A. What is an epic? B. The epic tradition C. The Dates BCE -- The war – 850 BCE--Homer

D. The Homer Question 1. The Unitarians 2. The Separatists

A. Telemachia The Crisis (Penelope’s dilemna, Tel.’s status limbo, the sacrilige against the home [the Suitors] B. The Journey C. Homecoming

A. Odysseus B. Telemachus C. Penelope

D. The Friends 1. King Alcinous 2. The Swineherd 3. The cowherd 4. The Nurse (Eurycleia)

E. The Enemies 1. Antinous 2. The goatherd 3. The Suitors 4. Poseidon

F. The “Adventure Characters” 1. The Lotus Eaters 2. The Lestygonians 3. Cyclops 4. Circe

F. The “Adventure Characters” (con’t) 5. Hades – Tiereseus -- Mother -- Iliad comrades – Achiles, Agammemnon --trip to the dead and return alive – rebirth of the soul— *warrior Odysseus  Ithica Odysseus *trip to the land of the dead is a trip to the Non- material universe to obtain some wisdom or understanding that can’t be learned here; it must be gained by sacrifice (blood)

6. Calypso 7. Nausicaa 8. the Sirens 9. Circe

10. The Feminist perspective a. Circe and Calypso are almost inversions of each other 1. Circe begins as destructive (pigs) but ends with being very helpful 2. Calypso begins with being very helpful (saves O.’s life) but then imprisons him – the prison pleasure b. The Double standard 1. Odyssey – male point of view 2. Patriarchal society (need to be sure of legitimacy of children (esp. sons)—wife must be faithful; male adultery (not with married women) will not harm the social framework

Book 13: Ithica at Last 1. The beginning of a “new odyssey” – pace slows 2. Chronology is straight forward 3. New kind of danger – no monsters; all human 4. Odysseus must stay crafty no emotion 5. Odysseus arrives asleep a. sets the tone—meloncholy he does not see his homecoming b. psychological journey – he awakens (like Dorothy Alice) from his adventures (in the mind?)

Book 14: The Loyal Swineherd 1. Eumaeus – born a king’s son (the hidden Prince) -- Xenia – king goes to a king’s house 2. Odysseus long deception -he must still be cautious

Book 15: The Prince Sails for Home 1. Athena goes to Sparta—Telemachus heads home 2. eagle and goose vision (line 180) --Helen’s prophecy 3. “There was a man, or was he all a dream (line 298) 4. Theoclymenus (the runaway) (285—335) Eumaeus’ royalty Hawk and dove (590) – compare to episode on Sparta (with Helen) – --other bird imagery (Bk.2, p.98; Bk.19,l407)

Book 16: Father and Son 1. dramatic irony 2. Eumaeus = spiritual father 3. Odysseus must stay in disguise 4. Odysseus sees Telemachus’ good manners, good heart 5. Telemachus does not believe the truth 6. Telmechus’ awe 7. Perhaps most powerful scene—archetypal symbol of father- son reunion; atonement; what it means 8. simile of father and son weeping

Book 17: Stranger at the Gates 1. Telemachus meets Penelope – he takes charge 2. Pireaeus (friend from Sparta) 3. Telemachus tells Penelope of what he’s heard 4. Melanthios – the evil goatherd a. Taunts Odysseus (as the beggar), kicks him, says he’s glad that Odysseus is dead; Odysseus must stay cool 5. Argos – at the threshold; he dies when Odysseus walks across; he is neglected, life sucked out by ticks (like Odysseus’ Ithica by the Suitors)

Book 18: The Beggar King of Ithica 1. Arnaeus (the mean beggar) 2. the fight 3. warning Amphinoinus 4. Penelope shows herself – gifts 5. Melantho, the insulting hand-maiden 6. Banter with Eurymachus (the suitor)

Book 19: Penelope and Her Guest 1. Penelope entertains the beggar 2. Dramatic Irony 3. The Penelope question— what did she know when did she know it? 4. Eurocleia and the washing of the feet --the scar (recognition point) --Odysseus’ name (Pain man) –importance of relation between a person’s name and identity (Crucible, Spirited Away, Odysseus, Alice)

Book 20: Portents Gather 1. Odysseus finds two allies (Eumaeus (swindherd) and Philoetius -the cowherd) (p.416) 2. Stringing of the bow (“as the bard strings a lyre”)

Book 21 – Odysseus strings his Bow—the Revelation

Books 22—24: Revenge and Reunion A. The Killing of the Cowherd B. The Killing of the Unfaithful Servant Girls C. The Reunion with Penelope D. The Reunion with Laertes E. The Dead in Hades F. Peace in the Kingdom

A. The Psychological Level 1. The Journey a. Going “home” (what does home mean) b. The psychological journey c. Aimless wandering

B. The Social Level 1. The Moral Theme (Who’s good, who’s bad, and what makes them so?) 2. The role of women

3. The Use of Power 4. Intelligence, craftiness and wisdom (Athena)

C. The Universal / Archetypal Level 1. The Role of the gods 2. The Hero = each of us

1. The major symbols (see symbolism chart) 1. Homer’s language a. Dactylic hexameter b. formulas c. Type scenes d. Grandeur and magesty

A. Why has The Odyssey lasted? What makes it great? B. The Big Why