Thursday, April 10, 2014

Changes to Syllabus! Due Dates Updated through Final Exam

The following is a list of dues dates for assignments through the end of the Spring semester. Please make a note of these as they do depart from the syllabus:

4/10--In class speaker on Vietnam and The Things They Carried.(TTTC) Hwk: Revise papers.

4/15--In class Writer's Workshop and peer conferences. Hwk: Edit papers.

4/17--No class. Individual writing on papers. Papers due at 8:45 p.m. tonight! Hwk: Complete reading and RRR on TTTC.

4/22--RRR due today on TTTC. Quiz #2 on TTTC. Final in class discussion of TTTC.

4/24--In class presentation of Chinese poetry. Review of poetic devices. Poetry handout #1 distributed. Hwk: Read handout and poetry.

4/29--In class discussion of Chinese poetry. Introduction to Tang Dynasty poetry. Poetry handout #2 distributed. Groups assigned. Time for groups to meet. Hwk: Group presentation preparation.

5/1--Tang Dynasty Poetry Group Presentations. Hwk: RRR on Chinese poetry

5/6--RRR on Chinese poetry due today. Complete Tang Dynasty Poetry Group Presentations. Hwk: Final exam review

5/8--Final exam review.

5/13--Final exam

5/15--Last class

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Important Assignment and Due Date Changes to Syllabus

April 10--In class speaker will discuss the Vietnam War from 1968-1970 and The Things They Carried.

April 15--Writer's Workshop. Bring two hard copies of Analytic paper. Required.

April 17--Analytic Paper due to gotprofkiefer@gmail.com no later than 8:45 p.m. (original time was noon.) Please make sure to attach your paper via a Microsoft Word (the program on all computers at Kean) document, ONLY.

April 22-- Due today: 1) Quiz #2 on The Things They Carried.
2) RRR on The Things They Carried

Monday, March 31, 2014

Ivan Ilyich Analysis and Study Questions

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

A. Reading Comprehension Chapter 1 Quiz (Part 1)

At the beginning of the novel when Ivan's colleagues learn of his death, why is their reaction so remarkable?

At the funeral service, which character tries to set up a game of bridge?

Who is Ivan's closest friend?

At the funeral, what is the real reason Praskovya wants to speak to Peter privately?
At the funeral, Peter feels especially uneasy when he (finish the sentence)

B. Literary Analysis Chapter 1 Quiz Questions

1. What is the point of view? Who is the narrator? How do you know? What kind of narrator (limited, omniscient, etc.)

2. What contrasting idea/s is/are presented in chapter 1?

3. Who are the five primary characters in chapter 1? Name and describe them using details from the text.

Chapter 2 Quiz Questions Reading Comprehension

What type of person is Ivan attracted to?

Married life is pleasant for Ivan until what event occurs?

In his official work, Ivan tries to maintain what tone?

Literary Analysis Chapter 2 Quiz Questions

What metaphor does Tolstoy use to describe Ivan’s relationship to his social superiors?

What foreign language terms are used in this chapter? Find out what they mean. What might the author’s purpose be in using these terms?

What is significant about Ivan’s attempt/ability to close himself off from the emotional/unpleasant aspects of his job/life by reducing everything to a mere form on a paper?

Comprehension questions for Chapters 3 and 4

Why does Ivan take a leave of absence from work and move with his family to the country?
Why does Ivan receive a new appointment with a higher paying salary?
What event precipitates Ivan's illness?
What is Ivan’s greatest pleasure in life?
What adjectives can you think of to characterize the doctors' attitude toward Ivan? In what way is this ironic?

Analysis Questions for Chapters 3 - 4

In view of his professional life, how is Ivan's fall from the stepladder is especially symbolic?

Explain the irony between the symptoms Prakovya experiences during her pregnancy and the experiences Ivan experiences.

Explain how the fact that life's unpleasantness causes the pain that Ivan experiences is a key to Ivan's condition

How is the game of bridge a metaphor for Ivan’s view of life?

Comprehension Questions for Chapter 5– 8

How does Ivan learn of the extent of his physical degeneration?
How does Ivan deal with unpleasant situations or relationships?
Who is Gerasim? What does Gerasim do that eases Ivan's physical pain?

What bothers Ivan more than the physical pain?
Who is the only person that does not lie about the nature of Ivan's condition?
One night, Praskovya, Lisa, and Lisa's fiancé decide to go where? What does Ivan think about this?

Analysis Questions for Chapters 5-8

There is an interesting shift in the narrative at this point. Explain this shift and explain why you think it is important.

What is the turning point for Ivan in terms of coming to terms with his illness?

In Chapter 6, two abstract ideas are represented by the word “It”? What do you think these ideas might be? Why do you think that the author uses the word “It” to represent them? How does this shift affect the reader?

Gerasim is most likely an allegorical character, which means he stands for abstract ideas. What ideas do you think he might stand for? Explain.

Comprehension Questions 09 – 12

Ivan dreams of what object?
When Ivan awakes from his dream, what does he hear?
When Ivan thinks back on his life, what does he think is the best part?
When Ivan passes into the bright light, what does he compare the experience to?
When Ivan catches sight of the light, he realizes that his life has not been a good one. What else happens simultaneously?

Analysis Questions for Chapter 9 – 12

What does the black bag symbolize? What does Ivan’s struggle with the black bag represent? What does it mean when he breaks through the black bag?

Ivan seems to have an “existential” moment when he cries out “Why has thou done all this?” This could be an allusion. If so, to what is the reference? Why is this an “existential” moment? (You will have to look up the word “existentialism” in order to understand.)

Explain how time and space change from the beginning of the novel to the end of the novel. What does this symbolize?

