Post your introduction for the Odyssey Theme Essay here.
83 Comments
Abby Dawes
1/9/2012 01:20:23 am
What is loyalty? Loyalty is devotion towards a person or group. It is faithfulness, truthfulness, dependibility, and allegience. In every relationship, loyalty is a necessity. When Odysseus leaves for Troy, he is gone for 20 years, which is a long time for 2 lovers to be apart. Even though many suitors are after Penelope, she keeps her heart set on Odysseus. In Homer's The Odyssey, Penelope stays truly loyal to Odysseus by avoiding marrying the suitors and being cautious to accept the fact that Odysseus is home.
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Abby
1/11/2012 12:05:45 am
When Odysseus leaves for Troy, many suitors are after his wife. Penelope does not want to marry any of them, but they are persistant. They demand that she chooses of them to marry. These suitors stay at their house for the whole 20 years Odysseus is gone. They were terrible guests, they were not respectful and they ate Penelope out of house and home. Telemachus complained about them to Athena: "Look at them over there. Not a care in the world, just lyres and tunes! It's easy for them, all right, they feed on another's goods and go scot-free" (1.185-187)
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Brian Dougherty
1/9/2012 01:25:23 am
Respect: a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities or achievements. The idea of respect has been important in almost every culture, whether it be the king of a country, a soldier in the military or simply somebody walking down the side of the road. In ancient Greece, the most respected figures were undoubtedly the gods. Disrespect for the gods was believed to bring you a great deal of pain and misfortune. Throughout Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’ respect and disrespect for the gods changed the course of his journey home to Ithaca.
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Brian Dougherty-body paragraph 1
1/10/2012 01:19:45 am
On Calypso’s island of Ogygia, Odysseus respected the “bewitching nymph” which allowed him to set sail towards his home. Calypso had held Odysseus there with her, against his will, for three years. During those three years, Odysseus missed his wife Penelope very much. Despite Calypso imprisoning Odysseus, he never disrespected her or underestimated her powers as a nymph. Hermes eventually visited Calypso and told her to let Odysseus go as a message from Zeus. Odysseus said this at dinner one night, “Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you, your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all and you, you never age or die…” (5.239-241). Odysseus showed respect for the nymph’s beauty and this benefited him.
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Brian Dougherty-intro
1/10/2012 01:21:37 am
He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.
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Madelaina Murphy
1/9/2012 01:26:05 am
“Distance means so little when someone means so much.” Long distance relationships are truly difficult. Sometimes distance can rip a relationship apart, but not for those whose love is true. When you are in love you crave to talk and share time with that person but distance makes this very difficult. In the Odyssey the main character Odysseus is torn away from his loyal wife Penelope to fight in the Trojan War. In this long distance relationship they couldn’t speak to or share time with one another while he was away; in fact, Penelope wasn’t even sure if her husband was still alive. In the Odyssey, Homer shows that when two people are truly in love, time away from each other cannot change that.
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Madelaina M
1/10/2012 01:31:59 am
Title
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Madelaina Cool Murphy's finial intro and body
1/10/2012 12:10:44 pm
“Distance means so little when someone means so much.”
Madelaina 2nd body para
1/11/2012 01:34:57 am
Penelope was utterly depressed about her husband’s loss during his journey home. She waited for him even though she wasn’t sure if he would ever return to her: “she’s still waiting there in your halls, poor woman, suffering so, her life an endless hardship like your own… wasting away the nights, weeping away the days.” (11. 206-209) Penelope’s life meant nothing to her anymore, she wasted away the days and spent her nights weeping for Odysseus. She now dedicated her life to waiting for her husband’s arrival. Many told her that she had to marry a suitor, but she believed the man she loved would return. She tricked the suitors into thinking that she would marry one of them when she was finished weaving a shroud she was making for Laertes (Odysseus’ father). Every day she would weave a portion of the shroud and every night she would unravel it so she would never have to remarry. Homer writes “she began to weave, and the weaving finespun, the yarns endless, and she would lead us on: ‘Young men, my suitors now that King Odysseus is no more, go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until I can finish off this web.’”(2.103-107) Event though Penelope stated that Odysseus is no longer alive, she still believed he was coming home but she wanted the suitors to think one of them was to marry her.
Madelaina's 3rd body para.
1/11/2012 01:49:14 pm
When Odysseus and Penelope were reunited their love was proved to be everlasting. Odysseus was away for twenty years having no contact with his wife at all, yet when they were reunified it appeared as if they were closer than ever. When they were brought together in book 23 Homer writes, “The more she spoke, the more a deep desire for tears welled up in his breasts- he wept as he held the wife he loved, the soul of loyalty, in his arms at last.” (23.259-262) When the strong, clever, and adventurous man is brought to tears by a reunion with the person he loves, I think that is something very beautiful. That love can open up a person’s heart and stand so strong for so many separated years. Homer describes the way Penelope feels when she sees Odysseus to a sailor seeing land: “Joy, warm as the joy that shipwrecked sailors feel when they catch sight of land.” (23.263-264) It seems as if Homer is comparing Penelope’s “journey” to Odysseus’ journey. Even though Penelope was home and Odysseus was a sailor trying to reach land her hardships, in a way, were as devastating as his were. She did nothing but mourn for her husband’s return and his homecoming was all she ever needed.
