of the man […]
Read more Study Help Famous Quotes from Homer’s The OdysseyCritical Essays Literary Devices of The Odyssey
Elevated Language and Meter Composed around 700 bc, The Odyssey is one of the earliest epics still in existence and, in many ways, sets the pattern for the genre, neatly fitting the definition of a primary epic (that is, one that grows out of oral tradition). In The Odyssey, Homer […]
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Laertes’ Shroud Homer’s world in The Odyssey looms large, and it presents symbols, ranging from specific objects to geographical entities, that are large in their significance. Examples include the shroud that Penelope weaves for Laertes, the great bow of Odysseus, the sea itself, and the island of Ithaca. The shroud […]
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Hospitality The major themes in The Odyssey are especially significant because they serve to form the moral and ethical constitution of most of the characters. The reader learns about the characters through the themes. The more complicated a character is, the more he or she engages these major themes. Therefore, […]
Read more Critical Essays Major Themes in The OdysseyHomer Biography
The Homeric Question After well over 2,500 years, we still cannot say for sure who created the Odyssey, exactly how it was composed, or precisely when it was written. Even though there is little autobiographical information in the epic and not much else to go on, we can make some […]
Read more Homer BiographyCharacter Analysis Circe and Calypso
The two goddesses with whom Odysseus has extended affairs are similar in that Circe is a devastatingly beautiful goddess-enchantress and Calypso is a devastatingly beautiful goddess-nymph; but they contrast in their motives toward and treatment of Odysseus. After Odysseus (following Hermes’ advice) initially conquers Circe, she does everything she can […]
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