Good afternoon!!

1. Good afternoon!! • Please take your seats • Take out your notebooks and a pen • Give me your attention when the music ends

2. QuickWrite • You will have 5 minutes to write on one of the following prompts: • Why doesn't O tell his crew all of Circe's warnings? Does he follow all her advice himself? What does this tell us about O? • How is his crew like the suitors back in Ithaca? Compare and contrast these two groups of men.

3. Book 11 & 12 Recap • The Offering to the Dead • Elpenor – Asks for a proper burial • Teiresias’ prophecy • O’s Mother – O’s father? • The Queens of the Past • O stops his story to the Phaecians (Phaiakians, Altinoos’ people) • Their offer? • Agamemnon – Plotting wife (original sin?) • His advice • Achilles • Sisyphus • Hercules • Back to Circe

4. Book 11 & 12 Recap • Circe’s Island • Elpenor’s body • Circe’s advice • Sirens, Roving Rocks, Skylla, Charybdis, Helios’ cattle • Helio’s island • One month of wind, eating Circe’s provisions • Nap time • Offering of the cattle, eating of the cattle • Helios’ complaint to Zeus • The storm, the wreck, Calypso’s island

5. Theme • A theme of a story might be thought of as the story’s point or its message. It is often a generalization about life or human behavior or values. • Stories often have multiple themes or meanings • Fables make this explicit and clear • Slow and steady, the ant and the grasshopper • Most stories have room for interpretation depending on the reader and his/her experiences/insights. • What themes have we seen so far? • Write two things/topics The Odyssey is ‘about.’

6. Themes in The Odyssey • Respect for the Gods • “What do you want me to learn?!” • “That without the Gods, man is nothing!” • Characters find success in respect for the gods and failure when they disrespect them. • Athena’s admiration leads her to help O and T • O’s mistreatment of Polyphemus brings Poseidon’s wrath • O’s men slaughter Hyperion’s cattle and are cursed by Zeus

7. Themes in The Odyssey • Hospitality • Guests might be a god/goddess in disguise • Athena • O’s presumption of Polyphemus • O’s welcome by Alkinoos

8. Themes in The Odyssey • Pride • O taunts Polyphemus after his escape • O rarely admits guilt/faults • (It’s the gods’ fault I fell asleep!) • Suitors’ Pride • Crewman Pride

9. Themes in The Odyssey • Intelligence Over Strength • O’s foes are physically more powerful • O is crafty when his crew panics • Penelope and her loom • O’s confrontation of the suitors

10. Themes in The Odyssey • Temptation • Giving in to temptation produces bad results • The lotus • Circe’s unlimited meat and sweet wine • Helios’ cattle • All food related, for some reason…

11. Themes in The Odyssey • Revenge • The action is often started when someone does something they shouldn’t, and vengeance must be taken. • This is a theme of the Epic in general • It is usually the main motivator for action • Remember the Trojan war? • Poseidon’s anger? • The Suitors?

12. Heroes and Revenge • These heroes were without the modern justice system, therefore, justice came only to those who sought after it. • This usually took the form of killing or otherwise inconveniencing those who wronged you. • It is not always swift: • Beowulf and Grendel • O and the suitors • But it can be: • Grendel’s mother • O and Polyphemus

13. Heroes and Revenge • The Hero Code • Honor and Pride are at the heart of this

14. STEAL Characterization • Characterize Odysseus as well as one other major character and one minor character • Quote/Text/Scene/Incident/Page number on left and inference/explanation/illumination on right

15. The Odyssey Project • By the end of next week, you will have produced one of the following assignments: • Conflict analysis paper • Modern retelling of any book • Odysseus personal journal entries • O taunting Polyphemus re-imagining • We will brainstorm next period, a rough draft will be due early next week, and final drafts and presentations will be at the end of next week.