Katie Rutkowski
1/9/2012 01:26:30 am
"An eye for an eye would make the whole world blind." That is what some people thnk about revenge. Some people would say wanting revenge on someone is a cold and awful thing, and forgivnesses is way more satisfying then revenge. But the Greeks do not think like that. Revenge is weel justified in the Greek culture. In the Odyssey, Homer shows that revenge is something that people are entitled to if they deserve it. He shows he believes in that when, the crew die after eating the sun gods cattle, the suitors get murdered by Odysseus, and Odysseus disrespects the gods so his journey home is delayed for years.
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Katie Rutkowski
1/10/2012 01:18:22 am
"An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind." That is what Mahatma Gandhi says about revenge. He is saying that taking revenge on someone is a cold and awful thing and forgivnesses is more satisfying than revenge. But revenge is well justified in the Ancient Greek culture. In The Odyssey, Homer shows that revenge is something that people are entitled to if they deserve it.
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nick pulos
1/9/2012 01:27:49 am
“Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” That quote was said by Phil Jackson, one of the greatest NBA coaches ever. What he is saying is, if you can outsmart your opponent, you will always win. This quote really resembles Odysseus. Multiple times throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus is overmatched in strength, but outsmarts people to find his way out. In The Odyssey, the Trojan horse, the escape from the Cyclops, and the reuniting with Penelope all show that brains is greater than brawn.
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nick pulos
1/10/2012 01:06:45 am
“Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” That quote was said by Phil Jackson, one of the greatest NBA coaches ever. What he is saying is, if you can outsmart your opponent, you will always win. This quote is made true throughout The Odyssey. Multiple times throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus is overmatched in strength, but outsmarts people to overcome the strength. In The Odyssey, the Trojan horse, the escape from the Cyclops, and the reuniting with Penelope all show that brains is greater than brawn.
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nick pulos
1/10/2012 07:14:55 am
Body 1
nick pulos
1/11/2012 11:31:29 am
Body 2Odysseus outsmarts the powerful Cyclops, enabling him to escape the cave. “I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift as you’ve promised. Nobody–that’s my name. Nobody-so my mother and father call me, all friends.” This is what Odysseus said to the Cyclops when the Cyclops wanted to know his name. Odysseus knew that if he told him his real name, he would’ve eaten him because he knew great stories of Odysseus, as did everyone else. The Cyclops was this big powerful mammoth that would eat anything to satisfy himself. Once again, Odysseus was overmatched in strength. Odysseus had to outsmart the Cyclops to get out of the cave that he and his crew were being held captive in. One way he did this was he got the Cyclops drunk. This impaired the Cyclops’ thinking so that he would believe that his name was actually nobody. Also, the alcohol made the Cyclops very tired and sluggish. When the Cyclops fell asleep, Odysseus and his crew made a shank, and stabbed the Cyclops in the eye with it. Finally, when they decided it was time to escape, they knew that the Cyclops couldn’t see. The Cyclops had his hand in the entrance so he could feel anything that would walk out of the cave. Odysseus and his crew knew this, so they needed to think of a way to get out without being noticed. There were sheep that were walking out, so they decided to crawl out underneath the sheep, and they were never detected by the Cyclops. Odysseus once again showed that brain is greater than brawn with the escape from the Cyclops’ lair.
nick pulos
1/11/2012 11:53:26 am
3rd body paragraph
nick pulos
1/12/2012 01:28:02 am
Conclusion
Breanna Miller
1/9/2012 01:28:09 am
One day my great-grandmother and I had an interesting conversation. It was about how women are and use to be treated. She was telling me that in the past all that women did was sit around at home while the men worked. In the back of my head I was thinking, “That sounds exactly like The Odyssey!” We also talked about how there were many women with great talents but they couldn’t show them. She said today women are more appreciated and have way more rights. Throughout the epic "The Odyssey" the female characters are misjudged and underappreciated, such as Athena, Calypso, and Clytemnestra.
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Morgan Hackworth
1/9/2012 01:31:22 am
"Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind." -Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519)
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Maggie Mancini
1/9/2012 01:33:26 am
Why are woman so sneaky and tricky in The Odyssey? Why aren’t they trusted? In Every encounter with woman in The Odyssey, something unfortunate seems to happen to the crew. Whether it be trying to eat their flesh or keep them as their husband forever, they seem to always harm their captives in some way. In The Odyssey, women try to trick men and can’t be trusted like the Lotus Eaters, Calypso, and the Sirens.
