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.

Helpful Links for Reading Analysis and Writing

Helpful Links

General

Writing Guides:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/

MLA Style Guides:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch08_o.html

Tutorials on Original Work vs. Plagiarism:

http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/pages/original/ 

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

Additionally, www.turnitin.com offers a tutorial through http://plagiarism.org.

Literary Terms, Forms, and Devices defined:

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb10/glossary/A.aspx

http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nap/Glossary_Versification.htm

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/197

http://www.virtualsalt.com/rhetoric.htm

http://www.virtualsalt.com/litterms.htm

Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop Online:

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/levels_a2h.cfm?sp=student

AP English Language & Composition Course Description:

https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-english-language-and-composition

AP English Literature & Composition Course Description:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html?englit

Bulfinch's Mythology: 

http://www.online-literature.com/bulfinch/mythology_fable/

Pre-Course Survey

Welcome to World Lit!

Please use the link below to complete a very brief survey for this course. This survey needs to be completed ASAP.

 http://tinyurl.com/ENG2403-SP14-presurvey

When you have completed it, would you respond to this email that you have completed it?

Thanks,

Prof. K.

Notes for 1/28/14--What is Literature and Who is Antigone?

World Literature 2403

A beginning

What is literature and why read it?

The simple attempt to define literature has political implications.

E.D. Hirsch –Cultural Literacy Movement—static academic knowledge

Louise Rosenblatt --Reader Response Theory—employing the reader as critic/meaning maker

A canon—an accepted standard of literature, has changed with our culture.

Literature as a picture

Often, literature defines the culture and cultural standards from which it comes and from which it is held up as an example of the canon of literature.

Literature includes texts that

are written text (as opposed to spoken or sung)

are marked by careful use of language (metaphors, well-turned phrases, elegant syntax, rhyme, alliteration, meter)

are in a literary genre (poetry, prose, fiction, drama)

are read aesthetically

are intended by the author to be read aesthetically

are deliberately open to interpretation

Reader Response

The reader performs different activities during aesthetic and non-aesthetic readings depending on the different focus of attention during the reading event.

In non-aesthetic reading the focus is on what will remain after the reading.

In aesthetic reading the concern is what happens during the actual reading.

Understanding Openness

To understand metaphoric sense and poetic effect read the following two passages: one from The Joy of Cooking and one entitled The Joy of Cooking.

Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker’s majestic cookbook, Joy of Cooking (1975:507-
508):

About Tongue

Lucky indeed is the cook with the gift of tongues! No matter from which

source—beef, calf, lamb or pork—the smaller-sized tongues are usually

preferable. The most commonly used and best flavored, whether fresh, smoked or

pickled, is beef tongue. For prime texture, it should be under 3 pounds.

Scrub the tongue well. If it is smoked or pickled, you may wish to blanch it

first, simmering it about 10 minutes. Immerse the tongue in cold water. After

draining, cook as for Boiled Fresh tongue, below. If the tongue is to be served

hot, drain, plunge it into cold water for a moment so you can handle it, skin it and

trim it by removing the roots, small bones and gristle. Return it very briefly to the

hot cooking water to reheat before serving.

If the tongue is to be served cold, allow it to cool just enough to handle

comfortably. It skins easily at this point but not if you let it get cold. Trim and

return it to the pot to cool completely in the cooking liquor. It is attractive served

with Chaud-Froid Sauce or in Aspic, see below.

On the other hand, Elaine Magarrell’s poem, “Joy of Cooking”—although strikingly similar
to the cookbook excerpt above

I have prepared my sister’s tongue,

scrubbed and skinned it,

trimmed the roots, small bones, and gristle.

Carved through the hump it slices thin and neat.

Best with horseradish

and economical—it probably will grow back.

Next time perhaps a creole sauce

or mold of aspic?

I will have my brother’s heart,

which is firm and rather dry,

slow cooked. It resembles muscle

more than organ meat

and needs an apple-onion stuffing

to make it interesting at all.

Although beef heart serves six

my brother’s heart barely feeds two.

I could also have it braised

and served in sour sauce.