In your opinion, why does Ivan’s belief that his life has been a good one prevent him from getting into the black bag?

What is your interpretation of the railway car analogy?

Did Ivan Ilyich live a proper life? Does Ivan Ilyich ever learn what it means to live a proper life? What is, in your opinion, Tolstoy’s message or theme?

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Analytic Paper Assignment

World Literature 2403/26

Professor Kiefer

Spring 2014

Analytical Paper:

For this course you will be required to write one 5-7 page paper outside of class, of a minimum 1500 words in length. Minimum paper lengths are so extremely short that anyone desiring a high grade would be advised to write a somewhat longer one. Any paper shorter than the minimum assigned will receive an F as an incomplete assignment. Except for meeting the very low minimum number of pages, don't concentrate on length, but try to make your papers as detailed, well-organized, and interesting as possible. All papers must be completed on a format that can be opened on the computers at Kean. Microsoft Word is ideal since I will be grading, commenting and returning them to you electronically. These papers are not necessarily research papers, and it is possible to receive an A on a paper without doing research for them, although good papers, incorporating good library work, will normally receive higher grades.

You should choose a topic you are particularly interested in, not try to guess what I want you to write. When I can learn something new from a paper, I am pleased. By Tuesday, April 1, you will send me a proposal briefly describing the thesis of your paper. If necessary I will give you advice on how to proceed. I am happy to answer questions about proposed topics. Papers are to be submitted to gotprofkiefer@gmail.com by noon on Thursday April 17, Papers may always be handed in before the due date if you wish.

Prompt: Create a 5-7 page (1500-1800 words) term paper comparing and/or contrasting a common thematic element(s) in two of the pieces of literature we have read thus far: Antigone, The Odyssey, Macbeth, The Stranger and The Death of Ivan Ilyich. This essay requires a close reading and analysis of the texts. You may create your own topic or consider one of the following: loyalty, fidelity, vision vs. blindness, the use of disguise, pride and stubbornness, what it means to be a hero, etc. You are relatively free to choose your topic, as long as it analyzes thematic elements common in both pieces you choose. This essay should not be a summary of the material, but a critical analysis of the material. Be original, but be sure that your claims are supported by evidence from the texts.

Assessment:

The following elements are taken into consideration when I grade your papers:

1) You must convince me that you have closely read and understood the texts.

2) You must have sent me your thesis to review by noon on Tuesday April 1.

3) You must respond to the prompt as given.

4) You must follow the Kean University Composition guidelines (attached on rubric)

5) I expect you to support your arguments with references to the text, often including quotations appropriately introduced and analyzed (but quote only to make points about the material quoted, not simply for its own sake).

6) Your paper must be sent electronically in the format described above to Gotprofkiefer@gmail.com by noon on Thursday April 17.

Late Papers:

If you think you have a valid excuse (medical, etc.) for not getting a paper in on time, let me know in advance via e-mail at gotprofkiefer@gmail.com. Papers handed in late with no excuse will not receive a passing grade. To pass the course you must hand in this paper.

Analytic Paper Rubric

World Literature 2403/26-- Spring 2014
Professor Kiefer
Rubric Analytic Paper

Prompt: Create a five to seven page (1600-1800 words) term paper comparing and/or contrasting a common theme in a piece of literature we have read thus far. This essay requires a close reading and analysis of the texts. This essay should not be a summary of the material, but a critical analysis of the material. Be original, but be sure that your claims are supported by evidence from the texts.

Assessment: ______points out of 30. Final letter grade: _______
On a scale of 1-5
__________1) The writing indicates a close reading and understanding of the texts.
__________2) An effective thesis statement was submitted by Tuesday, April 1.
__________3) The writing responds to the prompt as given.
__________4) The writing followed the Kean University Composition Guidelines (attached)
__________5) The writing is thematically-based and is supported by arguments with references to the text, including quotations appropriately introduced and analyzed.

__________6) The writing was sent electronically in the format described above to Gotprofkiefer@gmail.com by noon on Thursday April 17. Or an extension was requested with a valid reason, well in advance of the deadline.

Composition skills to be corrected are underlined and bolded below

Kean University English Composition Grading Policies
Writing assignments are evaluated according to
a) clarity of purpose;
b) appropriateness to audience;
c) clarity of focus;
d) quality of development;
e) effectiveness of organization;
f) degree of fluency;
g) stylistic skill demonstrated through word choice (diction) and sentence structure (syntax); and
h) correctness of mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation).

A Excellent fulfillment of the assignments requirements; original substantive content; effective organization and logical development; correct mechanics; clear effective diction and syntax; fluent use of language; correct documentation (when applicable).
B Above average fulfillment of the assignments requirements; thorough and interesting content; good organization; correct mechanics; effective diction and syntax; fluent use of language; correct documentation (when applicable)
C Fulfills basic requirements of the assignment; some solid content; adequate organization; no major mechanical errors; no major documentation errors.
D Does not fulfill basic requirements of the assignment; vague content; ineffective organization; major mechanical errors; significant errors in documentation.
F Does not fulfill basic requirements of the assignment; little content; minimal form; major, serious repeated mechanical errors; violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Reminders: Sunday at 3 pm and Tuesday, 3/4 during class

Homework:
1) Please send me your leitmotif quotes with the motif in the subject line (and your name) by Sunday at 3 pm. Send these to my gotprofkiefer@gmail.com email.
2) Macbeth RRR is due Tuesday during class.

Midterm will be Thursday, March 6 and will take the entire class. Notes are welcome and encouraged! Print-outs are not.

Fun Post from John Green --The Odyssey in 12 minutes!