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zack b
1/9/2012 01:35:57 am
Although nobody is completely sure who Homer is, to this day his ideas are influential and hold true. Some ideas that hold true today are power and wealth are important, warriors are praised, and the wealthy have a big say in the government. These ideas can be formed into one big theme. In the Odyssey, Menelaus, Alcinous, and Odysseus all show that physical power in combat can bring wealth and political power.
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mike amabile
1/9/2012 03:24:35 am
um zack i think you need to rewrite this its unnaceptable
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DCA
1/9/2012 10:27:28 am
everybody's a critic
Zack B
1/10/2012 01:23:45 am
Although nobody is completely sure who Homer is, to this day his ideas are influential and hold true. Some ideas that we can see today are that physical strength makes a good leader, warriors are praised, and the wealthy play a big part in the government. What these concepts all have in common is that they all come out of an even deeper theme. In The Odyssey, Menelaus, Alcinous, and Odysseus all show that physical power in combat can bring wealth and political power.
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Zachary Brown
1/10/2012 09:01:59 am
Body 1
mike amabile
1/9/2012 03:24:51 am
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Being able to use your wits in a tight situation can give you an advantage over other people; this is what Terry Pratchett is trying to imply with this famous quote. Being cunning is also extremely helpful when using brute force or strength does not work or is not an option. In The Odyssey, Odysseus shows that sometimes it is better to use wits instead of strength when he encounters the Cyclops in Book Nine.
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Twilight
1/9/2012 11:55:46 pm
tweet tweet!
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Twilight
1/10/2012 12:12:40 pm
yo yo get me some bird food up in here
Sophia
1/9/2012 06:07:56 am
“Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.” (Homer, the Iliad). As you can see in this quote from the Iliad, Homer emphasizes that people who honor the Gods are blessed. In Homer’s other epic, the Odyssey, the importance of respecting the Gods is frequently demonstrated. Through out the whole book, offerings and libations are constantly being offered to the Olympians. When Odysseus blinded Poseidon's son, the Cyclops, his journey home was prolonged as a direct result of his actions. And when Odysseus's crew ate the cattle of Helios, they were destroyed by Zeus. Those who did not respect the Gods in the Odyssey were severely punished.
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Morgan Hackworth
1/9/2012 07:49:02 am
"The fates have given mankind a patient soul." -Homer, The Iliad. Patience and persistance is an underlying theme throughtout Homer's book, The Odyssey. There are many occasions where Odysseus and Penelope could have decided to just give up. Instead, they kept trying and persevered through many years and great hardships. In the Odyssey, Homer shows that persistance and patience pay off through the choices that Odysseus and Penelope make.
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Morgan Hackworth Paragraph 1
1/10/2012 10:57:48 am
After Odysseus fought at the battle of Troy, he is captured by Calypso. She is a bewitching nymph, who casts a spell on Odysseus that keeps him trapped on her island. At this point, Odysseus has already gone through great suffering and now has to endure being captured and kept from his home even longer. He can do nothing but be patient and hope someone rescues him from Calypso. As shown in (5.91-96) “But as for Great Odysseus- Hermes could not find him within the cave. Off he sat on a headland, weeping there as always, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out over the barren sea through blinding tears.” This quote from the Odyssey shows how the Great Odysseus sat on a beach crying and miserable, wishing he was home but remaining patient that someone would rescue him. His patience pays off when Hermes comes to the rescue and orders Calypso to release Odysseus at once. Persistent Odysseus, after hearing he has been released, worked non- stop till he had built a ship to sail home to Ithica.
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Morgan Hackworth Paragraph 2 and 3
1/11/2012 08:15:16 pm
Across the barren ocean, Penelope waits for Odysseus. She doesn’t know if her beloved husband will ever come home or if he is even alive. Assuming Odysseus was dead, many suitors came calling for Penelope’s hand in marriage. Instead of giving in and choosing one of the suitors, she stayed loyal to Odysseus. After 20 long years of patience, Odysseus finally arrived home. This is shown in the texts (23.231-235) “Penelope felt her knees go slack, her heart surrender, recognizing the strong clear signs Odysseus offered. She dissolved in tears, rushed to Odysseus, flung her arms around his neck and kissed his head and cried out…”
Ami Iannello
1/9/2012 08:30:45 am
"Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what you think you've got" described Sophia Loren. Many actors and actresses on television use their sexiness to be wanted, seen, and liked. As well as on television, sexiness is also used to attract attention in books. In The Odyssey, Odysseus uses his sex appeal to manipulate female characters, to his advantage, throughout his journey home to Ithaca.
