Flashcards
Odyssey Themes and Examples
Cards in this deck (49)
- 1Pathos - AnticleiaOdysseus reaches for his mother Anticleia three times
- 2Pathos - CalypsoOdysseus rejects her despite all she offers him (herself in marriage, immortality)
- 3Pathos - PenelopeNever free from tears even after 20 years
Athene has to allow her to sleep
Everyone around her is against her - even her own maids report to the suitors about her scheming with the shroud - 4Pathos - EumaeusConstantly misses his master
Weeps for Telemachus
Never fails in loyalty to Odysseus (when Odysseus tests him) unlike Melanthius and the maids (who all receive punishment) - 5Pathos - TelemachusLives without a father
Has to try and deal with the corruption in his home
Tries to become the man of the house but fails (the suitors laugh at him)
Even when Odysseus returns he cannot live up to him - 6Father/Son Book of the DeadAgamemnon: his wife Clytemnestra did not allow him to see Orestes.
Achilles: Odysseus explains that Neoptolemus asked to jump out of the horse first - he showed no signs of fear or weep like the other men. Achilles is fulfilled by this and walks away happy - 7Father/Son Telemachus and OdysseusWhen Telemachus and Odysseus meet there is weeping and kissing
- 8Father/Son Telemachus and EumaeusEumaeus was like a surrogate father to Telemachus (like Odysseus was to Eumaeus)
When Telemachus returned from his journey Eumaeus greeted him in a similar way to how Odysseus greeted him - 9Women's faults - PenelopeOdysseus fears she will be unfaithful
Agamemnon's story in Book 1 highlights that it is a possibility for a man returning for Troy - Penelope marrying a suitor and Telemachus becoming like Orestes - 10Women's faults - CirceTurns Odysseus' men into pigs
Deceitful
Related to Medea (Circe is Aeetes' sister)
Is beaten through male domination (phallic sword imagery) - 11Women's faults - CalypsoKeeps Odysseus trapped for 7 years
He keeps crying
He does not want to be there - 12Women's faults - SirensDestroy sailors by luring them onto the rocks
Another of Odysseus' trials - 13Women's faults - AgamemnonSays women are not to be trusted
Says that Penelope is the perfect wife - 14TemptationNausicaa
Hyperion's cattle
Lotus Fruit
Od. told Poly. his identity
Sirens (even Odysseus' plan)
Calypso - 15Justice - HyperionOdysseus' men are punished by Zeus (the god of justice) for eating the sun god's cattle
- 16Justice - PolyphemusPolyphemus curses Odysseus for blinding him. This prolongs his journey. Athene must eventually work around Poseidon for gods can't interfere.
- 17Justice - PhaeaciansWhen they were returning to Phaeacia from dropping Odysseus home Poseidon punished them by turning the ship to stone. They attempt to pray and sacrifice to him in order to prevent him from putting mountains around the city
- 18Justice - SuitorsThe suitors are punished for trying to court Penelope, attempting to kill Telemachus and eating their livelihood. They were warned - birds in the sky
- 19Justice - EumaeusTalks of the justice that Odysseus would bring when he came home
- 20Justice - HadesTityus' liver is eaten vultures (tried to rape Leto)
Tantalus is hungry and thirsty (tried to feed his son to the gods)
Sisyphus is made to push a rock up a hill (for tricking the gods) - 21Disguise - AtheneMentes to persuade Tele. to leave
Young girl that guides Od. to Phaeacian palace
Mentor in the Battle in the Hall
Nausicaa' friend in dream
Person at the P. Games
Sexy shepherd boy - 22Disguise - Odysseus to the SuitorsAppears as a beggar man. They think very little of him - makes his feat when he beats the other beggar Irus (Athene made him extra strong) extra cool
- 23Disguise - HermesAs a young man when he gives Odysseus the holy moly
- 24Disguise - Odysseus to Polyphemus'Nobody'
but later reveals his identity because he's a massive twat (kleos) - 25Discovery of Odysseus' identityEurycleia discovers the scar when feeling his leg
Penelope tests Odysseus with the tree bed - 26Brains over brawn (Odysseus and Polyphemus)Cyclopses don't build ships or make use of the fertile land, very unlike the Greeks
Odysseus came by ship and forces Xenia on an infidel which Poly. rebukes
Odysseus escapes through cunning (Nobody - Outis/Cunning - Metis)
However both are compared to lions - 27Brains over brawn (Odysseus and the Suitors)The suitors beat the beggar (Antinous gives Odysseus a blow with a stool) despite being told by the gods they will be punished
Odysseus beats them through cunning - 28Odysseus' FateTeiresias tells him that he and his men (w/ a little suffering) will reach Ithaca if they do not eat the cows. Otherwise the ship and men will be destroyed and he will return home late, wretched and in a foreign ship. After killing the suitors, take an oar inland until someone thinks it's a 'winnowing-fan'
- 29Free willFate will come true but choices exist - the suitor chose to eat Hyperion's cows and therefore were destroyed by Zeus' thunderbolt
- 30Fate - SuitorsTwo eagles fight each other - Halitherses, a prophet, interprets the omen to mean death for the suitors. Eurymachus mocks the prophecy. They are destined to die.
