Paper Assignment #1

Write a formal paper of no less than five (5) and no more than ten (10) pages. Do not pad it with extra fluff writing at the end to get it to the right length: have at least five pages of actual thoughts/proof. I will be able to tell. It must be double spaced, 1 inch margins on every side, and 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Use book/line numbers as you have been for in-line citations. Include pertinent bibliographic data as an extra page at the end (and no, it doesn't count as its own page. it's EXTRA). I'm not picky about the format for a bibliography. 

  In the first half of this paper you will articulate the ancient greek idea of virtue ("what does it mean to be a good human being"), citing examples from the text of the Odyssey generously to demonstrate their understanding of virtue and human nature. Use clues from what you've learned of their world (anthropology, gods, host/guest, bloody battles, to name a few...) to argue for why their understanding of virtue might be true. This part could be five pages all by itself.

 In the second half of your paper, you will interact with the elements you've outlined above, evaluating what you think of that idea. Use whatever sources you want to argue for or against various elements of their philosophy. Come to a conclusion about what good can be gained from reading this book, and why it's worth reading today.

Your rough draft is due before Christmas Day. Send me drafts anytime if you want my thoughts/edits/comments/etc. The final draft is due before the end of the year. I highly suggest outlining the paper first, as it will prevent you from rambling. 

-Keaton
        <><

Peace

Open in the underworld. Everyone is boasting about how they died, and then the suitors arrive and bemoan their whole suitor story. Everyone else just laughs. "Happy Odysseus!" they cry (130-225). Sorry, Antinous. You're still a jerk. This is hilarious.

"He wore a goatskin skullcap to cultivate his misery that much more" (250-256). Poor Laertes--that would make me miserable, too. Once again (although I'm sure you'll explain it), I don't understand why he tests Laertes--everyone else knows it's him, and it wouldn't stay a secret for very long. Anyway, Odysseus makes him feel like crap by telling him he looks like a slave, and he starts to cry, and then all three generations are reunited and it's wonderful (277-284).

Good language: "rumor the herald" (457). I suppose rumors are rather like that.

457-520: Everyone wants to kill Odysseus. 520-602: They change their minds. Then Athena grants them peace and it's over! It's pretty brilliant.

In answer to your previous questions, you probably wanted me to read this book because it's full of human nature, and the consistency of it, and really epic stuff and good and bad things. You're all about good and bad and justice and whatnot, and you wanted me to figure out what was good and what was bad and what was justice. A poem becomes epic when it is focused on a hero, is majestic, heroic, and of unusually great size (so says dictionary.com). I suppose a connotation would be that it has all of that stuff I've mentioned previously, and people really like it. I haven't heard of epics, really, other than Homer and like two other Greek things.

You also asked what I thought of Telemachus and his situation--I don't understand what you mean anymore. I don't remember what was even happening. SORRS.

The Great Rooted Bed

(I almost wrote 'The Great Rooted Bread." Mycelium.)

Excepting the certain circumstances, tricking someone who says they're your husband would have been a good idea. BUT PENELOPE. REALLY. WHAT IS THIS. I suppose the secret signs is a good verification system, though. An immovable bed (197-230). Cute. Anyway, then they do it, but they also talk for a really long time, which I also think is cute. At least they really like each other, and Odysseus doesn't go off and cry, like he did when he was with Circe. or Calypso. or both. Yeah being married.

Slaughter in the Hall

Although despite Odysseus revealing himself, at the dawn of book twenty-two, the suitors are suddenly very calm and collected. Then they are dead. Well, some of them--the others ask Odysseus for mercy, and they offer tribute and sacrifices. He kills them anyway--I don't know exactly how righteous anger works, but I don't know if I agree with this situation. I can't entirely figure it out. They were jerks. Now he's killing them. They don't exactly apologize, but they want to keep living... so they try to appease him. WHAT is the right thing to do here?

Then Athena tells Odysseus to man up (234-243).

