Final Reminder: Paper #3!

 Don't forget that your last paper is due this Friday by 5pm! If your response is, "what paper??" then check out this link (or scroll down a few posts): https://ecuworldlit.blogspot.com/2021/04/final-paper-is-homer-still-piloting.html

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Additionally, I'll be in my office almost every day from around noon to 2, if you have any pressing issues. Otherwise, it's been a great pleasure having you all in class this semester, and I appreciate you sticking it out, despite the masks, the uncertainty, and the one-day-a-week classes, which couldn't do justice to what we might have done in a normal semester (though we still managed to cover quite a lot!). 

Good luck! 

For Next Week (Last Class): Graziosi, Homer, Chapters 8-10

As we wrap up the class next week, be sure to read the last three chapters from Graziosi's book on Homer. This will give us some further food for thought about The Odyssey, and might help you as you complete your Final Paper assignment. No questions, but we'll have an in-class writing as a way to think about this out loud. Here are some ideas to consider as you read, though:

* According to Graziosi, why might Penelope be the most "dangerous" women/monster of them all? What threat does she pose to him?

* Why might The Odyssey constantly pit the pursuit of pleasure against the desire (or necessity) to return home? Why might this have been a big theme for Homer and his audience? 

* Why does she think that The Odyssey "offers a more disenchanted, epic exploration of power and its consequences" than other stories about Odysseus and the heroes of Greek myth?

* What are some of the problems she (and other scholars/readers) have with the end of the poem, Book 24?

* How have our own perceptions and interest in the poem changed over time? What did Aristotle focus on in the poem--and what does he ignore? Was he a bad reader? Are we?

* If the first word of the poem is "andra" (man), is this poem really the story of one specific man--Odysseus? How much should we consider this his story? Or is he merely the framework that introduces a much more complicated epic? 

For Tuesday: The Odyssey, Books 19-24 (The End!)

LAST QUESTIONS! Answer TWO of the following for Tuesday's class: 

Q1: In Book 19, when Penelope is talking to Odysseus (as a beggar), she says:

“Of all the travelers who have come to my house,

None, dear guest, have been as thoughtful as you

And none as welcome, so wise are your words…

Eurycleia, rise and wash your master’s—that is,

Wash the feet of this man who is your master’s age.

Odysseus’ feet and hands are no doubt like his now,

For men age quickly when life is hard (lines 381-391).

In E.V. Rieu’s translation of the poem (Penguin Classics), he translates the same passage like this:

“My dear friend—as I cannot help calling the most understanding guest this house has ever welcomed from abroad, for you put everything so well and you talk with such understanding…Come, my dear kind Eurycleia, get up and wash the feet of someone who is of the same age as your master. No doubt Odysseus’ hands and feet are like our guests’ by now, for people age quickly in minsfortune” (296).

Readers have often wondered if Penelope recognizes her husband (after all, the dog does!). Odysseus doesn’t thinks he does, and nothing outwardly says she does, and yet this passage is a telling one. Which one do you think hints more knowledge than the other? Would we assume that she knows from one passage over another? Or both (or neither)? Why might it be important to assume that she does know?

Q2: In the midst of the ghastly slaughter, Odysseus spares two of the servants and tells them, "Don’t worry, he’s saved you. Now you know,/And you can tell the world, how much better/Good deeds are than evil. Go outside, now,/You and the singer, and sit in the yard/Away from the slaughter, until I finish" (Book 22, lines 396-401). Is this how we're supposed to read the slaughter of the Suitors, as divine justice? While they have clearly done 'wrong,' so have Odysseus and the entire Greek army which destroyed "sacred Troy." Are these just more "winged words" of Odysseus, or do you feel the poet truly believes them? 

Q3: In Book 23, Telemachus accuses his mother of having a heart “colder than stone,” and even Odysseus claims that she has “more than…any/Other woman, an unyielding heart.” How does she respond to these charges, and more importantly, how does she refute the female stereotype that Odysseus, Telemachus, Agamemnon, and even Athena have been selling throughout the entire narrative? In other words, what makes her a compelling character on par with women like Helen, Calypso, and Circe?