The Greeks and literature

The human and the divine—religious celebrations

Dionysian celebrations became an annual festival held in Athens at a large outdoor amphitheater. Eventually, the dancing choruses of worshipers began competing for prizes (a bull or a goat).

Then Thespis added another innovation: One chorus member would step away from the others to play the part of that hero or god. This actor wore a mask (like the one on the right) and entered into a dialogue with the chorus.

Three types of Plays

The tragedies, which had heroic characters and unhappy endings, were serious treatments of religious and mythic questions. The satyr plays were comic and even lewd treatments of the same themes. The comedies differed from the tragedies in having ordinary people as characters and happy endings.

A Tragic Myth: The House of Thebes

The basic plot of Antigone is part of a long myth that was as familiar to Athenian audiences as stories about the Pilgrims are to Americans today. A myth is an old story, rooted in a particular society, that explains a belief, a ritual, or some mysterious aspect of nature. Many myths also try to explain human suffering. In many cases, the myths explain our sufferings in terms of the workings of the gods—of fates that cannot be avoided, of curses that haunt generation after generation.

The following story is the myth the Athenians knew and the one that we must also know if we are to understand Antigone.

Oedipus Rex (the King)

The protagonist of the tragedy is the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. After Laius learns from an oracle that "he is doomed/To perish by the hand of his own son," he binds tightly together with a pin the feet of the infant Oedipus and orders Jocasta to kill the infant. Hesitant to do so, she demands a servant to commit the act for her. Instead, the servant abandons the baby in the fields, leaving the baby's fate to the gods. A shepherd rescues the infant and names him Oedipus (or "swollen feet"). Intending to raise the baby himself, but not possessing of the means to do so, the shepherd gives it to a fellow shepherd from a distant land, who spends the summers sharing pastureland with his flocks. The second shepherd carries the baby with him to Corinth, where Oedipus is taken in and raised in the court of the childless King Polybus of Corinth as if he were his own.

Oedipus Rex (cont.)

As a young man in Corinth, Oedipus hears a rumour that he is not the biological son of Polybus and his wife Merope. When Oedipus calls them out on this, they deny it, but, still suspicious, he asks the Delphic Oracle who his parents really are. The Oracle seems to ignore this question, telling him instead that he is destined to "Mate with [his] own mother, and shed/With [his] own hands the blood of [his] own sire." Desperate to avoid his foretold fate, Oedipus leaves Corinth in the belief that Polybus and Merope are indeed his true parents and that, once away from them, he will never harm them.

On the road to Thebes, he meets Laius, his true father. Unaware of each other's identities, they quarrel over whose chariot has right-of-way. King Laius moves to strike the insolent youth with his sceptre, but Oedipus throws him down from the chariot and kills him, thus fulfilling part of the oracle's prophecy. Shortly after, he solves the riddle of the Sphinx, which has baffled many a diviner: "What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

Oedipus Rex (cont.)

On the road to Thebes, he meets Laius, his true father. Unaware of each other's identities, they quarrel over whose chariot has right-of-way. King Laius moves to strike the insolent youth with his sceptre, but Oedipus throws him down from the chariot and kills him, thus fulfilling part of the oracle's prophecy. Shortly after, he solves the riddle of the Sphinx, which has baffled many a diviner: "What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three in the evening?"

To this Oedipus replies, "Man" (who crawls on all fours as an infant, walks upright later, and needs a walking stick in old age), and the distraught Sphinx throws herself off the cliffside. Oedipus's reward for freeing the kingdom of Thebes from her curse is the kingship and the hand of Queen Dowager Jocasta, his biological mother. The prophecy is thus fulfilled, although none of the main characters know it.

..the ending which leads to Antigone

A blind Oedipus now exits the palace and begs to be exiled as soon as possible. Creon enters, saying that Oedipus shall be taken into the house until oracles can be consulted regarding what is best to be done. Oedipus's two daughters (and half-sisters), Antigone and Ismene, are sent out and Oedipus laments that they should be born to such a cursed family. He asks Creon to watch over them and Creon agrees, before sending Oedipus back into the palace.

Antigone means “born to oppose”

Is intelligence born in all..so that laws that are created by all are the best ruler?

Antigone obeys a law which citizens approve and in doing so must die under Creon’s edict.

