Tbe Odyssey: Book 13 Flashcards
Summary:
Alcinous is moved by odysseus’ tale and promises that each phaecian man will give him a gift so he can become wealthy and go home they then feast and his men prepare ships while Odysseus is impatient.
Alcinous’ men row him to Ithaca landing on a rocky grotto and leave him there with his treasure. Poseidon finds out and goes to Zeus as he wants him to suffer more and Zeus tells him he can take his revenge whenever he wants and Poseidon finds the phaecians returnjng ship and turns it to stone.
Athena conjures a grey mist and hides Odysseus while he sleeps when he wakes he doesn’t recognise anything and thinks the phaecians have deceived him. He finds out none of his gold is stolen and Athena disguises herself as a shepherd, Odysseus makes up a story and Athena is amused by this revealing her true self and declaring him master liar. She tells him this is Ithaca and they hide he treasure and plan revenge. Athena disguises him as an old beggar as no one would know and beggars aren’t that important.
Three functions:
- plot device: allowing for Odysseus to plot the deaths of the suitors and experience first hand what was happened in his absence allowing him to experience maximum suffering as e is destined to do before he succeeds
- psychological: audience resonance and pathos with the characters during recognition scenes
- moral: a test of the supporting characters in the poem
Disguise and recognition in the odyssey:
Used by Odysseus to test loyalties in Ithaca - those who treat him kindly have clear morals
Disguise is a test of character for those he meets those who treat him kindly as a beggar are at the pinnacle of Homeric society and demonstrate commitment to Xenia
Recognition scenes create a strong feeling of pathos which the audience can resonate with. Homer fills the second half of the poem with them - leading up the recognition of Odysseus by his closest family and thus creating a pinnacle of psychological interest for the audience
