The Odyssey Group at eNotes

There is a lot of things to say when it comes to eating practices in any...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 14:03:03 PST

There is a lot of things to say when it comes to eating practices in any culture or literary text. Mary Douglas has done a lot of theoretical work on this. When it comes to the Odyssey, there is one important point about eating to which I would like to pay particular attention. One of the things that separates humans and others is eating. This seems to be one of the points that Homer is making. The cyclopses are an example of this. They are...

Forbidden eating and drinking is important in the Odyssey list five...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 13:48:21 PST

Forbidden eating and drinking is important in the Odyssey list five examples in books 1-12 of this?

The wife of Odysseus, wise Penelope, the daughter of Icarius, is the one...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 13:22:32 PST

The wife of Odysseus, wise Penelope, the daughter of Icarius, is the one who was in control of Odysseus's treasure store room. The key was kept upstairs in Penelope's chamber. Homer describes the key, giving it significance, as bent; "goodly," which suggests large; made of bronze; and having a handle of ivory. The store room is not near the manor but removed at a far distance. It is possible that the suitors knew nothing about it's location...

WHAT persnoae are assumed by Athene in book2

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 07:42:42 PST

WHAT persnoae are assumed by Athene in book2

There are three kinds of verbal irony: sarcasm, overstatement, and...

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:39:11 PST

There are three kinds of verbal irony: sarcasm, overstatement, and understatement. The Odyssey is short on sarcasm and understatement; as a work from the epic tradition with elements of science fiction fantasy, it is heavy on overstatement: In book XII, examples are as follow: Speaking of the Scylla and Charybdis, Circe says this to Odysseus:"Here not even a bird may pass, no, not even the timid doves that bring ambrosia to Father Jove, but...

Is there an example of verbal irony in book 12 of The Odyssey?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:08:51 PST

Is there an example of verbal irony in book 12 of The Odyssey?

In Book 21 of Homer'sThe Odyssey, who controls the store room, and why...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:58:35 PST

In Book 21 of Homer'sThe Odyssey, who controls the store room, and why does this person have control?

Odysseus meets a lot of people in the Hades, the Land of the Dead. He...

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:56:50 PST

Odysseus meets a lot of people in the Hades, the Land of the Dead. He goes there in Book 11 because Circe tells him he has to go there to talk to the prophet Teiresias if he ever wants to get back home. Once he gets to Hades, he meets: Elpenor -- a crewman of his who just died by getting drunk and falling off a roof Teiresias Odysseus's mother, Anticleia Tyro, who had a child with Poseidon and was grandmother of Nestor Epikaste, better known...

Whom does Odysseus encounter in the Land Of The Dead from Homer's Odyssey?

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:43:29 PST

Whom does Odysseus encounter in the Land Of The Dead from Homer's Odyssey?

Is Homer's The Odyssey valuable enough for all high school students to...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:01 PST

Is Homer's The Odyssey valuable enough for all high school students to read? Yes, but not simply because it is an amazing piece of literature that has withstood the test of time. It has withstood the test of time because it addresses themes that are still contemporary--life journeys, heroes, love, hate, revenge. What high school kid doesn't have to deal with some of that same stuff on a daily basis.

Odysseus is losing control of his men. His men make four major...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:55:59 PST

Odysseus is losing control of his men. His men make four major mistakes in this book: 1) they open the bag of wind from Aeolus; 2) they are nearly eaten by cannibals; 3) they are turned into animals by Circe; 4) Elpenor gets drunk and dies. One two separate occasions, Odysseus must receive help from the gods. First, he receives a bag of wind from Aeolus. Second, he receives a magical herb from Hermes to conquer Circe's spell. Odysseus...

Homer's The Odyssey is absolutely one of the greatest works of...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:21:09 PST

Homer's The Odyssey is absolutely one of the greatest works of world literature. It has a little of everything: heroic characters galore, warfare, mythological beings, monsters, revenge, trickery, love, seduction, terror, exploration. I have always found it one of the most fascinating stories ever. The language may be a bit to overcome, but few stories offer such a wide variety of characters and situations.

What was Odysseus' behavior through his journey in Book 10 of The...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:17:15 PST

What was Odysseus' behavior through his journey in Book 10 of The Odyssey, and what alternatives exist for Odysseus in this episode?

I agree with the previous posts. Anyone who wants to be able to...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:36:05 PST

I agree with the previous posts. Anyone who wants to be able to understand the many allusions to Greek mythology in western literature (especially Shakespeare) needs to read The Odyssey. Additionally, when I have taught The Odyssey my students have always enjoyed it, especially male readers. Its themes are universal, and who can resist the interesting monsters?!

This work is one of the essentials of Western literature. I would say...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:31:25 PST

This work is one of the essentials of Western literature. I would say that if a person has no idea of what this work is about, then that person will miss many themes in western literature. Also it is a great story. The idea of a voyage and homecoming are great - not to mention the beauty of the poetry.

Certainly, the ideas in Homer's work can be appreciated by many a...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:16:05 PST

Certainly, the ideas in Homer's work can be appreciated by many a student. The notion of the voyage, the hero, the idea of "grace under pressure," as well as the concept of the homecoming are two of many ideas that can be brought out in the work. I think that students can not only appreciate these ideas, but find much in the way of modern application of such themes and ideas. In this process, students are able to draw modern parallels...

Yes, The Odyssey is an epic that students should read if they want to...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:54:45 PST

Yes, The Odyssey is an epic that students should read if they want to understand anything at all about literature.

What do you think of The Odyssey? Is it valuable enough for all high...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:23:57 PST

I am writing a critiacal essay on whether or not people should read the odessey and i have found some stuff but i need extra information just incase i run into the "oh no i dont have enough facts!" i mean if you can help me! PLEASE!!!!

If you mean Odysseus then his son is Telemachus. its in the first...

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:15:13 PST

If you mean Odysseus then his son is Telemachus. its in the first chapter or book

Odysseus' good judgement in Book X is that he listens to the gods....

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:12:34 PST

Odysseus' good judgement in Book X is that he listens to the gods. Both Aeolus, the god of wind, and Hermes, the messenger of the gods, try to help Odysseus in his journey home, and Odysseus forsakes his hubris, or pride, and follows their advice. Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag of wind: he bottles up the north, south, and west wind, leaving only the east wind to blow them home in a westward direction. Aeolus thinks Poseidon is a bully;...