the odyssey

When the suitors went to sleep Telemachus and Odysseus remove the weapons as planned. Athena lights the room for them so that they can see as they work. Telemachus tells Eurycleia that they are storing the arms to keep them from being damaged. After they have safely disposed of the arms Telemachus goes to sleep and Odysseus is joined by Penelope. She has come from the women’s quarters to question him. She knows that he has claimed to have met Odysseus, and she tests his honesty by asking him to describe her husband. Odysseus describes himself, capturing each detail so perfectly that it makes her cry. He then tells the story of how he met Odysseus and eventually came to Ithaca. He tells her that he should be there within the next month or so. Penelope offers the beggar a bed to sleep in, but he is used to the floor he says and declines. Only reluctantly does he allow Eurycleia to wash his feet. As she is putting them in a basin of water, she notices a scar on one of his feet. She immediately recognizes it as the scar that Odysseus received when he went boar hunting with his grandfather Autolycus. She throws her arms around Odysseus but he silences her while Athena keeps Penelope distracted so that Odysseus’s secret will not be carried any further.

Odysseus is making a master plan so he can take control of his home. To me Penelope is getting even more anxious when she hears from the "begger" who is actully Odysseus is coming. When Eurycleia washes his feet and finds out its him to me it seems that everyone missed him not just his wife. She seems very excited and its good that she promises not to tell anyone becasue that would be very bad. It also shows that there is still trust in his house. Im just waiting for everyone thing happen and Odysseus to take over

Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut and heads to his palace where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and the nurse. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace he thinks that the suitors will steal them if they kill him. When he sits down to eat with Penelope Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta but he does not tell her that he has seen Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town in Telemachus’s footsteps. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace. The suitors give him food with great reluctance, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him. When Odysseus answers insult with insult, Antinous gives him a blow with a stool that disgusts even the other suitors. Report of this cruelty reaches Penelope, who asks to have the beggar brought to her so that she can question him about Odysseus. Odysseus, however, doesn’t want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen’s room. Eumaous leaves Telemachus and Odysseus with the suitors

To me the suitors are scared now that Odysseus is back and they are listening to him and fearing him. Antinous is the only one who isnt scared of Odysseus he actually insults him more and more. He also throws a stool at him. To me that is very disrespectful. I think he is acting like that because he knows he and the other suitors can not live off Odysseus's wealth and land anymore. I think they are going to have a epic fight between the two of them and obviously Odysseus will win.

For Monday

Theme: Working & Jobs

1. Traveling Salesman- Stuart Dybek

2. Banking Coal- Jean Toomer

3. Mowing- Robert Frost

4. Day and Night Job- Andrew Hudgins

5. Laundry- Ruth Moose

6. What work is- Phillip Levine

Odysseus finds Eumaeus outside his hut. Although Eumaeus doesn’t recognize him he invites him inside. There Odysseus has a hearty meal of pork and listens as Eumaeus praise upon the memory of his former master, whom he fears is lost for good, and scorn upon the behavior of his new masters, the vile suitors. Odysseus predicts that Eumaeus will see his master again quite soon, but Eumaeus will hear none of it. Still, Eumaeus takes a liking to his guest. He puts him up for the night and even lets him borrow a cloak to keep out the cold. When Eumaeus asks Odysseus about his origins Odysseus lies that he is from Crete. He fought with Odysseus at Troy and made it home safely. He was settled to poverty and on a trip to Egypt he heard about Odysseus and how he was still alive.

My reflection on this is that Eumaeus has no faith that Odysseus is alive even though he has heard from many people and he still does not believe it. Odysseus try's to tell him that he is still alive but he still does not believe. I do not know why he is in disguise maybe he does not want people to know until he claims his home again. Also Eumaeus is so kind to him he does not even know who he is and he takes him in and feeds to him and everything. He shows great hospitality. This has to make Odysseus feel really good. He gives him a blanket for the night so he does not get cold. Eumaeus is showing to be a great man and a kind man. He has a good heart and a good soul.

