Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Odyssey: Book Fourteen
In the beginning of this book, Odysseus dines with his swineherd, and they have a lengthy conversation. The swineherd, unaware of the fact that the beggar in his home is actually Odysseus, tells a story about his master. How do you think it felt for Odysseus to hear this story? How does the swineherd's story of his old master illustrate Odysseus' character? Do you think we might have been wrong about Odysseus? Also, how do you think it felt for Odysseus to go from riches to rags? And what did you think of the story that Odysseus tells the swineherd of his journey home from Troy? Is there an element of truth to this story? How does the fabricated story reflect what actually happened to Odysseus? Finally, Odysseus and the swineherd talked about beggars peddling lies to get gifts. How is this ironic? Feel free to answer any or all of the questions, or talk about something else.
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After reading this book, I now understand what kind of man Odysseus is. Majority of the people in our class don’t like him, but after reading this book I like him more. I think when Odysseus heard this story he knew that he had been away too long. Not only did his family miss him, but the lesser people missed his presence also. I think that we learn more about who Odysseus was before all his amazing adventures. Maybe his accomplishments have made him cocky in a way and thats why we didn’t like him during some books. I think when Odysseus was changed into this beggar he tried to see what life was like as someone with nothing. It probably was difficult for Odysseus to change into this new lifestyle, but he never is actually a poor beggar. He knows that although he looks this way and acting this way he will always be the king of Ithaca. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Odysseus and hope to see more of this attitude.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading book 14 I realize how much Odysseus's presence affected those around him. It seems that he was loved by his family and those below him as well. This is proved when the swineherd goes on and on about how much he misses his master and wants him to return. I think that this shows that Odysseus had another side to him that may not have been visible when we first met him.
ReplyDeleteI also think that it was interesting to see how Odysseus reacted going from being rich down to a beggar. I think that this shows that his character can deal with anything that is put in front of him. It also shows that he is able to adjust very easily and well. Just as Maggie said, it was interesting to see this side of Odysseus and it should be interesting to see how he responds to this experience when he becomes king again.
I believe that the swineherd's story made Odysseus feel like a wretched man. Not only was he away from his family for 20 years, but suitors have overrun his home and made his life "a world of pain." Also, I believe that Odysseus realizes here that he has undergone a remarkable change in character. He was always a wily warrior, but he has become world weary. To an ancient Greek, this is a really big thing. If anything, the swineherd's story also shows just how much Odysseus has aged. As far as our views are on him, I think that he is a bit more worthy of our sympathy than he was before the story. He really was thrust into horrible situations, despite how much he complains to the gods.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus has probably coped with going from riches to rags for a great deal of time. Ever since he has left Ithaca, he has been poor. With that being said, he has always been universally respected by everyone. What he doesn't have in material goods, he makes up in respectability and the fact that he is a living legend. No matter where his journeys take him, the bards sing of his name and he receives a hero's welcome. Even the gods respect him. And even if he did not have his universal respect, he would always have riches to return to when he comes home.
The story Odysseus tells the swineherd is very interesting. It is completely made up, and yet, there are many aspects of his life in there. For instance, fighting at Troy and being in high command, getting shipwrecked repeatedly, and coming from a rich family and building himself a name. After, the conversation about beggars is ironic because Odysseus is actually far wealthier than the swineherd. However, the swineherd will most definitely be generously rewarded for his services when the time comes.
I agree with Maggie on how this book has also affected my perspective on Odysseus. While before I was agreeing with my classmates on how Odysseus has been careless with his actions, now after I entered this chapter in the book, it enlightened me with the other side of him. Since he is disguised as an old beggar, Odysseus is able to see how many people, other than his family, have missed him while he was gone. He was able to have a different view of Ithaca other than what his customs and how he used to live Ithaca were before. I think that we were wrong to make judgments about Odysseus so early on. In order to have a successful voyage after being away from home for nearly 20 years, you have to have confidence in yourself to be able to be victorious. Maybe Odysseus did have too much self-confidence, but it did also get him home safely back to Ithaca. I am also eager to see if Odysseus continues to show this type of attitude throughout the rest of the book.
ReplyDeleteThe swineherd's story definitely did not make Odysseus feel good. In fact, it made him feel horrible. Odysseus probably felt so eager to take off the disguise and present himself to the swineherd to comfort him and let him know he made it home; however, he knows he can't, which is very painful.
ReplyDeleteThe swineherd's story and recollection of Odysseus really changes my (and likely the entire class's) perception of Odysseus. The swineherd held him so highly and spoke of him like a god. It could be that Odysseus changed when he went o war and became a different person. But I think we (the class) had the wrong perception of Odysseus. EVen though he has made a number of mistakes and refuses to take responsibility of those mistakes, judging from the Swineherd's perception of him, Odysseus is, in fact, a great man.