Click here and...enjoy!

http://youtu.be/MS4jk5kavy4

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Homework for class on 2/27

1) Read Macbeth through Act IV.
2) Begin reviewing and compiling your reading notes for midterm.

Reminders:
Midterm exam is on Thursday, March 6.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Reminders for Week of 2/17

Just a few reminders:
1) Class on Thursday, 2/20 is cancelled.
2) Due next Tuesday, 2/25:

RRR on The Odyssey. Please bring two copies typed.
Quiz on Macbeth through Act III sc. ii.

Thanks

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Group activity: Thematic/Topical Exploration in The Odyssey

Thematic/Topical Exploration in The Odyssey

The purpose of this activity is to give you the time to explore one assigned theme or topic in The Odyssey in detail with the help of a small group. You will have one and a half class sessions (2/11 & half of 2/13) to complete this. The intention of this assignment is to begin to prepare for the analytic thinking and writing that will be required in our analysis paper in April.

Themes/Topics:

1. the ritual of sacrificing animals to the gods

2. the treatment of strangers visiting others’ homes

3. the existence and use of fate in the story (gods’ will, prophecies, etc.)

4. the role of women

5. omens and signs

THE REQUIREMENTS:

In order to successfully complete the assignment, you will need to complete these activities items for your theme/topic:

1. Discuss the theme as it appears and develops throughout the poem.

2. Design a comprehensive, single-sided handout for the class with key examples of the theme’s emergence throughout the poem.

3. Present your theme/topic to the class in an organized and meaningful way on Thursday, February 13.

4. Reflect on your participation in the group’s written and oral presentation in a one paragraph writing.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Link to The Odyssey movie

Many thanks to Rechelle for finding this on Youtube!

http://youtu.be/125OQzndK38

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Due on Thursday, 2/6/14

Read The Odyssey through book X
RRR Due. Bring two copies to class. Make sure to review the elements/characteristics of epic poetry and use them to inform your RRR (on books I-X) for Thursday.
Stay warm and safe!

Characteristics of Epic Poetry

An epic or heroic poem is:

A long narrative poem;
On a serious subject;
Written in a grand or elevated style;
Centered on a larger-than-life hero.

Epics also tend to have the following characteristics:

An opening in medias res;
An invocation to the Muse;
A concern with the fate of a nation or people;
A correspondingly large scale, often ranging around the world (and in Milton's case, beyond the earth and into heaven);
The intervention of supernatural figures, who are interested in the outcome of the action (the system of gods, demons, angels, and such is often called machinery);
Extended similes, generally called epic similes;
Long catalogues, whether of ships, characters, or places;
Extensive battle scenes;
A few stock episodes, including a visit to the underworld.

Homer wrote the oldest surviving epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, from around the eight century B.C. To be precise, change wrote to composed: Homer, even if there was a single individual called Homer, was probably illiterate, and probably composed orally. (There's a huge literature on this; you'll find a swell overview in Bernard Knox's introductory material in Robert Fagles's translation of the Iliad.) Virgil, although thoroughly literate, consciously imitated many of Homer's techniques, and produced the most famous epic poem of AugustanRome, the Aeneid. Many of the characteristics of later epic derive from the quirks of oral composition.
In both Greek and Latin, the most common epic meter was dactylic hexameter. That's a difficult meter to pull off in English, though; English epics aren't associated with any one meter, though most of them beginning with Spenser are in pentameter. Famous English epics include the Old English poem Beowulf (written in alliterative meter); in the Renaissance, Spenser'sFaerie Queene (with its complicated Spenserian stanza) and Milton's Paradise Lost (in blank verse). In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, heroic couplets were considered the best form for epics; Dryden's translation of Virgil and Pope's translation of Homer use heroic couplets.
The history of the epic is worth studying in some detail. The Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid are the most famous epics of antiquity, but not the only ones; Statius' Thebaid, for instance, is worth reading. In the Middle Ages, the dominant long narrative form is the romance, which is epic's kissin' cousin. Exactly what to call Beowulf is unclear, but Dante's Divine Comedy is probably best described as an epic
As you get into the Renaissance, the familiar pattern of the classical epic becomes more visible: Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1516) mixes romance with epic, but Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1575) is clearly modeled on the epics of Homer and Virgil. Camoens's Lusiads are the great Portuguese epic. The first great English epic of the Renaissance is Spenser'sFaerie Queene (1590-96), followed by Milton's Paradise Lost (1667-74).
But then the form seems to disappear, or at least to trasform itself radically. In the late seventeenth century, most writers were convinced that epic was the highest form — and yet, according to most conventional histories of English literature, no one succeeded in writing a great one. There are good translations of the classical epics by Dryden and Pope; there are also brilliant mock epics. Henry Fielding incorporates many epic features into his novels (he calls Joseph Andrews a "comic epic-poem in prose"). In the early nineteenth century, Wordsworth tries to write a kind of epic, The Prelude, but it's a very loose fit with the traditional definitions.
Sometimes it's unclear whether a particular work is best called an epic. Gilgamesh, for instance, works on a scale similar to most epics, but it's not directly related to the Homeric tradition, and lacks many of the characteristics of the Western epic. Ditto the Indian Ramayana and Mahabharata. In the West, many works of the Middle Ages and Renaissance blend qualities of the epic with the romance — there were plenty of squabbles between the supporters of Tasso and Ariosto in sixteenth-century Italy over how much romance can be admitted into epic. And after the decline of the traditional epic in the seventeenth century, many works borrow many epic characteristics, though again, it's unclear whether they should really be called epics. Melville's Moby-Dick, Tolstoy's War and Peace, Joyce's Ulysses, Derek Walcott's Omeros — all have epic characteristics, but it's unclear whether they're properly epics themselves.
Whatever you do, though, don't use the term epic loosely for anything large in scope. Although networks will try to convince you every miniseries and telemovie is "epic," don't believe 'em — or, at least, don't use that sort of advertising cant in an English class.