"The attackers struck like eagles" (316). The fulfillment of the eagling. FINALLY.

Leodes, the nice one, dies anyway (324-341). He's not a boor, so I didn't quite understand it--until I remembered that he's a suitor, courting Penelope. Who is Odysseus' wife. Sooo he's not the happiest guy right now. It's too bad, though, that Nice Leodes dies. (I remember Knox mentioning it in the introduction.) But the steward and the bard live--they're only servants, forced into doing the suitors' bidding (345-401). I guess that makes sense, but it's sort of obnoxious, because Leodes was nice.

Then Odysseus says he needs his nurse (416-417), which is funny. Once all the suitors are dead, Odysseus rounds up the wenches, makes them clean up his bloody mess, and hangs them in the yard. It's brutal. I suppose it's Greek. Then he destroys Melanthius, and that is savage (471-504). "Manic fury" =/= righteous anger. Just because you're going to kill someone doesn't mean you have to merciless rip them apart.

Odysseus Strings His Bow

Oh, it never fails. Antinous pretends he doesn't want the bow--he doesn't want to shoot it, or win it, or anything (103-111). He does. It sounds like something that would happen today. I GUESS PEOPLE DON'T CHANGE. Wow. Homer is really making a statement right now. Well, I am. But Homer wrote this like a kajillion years ago, and a kajillion years later, people still do the same things. Jerks are jerks. Wives cry when their husbands go to war. Servants are loyal or disloyal ("No you're not. You're disloyal."). People are the same. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I wonder why that is.

130-150: Poor Telemachus needs to work out more. Odysseus is just a beast, I guess.

163-167: To be noted later--Leodes loathes the suitors' ways.

Odysseus tells the swineherd and the cowherd that he's, you know, him, and they believe him and are super excited and still loyal. Why, then, did he not tell them earlier? It's the same with Penelope. Telemachus believed him. Why does he still tell stories to everyone?

Here's what's rather unnerving: the swineherd tells Eurycleia to stay away, especially if she or the other maids hear men moaning and groaning and screaming (425-431). UM.

Then, in lines 451-484, Odysseus reveals his amazing strength and identity and anger and whatnot, and it seems to build in anticipation of his wrath. IT IS EXCITING.

Portents Gather

portent (noun): a) an indication or omen of something about to happen, especially something momentous b) threatening or disquieting significance c)a prodigy or marvel

portent: Athena promises to help Odysseus get rid of the suitors (50-58).

portent: Zeus thunders at Odysseus' prayers, as well as the spinning girl's.

portent: The cowherd greets Odysseus and says how like Odysseus he is. He and the swineherd pray to Zeus about it.

portent: All the suitors and the serving girls arrive.

portent: A suitor throws a hoof at Odysseus (330-341). I don't know entirely what that's about, but it probably made Odysseus rather furious.

portent: Telemachus threatens the suitors (341-381).

portent: The seer Theoclymenus predicts the suitors' death (382-414).

THIS IS GREAT DRAMATIC BUILD-UP. I really felt rather anxious.

Penelope and Her Guest

"Get a grip on yourself" (19.44).

99-101: Penelope and Odysseus are on the same page, at least, even if they don't realize it. I guess that's a good relationship. CONNECTED even when they are APART. WOW. They are both pretty sneaky, which is interesting, because I suppose that must make them like each other. Except I bet their dating situation was rough. I wonder how Telemachus ended up so clear-minded--Homer describes him as such, but he comes from such tricksy hobbitsy stock... It's rather curious.

Why doesn't Odysseus just tell Penelope while they speak? Maybe he didn't want it to let slip to the suitors, but Telemachus can keep the secret. She wouldn't have told anyone either, probably, and then she wouldn't have been so sad for so much longer... they could have had their 'secret sign' conversation a few books early.

386: "They're not my style."

