Scholarship Flashcards
James Miller Odysseus
‘both the admirable hero and despicable villain’
Penelope Murray on Penelope
‘she is as much the heroine of the poem as Odysseus is its hero…’
‘the only character in the entire poem who can outwit [Odysseus] in wisdom and cunning is his wife’
Adrian Kelly on women
‘Odysseus’ girlfriends seem designed to portray a range of different female types and female styles of affection.’
Seth Schein on women
‘powerful role of Penelope and women generally.’ through reverse similes e.g. Penelope’s gladness at seeing her husband likened to the gladness of the survivors of a ship wrecked by Poseidon who have managed to swim to shore
Jasper Griffin Penelope
‘there is nothing better than a husband and wife living together in harmony’
‘the fidelity of Odysseus’ wife is crucial to the story’
Otis Wilde Nausicaa
‘the encounter with Nausicaa presents a moment of sexual fantasy’
Jasper Griffiths Arete
‘her control is benign but complete’
Norman Austin Eumaeus and Eurycleia
‘stalwart paradigms of order’
Analyst view on the Homeric question
composed by many hands and oral transmission before being written down and edited. No aesthetic unity to the poem(s)
Unitarian view on the Homeric question
one unifying figure who collected poems into their current state
Adrian Kelly gods
‘enforcers of justice’
Barbara Graziosi gods
‘undignified and even laughable gods’ especially the tale of Hephaestus and Aphrodite
Jasper Griffin gods
‘men have free will and are responsible for their actions’
Adrian Kelly Odysseus’ journey
‘a journey from isolation towards an even closer community’
Adrian Kelly Nausicaa
‘her potential to stop Odysseus’ return home with the same finality as any of his other opponents’