From the Guide to Literary Terms by Jack Lynch.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Important Events in Books I-VIII--READ ME!

Important Events

Book 1

Mentor give Telemachus information and advice. What is it?

Book 2

Telemachus addresses the suitors and the formal assembly of Ithaca. What does he want from them?
Note the symbolic events that occur during the debate.

Book 3

Telemachus visits Nestor in Pylos. What does he learn from him?
KNOW THE STORY OF AGAMEMNON’S RETURN TO ARGOS (p. 36+)
Note sacrifice and bathing rituals.

Book 4

Telemachus visits Menelaus in Sparta. What does he learn?
KNOW THE STORY OF ODYSSEUS’ SPY TRIP INTO THE CITY OF TROY DURING THE WAR (p. 52+)
The suitors’ plot against Telemachus. What do they plan?

Book 5

What shift occurs between books 4 and 5?
KNOW HOW ODYSSUES ENDED UP ON OGYGIA WITH CALYPSO (p. )What is the nature of their relationship?
Why is Odysseus alone?
Hermes visits Calypso. What is decided?
Odysseus leaves Ogygia. Why?

Book 6

Odysseus arrives in Phaeacia. How does he get there? What is his condition?
How does Nausicaa help Odysseus?

Book 7

Odysseus arrives in the palace of Alcinous. How does he treat them? How is he treated?
Why doesn’t Odysseus want to reveal his identity?

Book 8

Note that the Phaeacian Games are a lot like the Olympics. How does Odysseus participate?
KNOW THE STORY OF THE LOVE TRIANGLE BETWEEN HEPHEASTUS AND APHRODITE (p. 114 +)
Odysseus’ identity is revealed to the Phaeacians. How does this occur?

Character Information for The Odyssey

Achilles Son of the mortal man Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis, Achilles is the best warrior at the siege of Troy. Odysseus encounters his shade (spirit) in the underworld in Book 11 while waiting for the seer Tiresias to tell him how he is to return home after being delayed for ten years.

Aeolus The son of Hippotas Homer describes him as "beloved of the immortal gods" (X.2) and relates that Zeus put him in charge of the winds, letting him "hold them still or start them up at his pleasure" (X.22). He and his family (six sons married to six daughters) live on Aeolia, a floating island. After listening to Odysseus's tales of Troy, he agrees to help and makes Odysseus a present of a bag containing all the adverse winds that could blow him off his proper course home. Unfortunately, Odysseus's men untie the knot, thinking they will find gold in the bag; the winds blow them back to Aeolia. Aeolus casts them out, saying he has no desire to help anyone who is so obviously cursed by the gods.

Agamemnon Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, and King of Mycenae, Agamemnon commands the Achaean forces at Troy. Odysseus encounters his shade in the underworld. Agamemnon tells him about what he (Agamemnon) found waiting for him when he returned home after the war, and he cautions Odysseus to be careful until he is sure of his wife's loyalty.

Ajax (Oilean, the Lesser)Son of Oileus and leader of the Locrians at Troy. Shipwrecked on his way home after the war, he boasts of having escaped the sea in spite of the gods—and is subsequently drowned by Poseidon. Odysseus encounters his shade in the underworld in Book 11.
Ajax (Telamonian, the Greater)Son of Telamon and grandson of Aeacus (who was also grandfather of Achilles), Ajax was one of the bravest and strongest fighters at Troy. At the funeral games after Achilles's death, he and Odysseus competed for Achilles's armor and weapons. When they were awarded to Odysseus, Ajax sulked and, in a fit of madness, slaughtered a flock of sheep in the belief that they were his enemies. When he discovered what he had done, he killed himself, unable to live with the shame. Odysseus encounters the shade of Ajax in the underworld, and even apologizes for the outcome of their contest at Achilles's funeral games. Ajax, angry with Odysseus even after death, refuses to speak to the man he believes had unfairly beaten him in life.

Alcinous Son of Nausithous, husband of Arete and father of Nausicaa and Laodamas, Alcinous (the name means "sharp-witted" or "brave-witted") is king of Phaeacia and a grandson of Poseidon. Homer depicts him as a kind, generous, and noble man, eager to help the stranger and put him at ease (e.g., VIII.94-5, 532-34). He even suggests that Odysseus should stay in Phaeacia and marry his daughter.

Antinous Son of Eupithes, Antinous's name literally means "anti-mind" and could be translated as "Mindless." He is one of the boldest and most ambitious (not to say obnoxious) of the suitors for Penelope's hand. He wants to supplant Telemachus as the next ruler of Ithaca (I.384ff.). It is his idea to attempt to ambush Telemachus on his way home from the mainland, and he proposes killing Telemachus outright at least three different times (XVI.383, XX.271-74, and XXII.49-53). He is the first man Odysseus kills in Book 22.
Aphrodite Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love (the equivalent of the Roman Venus). According to Homer, she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione; the poet Hesiod (who likely lived and wrote not long after Homer's time), however, claims that she sprang from the foam (aphros in Greek) of the sea, as seen in Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus (circa 1485). She is married, though not faithful, to Hephaestus, god of fire and smithcraft. Among her many lovers was the god of war, Ares. Aphrodite appears in the Odyssey only by "reputation," so to speak, when Demodocus sings the story of how her husband conspired to trap her in bed with her lover Ares and expose the two of them to the ridicule of the gods (VIII.266-366).

