For Wednesday: Introducing The Tales from the 1,001 Nights

On Wednesday, we'll be introducing the book and the culture of Tales from the 1,001 Nights, which may help you read/appreciate the individual stories.  There is nothing due in class, though I will assign the first readings in class.  

Remember that Paper #1 was due yesterday by 5pm.  You have until Wednesday to turn it in for a grade, though you lose -10 points a day.  If you missed the exam, however, you cannot make that up without a doctor's note.  I hope to have both exams and papers back to you on Friday.  

See you then!  

For Wednesday, The Iliad, Books 23 & 24

For Wednesday: The Iliad, Books 23 & 24

1. In a passage omitted from our version of Book 24, the gods debate about whether Achilles should give up Hector’s body.  Apollo, who thinks he should, speaks:

How callous can you get?  Has Hector

Never burned for you thighs of bulls and goats?

…but now you cannot

Bring yourselves to save even his bare corpse

For his wife to look upon, and his mother,

And child, and Priam, and his people…

No, it’s the dread Achilles that you prefer,

His twisted mind is set on what he wants,

As savage as a lion bristling with pride,

Attacking men’s flocks to make himself a feast.

Achilles has lost all pity and has no shame left.

Shame sometimes hurts men, but it helps them too.

A man may lose someone dearer than Achilles has,

A brother from the same womb, or a son,

But when he has wept and mourned, he lets go.

The Fates have given men an enduring heart.

But this man?  After he kills Hector,

He ties him behind his charior

And drags him around his dear friend’s tomb.

Does this make him a better or nobler man? (lines 37-57)

What do you think Apollo means by an “enduring heart,” and why might this speech suggest that hubris is a quality of gods—not men? 

2. How does Book 24 present Achilles’ decision to give Hector’s body back to Priam?  Is it still an act of compassion and mercy?  Does this book redeem Achilles in our eyes, or is he merely a pawn of the gods, forced to do Zeus’ bidding? 

3. How do the various women respond to Hector’s body—Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen?  How does this give us different perspectives on who Hector was, and whether or not he died honorably—or for the right reason? 

4. Why do you think the book ends with the funeral of Hector, rather than with the fall of Troy, or even the death of Achilles?  If the story is about Achilles’ rage, then why not end with the natural outcome of his rage—his death?  Why is ending the book here, rather than later on in the actual story of Troy, somehow satisfying? 

            

For Monday: The Iliad, Books 18, 19 & 22

For Monday: The Iliad, Books 18, 19 & 22

Answer TWO of the following…

1. In Book 9, Phoenix warns Achilles that “if you go into battle without any gifts/Your honor will be less, save us or not” (68).  When Achilles finally decide to fight in Book 18, is this seen as an honorable decision?  Has he ‘saved’ his honor?  What explanation does he offer for abandoning his grudge against Agamemnon?  Is it enough? 

2. What is the biggest difference between the Hector/Achilles duel in the film and in Book 22?  Though both men do fight one another, and Hector is slain, what moments leading up to this are markedly different?  How do you feel about the film’s translation?  Does it keep the spirit of the fight despite changing the language?  Or does the change of language change the fight itself? 

3. In Book 19 Briseis finally gets to speak: what does she say and how does it define her as a character?  What do we learn about her (and her relationship with Achilles), and how does she compare to the other speaking women—Helen and Andromache? 

4. Before Hector goes into battle, he is approached by his father (Priam, the king) and his mother (Hecuba, the queen).  What do they say to him that differs dramatically from the film?  How does this scene show us a different side of the Trojans and of Hector?  Again, you might consider why this was translated out of Troy (the film).  

Paper #1 Assignment: The Song Remains the Same: Translating the Ancient Greeks

Many students are understandably upset when they have to read old literature, since it is not only old but from a world that seems impossibly distant.  These students might argue, “why should we read a book about a war with people we’ve never heard of?  If Sappho’s poetry didn’t survive, then why should we try to resurrect it?  Can’t we read new works by living authors/artists?” 

For this paper, I want you to help students understand the power or relevance of either Sappho’s poetry OR The Iliad by comparing it to a modern “translation” of either work.  By “translation,” I mean some work of art that seems to rework the same ideas, themes, characters, or philosophies.  And by “work of art” I mean anything created for our entertainment or education: a book, a film, a song/album, a painting, a photograph, a video game, etc.  Your goal is to prove that by reading Homer/Sappho, we can better understand modern-day works, as well as better appreciate the stories and songs we continue to tell one another.  Be creative, and help the students realize that great art never dies—it’s merely translated for a new audience/generation. 

Here are some tips for writing this paper:

• Write to a typical 21^st century high school student: what biases/stereotypes do they have about these works?  How can you surprise them or help them see ideas they might miss?  You might even open the paper by addressing these very concerns. 
• Don’t summarize the plot of the poem/book.  Instead, analyze specific passages (through quotations) that you can then explain to the students. 
• Point to specific connections, but remember that they don’t have to be literal.  It could be a character like Achilles who comes to a similar realization, or it could be a song that expresses similar ideas to one of Sappho’s fragments.  It doesn’t have to be word-for-word. 
• Be sure to explain and describe your secondary work of art and quote whenever possible.  Help  us “see” the connections between both works, so that even the most indifferent student could see how Sappho is still alive in another singer’s ballad, for example.    

REMEMBER: Paper #1 is optional; you can either write this paper OR take Exam #1.  However, if you take Exam #1, you have to write Paper #2.  You can write both papers if you wish, but you cannot take both exams.  Try to have fun with this assignment and be creative.  Paper #1 is due Monday, September 29^th by 5pm

For Wednesday: The Iliad, Book 16

For Tuesday: The Iliad, Book 16

Answer TWO of the following...