Thematic elements include the fall of the just and the evil consequences of good acts.

Action is divine and human

Antigone—the play

Characters do not merely act, they comment on the action

Characters criticize motives and judge ideas

The audience is a viewpoint

The characters are real people

Syllabus and Course Schedule

Office of Academic Affairs

Course Information

Course Title:                                   World Literature   

Course Number and Section:      ENG 2403 section 26

Semester:                                        Spring 2014

Course Meeting Days/Times:      TTH 7:30-8:45 p.m.

                                                              
                                                      

Course Meeting Location:          T TH CAS 246

                                               

 Instructor Name:  Kimberley Kiefer

Office Location:  CAS 301E             

Office Hours:  By appointment before or after class.

Phone:  908-737-0391 (email is best contact)

Email:  Gotprofkiefer@gmail.com

Course Description:  Readings in world literatures from ancient times to the present. Emphasis on cultural diversity, selected themes, and literary genres. Development of aesthetic and ethical values and of critical reading, thinking, and writing. 

Pre-requisite/program:   ENG 1030 (or equivalent) and completion of any freshman placement requirements in reading

Course Objectives: 

Read and understand major works of literature from different cultures and from ancient through modern times.

Understand the nature and function of various literary genres such as epic, drama, lyric poetry, and the novel.

Learn and utilize the basic concepts and terminology of literary analysis.

Develop critical thinking through the study and analysis of literature and related cultural events.

Develop oral communication skills through the discussion of literature.

Write critically about literature.

Acquire global and personal literary perspectives and tastes.

Participate in both local and global literary communities.

Acquire an enthusiasm for literature.

Use literature as the means for clarifying and validating values.

Instructional Methods:

This course is taught primarily as a critical reading and response workshop.  Other possible instructional methods include, but are not limited to, class discussion, small group work, lecture, electronic discussion, and conferencing. 

Textbook & Materials 

Textbook Title:      Antigone, Sophocles

ISBN:                      9781580493888

Textbook Title:      The Odyssey, Homer

ISBN:                        9780374525743

Textbook Title:      Macbeth, William Shakespeare

ISBN:                     9780743477109

Textbook Title:      The Stranger, Albert Camus

ISBN:                       9780679720201

Textbook Title:      The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Leo Tolstoy

ISBN:                       978045153276

Textbook Title:      The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien

ISBN                          9780618706419

Assessment

Reading and Writing Work

Listed below are brief descriptions of writing assignments. More thoroughly detailed handouts and information will be provided:

Analytical Paper – In a five to seven page essay, craft a literary argument about theme, or analyze the use of effect of metaphor, or character or event; whatever you choose, the goal is to showcase a new understanding for readers by focusing on one aspect of the of the assigned literature. An assignment sheet with a rubric will be provided.

Reading quizzes— Frequently during the semester, you will have the opportunity to earn points on reading quizzes. These quizzes are designed to reward you for keeping up with the reading.

Reflective Reading Responses (RRR)-- You will write eight reflective response on your blog—approximately two to three paragraphs in length, on for each assignment, but The Odyssey will have two. This assignment is intended to extend your thinking and insights into your experiences with the literature. These will be due on most Thursdays. Please bring two typed, printed copies to class.  One of these will be used to facilitate small group discussion and one will be submitted to me to be assessed. Due dates for each RRR: #1 1/30--Antigone, #2 2/6 --Odyssey Books I-X, #3 2/20--Odyssey Books XI-XXIV, #4 2/27—Macbeth, #5 3/27—The Stranger, #6 4/3—Ivan Ilyich, #7 4/10—The Things They Carried, #8 4/24—Poetry of Li Po.

Group presentations—A 10-15 minute analysis of a thematic aspect of the reading you have chosen. These will be completed in class on 4/29 and 5/1. The groups will be self-selected by reading.  You may use any technology you wish to present your learning to the class.

Grades

The percentage breakdowns found below include the primary components of the course upon which your grade is calculated:

• Analytical Paper – 20%

• Reading Quizzes, Reflective Reading Responses, Group Presentation—20%

• Class Participation, including attendance—20% This part of your grade will reflect the quantity and quality of your regular contributions to the in-class discussion of the works assigned in the course as well as the success with which you facilitate the class discussion on the occasions when you are meant to do so.