Apollo The son of Zeus and Leto, and twin brother of Artemis, Apollo is the god of archery, prophecy, music, medicine, light, and youth. (Sometimes, though not in Homer, Apollo is identified with the sun). As we frequently see in the Odyssey (e.g, III.279, IV.341, VI.162, etc.), plagues and other diseases, and sometimes a peaceful death in old age, were often explained as being the result of "gentle arrows" shot by Apollo (for men), or by his sister Artemis (for women).

Arete Niece and wife of Alcinous and mother of Nausicaa, Arete is queen of the Phaeacians. Her name means "Virtue" or "Excellence" in Greek. Athena tells Odysseus that Alcinous honors Arete "as no other woman on earth'' is honored (VII.67).
ArtemisDaughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo, Artemis is the virgin goddess of the hunt, the moon, and, in some traditions, of childbirth and the young. As we frequently see in the Odyssey (e.g., IV.122, V.123, VI.102, etc.), plagues and other diseases, and sometimes a peaceful death in old age, were often explained as being the result of "gentle arrows" shot by Artemis (for women), or by her brother Apollo (for men).

Athena The daughter of Zeus and Metis, Zeus (following in the tradition of his own father, Cronus) swallowed her at birth when it was revealed that she would someday bear a son who would be lord of heaven (and thus take Zeus's place). She was born, fully grown and in armor, from the head of Zeus after Hephaestus (or, in some traditions, Prometheus) split it open with an axe to relieve his headache.
Athena was revered as the patron goddess of Athens (where the temple known as the Parthenon was technically dedicated to her in her aspect as Athena Polios, protectress of the city), but also as a goddess of war, wisdom and cleverness, and crafts, especially weaving and spinning. She describes herself in the Odyssey as being "famous among all the gods for scheming and clever tricks" (XIII.299).
Athena does not behave in the same way as most of the other gods in the Odyssey; she is closely involved with both Odysseus and Telemachus all through the poem, whereas the other gods (with the exception of Poseidon) are more remote and rarely intervene in the affairs of mortals. Indeed, the account of Athena's interaction with Odysseus, where he finally reaches Ithaca in Book 13, reads more like an encounter between old friends or cherished family members than between a mortal and a god. Homer may have intended such closeness to underscore Odysseus's heroic status: the gods only assist those who are worthy, and even then they tend to be somewhat distant. For Athena to treat Odysseus so familiarly indicates his superior status even among heroes.

Athene See Athena

Atreides See Agamemnon

Calypso Daughter of Atlas, who holds the world upon his shoulders, Calypso (whose name is related to the Greek verb "to hide'' and which might therefore be translated as "Concealer") is a goddess who lives on the island of Ogygia. She falls in love with Odysseus during the seven years he lives on her island (I.15, IX.30), and proposes to make him immortal (V.136,209): not a gift usually given lightly.
She says as much to Hermes in Book 5 when he comes to tell her of Zeus's decision that she must let Odysseus go. She is not happy with Zeus's decision, but she abides by it. She again offers to make Odysseus immortal. When he turns her down, she provides him with the materials and tools he needs to make a raft. When it is completed, she sends a favorable wind at his back that almost gets him home—until Poseidon catches sight of him.

Circe Daughter of Helios (the sun-god) and Perse, and sister of Aeetes, the king of Colchis who plagued Jason and the Argonauts. A minor goddess who "speaks with the speech of mortals," she is also a powerful enchantress.
Her "specialty" lies in turning men into pigs (in Homer; pseudo-Apollodorus also mentions wolves, donkeys, and lions; this may be reflected in the reference to wolves and lions at X.212) by means of potions and spells. Yet once she recognizes Odysseus, and swears an oath not to harm him, she becomes the most charming of hostesses, so much so that Odysseus and his men remain with her an entire year before the crew asks Odysseus if it is not time to head for home.
Apollodorus also records the tradition that Circe bore a son, Telegonus, to Odysseus during his stay on the island. Homer merely notes (IX.32) that she wanted Odysseus to remain as her husband.

Ctesippus A suitor from the island of Same whom Homer describes (XX.287) as "a man well-versed in villainy," though he does not specify exactly what Ctesippus has done to earn that nickname. His name literally means "Horse-Getter," so we might conclude that he was, literally, a horse-thief.
Ctesippus insults Odysseus and throws an ox-hoof at him when he goes around the hall begging on the day the suitors are killed. Odysseus ducks the missile, and Telemachus orders Ctesippus to leave the stranger alone or suffer the consequences. Ctesippus is later killed by the oxherd Philoetius (XXII.285).

Demodocus The blind bard, or poet, of the Phaeacian court. Traditionally, Demodocus has been taken as representing Homer, but not all scholars accept this idea.

Eumaeus Son of Ctesius, who was king of two cities on the island of Syria (not to be confused with the Middle Eastern country of the same name), Eumaeus was kidnaped at a young age by one of his father's serving women and taken by Phoenician traders, who sold him as a slave to Laertes, Odysseus's father. Odysseus's mother, Anticleia, raised him together with her own daughter, and then sent him to the country when the daughter was married (XV.366ff.). His name might mean something like "one who seeks the good." Eumaeus seems quite content with his lot in life. He remains loyal to his absent master and does his best to protect the property entrusted to his care from the depradations of the suitors. He grieves for the loss of Odysseus (XIV.40-44, etc.) no less than for his lost home and family, and when Telemachus returns from his overseas journey, Eumaeus greets him as if he were his own son (XVI. 14-22).
It should be noted in passing that the sort of slavery described in the Homeric poems, while it had some aspects in common with the variety later practiced in Europe and America, is also different from the later practice in several significant respects. Chief among them is the fact that in Homer, the slave is often as much a part of the household as the son of the house, with a place within it and defined rights and privileges: Eumaeus, for example, was raised together with his masters' daughter and is both permitted and sufficiently wealthy to have a slave of his own (XIV.449-52).