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Kirsten Connell
1/9/2012 08:38:18 am
“Treat others the way you want to be treated because what goes around comes around.” In The Odyssey, if the mortal people did something that the gods didn’t like than the gods would punish them for it. For example when Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s son, Poseidon punished him and his crew by sending a terrible storm. In The Odyssey, respect for the gods is not shown by Odysseus in many places.
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Gabe Scull
1/9/2012 09:00:47 am
“What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest?”(Aeschylus). Most people think of hospitality in terms of providing gracious food and shelter to your friends and family. However in the Odyssey characters extend hospitality to enemies and even strangers. Hospitality was so important to the Greeks that they would provide it regardless if you were a friend or a foe. The Greek value of hospitality was very important to show your wealth and power and to please the Gods. In the Odyssey characters such as Telemachus, Circe, and King Alcinous, are hospitable to enemies and strangers since anyone could be a God in disguise.
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Gabe Scull
1/10/2012 04:16:16 am
Telemachus shows the Greek value of hospitality by giving his guests, the suitors, food drinks and a place to live and stay. Even though Telemachus may not like the suitors’ behavior towards his home, and Penelope, he continues to give them all of his family’s wealth instead of kicking them out. This show this when Athena comes to the door disguised as another suitor, “First to see her was Prince Telemachus…” this quote shows that he was going to get the door for her and let yet another person into his house and give her his wealth. Telemachus is giving the suitors so much and they do not do anything in return. They just eat drink sleep and take advantage of everything that Telemachus’ family has.
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Chloe Becht
1/9/2012 09:39:10 am
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.”. This is a great example of how Odysseus is described in The Odyssey. Bravery is one of the most important traits that Odysseus has in the story. In some parts of the story, he takes the courage to defeat his enemies yet learn to leave his loved ones behind. In The Odyssey, Odysseus shows his bravery by defeating the Cyclops, outsmarting Circe and saving his crew members, and was able to pass the Sirens.
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Andrew Restrepo
1/9/2012 09:43:51 am
"Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength."-Phil Jackson
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Kara Pell
1/9/2012 09:47:07 am
De·cep·tive /diˈseptiv/ : Giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; misleading. In the times of The Odyssey women were supposed to be loyal and trustworthy to men. Some women were, but many weren't. Multiple times in throughout the journey women were obstacles for Odysseus' crew. In The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as sly and deceptive through the characters of Circe, Clymnestra, and the Sirens
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Dwi C. Adhinoto
1/9/2012 10:19:23 am
“So, there’s nothing more deadly, bestial then a woman set on works like these- what a monstrous thing” (10.484-486). These were the words that Agamemnon said in Odysseus’ journey to the Underworld. Agamemnon died because his wife brutally murdered him. Agamemnon’s death shows how women are mostly predators in The Odyssey. They will use their beauty to seduce men and then brutally murder them. In the Odyssey, women are mostly viewed as predators that use their talents and beauty to lure men into certain doom; this can be shown from the characters of Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens.
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Dwi C. Adhinoto
1/10/2012 01:29:57 am
“So, there’s nothing more deadly, bestial then a woman set on works like these- what a monstrous thing” (10.484-486). While Odysseus was traveling through the Underworld he finds Agamemnon, he died because his wife brutally murdered him. Agamemnon’s death shows how most women are predators in The Odyssey. They will use their beauty to seduce men and then brutally murder them. In the Odyssey, women are viewed as predators that use their talents and beauty to lure men into certain doom, with only a few exceptions; this can be shown from the characters of Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens.
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Dwi Adhinoto
1/10/2012 08:44:45 am
Paragraph 2
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Dwi C. Adhinoto
1/11/2012 10:56:28 am
Paragraph 3
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Dwi C. Adhinoto
1/11/2012 10:57:20 am
Paragraph 4
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Colin Roddy
1/9/2012 10:33:52 am
“Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.” -James Arthur Baldwin. William Blake's cycle of Human Development is a simple breakdown of human enlightenment. I found Odysseus' story to follow this formula in a sybolic way. The three stages are innocence, experience, and radical innocence. I found innocence to be very similar to what odysseus was like before the Trojan War because of his happyness based of innexperience. The war was his experience and the dark world that takes away his blissful innocence because of the way he was surrounded by death. The life of Odysseus ties into William Blake's Paradigm of Human Development in The Odyssey, showing the path from experience to radical innocence.
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Joe Soffer
1/9/2012 08:14:50 pm
Would you want a leader that does not have your best interest at heart? One might believe Odysseues was a good leader in the Odyssey because he was a strong, clever, brave, war hero. These characteristics are helpful for a leader, but other skills are needed to be a good leader that Odysseus does not acquire. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is not a good leader because he lacks key leadership skills including honesty, protectiveness, and assertiveness.