1. How does Patroclus compare as a hero to Achilles?  While Patroclus is clearly not Achilles’ equal, how does the book contrast him with his more famous friend?  What sentiments/ideas does Patroclus represent that runs counter to Achilles? 

2. When Achilles prays to Zeus for Patroclus’ success in battle, the poet writes, “Zeus in his wisdom heard Achilles’ prayer/And granted half of it” (86).  How are we supposed to account for the cruelty or indifference of the gods?  Why does Zeus only fulfill part—leaving a kind of loop hole which will doom Patroclus?  What attitude about the gods/fate does this reveal about the poet? 

3. How heroic or honorable does Hector appear in his battle with Patroclus?  Is Hector the “good” hero as opposed to the “bad” Achilles?  Are we rooting for him?  Does he act in accordance to the values of heroism in our culture?  Does the poet celebrate his victory—or does he, too, betray the code of honor in some way? 

4. A big question: do the gods control fate or are they controlled by fate themselves?  What seems to be the ultimate authority on life and death in the Greek world?  Discuss a passage that seems to answer or acknowledge this question. How might this complicate the struggle of life and death for ordinary mortals?

For Monday: The Iliad, Books 9 & 12

For Monday: The Iliad, Books 9 & 12

Answer TWO of the following…

1. How do Ajax and Odysseus weigh in on Achilles’ actions in Book 9?  Do they see this as honorable behavior?  Justifiable?  Cowardly?  Hubristic?  Cite a specific passage to illustrate your response. 

2. For the first time, Achilles reflects on his personal philosophy in Book 9, starting on page 60.  How does he explain his own views of life/death, the purpose of war, personal glory, etc.?  Is this a heroic speech, or does it sound very strange coming from the mouth of the Greeks’ greatest hero?  Would a modern action hero or solider say these lines?  Why or why not? 

3. Based on these passages, is Achilles lovesick or simply stubborn?  Is there any more support for the idea that he loved Briseus and is pining away for her, enraged that she has to sleep with Agamemnon?  Or is she merely the last straw in a list of complaints and outrageous Achilles has had to endure? 

4. How do the gods blatantly use their powers to influence the outcome of the war in these books?  Is their own actions “honorable,” or even fair to the Greeks and Trojans?  Why do the gods seem to play favorites and manipulate human outcomes?  Does this help to explain their actions and make it more (or less) understandable?  

For Friday: Reading Break/Paper Assignment #1

There are no reading questions for Friday, since I'm going to give everyone a reading break to catch up or to simply read ahead.  I'll assign Books 9 & 12 for Monday, so feel free to keep reading or otherwise use this break to your advantage.

However, we DO have class tomorrow: I'm going to assign the first paper assignment as well as discuss some ideas related to the first two books.  This is an important class so you don't want to miss--otherwise you might be confused later.

See you on Friday...

For Wednesday: The Iliad, Books 3 and 6

From "The Age of Bronze," a graphic novel of the Iliad (in our library)

For Wednesday: The Iliad, Books 3 and 6

Answer TWO of the following…

1. How do Books 3 and 6 help us discuss the question of free will in The Iliad?  Do men and women act on their own desires and impulses, or are all these actions decreed by the gods?  Where do we see an event that seems to answer this question? 

2. Discuss how Helen responds to Aphrodite in Book 3: how does this contradict our view of Helen in the movie, Troy?  How does Homer see Helen, and what makes this a more believable, and perhaps modern, characterization of her? 

3. In Book 6 we meet Hector’s wife, Andromache, another strong female voice in the poem.  How does she complicate our idea of heroes fighting a glorious battle?  What is the “woman’s perspective” on the Trojan war, at least according to her?

4. How do Books 3 and 6 contrast the characters of Troy’s two heroes, Paris and Hector?  Are they as distinct as they appear in the movie, or are there more subtle, less obvious differences?  Which one is more ‘heroic’ in modern terms?  Do you feel one wasn’t seen as a hero in the ancient world?  Are there any clues that suggest this?  

For Monday: The Iliad, Books 1 and 2 (pp.1-27/Lombardo Translation)

For Monday: The Illiad, Books 1 and 2

Answer TWO of the following: 

1. From the first two books, what kind of relationship do humans have with the gods? What role do the gods serve for them, and likewise, what roles do humans serve for the gods?  What makes this relationship so different from the man/God relationship in most monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam)? 

2. Examine Achilles’ confrontation with Agamemnon in Book I: how do we respond to him as a hero in this passage?  Does he seem modern and sympathetic here, or is he petulant and childish?  Do you think Homer’s audience would have responded the same way, or is this a modern, 21^st century response based on our own cultural biases/expectations? Discuss a line or two that influences your response. 

3. Though Achilles is often thought to be the embodiment of hubris (excessive pride, overconfidence, etc.), in what ways does Agamemnon also deserve this title?  How do we see the leader of the Greek armies display this quality, and how does it endanger the Greeks’ relationship with the gods?

4. The Iliad is an imaginative re-telling of the legendary battle of Troy, and more importantly, it is a poem, so it uses metaphors to make the warriors of old come to life. Discuss a passage in Book 1 or 2 where metaphors are used creatively to help us see and experience the realities of battle.  Be sure to explain why you find this metaphor unique and what it helped you understand about this moment in the poem.

For Friday: Scenes from Troy (2004)

For Friday, we'll be watching a few scenes from the 2004 film Troy, to preface our reading of Books 1 and 2 of The Iliad on Monday.  Be sure you have the book and feel free to start reading if you know you're a slow reader or fear you might not be enthralled by an epic about heroes, gods, warfare, and love in the ancient world (but seriously, how could you not?).  I will post questions for Books 1 and 2 on Friday, so check back after class for more details.