books Flashcards
6 traits of an epic hero
-noble birth
-capable of deeds of great strength
-great warriar
-travels over vast setting
-humility
-faces or recieves help from the supernatural
why is the story told non-chronologically
shows the impact of odysseus’ absence from ithaca - reinforces impact of his return
how do the suitors abuse xenia in the beginning
-helped themselves to “the good things spread before them”
-“living free off another man”
-“eating me out of house and home”
how does telemachus show good xenia in the beginning
-feeds athene before asking for his (her) story
-gave athene the best chair and linen cloth and a stool for her feet
-“ashamed that a stranger should be kept standing at the gates”
what was the use of ring composition
allows oral poet to develop the narrative into an anecdote but still leave room to return to main story
what was ring composition used for in book 1
telemachus catches sight of athene and digresses into thoughts of his father
what was ring composition used for in book 2
athene disguised as mentor converges with telemachus about the great qualities of his father
what story does helen tell in book 4
odysseus dressing as a begger to get into trojan city unnoticed, she figured him out but bathed and clothed him and promised to keep his secret
what story does menelaus tell in book 4
odysseus and his men inside trojan horse (helen called their names mimicking their wives) odysseus kept the men in check
what do helen and menelaus’ stories in book 4 tell us about odysseus
he has metis (cunning) and good leadership skills
he is shown as a hero
what perspectives is book 4 split into and what does this accentuate
telemachus in sparta and the suitors in ithaca
- accentuates dishonesty and murderous intent of suitors
what are the first things we are told about ogygia in book 5
the sight of the fire and the scent of the place -we notice things as hermes does
how is odyseeus first presented in ogygia
unhappy -looking at the sea
numb to the greatness of the paradise
what does calypso offer odysseus
immortality and life on paradise
how is calypso shown as loving
willing to disobey zeus to give him immortality
serves him food even though he is mortal and she is a goddess
how is calypso shown as kindhearted/generous
doesnt waant him to leave but still provides him with food drink and favourable winds (for his journey) also allows him to cut down her trees to build a raft
how is calypso shown as feisty/hot tempered
gets angry at hermes and accuses gods of being jealous of her happiness
how is calypso shown as competitive
reminds odysseus that shes more beautiful and youthful than penelope
how is calypso shown as hospitable
welcomes odysseus and hermes providing xenia
what does nausicaa represent (book 6)
perfect xenia
where do we see nausicaas perfect xenia
-compromises herself by being seen with a man to help him
-helps odysseus gain favour with her parents
comparing points about nausicaa and calypso
-mortal vs imortal
-perfect xenia vs average xenia
-both help O on his journey to get home
-youthlike vs wise/old
what does odysseus note about the phaecian palace
-gold silver and bronze sculptures made by hephaestus (god of craftsman)
-courtyard is full of fruit bearing trees
-cheifs sit in fine chairs and gold statues of yiuth fill the palace wit light
how does athene help odysseus in phaecea
disguises him as they hate strangers
what is significant about arete and alcinous
she has immense power for a woman they look on her like a goddess
does odysseus tell the phaecians the truth
partially
why does odysseus start crying in book 8
they speak of him at troy (they dont know who he is)
why is odysseus saying hes hungry interesting in book 8
nausicaa just fed him
they think he could be a god so could be him showing that hes human
when telling the phaecians his story where does he start
troy
why does he start his story at troy in book 9
-exciting
-hes a hero
-shows kleos
-shows the story of his crews end
how does the destruction of the cicones demonstrate his strength as a warrior and leader
-destroyed the city with ease
-gave good orders
-blames gods for defeat (who could win against a god)
what does the encounter with lotus eaters show
-his nostos
-good leader (left no man behind)
-bad leader (sent a small group)
how is the land of cyclops described
-wild/uncivilised
(no laws, assemblies pr piety)
what is polyphemus first shown doing
guzzling undiluted wine (uncivilised savagery)
how many men die from polyphemus
2 eaten
where do we see redeaming qualities in polyphemus
cares deeply about his sheep, seems to have them as pets or companions
where do they go in book 10
from land of cyclops to Aeolus, ruler of the winds
what does aeolus give odyseeus
a bag of wind to guide them to ithaca (they see ithaca when the suitors open the bag thinking its gold inside that odysseus is hiding and blow them away back to aeolus)
who does O meet in the underworld
-his mom
-achilles
agamemnom
-ajax
who prevented odysseus’ nostos
calypso and circe (also both give him help when he does leave)
name 4 similarities between calypso and circe
-goddesses with human qualitie
-freedom mortal women dont have
-both weave and do domestic chores
how is achilles living in the underworld and what does he think about it
king of the underworld but would throw it all away to be alive
what major choice does O have to make in book 12
death for 6 (scylla) or death for all his crew (charybdis)
what could the sirens symbolise
temptation and kleos going to far
who overruled O on helios’ island
eurolochus
what is O doing while the suitors are killing helios’ cattle
praying /sleeping and blaming the gods for his nap
who informs helios of the death of his cattle
nymph informs hyperion
how does O escape charybdis the second time
hanging to a fig tree
what could the fig tree represent
wisdom and shows athene is still looking after him
where does he end up after his raft is spewed out of charybdis
ogygiah
how many days did it take him to get to ogygia
9 days clinging to timbers
what major event happens in book 14
odysseus is back in ithaca!!