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Zac Clifton
1/9/2012 11:53:43 pm
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"(Mohandas Gandhi). This quote from Gandhi describes Odysseus in the odyssey because of his ability to use brain over brawn. When Odysseus goes up against an enemy that is strong he will try to outsmart them instead of having to kill them. In the odyssey Odysseus displays this trait when he outsmarts the Cyclops, cheats the Cyclops and sneaks past the suitors. These are few of the many examples Odysseus displays in the Odysseus.
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Dwi C. Adhinoto
1/10/2012 01:21:49 am
“So, there’s nothing more deadly, bestial then a woman set on works like these- what a monstrous thing” (10.484-486). While Odysseus was traveling through the Underworld he finds Agamemnon. He died because his wife brutally murdered him. Agamemnon’s death shows how most women are predators in The Odyssey. They will use their beauty to seduce men and then brutally murder them. In the Odyssey, women are viewed as predators that use their talents and beauty to lure men into certain doom, with only a few exceptions; this can be shown from the characters of Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens.
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Rob Magee (Sick Monday)
1/10/2012 01:24:18 am
Usefulness of Deception at its Finest
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Breanna Miller Body Paragraph 1
1/10/2012 01:26:00 am
Calypso might seem mean to some people for trapping Odysseus on her island. In my opinion she is just lonely and needs company or a partner. Odysseus wanted to leave her island Ogygia of he led her on without thinking about her feelings. In the epic Odysseus says to Calypso, “Ah great goddess, don’t be angry with me please. All that you say is true, how well I know. Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you, your beauty, and stature.” (5.206-210) I chose this quote because he completely leads her on but he ends up leaving her. He didn’t care about her feelings. It seems to me that Calypso is misjudged about her intensions for keeping Odysseus there.
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Ami Iannello
1/10/2012 01:27:42 am
Sex Appeal in the Odyssey
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Ami Iannello
1/10/2012 09:09:08 am
Sex Appeal in the Odyssey
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Ami Iannello 3rd and 4th Paragraphs
1/11/2012 01:08:46 am
Another example of sexiness being a dominant characteristic of Odysseus is when he was washed upon the shores of Phaecia. When being awakened from a long deep sleep, by a ball crashing down on his resting bed, Odysseus comes across a young maiden, Nausicaa, and her friends. Though scared seeing a strange man immerge from the water, Nausicaa stood strong when he confronted her. Odysseus, charmingly comforted her, and convincingly told her that he was not going to pay her any harm and that he just wanted some help. Nausicaa, graciously, agreed to help him by giving him clothes and to take him to the castle with her. Hidden in a bush changing, Odysseus cautioned, "Stand where you are, dear girls, a good way off, so I casn rinse the brine from my shoulders now and rub myself with oil...how long it's been since oil touched my skin! But I won't bathe in front of you. I would be embarrassed- stark naked before young girls with lovely braids"(6.241-246). Nausicaa, trusting a perfect stranger, led Odysseus to the castle. When arriving, Odysseus was welcomed warmly. The king, in exchange for his hospitality, made an offer that if Odysseus married Nausicaa, his daughter, than he would buy him a house and that Odysseus would have great wealth. However, in desire to get home, Odysseus turned him down, and set forth home. Nausicaa and her father's help were evidently for the prize of a husband, who they thought Odysseus would fit perfectly for, because of his sexiness and kindness.
Ami 4th paragraph
1/11/2012 01:24:05 am
One of the final ways Odysseus flaunts his sexiness is when encountering Circe, a bewitching nymph, whom uses him for pleasure. At first, Circe has plans to capture Odysseus and his crew and turn them into pigs, but Odysseus outwits Circe and ends up spending a year with her on her island, to save himself and his crew. While on Circe's Island, Odysseus and Circe have sexual relations. "She heard my voice, she opened her gleaming doors at once and stepped forth, inviting me in, and in I went, all anguish now..."(10.346-348) describes Odysseus as he enters Circes cave for the first time. Circe is a tricky nymph, and in order to exploit Odysseus and receive love from him, she bargains with the crews human life for Odysseus' sexiness.
Ami revised intro
1/11/2012 08:47:55 am
"Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what you think you've got" described Sophia Loren. Sexiness has been defined as “excitingly appealing; glamorous” and commonly used in daily life. Many actors and actresses on television flaunt their sexiness to be wanted, seen, and liked. As well as on television, sexiness is also used by characters to attract attention in books. In The Odyssey, many female characters make advances toward Odysseus, because of his sexiness, throughout his journey home to Ithaca.
Ami conclusion paragraph
1/12/2012 01:03:26 am
Throughout The Odyssey, many female women take advantage of Odysseus during his journey home to Ithaca. The importance in understanding that one of the themes is sexiness is because that Odysseus receives more help than any other character and still gets the most credit and praise. Also, knowing that one of the main reasons Odysseus gets the help he needed is because of his sexiness is beneficial, because it supports the background of Odysseus and helps describe himself and the women of the books. The Odyssey is a theme filled novel that depics the journey and trials of Odysseus, a brave, cunning, and extremely sexy young man.