- 31Xenia - TelemachusGreat!
When Mentes comes (Artemis) he gives him food before asking any questions and then offers him a bath - 32Xenia - EumaeusGreat!
Gives Odysseus (the beggar) shelter, food, a bed, his cloak... - 33Xenia - The PhaeaciansGreat!
Except Alcinous has to be interrupted when he tried to ask Odysseus questions - 34Xenia - CirceBad!
Turns Odysseus' men into pigs
Good!
Gives them hospitality for a year (including a party at the end woo!) - 35Xenia - CalypsoBad!
She may give Odysseus everything he needs but he is held hostage.
When Hermes comes she asks him questions before giving him nectar. He politely ignores them. - 36Xenia - PolyphemusBad!
Odysseus and his men take cheese and milk because they assume it is their right to take. When Poly. gets annoyed he says that he doesn't care about the wrath of Zeus. He also kills 6 of Odysseus' men. - 37Xenia - LaestrygoniansBad!
They eat 11 ships worth of Odysseus' men and throw stones at the ships - 38Xenia - Odysseus' men on the sun-gods' isleOdysseus' men abuse xenia by eating the cows
- 39Xenia - AeolusGreat!
Allows them to stay for a month and gives them a bag of all winds but the west wind to get them home. - 40Xenia - SuitorsAbuse xenia by eating Odysseus' livelihood, even after the omen and Telemachus asking them to leave and courting his wife
- 41SeductressesCirce
Calypso
Penelope
Nausicaa - 42VengenceOdysseus on the suitors
Polyphemus on Odysseus
Hyperion on Odysseus' men
Eumaeus on the suitors
Odysseus on the maids (despite innocence- 'doves')
Tele., Od., Eu., and Philoetius on Melanthius - 43Loyalty/DisloyaltyL: Penelope, Eumaeus, Eurycleia, Philoetius
DL: Melanthius, maids, Odysseus' men - 44Spiritual Growth - TelemachusAthene makes him seek to become a man
He tells the suitors to leave, calls together the leaders of Ithaca and he journeys to Pylos and Sparta. He is given hope of his father's return. When Od. returns he nearly strings the bow (3 attempts) - 45Spiritual Growth - OdysseusOdysseus revealing his identity (due to kleos) to Polyphemus resulted in his men's deaths.
He learns not to reveal his identity to the suitors even when they tormented him, until it was safe to do so. - 46PietySacrificing, feasting, banqueting, burying friends properly, never challenge/insult the gods
- 47StorytellingHomer evokes history of Odyssey through stories his characters tell. Menelaus/Nestor/Helen/Phemius/Demodocus/Agamemnon tells stories of his murder elevates the odyssey by reminding its reader the epic’s rich, mythic tradition
- 48FoodSuitors killed at dinner
Poly. eats people not sheep
Scylla eats 6 men
Laestrygonians
Shows absence of civility - 49The wedding bedSymbolises the constancy of the marriage
Only one maid has seen the bed
First night after 20 years
Penelope's trick
Immovability of the bed - metaphor for the unshakable foundation of their relationship
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- Flashcards on Odyssey Themes and Examples, created by emma_royal on 26/05/2015.
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