• Midterm Exam –20%

• Final Exam–20%             

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me. If you would like to know your approximate grade-to-date I’ll be happy to accommodate with some advanced notice.

Policies

Format for Submitted Work

The vast majority of written work for this course must be submitted electronically and therefore must be computer generated in 12-point, Times Roman font, and left-aligned. Pages must be numbered (bottom right) and have ONE-INCH margins all around. All documents submitted must have a proper header on the top left corner of the first page only. Any work submitted not meeting these criteria may be refused and returned without comment or credit. Please bring 2 printed copies of each Reflective Reading Response (as completed on your blog) to class to share with your small group on the day it is due. Unless otherwise directed, papers must be emailed to me at gotprofkiefer@gmail.com by noon of the day it is due. You will attach the assignment to an email as a Word document file. I cannot open Microsoft Works files.

Late Work

Writing assignments are due whether or not you are present. Assignments submitted as attached files are due by the date and time listed on the schedule, on the calendar, in the class blog, and on the assignment sheet. If I cannot open the file, I will ask you to resubmit it in a file format I can open. You will have twenty-four hours to resubmit the work; if you do not you will not receive full credit. You are responsible for letting me know about any network-related problems that prevent you from submitting assignments. I will not read papers turned in 24 hours or more late unless we meet face to face. I am willing to extend deadlines for students with extenuating circumstances if I am approached in advance. Extensions will not be granted for assignments turned in late because of unexcused absences.

Engaged Participation

Since class discussion and small group work will comprise a majority of in-class work, your engaged participation in these activities is extremely important (hence the attendance policy). Aside from your participation and presence, it is assumed that you will come prepared to class with your books, other necessary materials, completed essays and that your cell phones will be TURNED OFF. Repeated use of cell phones during class time will count against your class participation grade.  In addition to your regular attendance, engaged participation includes actively showing each member of this class respect, patience and tolerance. Each of you needs to be equally prepared to commit yourselves as best as you are able.

Class Announcements and Updates

I will be posting class updates and changes to the schedule on our class blog at http://kiefersworldlit2014.blogspot.com/. I encourage you to sign up for updates.  In addition, I will use Remind101 to communicate any urgent changes to our schedule or in the unlikely event of a class cancellation.  I will distribute the code for the Remind101 text service during the first night of class.

My Attendance Policy

The consistent participation and presence of each of you is vital to the continuity, and thus the growth and learning of the entire class. As such, I expect all of you to be here, to be here promptly, and with all necessary work and materials. Tardiness and absences and are only recognized as “excused” with appropriate documentation. If you know you will be absent, let me know in advance. Vacation travel is NOT a valid excuse for absence. If you are late and/or miss class repeatedly, your grade will suffer. Three lates equals one absence. More than one absence can affect your final grade. More than two can result in failure of the course. You should obtain cell numbers from peers to contact them for missed assignments.

Kean University Attendance Policy

Attendance is expected in all courses. Attendance will be a component of the grade of any course if so stated in the syllabus. Students are responsible for informing the instructor in advance or in a timely manner of the reasons for their absence. Instructors in consultation with their department chairs are expected to respect university practices and policies regarding what counts as an excused absence. Typically excused absences include illness, bereavement, or religious observances. Serious tardiness may be dealt with at the discretion of the instructor.

Topics and Assignments (Major Topics/themes and readings and assignments that are due each week.)

This calendar is a work in progress. It gives an accurate overview of the quantity and general sequence of assignments - but - make sure you have the right assignment for any given day by checking the course blog.

WEEK ONE: First Days

Tues 1/21: Distribution and brief review of syllabus and course material

Explanation of Reading Reflective Responses

World Literature Pre Survey

Thurs 1/23 What is literature?

Introduction to Antigone. Email contact info. Remind 101.

HW: 1) Read Antigone

WEEK TWO

Tues 1/28 Discuss ANTIGONE

The structure of a Greek drama

HW: Reflective Reading Response (RRR) for Antigone

Thurs 1/30 ANTIGONE. The drama of loyalty and family. RRR  on Antigone due today. Please bring two typed, printed copies to class!