Odysseus also keeps predicting his own return, as do the eagles, and all sorts of prophets and whatnot. It's rather distressing that he's been gone for so long, and so no one takes him seriously. Except beautiful Eurycleia (430-538)! She sees that little scar and is so super excited about Odysseus. That's brilliant. I suppose Telemachus believed him, too. Anyway, then Eurycleia says she'll tattle on all the wenches (561)... and I began to wonder if that was okay. Everyone says tattling is lame, but telling people when someone has done wrong, so then justice is SERVED like so many tennis balls, is probably a good thing. I suppose it just seemed weird when I first read it.

602-629: geese + eagling = Odysseus. also... the future here is pretty obvious. thanks for playing, suitors.

Then lines 644-661 talk about Penelope's axe contest, which I remember vividly from Wishbone.

The Beggar-King of Ithaca

They ask Irus, Old Beggar, to kill Odysseus, New Beggar. It's like a cock fight, but then Dwayne shows up again and reveals his "rippling thighs" (76-81). Like Brennick. Then he wins. WHICH SHOULD PROBABLY TIP OFF THE SUITORS. Buuut they're pretty stupid. Which, by the way, is supported by the fact that they didn't realize, for three years, that Penelope was tricking them by unraveling Laertes' shroud. Duh.

This girl from my work, when she saw what I was reading, agrees that Fagles' translation is really funny. It's so... frank. Like lines 18.100-101. Cripes. And suddenly! There is foul language! and wenches (362-381)! And baldness (400-403)!

Also, more thrown stools (444). What is that? Is that a common mode of defense? Of releasing anger?

(I read through this stuff pretty quickly... so I don't have much to say, because I had to go through it again to write down some stuff. Sorry.)

Stranger at the Gates

I began to get rather into the story, and I didn't take notes so I could plow through a handful of the books, so sorry that my thoughts are... scattered and without purpose.

Telemachus has some tight friends who promise to keep his treasure for themselves if he gets offed. Knowing that the other option would be distributing it amongst the suitors, this is a pretty strong gesture of friendship. My thoughts then moved on to the fact that Greeks don't get an income just for being Greeks, and this must be why Odysseus was plundering all the time, and part of why people give guest gifts, and why everyone is handing out treasure... what goes around comes around. And foreign kings gave both Odysseus and Telemachus a boatload of golden goods, so now the whole family is super rich. Excellent.

Theoclymenus is the seer that Telemachus picked up, and now I understand why--they are more birds hanging around, and he translates this for Penelope or Telemachus or whoever is asking. No one believes him, but hey, Homer gave him a purpose in life.

17.185: Homer describes the suitors as being "full of swagger." 2011, you're not cool.

As Eumaeus and Odysseus walk to his mansion, one of the jerk suitors starts to beat up on Odysseus. Thankfully, he is built like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and cannot be moved (17.255-256).

Enter Argos, the loyal dog (17.317-360). Odysseus cries. Exit Argos, the loyal dog.

In lines 381, 385, and 646, three different characters tell Odysseus that "Bashfulness, for a man in need, is no great friend." Thinking today of people who stand in the Dunkin' Donuts' parking lot and ask you for $2, I get kind of freaked out, so speaking only about beggars in ancient Greece, I guess this makes total sense. Even strangers were almost like beggars--the whole Zeus thing meant that they should be welcomed, but really, they want a place to stay and food to eat. So bashfulness would not be good in that situation.

Due to lines 602-612, I laughed out loud. Telemachus sneezes, and it marks Penelope's words as true. GREEKS, I TELL YOU.

Antinous is jerk pretty much all the time, and he throws a stool at Odysseus (508-512). Who does that, really? But thankfully, Homer agrees with me in his description of Odysseus as "steady as a rock" (17.512). His amazing foresight meant that he wanted Dwayne to play Odysseus in a potential movie. He even has a sacrificial bull tattooed on his bicep.