Eurycleia The daughter of Ops, Eurycleia is a long-time servant of Odysseus' family. Odysseus' father Laertes bought her in her youth for 20 oxen (not an insignificant price, especially for an island king with relatively little land for cattle). She was Odysseus' nurse, and then Telemachus', and in her old age she now attends Penelope.
As with Eumaeus, although Eurycleia is a slave in the household of Odysseus and his family, there is every indication that she is loved and repected just as much as any of the "regular" members of the household. It is she whom Thelemachus tells of his plans to travel to Pylos and Sparta (II.348ff.), not Penelope, and also she who comforts Penelope when the latter learns her son has been away all this time. Laertes, in his day, is said to have "favored her as much as his own devoted wife'' (I.432).
It should be noted in passing that the sort of slavery described in the Homeric poems, while it has some aspects in common with the variety later practiced in Europe and America (i.e., use of slaves for sexual relief, chattel ownership of one human being by another, and, to some extent, the power of life and death over one's slaves), it is also different from the later practice in several significant respects. Chief among them is the fact that in Homer, the slave is often as much a part of the household as the son of the house, with a place in it and defined rights and privileges: Eurycleia, for example, is the one to insist that Odysseus' grandfather be the one to name the new baby, and has a few suggestions of her own on that point (XIX.401ff).

Eurylochos See Eurylochus

Eurylochus A companion of Odysseus, Eurylochos is the one who ties Odysseus to the mast to keep him from responding—fatally—to the song of the Sirens, and it is he who leads the first group of men to Circe's palace, then has to report that they have not come back out, and begs Odysseus not to make him go back (X.266-69). Eurylochos eventually turns on Odysseus and refuses to obey him on Thrinacia, where he urges the rest of the men to slaughter the sun-god's cattle (XII.339ff.).

Eurymachus Son of Polybus, Eurymachus is described as the "leading candidate" for Penelope's hand (XV.17-18). His name means "wide-fighting." Eurymachus is shown to be arrogant, disrespectful, hypocritical, cowardly, and abusive. He is the second of the suitors to die by Odysseus's hand. Odysseus's words to him, after Eurymachus offers to make good on the damages the suitors have done to his household in his absence, are virtually the same as Achilles's words in response to Agamemnon's offer of a ransom for Briseis in Book 9 of the Iliad.

Helen Daughter of Zeus and Leda, the most beautiful woman of her time. Wife of Menelaus, Helen went, apparently willingly, with Paris to Troy: the resulting war formed the background for Homer's other epic poem, the Iliad.
Even in the Iliad, Helen was something of an enigma, a status that is still hers in the Odyssey. She herself tells the story of how she recognized Odysseus on a scouting mission in Troy (IV.244ff.) and announces that by that time, "my heart had already turned toward going home" (IV.260). Yet scarcely 20 lines further on, Menelaus tells of how she came by night to the Trojan Horse, accompanied by one of Priam's sons, and walked around it, calling out to the men hiding inside by name, and imitating the voice of each man's wife (IV.274-79).
One might have expected Menelaus to be angry with Helen for running off to Troy, and she with him for having dragged her back. Instead, Homer treats us to a portrait of marital bliss: Helen and Menelaus are to all appearances deeply in love with one another, and quite happy to be back in Sparta among their people and their possessions. Helen is regal and somewhat mysterious, apparently as much an advisor to Menelaus as a wife. She is understanding and compassionate as well, as evidenced by her putting soothing drugs into the wine being served around the hall as everyone is on the verge of breaking down and crying for their lost relatives (IV.220ff.).

Kalypso See Calypso

Kirke See Circe

Laertes Son of Arcesius (and thus a grandson of Zeus), husband of Anticleia, and father of Odysseus. Laertes was one of those (along with Menoetius, father of Patroclus; Peleus, father of Achilles; and Telamon, father of Ajax the Greater) who sailed with Jason on the Argo in the quest for the Golden Fleece, according to pseudo-Apollodorus (Library, 1.97).
By the time the Odyssey begins, however, Laertes is old and worn by care and grief. His wife has died, his son has been absent for 20 years, first at the Trojan War and then on his wanderings on his way home from it. He has retired to a country estate, where he lives more like one of the servants than the owner (XI.187-96).
This behavior has puzzled scholars and readers for many years. Presumably, in the absence of his son and at least until Telemachus is old enough to take over, Laertes would have acted as Odysseus's regent in Ithaca, maintaining order and seeing to the safety of both the people in general and of Odysseus's household in particular. Details are sketchy in the Odyssey, but we do know that the suitors have only relatively recently arrived on the scene (within three or four years, according to II.89-90) and, while we do not know precisely when she died, that Anticleia's death was especially hard on Laertes. We may conjecture that Laertes did in fact act in Odysseus's place for most of the time he is absent, but subsequently retired to the country on the death of his wife, when the burdens of rule became too great. This retirement, of course, is also a necessary dramatic device: without it, there would be no explanation for the suitors' presence, much less their audacity, and thus no framework either for demonstrating the excellence of Telemachus and his fitness to succeed his father, or for anything more dramatic for Odysseus's homecoming than a simple announcement of his arrival.