Maggie Mancini
1/10/2012 01:29:33 am
When Odysseus goes to Calypso’s island, she keeps him longer than he wants to stay with her. Calypso tries to keep Odysseus as her husband by charming him with her beauty. This proves that the female characters in The Odyssey, try to take advantage of Odysseus so that he doesn’t leave them. Also, when Odysseus asks Calypso to leaves, she denies his request until Athena comes and forces her to give him up. This is one example of female characters not being trusted in the Odyssey.
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Katie Rutkowski
1/10/2012 01:31:14 am
One example of revenge being well justified in The Odyssey is when the crew got murdered when they ate the sun-gods cattle. While Odysseus was sleeping, the crew decided to kill and eat the sun-gods "special" cattle. When Odysseus woke, he realized what his crew had done. "The moment soothing slumber fell from my eyes and down i went to our ship at the waters edge but on my way, nearing the long beaked craft, the smoky savor of roasts came floating up around me... I groaned in anguish, crying out to the deathless gods: Father Zeus! The rest of you blissful gods who never die- you with your fatal sleep, you lulled me into disaster. Left on their own, look what a monstrous thing my crew concocted!" (12. 393-401) That was Odysseus reaction to the crew's killing of the cattle. After Odysseus and the crew were on the boat, with no land in sight, Zeus created a storm, killing the entire crew, execpt Odysseus. The crew disobeyed the gods and Odysseus and they murdered the cattle. Zeus took revenge on the crew, which ended in the crew being murdered.
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Katie Rutkowski Body Paragraph 2
1/11/2012 12:07:09 am
Homer shows people are entilitled to revenge when the suitors, who were trying to marry Odysseus wife Penelope, got murdered by Odysseus. The suitors showed disrespect to the gods by not showing any hospitality to Penelope or her house. They also disrespected Odysseus by trying to have his wife for themselves while he was still alive. When Odyssues finally arrived to his home land in Ithaca, Athena disguised him as a old man, so he could enter his home and pretend to be a suitor. Odysseus then revealed his true identity to the suitors and he yelled to them, "You dogs! You never imagined I'd return from Troy- so cocksure that you bled my house to death, ravished my serving women- wooed my wife behind my back while i was still alive! No fear of the gods who rule the skies up there, no fear the men's revenge might arrive someday- now all your necks are in the noose- your doom is sealed!" (22.36-42) This shows Odysseus truely believes the revenge is well justified. The suitors were entitled to his revenge, so Odysseus gave them what they deserved. The suitors were then murdered by Odysseus and his son, Telemachus.
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Katie Rutkowski Body Paragraph 3
1/11/2012 01:35:54 am
The last example that The Odyssey shows people are entitled to revenge is when Odysseus acted self-centered and disrespecful to Polyphemus so Odysseus arrival home was delayed for several years. Odysseus and his crew got trapped inside The Cyclops, named Polyphemus, cave. Polyphemus ate many people on Odysseus crew, so Odysseus decided one night to get Polyphemus drunk on wine, and trick him. Odysseus told Polyphemus that his name was "nobody" so Polyphemus would say "nobody" hurt him. After Polyphmus passed out, Odysseus and the people in his crew that werent eaten, pick up a flaming stake and stab Polyphemus in his eye, blinding him. Odysseus and his remaining crew then escape by holding on to the underside of Polyphemus sheep when he lets the sheep out. Odysseus and his crew could of got on their boat and sailed away without another word to Polyphemus, but Odysseus became self-centered and did the opposite of that. "I called back with another burst of anger, Cyclops- if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of the cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca!" (9.558-562). When Odysseus told Polyphemus his real name he wasn't thinking about how Polyphemus might want revenge on Odyssey for tricking and blinding him. But Polyphemus did want revenge, so he prayed to his father Poseidon. "If I really am your son and you claim to be my father- come, grant that Odysseus, raider of citties, Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca, never reaches home. Or if he fated to see his people once again and reach his well-built house and his own native country, let him come home late and come a broken man-all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger's ship- and let him find a world of pain at home!" (9.586-595). Odysseus delayed his arrival home and his crew's arrival home. Polyphemus wanted revenge on Odysseus just like Odysseus wanted revenge on other people. Now Odysseus was entitled to revenge, and Poseidon made sure Odysseus' arrival home was delayed.
Katie Rutkowski Conclusion Paragraph
1/12/2012 01:33:09 am
In The Odyssey, there are many examples how Homer feels revenge is well justified and will happen to people who deserve it. Homer's idea of revenge shows how the Ancient Greek Culture thought of revenge. In our day, revenge is thought of as cruel and it isn't used much. But the greeks must have used revenge much more. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing in Ancient Greek Culture. All of this shows the differences between our verison of revenge and the Ancient Greeks verison. Reading The Odyssey helped my understanding of these differences.
