NOTE: This is our last reading until after Fall Break, since
we'll have Reading Exam #4 on Tuesday. So push on just a little more, and
you'll get a nice reading break...unless you want to get ahead (or need to
catch up!).
Answer two of the following...
Q1: Why does Odysseus decide to reveal himself to Telemachus
in Book 16, after carefully hiding his identity from everyone else? Is it
simply because Athena commands him to (though she earlier said not to show
himself to anyone in his family!). Is this a heavenly command, or is he going
off script?
Q2: One of the most touching scenes in the book occurs in
Book 17, when Odysseus encounters his old dog, Argus, who has seen better days.
The poem spends far more time on this scene than the story might require. Why
do you think this is? Why is this episode important, and how might it reflect
larger events in the story?
Q3: These books show the Suitors in much greater relief than
we've seen so far in the book. How does the poet condemn their actions in these
books, and what, specifically, seems to be their greatest 'sin'? Are they aware
of transgressing social laws and the favor of the gods?
Q4: Odysseus fears disloyalty above all else, and his disguise is largely undertaken to ferret out the true sentiments of his household (kind of like an episode of "Undercover Boss"!). How does he test the various people in his household, including his own wife? What does he want them to say or act to prove virtuous? Does he seem to take into account the context of their situation?
No comments:
Post a Comment