Greeks are gross. Alcinous and Arete are related--uncle and niece (7.61-81). I'm pretty sure this happened in the Bible, which is also gross. I'm glad this sort of incest has been stopped, except maybe in West Virginia or something.
It seems like Phaeacia is Atlantis.
Perhaps Arete is the merciful one here, but it seems as though Odysseus should approach the king, as opposed to his wife, when he asks for help (7.167-181). It reminds me of a small child asking his mother for something after his father said no, only minus the father part.
Possibly the best quote in the entire book is found in 7.250: "But despite my misery, let me finish dinner."
The order of this story was really confusing. I think I've figured it out now, but I was expecting a chronological story. My notes, although I've discovered more since then, say, "I thought Calypso and the Phaeacians were the second part, and actually I'm pretty sure they are, because the INTRODUCTION gave it all away. So I'm excited for the literary devices that will turn this story AROUND." Yeah literary devices.
Queen Arete is really keen, in the observant sense: likes 7.269-271 describe how she recognizes the clothes on Odysseus' body, and know that they belong to her household. If that isn't a motherlike tendency, I don't know what is. Alcinous is rather kind, too, and they sound like a decent family (remember, I like Nausicaa, too), as long as you don't think about the incest.
Why would Odysseus ask the queen and not the king? perhaps because she was more in-charge than the king himself? or perhaps because she was more likely to give him what he wanted... he was appealing from a weak position, and wanting mercy.
ReplyDeleteincest is gross.
but the king would have given him that, too. the queen just recognized her own laundry.
ReplyDeletei know.