Friday, September 26, 2014
Odysseus Tells His Tale
In book VIII we finally learn what adventures and misadventures have kep Odysseus from reaching home in the last ten years. Which of Odysseus' adventures do you find most intriguing, exciting, confusing or bizarre? This is an opportunity to write about our initial reactions so please be sure to explain why you feel as you did about whichever story you choose.
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Out of Odysseus’s adventures, the most intriguing and captivating adventure was when Odysseus competed in the Pentathlon with the Phiaákians (Fitzgerald 130). Originally, Odysseus was just at the games to watch and all he wanted to do was to get home (Fitzgerald, 129). But, Laódamas told Odysseus that he should compete, and Odysseus was not convinced until Laódamas’s cocky self told him that he had no talent compared to the other men (Fitzgerald, 129-130). So, with that, Odysseus decided to do the discus, and surprisingly, he was very successful (Fitzgerald, 130-131). In fact, he was noted as the best at throwing the discus (Fitzgerald, 131). I was surprised, because he had been fighting in the war and he had been out at sea for quite some time (Fitzgerald, 130). This was most intriguing to me, because this adventure showed Odysseus as a strong and confident man. The fact that people were competing in games interested me, because I enjoy reading action related stories and suspenseful conversations (Fitzgerald 128-132) . The conversation between Laódamas and Odysseus (Fitzgerald 129-131) , and the Pentathlon games captured my attention in Book 8 (Fitzgerald 128-132).
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the stories mentioned in Chapter 8, I really liked the Pentathlon as well. I felt that Laódamas was trying to show up Odysseus, and when Odysseus mentioned the Trojan War and how he was in the Trojan horse, I felt that was when he really seemed like the hero we had heard about. He seemed strong and confident, but he was still pretty polite. I felt that maybe that was when the people should have guessed that this is Odysseus. I am still wondering why Odysseus has not revealed his name though.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that Odysseus's "adventures" in Book VIII were that interesting. I felt the 8th book wasn't captivating enough with the pentathlon and Odysseus's argument with Laodamas. Although it wasn't apart of Odysseus's adventures, I found the song about Aphrodite being married to Hephaestus but having an affair with Ares a little random and weird. Sukriti was wondering why Odysseus hasn't revealed his name to the Phaiakians, and I think it's because he wants to earn the Phaiakian's trust and respect, not by what they have heard of "the mighty Odysseus", but by they're feeling of him as a regular person.
ReplyDeleteI am going to have to agree with Adedamola on this one. I was not particularly intrigued by any of Odysseus's adventures in Book 8. While reading, I was surprised that Odysseus participated in the games after Broadsea insults him. I was shocked because I did not think that an insult from a much younger athlete would encourage Odysseus to embarrass him. All I'm saying is that I don't think that a true 'hero' would have to prove his superiority by beating much younger athletes.
DeleteI don't really agree with you guys. This chapter shows just how much hardship Odysseus has gone through. He breaks down in front of hundreds of people not out of weakness but because of the incredible amount of pain and loss he has endured in the past 20 years of his life (which is a large portion of a lifetime regardless of Odysseus' true age). I do however agree that Odysseus withheld his name from the Phaiakians because he wants to gain their partnership or endorsement because of his true self and his current situation. Maybe he believes that they wouldn't want to help the great "tactician" until he trusts them and reveals his identity.
DeleteTo me, the 8th book of the Odyssey wasn't as interesting as the previous books because nothing really happened. The stories told by the minstrel seemed to be unrelated. The chapter was a retelling of events, from the story of Aphrodite's affair with Ares (Fitzgerald 133-135), to mentioning Odysseus and Menelaos' fight in troy (Fitzgerald 140). Though the chapter included bits of information about various characters, there wasn't much about Odysseus' past.
ReplyDeleteOut of all stories told in the 8th book, my favorite was the one about Aphrodite cheating on Hephaestus with Ares. I thought that it showed how in many ways there are common qualities in gods as there are in humans. These qualities range from rage, to jealousy, to deceit, to betrayal, and lastly emotional pain. I was interested to see how a god such as Hephaestus could be so angered by what had happened with Ares and Aphredite. Also the fact that a goddess who is supposed to be perfect could betray Hephaestus on his own bed so easily.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Elyse on this one. The eighth book of The Odyssey did not bring about as much character development or poetic prowess as previous books. The one event that really stood out to me, was when Broadsea insults Odysseus after he refuses to participate in the games. Taken aback by Broadsea's remarks, Odysseus then agrees to enter the competition and easily wins the discus toss. In this segment, we see a new side of Odysseus. A side that puts his reputation of a cunning mastermind to rest, and brings out the competitive nature of our story's protagonist. In all honesty, the competitive personality of Odysseus may fuel the famous plots he has made in the past, such as the Trojan Horse.
ReplyDeleteIn book VIII, I also agree that it was hard to find the meaning behind the stories that kept Odysseus home, but there was one that I found most intriguing; The story about Broadsea and Odysseus. This story was about Broadsea insulting Odysseus (Oliver Brown’s words), which ended up making Odysseus play the discus toss and win the toss. Then he challenges others to any other type of competition, because he feels invincible. This story helps shape the character of Odysseus. Yes, Odysseus is a hero, but this also shows that he is very human like, too. He is convinced into competing, then wins, and then wants to play some more because winning make him feel good about himself. Every human has experienced this sense of self-confidence before, including Odysseus. It strikes me that a hero would still love to win, even when he/she know they will win.
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the stories in Book 8, my favorite was also the one where Aphrodite cheated on Hephaistos with Ares. This was interesting because it showed that the gods can be just as flawed as humans, and that even "perfect" beings aren't so perfect after all. I think it is pretty fascinating that the way people act nowadays was the same way that people acted back then, from having affairs to getting revenge for being cheated on. The one thing that confused me was the fact that Poseidon didn't take part in making fun of Ares and Aphrodite, but instead he bargained with Hephaistos to have them set free.
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