Melanthius Son of Dolius, Melanthius is Odysseus's goatherd. During his master's long absence, Melanthius has become friendly with the suitors of Odysseus's wife Penelope. He insults Odysseus as Eumaeus is bringing him into town, and again on the morning of the day that Odysseus kills the suitors. He attempts to bring armor from the storeroom for the suitors once Odysseus has revealed himself, but is caught in the act by Eumaeus and imprisoned there until the end of the fighting. He is severely mutilated (and presumably dies of his wounds, though Homer is not explicit on this point) by Telemachus, Eumaeus, and Philoetius.

Menelaos See Menelaus

Menelaus Son of Atreus and brother of Agamemnon, Menelaus is king of Sparta and the husband of Helen. While Menelaus was extraordinarily unassuming in the Iliad, in the Odyssey he shines as an example of the happy husband and father, the good ruler, and the perfect host, who is outraged at the suggestion (IV.31-36) that he should send Telemachus and Pisistratus away, even though they have arrived in the middle of a double wedding. One might have expected him to be bitter at Helen's betrayal, but we see no evidence of this in the Odyssey: quite the contrary, he seems overjoyed to have her back at home. He has his share of adventures on the way home from Troy, but unlike his older and more powerful brother Agamemnon, in whose shadow he stands throughout the Iliad, Menelaus returned home to a peaceful kingdom with a loving wife at his side. Menelaus is happy to see Telemachus, who he says reminds him very much of his father Odysseus (IV. 148-50), and to help him in whatever way he can. (He even offers to take the boy around central Greece, collecting gifts, an offer which Telemachus refuses, as he does several of Menelaus's own gifts, which he says he is incapable of caring for on Ithaca.) Homer tells us that because he is the husband of Helen, who is herself a daughter of Zeus, he is destined after death to be taken by the gods to the Elysian Fields.

Nausicaa Daughter of Alcinous and Arete, Nausicaa is a Phaeacian princess. The night before Odysseus is discovered in the bushes, she dreams of her marriage: and after Athena makes him look more regal, she seems to think that Odysseus would make a suitable husband (VI.239-45): a sentiment her father echoes (VII.311-16). Her name, as with many of the Phaeacian characters, is related to the Greek word for "ship," naus. Initially shy when confronted with a naked stranger, she quickly recovers her poise and remembers the rules about dealing with strangers and guests. She puts Odysseus at his ease, gives him clothing, and directions on how to find the palace and how to proceed when he is admitted. Samuel Butler suggested in The Authoress of the Odyssey that Nausicaa was either herself the author of the Odyssey or intended to represent the author of the poem, but this theory has met with almost universal skepticism.

Nausikaa See Nausicaa

Nestor The only surviving son of Neleus to survive, Nestor is the elderly king of Pylos, where it is said (III.245) that he has reigned over "three generations of men." As in the Iliad, Nestor's role is that of the elder statesman and advisor. He is long-winded and prone to telling stories about his remarkable feats in the old days (which Telemachus tries diplomatically to avoid having to listen to on his return to Ithaca at XV.200), but his advice is almost always sound, and his help is essential to Telemachus's mission.
OdysseusSon of Laertes and Anticleia, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, and absent King of Ithaca. In the Iliad, Odysseus was a first-rank character of the second rank: important, but clearly secondary to the likes of Agamemnon, Achilles, Hector, and Ajax. He was still known for guile, tact, and diplomacy more than for courage, and there seemed to be something at least mildly sinister about his talents. In the Odyssey, however, we are given an opportunity to see Odysseus at the center of the stage, doing what he does best—getting out of difficult situations as easily as he seems to get into them—but in a much different light. Whereas in the Iliad, Odysseus was always trying to get someone else to do what he wanted, or what some third party wanted (e.g., the embassy to Achilles), now we see him using his wits just to stay alive, and in situations where it is quite clear that he needs every scrap of guile, intelligence, and endurance he can muster. He acts as he does because he has no choice: circumstances or the gods repeatedly force his hand.
We also see the more human side of Odysseus: his ability to inspire affection and respect in others (Penelope, Calypso, the Phaeacians, Eumaeus, etc.), his strength (even though he might not have been able to stand up to Hector in battle, he is the only one of 110 people who try to string his bow that manages to do so, and he breaks Irus's jaw with one punch), and his love for his wife and family.
Some have argued that too much of the "human" side of Odysseus shines through, that he is nothing more than a grasping, greedy, selfish, disreputable man who simply bides his time, does as little as possible to help anyone else, and always makes sure he takes care of Number One first. The seeds of this view, which stretches all the way back to the tragedian Euripides (c. 480-406 BC), are definitely present in Homer (especially in the episode with the Laestrygonians in Book 10). Nevertheless, it is not a view that Homer would be likely to accept.
Others, beginning with Dante (who puts Odysseus in Hell for wanting to know too much) and continuing through Alfred, Lord Tennyson, have seen in Odysseus the eternal wanderer, not content to rest too long in any one place, and always seeking to learn new things. Again, there are some hints of this interpretation in Homer, but no more than that.
For Homer, Odysseus is a loyal husband, loving father, and a true hero who wants nothing more than to return to his home and his loved ones. To achieve this goal he even turns down an easy chance at immortality: not a gift which is frequently given to begin with, and not usually without a great deal of hardship in the bargain.

Penelope Daughter of Icarius, wife of Odysseus, and mother of Telemachus. Commentators have noted that Penelope is a woman in conflict: should she await the return of her long-missing husband, or remarry? Should she remain in the house she shared with Odysseus, or move on? Is she still wife, or widow? Penelope has a rough time of it throughout most of the Odyssey. She cherishes memories of the past she shared with her long-absent husband. But there is nothing grim, nothing suggestive of denial, in her relationship to the past.
Penelope is not indecisive and she does not live in the past. She is an intelligent woman (as both the episode of Laertes's shroud and the trial with Odysseus's bow demonstrate). She wants to wait to consider remarriage until she is sure that her son Telemachus can stand on his own without her support. Fidelity to her husband, devotion to her son, care for the household, and resourcefulness on a par with Odysseus's own, especially where any of the foregoing are concerned: these are the characteristics of Homer's Penelope. She is a realist: she knows there is almost no hope that Odysseus will come back after an absence of twenty years, but she will not deny that last little bit of hope its chance, which sets her apart from the suitors and the faithless servants. Her test of Odysseus's identity by mentioning their marriage bed proves that she is the equal of the master of schemes himself.