Andrew Restrepo
1/10/2012 01:32:28 am
This quote shows one of the many skills that Odysseus uses in the odyssey to get back to his hometown Ithaca. The theme I chose to write about was brain over brawn. I chose this theme because without this Odysseus would have never been able to return home to Ithaca. In The Odyssey the idea brains over brawn is a recurring theme that helps Odysseus reach his hometown, Ithaca.
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mike amabile
1/10/2012 01:32:31 am
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Being able to use your wits in a tight situation can give you an advantage over other people; this is what Terry Pratchett is trying to imply with this famous quote. Being cunning is also extremely helpful when using brute force or strength does not work or is not an option. In The Odyssey, Odysseus shows that sometimes it is better to use wits instead of strength when he encounters the Cyclops in Book Nine.
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Franziska Nuernbergk
1/10/2012 01:32:59 am
“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.” This quote by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster fits perfectly to Odysseus’ situation. Every choice, every decision Odysseus made was made because he wanted to get home and reunite with Penelope, Telemachus, and his people. He fought 20 years, went through a lot of trouble and the whole time he was uncertain if his wife kept faithful, but he never gave up. The power of family is shown in The Odyssey through Odysseus, because even if he hasn’t seen his wife, son and father for more than 20 years, he tried to get back to his family, because he still has a close connection to them.
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Kirsten Connell
1/10/2012 08:05:31 am
“Treat others the way you want to be treated because what goes around comes around.”(anonymous). In The Odyssey, if the mortals did something that the gods didn’t like then the gods would punish them for it. For example when Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s son, Poseidon punished him and his crew by sending a terrible storm. The storm destroyed his ship and left them stranded at sea for his actions. In The Odyssey, respect for the gods is not shown by Odysseus and the suitors in many places. Odysseus’s crew disrespected the Sun gods by eating the cattle. Odysseus’s crew ate the cattle even though Odysseus told them not to. For this action the crew and Odysseus were punished by their ship being destroyed. “But once we’d left that island in our wake- no land at all in sight, nothing but sea and sky- then Zeus the son of Cronus mounted a thunderhead above our hollow ship and deep went black beneath it. Nor did the craft scud on much longer. All of a sudden killer squalls attacked us…” (12.435-440). When Odysseus fell asleep the crew went and killed the cattle for food and sacrifice. Then Odysseus woke up and was made at the gods for making him go to sleep.
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Kirsten
1/10/2012 08:07:13 am
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Kirsten Connell
1/11/2012 01:13:25 am
Treat others the way you want to be treated because what goes around comes around
Kirsten Connell Body 1, 2, 3
1/11/2012 08:00:50 am
Odysseus’s crew disrespected the Sun gods by eating the cattle. Odysseus’s crew ate the cattle even though Odysseus told them not to. For this action the crew and Odysseus were punished by their ship being destroyed. Homer writes, “But once we’d left that island in our wake- no land at all in sight, nothing but sea and sky- then Zeus the son of Cronus mounted a thunderhead above our hollow ship and deep went black beneath it. Nor did the craft scud on much longer. All of a sudden killer squalls attacked us…” (12.435-440). When Odysseus fell asleep the crew went and killed the cattle for food and sacrifice. Then Odysseus woke up and was made at the gods for making him go to sleep.
Colin Roddy
1/10/2012 09:32:34 am
“Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.” -James Arthur Baldwin. William Blake's cycle of Human Development is a simple breakdown of human enlightenment. I found Odysseus' story to follow this formula in a sybolic way. The three stages are innocence, experience, and radical innocence.The first stage, innocence, represents innocence out of ignorence which i found to be very similar to what odysseus was like before the Trojan War because of his happyness based of innexperience. Experience is the stage after innocence where you learn and experience things taking away the innocence and happyness. i found experience to be very similar to the Trojan War for odysseus because the death, agony, and rage takes away his blissful ignorence. The third stage is radical innocence meaning innocenceor happyness out of wisdom and not ignorence. The life of Odysseus ties into William Blake's Paradigm of Human Development in The Odyssey, showing the path from experience to radical innocence.
