Try to get through or close to through Book 12 for Monday's class; however, as always, I would rather you read one or two books closely than all of them superficially. Try to enjoy the reading and get something out of it rather than making it an assignment. This is one of the greatest books in the world, after all! :)
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: In Book 10, Odysseus' companion, Eurylocus, exclaims that "It was this man's reckless folly that cost them their lives" (154). Why is Odysseus' reaction to this outburst telling? Are we supposed to ready Eurylocus as a 'bad apple' who has lost the faith? Or is he, alone, speaking the truth of the gods?
Q2: How does Circe compare to previous women in the book, particularly Calypso? Is she presented to us as a one-dimensional villain, another 'witch' out for blood? Or is she, too, given a more well-rounded, sympathetic treatment? (note that Odysseus stays with her for quite a while as well--is he forced to?)
Q3: How does Odysseus' experience in Hades among the dead compare to Enkidu's dream of the underworld in The Epic of Gilgamesh? Who does he meet there and what do they tell him about life after death?
Q4: Does Agamemnon's speech about his wife and women in general contradict the earlier scene with Helen of Troy? Or with the depiction of women in general in the book? Does his voice carry more truth since he's dead and speaking from Hades? Or is this meant to deceive Odysseus?
Q5: In Book 12, Odysseus seems to hoard information from his crew--both of the sirens' song and of Scylla's threat. Why does he do this? Is this a self-sacrificing action, or another sign of his hubris?
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