1. World Literature Odyssey Book 11
Friday, November 4, 2011

2. Warm up
No written warm-up today.
Review your section of book 11

3. Today’s Learning Targets
Close reading and interpretation of text

4. Today’s activities No warm-up Review your section of book 11
Small group sharing on book 11-take notes
Book 12
Exit ticket

5. Review-Initiation and Transformation
The Challenges and Trials
progressing in difficulty
Tempters/tricksters make things tough
Descent in to darkness
Revelation

6. Example of close reading of text lines 91-107 (page 187)
So we conversed, and grimly, at a distance, with my long sword between, guarding the blood, while the faint image of the lad spoke on. Now came the soul of Antikleia, dead, my mother, daughter of Autolykos, dead now, though living still when I took ship for holy Troy. Seeing this ghost I grieved, but held her off, through pang on pang of tears, till I should know the presence of Teiresias. Soon, from the dark that prince of Thebes came forward Bearing a golden staff; and he addressed me: ‘Son of Laertes and the gods of old, Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways, why leave the blazing sun, O man of woe, To see the cold dead and the joyless region? Stand clear, put up your sword; let me but taste the blood, I shall speak true.’

7. Practice this close reading
Reread your assigned section of the text
Paraphrase your section rather than just summarize
Write down key lines/line numbers

8. Book 11-Small group reading Book 11 starts on page 185
Reading sections
Questions
Elpenor (lines 54-90)
Antikleia, Odysseus’s mother (lines )
Teiresias (lines )
Agamemnon (lines )
Achilles/Akhilleus (lines )
With whom is Odysseus speaking in this section and why is this person important to him?
Paraphrase what happens in this section and what they tell Odysseus. Include the following:
How did they die? Write down key line numbers.
Explain what important information (directions or warnings) Odysseus gains from this interaction. Write down key line numbers.

9. Small Group Task Make the grid below.
Share out information and read the key lines which show this information to your group
Take notes as others share their information
The dead
How they died?
Cite lines that tell this
What key information do they give Odysseus?
Elpenor, crewman
(lines 54-90)
Antikleia, Odysseus’s mother (lines )
Teiresias
(lines )
Agamemnon
(lines )
Achilles/Akhilleus (lines )

10. Key lines
Line 26…”With my drawn blade…” to line 227 “took my own life away.” This section sets up Odysseus entrance into Hades (an important part of the hero’s journey). He meets the prophet, gets a warning of things to come, and gets news from home from his dead mother.
Theme: hospitality and warning/hubris
Lines Don’t eat the cows of Helios. (They will of course. This also sets up Odysseus to continue his journey alone)
Line 449 “After Persephone” to 535 “day of faithful wives is gone forever.” Odysseus meets Agamemnon, a general from the Trojan War, who was killed by his wife’s lover upon his return home. This sets up a comparison between Odysseus’ faithful wife and Agamemnon’s treacherous wife.
Line 561 “I answered:” to line 580 “than lord it over all the exhausted dead” Odysseus meets Achilles and praises him for the high position he holds in Hades. Achilles disagrees; it is better to be poor and alive than honored and dead. This highlights the anti-war theme of the poem.

11. Book 12 (read all: Pages 209-225)
Questions to answer in writing
Questions for discussion
Why does Odysseus return to Kirke’s island?
What warnings/instructions does Kirke give him? There are plenty and all very important. (pages )
How are the dangers of the Seirenes (sirens) like that of the Lotus Eaters?
How are they different?
Why does Odysseus tell his men about the threat of the seirenes but not about Skylla?
Is he right to keep his decision to sail toward Skylla a secret from his men? Why or why not?
What do the Seirenes (Sirens) promise Odysseus in their song?
What would they promise you?
Is Odysseus a good leader? Why or why not?
Does he make the right choice between Skylla and Kharybdis? Why or why not?

12. In your groups: Create a chart of Odysseus
Describe the Trial/challenge/ obstacle
How does Odysseus respond? (include line numbers)
What does this tell us about Odysseus? (analysis)
Seirenes
Scylla and Kharybdis
Eurylochus and the island of Helios
Zeus’ Storm

13. Book 11-Exit ticket
What stage of the hero’s quest does Book 11 represent? How does it represent this phase?
What character traits does Odysseus display in this part that he did not reveal in his adventures with the Cyclops? How do these traits show through? Include specific lines.