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Lecture 5, Odyssey Pattern of Homecoming Hindrances

Lecture 5, Odyssey Pattern of Homecoming Hindrances. Pt. 1: Pattern of “Homecoming Hindrances”: Bks IX-XII Pt. 2: Cave, Island, and Underworld: A Study of Leadership in 3 Episodes. Island of Ithaca. 1:2: Pattern of “Homecoming Hindrances”: Bks IX-XII.

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Lecture 5, Odyssey Pattern of Homecoming Hindrances

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  1. Lecture 5,Odyssey Pattern of Homecoming Hindrances Pt. 1: Pattern of “Homecoming Hindrances”: Bks IX-XII Pt. 2: Cave, Island, and Underworld: A Study of Leadership in 3 Episodes Island of Ithaca

  2. 1:2: Pattern of “Homecoming Hindrances”: Bks IX-XII • Two ironies govern Odysseus’s spellbinding tale • He wants only home but gets frustrating adventures • A man who wants only to “be himself” must spend all his time hiding who he is. • Bks 9-12 alternating pattern of homecoming obstacles • Violence • “Seduction” • Mutiny • A brief look at the operation of this pattern in each of the “adventure” books.

  3. Hindrances: Book IX • Violence and mutiny: the Kikones (IX.41-48 [Nor. 8th]) • “Seduction”: The Land of the Lotos Eaters (88-117 [Nor. 8th]) • Violence: The Kyklopes (118-630 [8th]) Robert S Duncanson,Land of the Lotus Eaters, Swedish Royal Collections, Stockholm

  4. Hindrances to Homecoming (X) Odysseus and the Sirens • Mutiny: x.1-87 [8th] • Aiolos’s gracious gift • The crew’s stupid revolt • Passing another leadership test ‘Should I leap over the side and drown at once, or grit my teeth and bear it, stay among the living?’ (56-7 Nor. 8th]) • Violence: The Laistrygonian disaster: (88-145 [8th]) • Cyclops redux • Another leadership test: an agonized decision to cut losses • Seduction: Kirke’s island Ray, I’ll never work with Kirk again! Source: http://www5c.biglobe.ne.jp/~amazon66/icons/item003/cyclops.jpg

  5. Cave of the Cyclops • Cyclops episode shows “highs” and “lows” of Odysseus’ leadership • Odysseus’s dangerous curiosity (190-258 [Nor. 8th]) • Polyphemos’s “inverted” hospitality.(283-414 [Nor. 8th]) • Odysseus’ “formidable guile” (356-514 [8th]) • A brilliant scheme • A false identity • A “sizzling” simile (ix.437-441 [8th]) • A crafty plan to escape. • A dramatic pause (495-514 [ 8th]) • Odysseus’s disastrous revelation • Its long term consequences • Enmity of Poseidon • Seeds of distrust as possible causes for later mutiny • An unrepeated mistake

  6. Kirke’s Island and Cyclops’ Cave: a Comparison Points of similarity: • “Some god's guidance” (ix.157/some god’s guidance compassion (x.155. 173 [Nor. 8th])) • Odysseus persuades reluctant men (ix.252-259; x. 205-221; 448-494 [Nor. 8th]) • Two forms of “obliteration”: death/identity • Points of Contrast • “Seduction” vs. “violence” • Motives: Disastrous curiosity vs. necessary exploration • saved by guile and undone by pride vs. aided by a god and delivered through obedience.

  7. Visit to the Underworld: the Lessons of “Sovereign Death” • Purpose of visit • Place of the dead • “bourne of the world” • Named after Hades its ruler • Four “sorrowful” rivers • State of the dead • “Blurred and breathless”: “shades” of former selves • Exist in condition in which they die (11.41-46 [Nor. 8th]) • Revived by blood • Hades is the ultimate loss of place and hence identity. For a larger view of a map of the Underworld, see the Flash Slide show under the Resources page!

  8. Underworld (Concluded) Achilles The "A" Team • Prophecy and Warning • An “intimate” encounter • A panorama of past glory • Three memorable meetings • Cautionary tale 1:Agamemnon • Cautionary tale 2: Achilles • Cautionary tale 3: Ajax • These meetings show why Odysseus survives and the others do not • His head guides his actions instead of his “guts.” • follows “reality principle” • Follows the direction of the gods Ajax Agamemnon Agamemnon, Source:http://users.otenet.gr/~stojan/agamemnon.jpg Achilles, Source: http://www.philipresheph.com/demodokos/ Ajax, Source: http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/Ajax1.htm

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