4th+Hour+Blog

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 * __The Odyssey Blog__ **

**Thursday October 29th:**

Week One Questions


 * What first impression does this book give us of the gods? How much of a role do they play in human affairs? What seems to motivate their actions?


 * How, according to Antinous, do the suitors view Penelope's reluctance? Why do they think they are jusitified in behaving as they do?


 * How might Menelaus' story about the Old Man of the Sea, Proteus, be instructive to Telemachus in his quest to find his father? Why, for that matter, would Menelaus' response to the knowledge Proteus gives him be instructive for Odysseus?

Andrew and Nick Z:

Janelle and Oscar:

Nick M and Kayla: 1. The gods are easily angered. The gods are responsible for about half of events in greek mythology. Their feelings about a situation motivates teh actions made. 2.Antinous feels that Penelpe's reluctance is artful because of the tricks she plays. They are justifying their evil by saying that they mistreated her and not the other way around. 3. In Menelaus' story he tells of a third surviving man named Odysseus who is trapped on an island. This directly helps Telemachus because now he knows where his father is. In the story Menelaus imediately follows Proteus' directions and is eventually given passage home. This would teach Odysseus that he should follow the god's directions if he wants to return home.

Brandon and Mitch:

Grant and Emily: Question one: The first impression of the gods is they seem selfish and vengeful. They play a major role in human affairs because they can change the outcome of just about every event. They seemed motivated by their own feelings. Question two: They are annoyed with her reluctance and hate it. They feel justified in thier actions because she can end thier stay by marring one, and they can stay becaue of Greek hospitality. Question three: The story of Protaeus told Telemachus where is father was and most importantly told him he was still alive, which was why he sent out on his quest in the first place. To Odysseus it would have told him why he was on the island and how he could get off of it.

Nathan L and Isaac:

Ashly and Sarah:

Alexus and Kelsee: 1. The gods seem to like to compete and win. The gods play a big part because they can control the outcome of pretty much all events. The gods are motivated by their drive to win, succeed, and their feelings. 2. The suitors didn't really like her reluctance and they felt as if their behavior was justified because Penelope could've stoped the choas by marrying one of the men. 3. Menelaus' story was useful for Telemachus because it gave information about his father's location and well being. This souce could have helped Odysseus plan ahead for journeys.

Kendra and Victoria: Question 1: The gods and Goddeses want to help humans but dont like to be overly helpful. Like when Athene came to help Telemachus but did not just tell him where is father is. The gods and goddesses play a large role in the lives of humans, controlling things often without people knowing.The gods and goddesses are motivated by their own bordom, finding themselves with nothing to do and peoples lives under their control. Question 2: According to Antinous the suitors feel that Penelope is being selfish and unkind. The suitors think they are justified because of her behavior and the fact that she could stop all of it by marrying one of them. Question 3:Menelaus's story told Telemachus not only where his father is but also that he is still alive. If Odysseus had known what he had said, he would have known where he was and possibly how he could escape and get back home.

Nolan and Tim:

Melissa and Amy:

Question 1: The first impression that this book gives us of the gods is that they don't really worry or bother themselves with human affairs. They only get involved with the humans' lives if there is a great evil, an arrogance one shows towards the gods, or an expectionally pitious creature. The gods are motivated by their emotions, rather than their minds. Question 2: The suitors view Penelope's reluctance as unfair and shameful. They blame her for Telemachus going broke because she didn't marry one of them sooner. The suitors feel justified in behaving as they do because Penelope needs to get marred and she is deceiving everyone and putting them to shame when it is her fault. Question 3: The information that the Old Man of the Sea gives would be helpful to Telemachus because it would tell him where his father his father is and which courses to take to get to him. The Old Man's information would have been useful to Odysseus because it would have told him how to get home.

Bower and Derrick:

Nathan S and Quinton:

Austin and Dominic:

Katie and Rudy: 1.

Frankie and Daniel:


 * Thursday, November 5th:**

Week Two Questions 1.) What do the individual stories Odysseus recounts tell us about him and his men? For example, what makes Odysseus a worthy leader? Does he make mistakes while leading his men? How is he better than his men? Are there dangers in his society?

2.) Why is it important that Odysseus recount all of his wanderings as past events? Why doesn’t Homer simply construct his epic as a linear (straight line) progression of events from the Trojan War onward?

3. What sort of character is Circe? What do Odysseus’ men do to offend her? What makes Odysseus succumb for a time to Circe’s enticements? What is his mistake here?