what is eumaeus like
loyal to O even tho hes been gone ages
great xenia, offering what little he has to begger
what is interesting about how homer writes about eumaeus
writes as if speaking to him (doesnt do this with any other character)
what does O learn from eumaeus
the suitors are waiting for telemachus to return so they can ambush/kill him
how does eumaeus treat O
as if he owes him a favour
-either hes caught on and knows its his master or just amazing xenia
what three stories do we get in book 15
-telemachus in sparta
-odysseus disguised going into ithaca city
-eumaeus origins
what does athene tell telemachus in book 15
to go home
warns him of danger there
she says go to eumaeus’ hut
what omen does telemachus see when leaving sparta
eagle carrying a goosew
what does helen think the eagle carrying a goose mean
odysseus will come home and defeat the suitors
what bird omen do we get in book 2
birds in combat at the assembly
what are the birds in combat omen interprated as
halisthersa says it means O is coming home
what is the second eagle/goose omen we get
penelope watches an eagle consume the geese she watches everyday
what do eagles symbolise
zeus’ bird, courage and indapendance
what epithet do we get for penelope in book 15
noble mother
what is interesting about eumaeus’ backstrory
was once a prince living in a palace as companion to O’s sister
he is a slave but hes allowed his own slaves/property
where do we see the idea of food=trouble
-lotus eaters (ate lotus made them want to stay/forget about leaving)
-polyphemus ate crew
-laestrygonians prepared the crew for dinner
-helios cattle
-circes feast turns crew into pigs
where do we see the olive tree
-O falls asleep under a wild olive bush in phaecia
-Phaecians place him (asleep) under olive tree in ithaca
what do the olive tree scenes represent
athene watching over O
hwo does T react when O is revealed
hesitent- wants proof
shows he is smart
which suitor plots to killl T the most
antinuous
which suitor warns antinous not to do anything without a sign from the gods
amphinomous
who promises P that no one will hurt T
eurymachus
who recognises O by his scar
euryclea - his nurse
why is it significant Telemachus sneezes
good omen means the gods approve of him
where do we see ring composition in book 21
see the story of how O got the bow
was anyone able to string the bow before o
no
who gets the closest to stringing the bow
telemachus but odyseeus signals to him not to
who is the first suitor to die
antinous
how is antinous killed
in ignorance he doesnt know who killed him- has no opportunity to fight back or die in battle
how is the battle presented
similar to in iliad - very graphic
who shows up at the battle
athene desctibed as mentor - she then turns into a swallow to watch the battle from above
how does athene help in the battle
causes suitors spears to miss
instills panic
who does Telemachus spare in battle
phemius and medan
what happens to the serving women
led to courtyard and hung by telemachus
what happens to melenthius
dismembered
what animal is O often compared to
lion
how does penelope act when finding out o is back
hesitent wants to test him to be sure (tries to trick the trickster)
how does P trick O
says their bed has moved (it was built around a tree cant be moved) O has an outburst saying it cant possibly be moved he builts it fixed in a tree
what does the bed trick show
penelope is deserving of odysseus she is his equal
what is significant about penelope tricking o
only time a mortal has ever been able to manipulate him