Philoetius A longtime servant of Odysseus, Philoetius manages the herds for the household. He has remained loyal to his absent master, who he hopes will return, but thinks it unlikely.

Polyphemus A son of Poseidon and a Cyclops, a one-eyed giant. He lives on an island which is usually thought to be Sicily. He is presented as a member of a lawless race that does not acknowledge the gods, but which also lives in an area that provides for all their needs without effort on their part. Polyphemus, in Homer, is depicted as a particularly savage giant, who eats human beings raw and washes them down with either milk or wine. He briefly captures Odysseus and his men; they get him drunk and blind him, after which they escape from his cave by clinging to the bellies of his sheep and goats. The blinded giant counts his livestock by feeling their backs, but is unaware of the escaping men sneaking out under the animals. Polyphemus asks his father Poseidon for revenge against Odysseus, which he gets.

Poseidon Son of Cronus and Rhea, and brother of Zeus and Hades, Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. He is typically portrayed as a stately, older figure, though one capable of great passion and bluster (not unlike the storms at sea that were said to be caused by his anger). In both the Iliad (where he is still furious with the Trojans because of a slight a generation in the past) and the Odyssey (where Odysseus languishes for years because of an injury to one of Poseidon's sons), Poseidon is stubborn and prone to holding a grudge, but not entirely unreasonable. When he is all set to bury the island of Scheria under a mountain in retribution for the assistance the Phaeacians gave to Odysseus in getting home, he gives way to Zeus's persuasion and "contents" himself with turning their ship into stone as it sails back into the Phaeacian harbor.

Teiresias See Tiresias

Telamonian See Ajax the Greater

Telemachos See Telemachus

Telemachus Son of Odysseus and Penelope, Telemachus is only a baby when Odysseus left for Troy (IV.112). He grows to manhood in a land beset by civic disorder (II.26-27) and a household that has lately become the object of a concerted effort to drive it into poverty or at the very least to reassign control to someone other than its rightful heir.
As we see him early in the poem, Telemachus is rather shy and diffident. He has no memories of his resourceful father to use as a model, and no strong male figure to look up to or to show him the ways of a ruler. Yet under Athena's guidance, Telemachus begins to grow in confidence and something approaching wisdom, until at the very end of the poem we find him all but the equal of his father, even to the point of nearly stringing Odysseus's great bow (XXI. 125-30), until his father signals him not to.
As with Odysseus, the very fact that Athena acts as his champion demonstrates his worth: had he not been worth, the goddess would have had disregarded him. Nor is his new-found eloquence, poise, and grace entirely Athena's doing: she helps him to discover the qualities that have long lain dormant in him, lacking the proper atmosphere in which to grow and flourish.

Tiresias A famous prophet from the Greek city of Thebes, the son of Everes and the nymph Chariclo. Homer's near-contemporary Hesiod tells the story of how Tiresias was changed from a man into a woman after separating a pair of snakes he found mating in the woods, and eventually was changed back into a man when he again separated the same pair of snakes. He was blinded either because he took Zeus's side in an argument and Hera wanted revenge, or—in a different tradition—because he beheld Athena in the nude.
Tiresias is already in residence in the underworld at the time of the epic. He is the only person in the underworld who has any degree of current knowledge about the world above: everyone else knows only what has happened up to the time of his death, unless news can be obtained from a new arrival. Tiresias is also a prominent character in the Theban plays of Sophocles (496-406 BC), particularly the Antigone (441 BC) and Oedipus the King.

Zeus Son of Cronus and Rhea, brother and husband of Hera, brother of Poseidon and Hades, Zeus is god of the sky, of the clouds, of storms and thunder, and the ruler of the other gods. Zeus in the Odyssey is much more in the background than was Zeus in the Iliad, In the present poem, Zeus is more of a cosmic enforcer of the customs, a keeper of the peace among the gods (and sometimes among mortals, as in XXIV.482-86), and a benevolent observer than the direct participant he was in Homer's previous work.
His hand seems to rest more securely on the reins of power in the Odyssey as well. Whereas in the Iliad the other gods frequently challenged his decisions and stood up to him in council until he tactfully reminded them of his superior power, in the Odyssey, his directives are obeyed without hesitation or threats, and no one even seems to consider opposing him.

Due 2/4/14

1) Read The Odyssey books I-VIII. There will be a reading quiz in the first 10 minutes of class.

2) Complete a Reflective Reading Response (RRR) on Antigone. Allow our class discussion to inform your responses, if you wish. Two to three paragraphs, typed. Bring two copies to class.

Review of 1/30/14 Literary Elements and devices

Tonight we reviewed basic literary elements and terms related to literature:
plot,
exposition,
climax,
denouement,
setting,
conflict,
foreshadowing,
flashback,
reliable versus unreliable narration,
protagonist,
antagonist,
foil,
static and dynamic characters
point of view (including omniscient),
explicit and implicit themes and how they differ from leit motif,
understanding tone versus mood in literature.

The worksheet distributed and emailed to you is intended to guide you through each reading assignment. You will be responsible for recognizing each of these elements/devices in our assigned reading.