4.) What does Odysseus learn from Tiresias in Hades? How would you characterize his attitude towards his journey to the Underworld? How is the Greek Underworld different than Christian Hell? Andrew and Nick Z:

Janelle and Oscar:

Nick M and Kayla: 1.) Odysseus is a worthy leader because he always knows what to do in a situation. He does; however, make mistakes while leading. When they escape the cyclops, he taunts it while they are leaving. The cyclops then throws giant rocks almost destroying the boat. He is also moraly better than his men because even when they decided to ignore the gods he stayed strong. 2.) Homer started in the middle of the story because it leaves you wondering how he got there. 3.) Circe is characterized as a whitch who tricks people. She is offended when Odysseus' men shoot at her. Odysseus succumbs to Circe's enticemnets because he was told of a special herb by Hermes that protects him from her magic. His mistake in this though, is she is amazed at his resiliance to her magic and falls in love with him. 4.) Odysseus learns from Tiresias that his journey home will still be hard and he will find trouble in his estate. He will then kill the suitors and have to make sacrifices and hetacombs for each of the gods. At first his attitude toward his journey to the underworld is calm and he is not scared but after a while of being there, he fears that the head of Medusa will come out and he flees. The greek underworld is much different from the christain hell because you can go in and return as if surviving death. In christianity, once you go to hell you can not return. Only Jesus has escaped death. Brandon and Mitch:

Grant and Emily:

Nathan L and Isaac: 1) His Men are loyal. He is keen and smart, clever and he makes sacrifices. he makes a mistake by letting his men be turned into pigs by Circe. He is stronger and smarter. Yes, because there can be people who are not be leaders. 2) So when people read it they won't think he is still wandering. It is suspenseful and exciting. 3) Circe is a goddess who sings beautifully. Odysseus' men shout at her. He has to succumb to her because he has to make her swear she will make no more mischief against him. He takes out his sword and and puts it to her neck. 4)He Learns that his mother dies waiting for him to return. He was not scared or fearful of anything that came out of the underworld. The Greek underworld is different from Christian Hell because in the Greek point of view everyone goes to the underworld, but only evil people go to Hell in a Christian belief.

Ashly and Sarah:

Alexus and Kelsee:

Kendra and Victoria: 1. 2. 3. Circe is a great and cunning goddess. They shouted to her. He has to succumb to her so that she will let his men free. He has to go on another journey before he can go home. 4. That his journey home will be hard, and also what will be waiting for him when he does return. He is fearless. The Greeks say that everyone goes to the Underworld, and Christians say that only bad people who haven't turned their life around go to Hell.

Nolan and Tim:

Melissa and Amy: 1. The individual stories tells us that Odysseus and his men are loyal to each other. Odysseus always tries to keep his men from harm. Some mistakes while leading his men are shouting to the Cyclops his name because then he would ask his father, Poseidon, to create a storm that destroys some of his ships. He's smarter than his men. Yes, there are dangers in his society. 2. It's important because it makes it seems more exciting with the flashbacks. If Homer constructed his epic as a linear progression it might be difficult for him to write about what's happening with Penelope and Telemachus if Odysseus' events were happening at the same time. 3. Circe is a mischevious and wicked kind of character. Odysseus' men offended her by shouting to her. An herb that Hermes told him to eat allows him to succumb for a time to Circe's enticements. His mistake is that after Circe saw that her magic didn't work on him, she wanted him to be her lover. 4. Odysseus learns that he will return home and kill the suitors that are after Penelope, but he must also make Poseidon happy by sacrificing a ram, a bull, and a boar to him. He's not afraid of anything in the Underworld. The Greek Underworld is different from Christian Hell in the way that the Greeks believe that everyone, including heroes and good people, go to the Underworld. With Christian Hell, only evil people go there.

Bower and Derrick:

Nathan S and Quinton:

Austin and Dominic:

Katie and Rudy:

Frankie and Daniel:


 * Thursday, November 12th:**

Week Three Questions


 * How does Odysseus handle his return to Ithaca? how much does he tell those he meets about his true identity and intentions? How much help does Athena give him?


 * What role does Helen play in book 15? What does the prophecy she makes reveal about her? Why might it be significant, in terms of the Odyssey as a whole, that Helen, whose misbehavior towards her husband set in motion the Trojan War, gives Telemachus a robe to bestow upon his future bride?


 * In book 16, Odysseus reveals his identity to Telemachus. What does the reaction of the two characters tell us about the Greeks' attitude towards the expression of emotion? How does their attitude differ from ours?


 * Why is it appropriate that Odysseus disguise himself from the suitors as a beggar?


 * In what ways does Telemachus show, in book 16, that he has matured?

Andrew and Nick Z:

Janelle and Oscar:

Nick M and Kayla:

Brandon and Mitch:

Grant and Emily:

Nathan L and Isaac:

Ashly and Sarah:

Alexus and Kelsee:

Kendra and Victoria:

Nolan and Tim:

Melissa and Amy:

Bower and Derrick:

Nathan S and Quinton:

Austin and Dominic:

Katie and Rudy:

Frankie and Daniel:


 * Thursday, November 19th:**

Week Four Questions

Andrew and Nick Z:

Janelle and Oscar:

Nick M and Kayla:

Brandon and Mitch:

Grant and Emily:

Nathan L and Isaac:

Ashly and Sarah:

Alexus and Kelsee:

Kendra and Victoria:

Nolan and Tim:

Melissa and Amy:

Bower and Derrick:

Nathan S and Quinton:

Austin and Dominic:

Katie and Rudy:

Frankie and Daniel: