See a complete list of the characters in the odyssey and indepth analyses of odysseus, telemachus, penelope, athena, calypso, and circe. The odyssey by homer book 9 summary and analysis youtube. Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns. There are many different themes in the odyssey, but the most prominent theme homer portrays in his epic poem is hospitality or xenia. They represent lack of discipline or submission to temptation, as when odysseus tarries in the cave of the cyclops, when his men slaughter the suns flocks, or when they eat the fruit. Thesis statement hospitality displayed in the iliad and the odyssey is one of. The odyssey is told in the thirdperson omniscient perspective. It is obvious to us that the ancient greeks valued hospitality because of how crucial it is in the odyssey. Book one oh goddess of inspiration, help me sing of wily odysseus, that master of schemes. Homer, odyssey book 2 theoi classical texts library.
It seems that hospitality is not only a custom, in this world, but a cardinal virtue. Ten years after the fall of troy, the victorious greek hero odysseus has still not returned to his native ithaca. Each form of hospitality, whether generous or cruel, distinguishes the civilized hosts from those who are not. A good intro if you havent read the odyssey before. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan. Read an overview of the entire poem or a line by line summary and analysis. Home english literature classic books the odyssey navigate here introduction book i book ii book iii book iv book v book vi book vii book viii book ix book x book xi book xii book xiii book xiv book xv book xvi book xvii book xviii book xix book xx book xxi book xxii book xxiii book xxiv. Summary odysseus account of his wanderings is complete. In an accurate reflection of ancient greek culture, rules of hospitality are among the most revered social and religious laws in the odyssey. The ways the people in different cultures act towards their guests may differ.
Most contemporary scholars hold that virgils poetry pales in comparison to homers. In this adventure, odysseus describes his encounter with the. The odyssey study guide contains a biography of homer, literature. The odyssey by homer book 1 summary and analysis youtube.
It has a pounding, unapologetic simplicity, like that of greek architecture and sculpture. The most important value at the core of the odyssey is hospitality, a social custom common to nearly all premodern societies and essential to ancient greek social structure. Hospitality the odyssey group providing customized. Hospitality is one of the leading virtues of heroic and ancient traditionss. Determines fate, and mingles good with ill, sent me to punish my pursuit of gain with roving pirates oer the egyptian main. Men are measured by the way they play host or guest, and those that antagonize the hero often do so by failing their part of this important contract. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole, from the major themes and. This is demonstrated near the beginning of the odyssey when telemachus went to pylos to visit nestor. The narrator is homer, although within his narration odysseus tells his own story in first person in books 912. Like all epic poems, the odyssey is a cultural document that embodies the values of the society that created it, providing insight into ideas of heroism and virtue during the poets day. The odyssey can be thought of as a manual for a host of how to and how not to show hospitality to a guest and vice versa. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Its chief character, odysseus, or ulysses, inspired more literary works than any other legendary hero. Defying hospitality throughout the development of humanity, the random group of societies have been historically allequipped to deal with challenges the state of disorganization is not conducive to advancement of society due to the chaotic nature of existence on planet earth.
In the palace hall he meets theoclymenus and piraeus. This 77page guide for the odyssey by homer includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 24 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Good hospitality is and was an important part of greek tradition. Prereading webquest 202014 the odyssey reading questions. Themes and colors key litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. His experiences range from the generous hospitality of the phaeacians to the deathly hospitality of the cyclops. The odyssey books 14 summary and analysis gradesaver. They had a whole word for the relationship between guest and host. In every sorrowing soul i pourd delight, and poverty stood smiling in my sight. Hospitality is such a main factor in the epic tale that the odyssey would collapse with the lack of use of it.
Hospitality to strangers, strict protocols for behavior toward the gods, the crafts and skills of a hero, and the preservation of ones fame all figure here. Homer builds hospitality scenes into many of the books in the odyssey the average scene has six main elements arrival, reception, feast, identification, entertainment, and departure with a number of related smaller scenes telemachos reception of the disguised athena in book 1 and eumaios the swineherds. Odyssey is undoubtedly the most popular epic of western culture. This paper compares the extent and nature of the hospitality displayed in homers iliad and odyssey. Although the suitors abuse an important social tradition of hospitality, penelope lacks the natural, social, and familial protections that would enable her to remove them from her house. Odyssey essay on hospitality, an essay fiction fictionpress. Homer abridged mounds park academy blogs mpa blogs. Virgil himself often viewed his poetry in light of homers. The reader learns about the characters through the themes. The big exception depicted in the story of the odyssey is the lack of hospitality granted by the suitors. The odyssey group has become the premier provider of hospitality staff nationwide. Of course, it might only be uppermost in odysseuss mind because he will soon be obliged to seek their hospitality. The odyssey is one of two major ancient greek epic poems attributed to homer. Oral poets tend to rely on stock scenes and characters.
The major themes in the odyssey are especially significant because they serve to form the moral and ethical constitution of most of the characters. An epic of old mali, the theme of hospitality runs thick throughout the narrative, as sundiata is greatly affected by. About his shoulder he slung his sharp sword, and beneath his shining feet bound his fair sandals, and went forth from his chamber like a god to look upon. Hospitality in the odyssey essay 479 words bartleby. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey. Antinous, one of the ringleaders of the suitors, brazenly puts the blame on penelope, for not. Layers of meaning in the odyssey if you would like to learn more about some of the hidden themes throughout the odyssey, such as spiritual growth, loyalty, perseverance, and hospitality, take a look at this site. Greek hospitality in the odyssey the greeks have been known for their hospitality and politeness, especially when treating guests whether strangers or not. Essay on greek hospitality in the odyssey 926 words.
Its clear and direct, more than other translations. The odyssey of homer is a greek epic poem that tells of the return journey of odysseus to the island of ithaca from the war at troy, which homer addressed in the iliad. Hidden themes from homers odyssey part of the guide to ancient greece by students in clas c101, ancient greek culture welcome to a web site that discusses some less revealed themes in the odyssey. Pdf downloads of all 1291 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Hospitality is a way of life in a wide variety of cultures. Previously, i noted the importance of hospitality in early pastoral civilizations and how the theme of hospitality to strangers is important in the epic poem the odyssey. We discussed one of these themes, hospitality, and the other themes on this webpage are very interesting as well. In theodyssey there are examples of xenia being followed and violated. See important quotations explained the narrator of the odyssey invokes the muse, asking for inspiration as he prepares to tell the story of odysseus. The odyssey is not just about the heroic odysseus, but more importantly about the underlying themes from the greek culture. Still, the identification of hospitality with civilization shows the importance of this norm.
Telemachus leaves odysseus at eumaeuss hut and heads to his palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from penelope and the nurse eurycleia. The notion of hospitality is so strong in the world of the odyssey that guests can even be considered part of ones family. More than in other translations, the odyssey comes across here as a historical document, the product of a time and place. Hospitality is a very important and widely recurring theme hosts who do not give good hospitality are usually punished. Read a character analysis of odysseus, plot summary, and important quotes. Together with its companion poem the iliad, the odyssey describes the action and aftermath of the trojan wars, andis the model for the heroic quest. Here is this stranger, i do not know who he is, come wandering suppliant here to my house from the eastern or western people. These include hospitality, reputation, revenge, and power. Penelope is in a very dangerous situation when the suitors begin invading her house and asking and then demanding her hand in marriage. As the crew climbs ashore, athena urges telemachus to put his shyness aside.
Odyssey, epics attributed to homer that also portray the trojan war and its aftermath. Telemachus carefully follows the customs of hospitality. Hospitality in the odyssey by ciara nicolaou on prezi. Hospitality is used throughout the whole book, contributes to the fact of how odysseus is so famous, and is treasured by the people that treat the strangers. Fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice. Odysseus languishes on the remote island ogygia with the goddess calypso, who has fallen in love with. Homer s 8th century bce oral narrative of a warriors decadeslong quest to return home defines epic poetry.
Through the consistent delivery of world class services, we have become the provider of choice for a wide range of clients. Odysseuss reputation and legacy are inseparable from his heroism, and they make more difficult. The odyssey is the story of the attempt of a greek soldier, odysseus, to return to his home following the trojan war. She offers to guide him to the kings house and shrouds him in a protective mist that keeps the phaeacians, a kind but somewhat xenophobic people, from harassing him. In particular, the downfall of troy is occasioned by the trojan prince, paris, being a lousy guest in the home of menelaus, the king of sparta. The odyssey abridged translators note this abridged text of the odyssey, which is about one third of the complete poem, has been prepared by ian johnston of vancouver island university, nanaimo, bc, canada, from his translation of the full text. This quality has led some scholars to conclude that homer wrote the odyssey at a later time of his life, when he showed less interest in struggles at arms and was more receptive to a storyline that focused on the fortunes and misadventures of a single man. Food although throwing a feast for a guest is a common part of hospitality, hunger and the consumption of food often have negative associations in the odyssey.
Hospitality being in use throughout the whole book makes the odyssey the way. The odyssey refers to the story of its main character, odysseus ulysses in latin. What are some quotes about the value of hospitality in the. The odyssey books 15 summary the odyssey by homer books 15 summary and analysis. Every line in this text is a direct translation of homers poem i. When telemachuss ship arrives at pylos the next morning, the crew finds 4500 of nestors people sacrificing bulls in honor of the god poseidon. He tells piraeus not to bring his gifts from menelaus to the palace. The odyssey is told in the past tense and includes flashbacks. They stayed with aeolus for a month, and his parting gift to odysseus was a sack holding the winds. Summary homer opens the odyssey with an invocation to the muse of epic poetry and asks for her. The mens next stop was the aeolian island, home to the god of the winds. A band of rowdy suitors, believing odysseus to be dead, has overrun his palace, courting his faithful though weakening. In the odyssey, by homer, odysseus experiences various forms of hospitality.
1035 1503 562 186 1082 1225 1330 806 460 434 59 711 774 1219 421 442 142 1382 412 1485 1072 850 1530 1346 748 148 268 384 747 1297 995 620 1261