Happy Endings
Tuesday Nov. 17 2:10–3:30pm
Were you happy with the way it ended?
Yes and no. I was happy that everything came to pass because every omen and foreshadowing was so repetitive that it almost became redundant. Odysseus and Penelope deserved to be with each other so it was only right that they reunite towards the end of the poem; it adds a certain touch. I was ecstatic that Odysseus was able to punish all those who wronged his house and wife. They weren’t loyal to him which is crazy since he trumps all of them in terms of titles and glory. You would think they would care how they treated Odysseus’ belongings especially his wife but each suitor was greedy for his own gain. This is why they all died such a horrible death. I guess the only thing I wished would have happened was a one on one fight. In some stories there is always the climax where the protagonist and the antagonist face off. Nine times out of ten the protagonist wins but the moment is so great that you have to know what happens. If Odysseus was able to fight Antinous or Eurymachus then the Odyssey would be ten times greater in my book.
Wednesday November 18, 3:37–4:10pm
1. How does Book 24 of the Odyssey relate to Book One? What similar characters, themes, and language appear in the two books? Consider especially the character of Telemachus.
Book 1 begins with Telemachus, Penelope and the suitors all separated from Odysseus but they are reunited-with the exception of the suitors-in book 24. Telmachus is extremely immature and has no hope about his father coming back. He is not a leader at all and comes off as though he doesn’t want to be one. By book 24 Telemachus is definitely considered a leader among his people and has no problem showing it. I think Telemachus is the most dynamic character in terms of personality and what he thinks but Odysseus and Penelope remained static. This isn’t bad though because they were already secure in their positions and were looked at with high regard. It was emphasized many times how Penelope trumped many women in Ithaca and how strong and courageous Odysseus was. People wanted to be like them and they each had a good personality to go with it. In terms of themes I think both books include oikos. Other than that I do not think the two books relate that much.
Thursday Nov. 19 2:10–3:30pm
Was book 24 necessary?
Again yes and no. If you read the Odyssey without reading the Iliad then book 24 is not as meaningful. Odysseus kills all the suitors before book 24 and he reunites with Penelope in book 23. These two events are the most critical out of the whole poem and I personally felt satisfied with the whole poem after reading those parts. Book 24 is sort of an extra ending to the Odyssey as a whole because he reunites with his father and he faces the repercussions of killing the suitors. Those two events are not necessarily important, to me, and even if a shorter version of the event was said in book 23 then the Odyssey would still make sense. Now if you have read the Iliad before the Odyssey then it is absolutely necessary because it ties up the loose ends made in the Iliad. Achilles main trouble was deciding if he wanted to die with glory or without but no matter his decision he was going to die. After he decided to kill Hector I was expecting a glorified, horrific, tremendous death but he never died in the Iliad. It’s a huge loose end that makes you think “really?” Homer pumps us up for the whole poem about Achilles death but doesn’t even tell us after foreshadowing it so much. However that’s where the Odyssey comes in. In book 24 we learn how Achilles died and how his funeral went which closes out the Homeric poems nicely. We know of everyone’s fate now and we’re not stuck with a “well what’s the purpose of this anyway” type of ending.
Monday Nov. 23 4:54–6:15pm
1. Select one of the speeches in praise of Eros that you think most closes resembles the forms of love we have looked at so far in this course. Which speech is your favorite and why?
On page 242 Plato explains how humans who are like the Eros who belongs to Aphrodite Pandemus love women and boys alike, in love with their bodies not their souls, are in love with the stupidest things and act without thinking if it is right or noble. I think this relates to three couples from this course: Agamemnon & Briseis, Achilles & Chryseis, and Paris and Helen. Each man stole their counterpart from their families which wasn’t noble. With the exception of Agamemnon the men were not exactly in love with the women they captured. Achilles was just mad that Agamemnon stole his prize. It is not too clear whether Paris was really in love with Helen or if he just liked sleeping with her because she never stated she was in love with him.
My favorite speech is on page 243 where Plato explains when girls start liking boys. He mentions how it doesn’t happen until the boy grows a beard because this shows a sign of maturity. He also mentions how it should be illegal to make a boy fall in love with you then leave him for another. I really liked this speech because the points he makes relates to today’s society in terms of relationships. Just the other day I was watching a reality show and one of the female characters wanted to start ring shopping with her current boyfriend. The next day she professed her love for the father of her child. All parties eventually found out what she did and it caused a lot of drama and pain especially for the boyfriend. Some women know what they want but try to get it in the messiest way possible which makes Plato’s statement about making it illegal not that crazy. Because if men did the same thing-and some do-women would want to drag them through the mud in a heartbeat. I think the part about the beard is very true. Almost all of my close friends have a boyfriend/husband with some type of facial hair and I know plenty of women who want to date a guy with a beard. Plato suggests that it signifies maturity which I think is true in some cases. The beard or any type of facial hair rather comes during puberty and this helps boys to see themselves as becoming a man. Once they see this they try to act older and women will always notice it and will be attracted to it. It’s a cycle that will stay relevant for years to come.