HW: 1) Read THE ODYSSEY Books I-VIII 2) Focused Reflective Reading Response. What makes a hero?

WEEK THREE

Tues 2/4: Discuss THE ODYSSEY through Book VIII

What is a hero? The Odyssey –an Epic poem, journey and love story?

HW: 1) RRR through THE ODYSSEY Book. X due 2/6.

Thurs 2/6  RRR Discussed for THE ODYSSEY

HW: 1) Read THE ODYSSEY Books IX-XVI

WEEK FOUR

Tues 2/11 Discuss THE ODYSSEY through Book XVI

Thurs 2/13 Discuss the development of character archetypes in THE ODYSSEY

HW: 1) Read THE ODYSSEY Books XVII-XXIV

WEEK FIVE

Tues 2/18 Discuss THE ODYSSEY Books XVII-XXIV

HW: Complete reading of The Odyssey, Complete RRR for THE ODYSSEY Books XI-XXIV

Thurs 2/20: Complete discussion of THE ODYSSEY

RRR Books XI_XXIV discussed. Introduce Macbeth.

HW: 1) Read Macbeth through Act III Scene ii

WEEK SIX

Tues 2/25: Discuss MACBETH through Act III Scene ii

Shakespeare and politics

HW: 1) Reflective Reading Response on Macbeth due 2/27

Thurs 2/27 Leitmotif, soliloquy and paradox in MACBETH. Discuss RRR.

HW: 1) Complete reading Macbeth

WEEK SEVEN:

Tues 3/4: Complete discussion of MACBETH

HW: Prepare for Midterm

**Thurs 3/6 MIDTERM EXAM

HW: 1) Read The Stranger

WEEK EIGHT: Spring Recess 3/10-3/14

WEEK NINE

Tues 3/18:  THE STRANGER. Introduce Existentialism and the self

HW: 1) Reflective Reading Response due 3/27

Thurs 3/20 THE STRANGER: The Prisoner, the family and happiness.

Introduce the Analytical Paper.

WEEK TEN

Tues 3/25: Complete discussion of THE STRANGER

HW: 1) RRR of The Stranger due 3/27

Thurs 3/27 Discuss Reflective Reading Responses of THE STRANGER

HW: 1) Read The Death of Ivan Ilyich

WEEK ELEVEN

Tues 4/1: Discuss THE DEATH OF IVAN ILIYICH

HW: HW: 1) Reflective Reading Response on Ivan Iliyich due 4/3

2) Work on Analytical Paper

Thurs 4/3 Discuss THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYICH. Introduce Final Group Presentations. Discuss RRR.

HW: 1) Read The Things They Carried through page 123.  2) Work on Analytical paper

WEEK TWELVE

Tue 4/8: THE THINGS THEY CARRIED.

HW: 1) Complete reading THE THINGS THEY CARRIED

2) RRR for Things due 4/10.

Thurs 4/10 Complete discussion of THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. Discuss RRR.

HW: 1) Work on Analytical Paper

WEEK THIRTEEN

Tues 4/15: Guest speaker: The Things They Carried.

Thurs 4/17 Analytical Paper due to Gotprofkiefer@gmail.com by NOON.

HW: 1) Read  Chinese Poetry Lu Chi pages 23-35. Li Po pages 73-93.

WEEK FOURTEEN

Tues 4/22: Discuss Li Po’s poetry. Characteristics of Chinese Poetry

HW: 1) Chinese Poetry Tu Fu pages 97-115. 2) Reflective Reading Response on Li Po due 4/24.

Thurs 4/24 Classical Chinese Poetry. Family and Confucianism. RRR due on Li Po.

HW: 1) Read Lu Ch’ing-Chao pages 162-171.

WEEK FIFTEEN

Tues 4/29: Group presentations

Thurs 5/1 Group presentations

HW: FINAL preparation/review

WEEK SIXTEEN

Tues 5/6 Final Review

Thurs 5/8 Final Review

FINALS WEEK

**Tues 5/13 Final Exam.

Thurs 5/15 Last class.

SEMESTER ENDS Friday, May 16, 2014

--Schedule subject to change as necessary.