The Odyessy

Odysseus returns to Aeaea where he buries Elpenor and spends one last night with Circe. She describes the obstacles that he will face on his voyage home and tells him how to negotiate them. As he sets sail, Odysseus passes Circe’s counsel on to his men. They approach the island of the Sirens and Odysseus, as instructed by Circe, plugs his men’s ears with beeswax and has them tie him to the ship. He alone hears their song flowing forth from the island, promising to reveal the future. The Sirens’ song is so seductive that Odysseus begs to be released but his faithful men only tie him tighter. Once they have passed the Sirens’ island, Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla. Scylla is a six-headed monster who, when ships pass, swallows one sailor for each head. Charybdis is an enormous whirlpool that threatens to swallow the entire ship. As instructed by Circe Odysseus holds his course. As he and his men stare at Charybdis on the other side of the strait the heads of Scylla swoop down and gobble up six of the sailors.

I remember freshman year when we read this we debated whether Odysseus had god like characteristics and we talked about all of the obstacles he went through and if that made him god like. Then I thought he was like a god but the more im reading now I think he isn't. The only reason he is accomplishing these tasks and reaching home is because the gods are helping him and he is getting lots of help. He is told where to go, what to do, and how to do it. Pretty much he is just listening to the gods and goddesses. That is just what I think I don't know if im correct on that but from what I understand that is what I think.

The odyssey

Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. He pours something and performs sacrifices as Circe earlier instructs him to do to attract the souls of the dead. The first to appear is Elpenor, the crewman who broke his neck falling from Circe’s roof. He begs Odysseus to return to Circe’s island and give his body a proper burial. Odysseus then speaks with the Theban prophet Tiresias, who reveals that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans for blinding his son Polyphemus. He tells Odysseus his fate and that he will return home, reclaim his wife and palace from the wretched suitors, and then make another trip to a distant land to appease Poseidon. He warns Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the Sun when he reaches the land of Thrinacia; otherwise, he won’t return home without suffering much more hardship and losing all of his crew. When Tiresias departs, Odysseus calls other spirits toward him. He speaks with his mother, Anticleia, who updates him on the affairs of Ithaca and relates how she died of grief waiting for his return. He then meets the spirits of various famous men and heroes and hears the stories of their lives and deaths.


My reflection on this is that since Odysseus knows his fate now he can relax a little bit. He knows he makes it home safe and reclaims everything if he sticks to the path. He just has to follow the directions and listen to the Gods. Also i would feel a little on edge because he finds out he has another task after reclaiming what is his. I would not want to do that because after everything that has happened I would probably be afraid of losing it all all over again. I dont know what I would do in these circumstances. It would be a tough decison on my part wether to keep going after I reached home.

the odyssey

Odysseus tells the Phaeacians his story. From Troy, the winds sweep him and his men to Ismarus, city of the Cicones. The men plunder the land and, carried away by greed, stay until the reinforced ranks of the Cicones turn on them and attack. Odysseus and his crew finally escape, having lost six men per ship. A storm sent by Zeus sweeps them along for nine days before bringing them to the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the natives give some of Odysseus’s men the fruit of the lotus. As soon as they eat this fruit, they lose all thoughts of home and long for nothing more than to stay there eating more fruit. Only by dragging his men back to the ship and locking them up can Odysseus get them off the island. Odysseus and his men then sail through the y night to the land of the Cyclopes, a rough and uncivilized race of one-eyed giant. After making a meal of wild goats captured on an island offshore, they cross to the mainland. There they immediately come upon a cave full of sheep and crates of milk and cheese. The men advise Odysseus to snatch some of the food and hurry off, but, to his and his crew’s detriment, he decides to linger. The cyclops is the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. He devours two of Odysseus’s men on the spot and imprisons Odysseus and the rest in his cave for future meals.

My response to this is that while he is telling this story he is probably going through the emotions he felt in all of these encounters. Dragging his men back to the ship? That would of made me very angry tired and frustrated. All I would want to do is go home and this speed bump would frustrate me greatly. Then with the cyclops that had to be very scary. I would not know what to do but he is brave and can take care of the situation. He is not afraid and if he was it didn't show in him very well. These two encounters show home much Odysseus wants to make it home and reach home.