1. What have you learned about Greek culture, values, and religion? Addresss the roles of women and men, honor and virtues, gods and goddesses, etc.
In Greek culture there is definitely a very strict caste system. There are the beggars, then the upper class, then the Gods. Within the upper class there are the children, then the women, then the men. Within the Gods there are those who dwell on Mount Olympus but are not truly gods, there are minor gods, there are major gods, and then there’s Zeus. This seems to be greatly exemplified in the Odyssey.
Another large part of Greek culture is the Gods. The gods rule over everything, they dictate the lives of the men. Any man who defies the gods is struck down and severely punished (such as Odysseus). As far as I can tell, the gods are just in their rulings, only getting out of line on occasion, to pursue their own interests. One thing about the Greek gods that seems to make them stick out is that they are not perfect. They bicker and argue amongst themselves, they fall in love, they become jealous, or happy, or angry. The gods of other cultures are so almighty and so distant from the activities of men that their existence is brought into question. In Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other religions God is considered this perfect divine being who is all-knowing and all-powerful. God appears as infallible and never prone to such faults as emotion. There’s such a large gap between God and the humans that a lot of people don’t believe in Him or Her. This belief that the Gods were so close to the humans and intertwined in their affairs is what I think helped the Greek culture thrive as it did.
2. What resonated with you in reading about Odysseus' adventures? Why?
My favorite parts of the Odyssey are all the encounters with the mythological creatures and the gods. I loved hearing about the Cyclops, the Scylla, the Nymphs, and the Sirens. I have always liked Greek mythology and used to read many anthologies of old Greek tales. My favorite is the one about Icarus and his father. Basically, a man and his son Icarus were imprisoned in this really high tower for some reason or another, and they had no way of escaping. So the father pretended that his son was sick, and continued asking the guards to bring in feather blankets to keep him warm. Then, he used the feathers in the blankets to fashion two sets of wings for him and his son. They were going to fly out of their window and escape the tower. So they did, and everything was going smoothly, until Icarus started to get cocky. He began flying higher and higher, wanting more. Eventually he flew so high that he was too close to the sun and the wax that held the feathers of his wings together began to melt. His wings slowly fell apart and he fell to his death.
3. This epic poem is dated nearly 3000 years ago, why is it still relevant?
The Odyssey, although thousands of years old, remains a part of our culture for numerous reasons. Although culture, technology, landscape, and knowledge are constantly changing throughout the timespan of our existence, humans will always remain primarily the same. We will all still act the same and respond the same to the same situations. While the Odyssey is an adventure story on the surface, it is primarily about people. It follows one man and watches him change over time. It is a study, almost, of the development of human beings through their lifetimes. Since human beings don’t really change, it is just as interesting and compelling in the present as it was 3000 years ago. Also, it is just intriguing to archeologists and historians alike to study and discover things about an unknown man who compiled two of the greatest stories ever told. It has always been a hobby of men to delve into their past and study what comes up.
4. How would you characterize the narrator, the fictive "Homer" whose voice we imagine as singing the verses of the Odyssey?
I always thought of Homer as an old man. He would be at that age that one would consider old, yet still in good health. He would have a long white beard dangling from his chin, and some strands of white hair would stick out of his otherwise bald head. His eyes would be bright green. He would wear a small, torn cloth wrapped around his body and would be constantly shivering. I guess he could have a cane that he would hobble around on, but when he began telling his stories he would cast it aside with a sudden flow of energy. As the old man spoke, he would make large gestures in the air to illustrate what he was talking about, and he would even acquire different voices for the different characters in the story. Homer would speak with confidence, he would let loose a loud and booming voice that would seem to resonate outward no matter where he stood. He would speak as if he were aware of his greatness, in the humblest manner, and he knew that his stories would last for thousands of years.
5. What kinds of behavior are treated as contemptible in the Odyssey?
The behaviors that are treated contemptible in the Odyssey are the same behaviors that are treated contemptible in any story or in real life. Thievery, greed, lust, ignorance, pride, and impatience are just a few. The main behavior that seems to be more magnified than the others is pride.
6. How does the poem represent mortal women? Since Penelope is the most important woman in the Odyssey, what qualities does she possess, and how does she respond to the troubles she faces? (Some of the other women are of note, too-Eurycleia is the serving woman, the faithless maidservants, Nausicaa the Phaecian princess, and Helen of Sparta,
Menelaus' queen, whose elopement with Prince Paris sparked the Trojan War.
The poem represents (mortal) women as either caring, loving, gentle creatures who care only about serving their husbands, or as impudent idiots who cause horrible things to happen. In general, it makes women seem lower than men.
7. How do Homer's gods think and behave? How do their actions and motivations differ from the conception of god in other religions of which you have knowledge? What role do the Homeric gods play in human affairs, and what is the responsibility of humans with respect to those gods?
Homers gods are much more involved with the people, and they play bigger roles in the happenings of men. They are also not perfect. They are succeptible to emotions and this causes them to not always make the best choices. Humans have less freedom as well, with the Homeric gods. With the gods meddling in their affairs, the people have less of a say as to what will happen to them. They must obey the will of the gods or they will get struck down.