Father and Son

It's rather distressing when Eumaeus greets Telemachus like a son upon his arrival, when his real father (Odysseus) is sitting feet away and is IGNORED. and he can't even say hello without sounding terribly awkward. I also find it interesting that he doesn't tear up at this moment, although later, when he glimpses his loyal dog Argos, he has to look away for the tears in his eyes.

BUT IT'S OKAY. Because moments later, Athena transforms Odysseus and reveals him to Telemachus, and they are geeking out and crying and saying, "No, YOU'RE a god!" and "No, I'm not!" It's a pretty dramatic and touching moment, and I'm glad Telemachus believes him, because I already know (thanks, introduction) that Penelope doesn't believe him at first. Anyway, Odysseus the Liar tells Telemachus to keep his secret, which doesn't make sense to me, because they're both extremely BA. otherwise known as BASICALLY ARETE or something. (how do you pronounce Arete?)

The suitors are all murdery and deceitful, and it's terrible, and I hoped that Telemachus wouldn't die, or else the whole story would be ruined. Thankfully, Bernard Knox ruined it for me, and I didn't get terribly anxious. However, in 436-449, Amphinomus is like, "Alright, yo, check it. Dark. Smoke. Let's not kill Telemachus." I appreciate that, and I'm sure Telemachus does, too.

The Prince Sets Sail for Home

Athena tells Telemachus about the ambush, which is helpful. Apparently she can do this because Poseidon doesn't hate him, only Odysseus.

Menelaus seems to be that really friendly kind of host that doesn't insist that you stay even though he IS insisting that you stay... (15.73-94). Later, his son assists Telemachus in escaping from Menelaus' hospitality, which is pretty humorous. It wasn't mean, but it was sort of like, "I need to go home now... help me out here, Bob." Although guest gifts are nice. Telemachus is now loaded.

EAGLING AGAIN (179-183). Helen interprets, which is handy, because it is only minutes before a prophet/murderer comes along and hitches a ride with Telemachus. Strange, and at the time, I was wondering what Homer was even doing with his life. It makes sense later.

In contrast with his cunning and lying and crafty father, Telemachus is extremely honest and clear-minded, and I like it. I rather prefer it.

Brief interlude to reminisce on Odysseus' family: Laertes is depressed, and Eumaeus grew up with Odysseus' mother and sister! Wow! people have families! I just learned that Stalin had a daughter. Strange stuff.

15.443: "Even too much sleep can be a bore."

Eumaeus, the loyal swineherd, was kidnapped. His life sucks. JOIN THE ODYSSEUS CLUB. But really, at first, all I was doing was picking on Homer and this translation and weird Greek customs, but now I'm pretty into the story and feeling pretty terrible for Eumaeus, who was taken from his lovely rich family by a band of pirates and wenches, and then enslaved by his master who then leaves for 20 years. This. is. dramatic. The literature gets rather advanced, too, as Homer switches between father and son... it's like a movie, or a TV show, where the book/chapter ends right as Telemachus reaches Eumaeus' house, where Odysseus waits...

588-592: Birds again.

The Loyal Swineherd

... which makes me think of The Sound of Music.

Basically, Odysseus lies to his most faithful servant, and everyone from the swineherd to the swine to me believes it. It's full of exile and death, which is true to his real life, but full of falsehoods and fallacies that made me go, "wow, bummer," even though I KNEW IT WASN'T REAL. ODYSSEUS. CRIPES.

I know lying saved him from the Cyclops, and some other stuff, but I don't see why that's something to be lauded otherwise.

Eumaeus, the swineherd, is narrated in the second person. Homer probably sang about him like this so that it would work metrically--it happens more than once, so it must be one of the lines he reused frequently to fit in--but it's irregular and interesting. It's the only place in the entire book (that I've noticed, and that wasn't while someone was speaking) where the second person is used. As an example, 14. 502: You replied in kind, Eumaeus...

Anyway, then Odysseus tells a long lie just for a cloak. Eumaeus is pretty boss and probably would have just given it to him if he had asked. Again, I don't understand why that's necessary.

14.477: porker