Structure: main plot about Odysseus, and a
sub-plot about his son Telemachus
Section 1: Telemachus (books 1-4)
Goddess Athena visits Ithaca in
disguise
suitors--arrogant, using up
Odysseus's goods
Penelope--stalling to avoid marrying
one of them
Telemachus--still a child, helpless
against suitors
Athena urges him to go search for news
of Odysseus
a growing-up process
Telemachus visits Nestor, Menelaus
and his wife Helen
Menelaus, Helen tell stories about
the Trojan War
shows us Ithaca, so we want
Odysseus to return; also shows us his past
glory
Section 2: Odysseus gets home (books
5-13)
Odysseus with Calypso for 7 years (book
5)
Odysseus at Phaeacia (books 6-13)
special place, not quite real;
Phaeacians friendly with gods
Odysseus' relationship with the princess Nausicaa
draws on a folktale
poet's tales of Trojan War
Odysseus tells stories of his wanderings, like
a poet's tales (books 9-12)
Odysseus vs. Polyphemus the
Cyclops
encounters with women,
monsters
Section 3: Odysseus in Ithaca (books
13-24)
two plots come together
Odysseus, Telemachus meet, plot to
kill suitors
Odysseus disguises himself (again) as
a beggar
performs feat of bow and axes;
kills suitors
testing by Penelope, before she
accepts that he is really Odysseus
clever,
distrustful--appropriate wife for
Odysseus!
Odysseus and Polyphemus (book 9)
a folktale with parallels in many different times and
places: over 80 versions
hero meets man-eating giant/witch with
one eye, or diseased eyes
hero in some versions claims his name is
"Nobody" or "Myself"
hero blinds giant with metal spit, or by
pretending to cure giant's eyes with boiling oil
hero escapes, often among the giant's
sheep/goats
hero's position betrayed by talking ring
but he gets away
Odyssey version adjusted to Greek legendary conventions
giant doesn't cook men, so no metal
spit, but log of green wood (which said to glow like metal when
heated)
magic avoided, so no talking ring, but
Odysseus's boasts give his position away
Cyclops a Golden Age creature (book 9,
lines 112-139), while Odysseus is Iron Age
bound to clash, and Odysseus bound to
win
hospitality ritual violated by both Odysseus and Polyphemus--how?
hospitality sequence should be:
greeting, bath, food, then set questions: who are you, where do
you come from, who are your parents, and why did you come
here?
Odysseus and women: encounters reveal his character
Athena (goddess): book 13
protects O.; admires his intelligence, trickery,
steadfastness
Circe (witch); books 10, 12
advises and assists O.; attracted to his
strength, resistance to her charms/spells
offers O. immortality; he ultimately
prefers Penelope and mortality
Calypso (goddess); book 5
Nausicaa (princess of Phaeacia); books 6-8
folktale of prince in disguise,
competing for princess; aborted because O. HAS a wife; O. shows
a kind and gentle side with her
Penelope (wife); book 19, 23
folktale of suitor in disguise played
out with rightful heroine
perfect wife for O.: intelligent,
steadfast, resistant to 'charms' of others