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Colin Roddy
1/11/2012 10:46:06 am
The second similarity between Homer's Odyssey and William Blake's cycle of human development is another lesson that Odysseus learns on his journey, which is learning to appreciate true loyalty. Homer uses a recurring symbol in literature called "the hidden prince." The hidden prince is an archetype meaning a man of great power and nobility is put in an environment where these qualities are invaluable. Odysseus is a prime example in Book 13 through Book 22. Odysseus must return to his home disguised as a beggar ("the hidden prince"). This disguise makes it possible for him to realize those people who have been truly loyal, for example the Swineherd. Speaking to the disguised Odysseus, he says,
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Zac Clifton-Intro
1/10/2012 09:36:15 am
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will"
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Zac Clifton-Body Paragraph 1
1/10/2012 09:37:55 am
Odysseus’ ability to use brain over brawn is shown in his encounter with the Cyclops. After stabbing the Cyclops in the eye Odysseus could have finished him off. If Odysseus did that, he wouldn’t have been able to get out. Therefore, he waited until the Cyclops let his sheep outside and then made his move. Since the Cyclops was still a formidable enemy Odysseus and his crew hid underneath sheep and escaped unnoticed. “ But I was already plotting… what was the best way out? How can I find escape from death for my crew, myself as well? My wits kept weaving, weaving cunning schemes- Life at stake, monstrous death staring us in the face”(9.469-473).Odysseus deliberately chose to sneak past the Cyclops instead of fighting him head on. Further, in the book Odysseus displays this ability a lot when he is facing formidable enemies.
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Chloe Becht- Body Paragraph 1
1/10/2012 09:59:20 am
In The Odyssey, Odysseus shows his bravery by defeating the Cyclops Polythemus. At first, he lured him into drinking wine that he brought along with him. As soon as Polythemus is drunk, the Cyclops asked for his name and Odysseus answers back by saying his name is “Nobody.”. While the Cyclops is sleeping, Odysseus put his stake in a bed of ember to get it hot. He then tells his men,” Courage –No panic, no one hang back now!” (9.422). Then Odysseus and his men, stab the Cyclops in his eye and becomes blind. When the Cyclops calls for help, he says,”Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force!” (9.455) They hid under the rams until dawn and escaped. Odysseus knew he had to find a way to escape from death for his crew and himself.
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Kara INTRO
1/10/2012 10:01:15 am
When Odysseus and his crew go to the island of Aeaea, they come across Circe, the loveliest of all
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Sophia
1/10/2012 08:21:37 pm
One of the main ways that Homer demonstrates the importance of respecting the Gods is the libations and burnt offerings that are constantly mentioned throughout the book. "Then the swineherd, cutting the first strips for the gods from every limb, spread them across the thighs, wrapped in sleek fat, and sprinkling barley over them, flung them into th fire." In this quote, the swineherd is taking a portion of their food and burning it as an offering to the gods, to show his respect. Libations are also commonly mentioned in the book, typically before a feast. Through burnt offerings and libations, Homer shows that Greeks should honor the gods and put the immortals before themselves.
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maggie m
1/10/2012 11:54:18 pm
inrto:
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Joe Soffer
1/11/2012 03:55:50 am
Would you want a leader that does not have your best interest at heart? One might believe Odysseus was a good leader in the Odyssey because he was a strong, clever, brave, war hero. These characteristics are helpful for a leader, but other skills are needed to be a good leader. Odysseus does not acquire these specific skills. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is not a good leader because he lacks key leadership skills including honesty, protectiveness, and assertiveness.
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Zachary Brown
1/11/2012 09:05:47 am
All 4 paragraphs
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gabe scull Intro and 3 body paragraphs
1/11/2012 11:35:24 am
“What is there more kindly than the feeling between host and guest?”(Aeschylus). Most people think of hospitality in terms of providing gracious food and shelter to your friends and family. However in the Odyssey characters extend hospitality to enemies and even strangers. Hospitality was so important to the Greeks that they would provide it regardless if you were a friend or a foe. The Greek value of hospitality was very important to show your wealth and power and to please the Gods. In the Odyssey characters such as Telemachus, Circe, and King Alcinous, are hospitable to enemies and strangers since anyone could be a God in disguise.
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KARA
1/11/2012 12:15:50 pm
In the times of The Odyssey women were supposed to be loyal and trustworthy to men. Some women were, but many weren't. Multiple times in throughout the journey women were obstacles for Odysseus' crew. Although they appeared to be sweet and beautiful, these females turned out to be evil and dangerous. In The Odyssey, Homer portrays females as sly and deceptive through the characters of Circe, Clymnestra, and the Sirens.
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Sophia
1/11/2012 08:27:07 pm
“Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.” (Homer, the Iliad). As you can see in this quote from the Iliad, Homer emphasizes that people who honor the Gods are blessed. In Homer’s other epic, the Odyssey, those who did not respect the Gods were severely punished. When Odysseus blinded Poseidon's son, the Cyclops, his journey home was prolonged as a direct result of his actions. When Odysseus's crew ate the cattle of Helios, they were destroyed by Zeus. And throughout the whole book, offerings and libations are constantly being offered to the Olympians as a form of worship. The importance of respecting the Gods is frequently demonstrated in the Odyssey.
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7/17/2012 01:32:53 pm
I'm glad to be a visitant of this complete weblog ! , thankyou for this rare info ! .
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