Q4: Some scholars believe that Book 24 is not one of the original books of the epic, but was tacked on by a later writer or tradition. Why is this? What might sound ‘wrong’ about this Book or dramatically irrelevant? Does it add anything crucial to his story?

Final Paper: Is Homer Still Piloting the Ship of Theseus? (Due May 7th!)

 

“Are you familiar with the thought experiment, ‘The Ship of Theseus?’ in the field of identity metaphysics?...“The Ship of Theseus is an artifact in a museum. Over time, its planks of wood rot and are replaced with new planks. When no original plank remains, is it still the Ship of Theseus?” (Vision, from Wandavision, 2021)

As Morales explains in Classical Mythology, myths (and stories about myths) survive because they keep being retold. Indeed, Tbe Iliad and The Odyssey are themselves retold stories, probably based on dozens if not hundreds of ‘originals’ that preceded them. Of course, we’ve forgotten the original stories (and the ones that preceded them!), so Homer has now become the original, the canonical text that all new myths have to refer to. In this way, Homer’s books have become the mythical ‘ship of Theseus,’ preserved in a museum and only read through each new translation, and each new work that continues to extend its legacy.

For your final paper, I want you to examine (a) a modern retelling of The Iliad or The Odyssey OR (b) another translation, besides the one we read, of one of the books. I want you to examine how much the second work changes, expands, adapts, and clarifies the original in order to answer the question, is this still the ship of Theseus? Or has it become another work and a brand new ship? Below are some questions you can examine and ask as you explore each work:

• How does the new work try to establish links to the original? Characters? Scenes? Themes? In other words, how do we know this is still Homer?
• If a translation, what words, ideas, or concepts do both works seem to agree on? What doesn’t fundamentally change?
• What changes does the new work introduce to the main story? How do they try to re-write certain key concepts of characters from a more ‘modern’ perspective? Why do you think this was necessary? Can we ‘see’ this in Homer’s original? Did they merely bring to the surface something hinted at in the text? Or is it completely original?
• If a translation, which work seems to be most radically different in its approach to the text? Are there words/ideas which seem anachronistic to Homer’s time and characters? Does the translation try to sound too modern/relatable to our audience? Is it at expense of Homer’s original meaning?
• Does the new work help us see/appreciate new ideas in the original? Do we come away understanding a character’s motivation or origin? Does it help us enjoy or appreciate the original more?
• If a translation, which version helps clarify and understand a moment in the text, or a character in the text, more than the other? Why is this?
• Could we call the new work “by Homer,” or “based upon Homer”? Has it crossed the line into a new work? Or could it still be seen as a translation?
• If a translation, which translator (if any) seems to cross the line into creating a new work? Which one sees the translation as a living poem, and no longer a ship in a museum? Is there one where the work should be credited to the translator instead of Homer?

REQUIREMENTS

• Close reading, close reading, close reading! Make sure we understand the ‘planks’ used to change the ship…and if you feel the ship has changed, make sure we know why.
• Quoting and responding to quotes: don’t rely on paraphrase. Help us see your exploration of text and ideas.
• Use at least one passage/quote from Morales and/or Graziosi for support.
• Due the last Friday of Final Exam week: May 7^th by 5pm!

Blog Response #6: Books 12, 13, 16,17 & 18

NO VIDEO this week. I can sense people are tired and simply want to get on with the semester. However, I do want you to keep reading and thinking, so here's a single passage I want you to think about as you read, and respond to with a COMMENT below. 

In Book 13, when Odysseus finally lands on Ithaca, he refuses to believe it's actually his home, and even challenges Athena when she assures that it is (she claims to have cast a spell on him, of course). She then responds,

"Ah, that mind of yours! That's why

I can't leave you when you're down and out:

Because you're so intelligent and self-possessed.

Any other man come home from hard travels

Would rush to his house to see his children and wife.

But you don't even want to hear how they are

Until you test your wife, who, 

As a matter of fact, just sits in the house..."

Indeed, he only reveals himself to Telemachus when Athena tells him to, and refuses to do the same for his wife. Instead, he wants to 

"figure out which way the women are leaning.

We'll test more than one of the servants, too,

And see who respects us and fears us,

And who cares nothing about either one of us

And fails to honor you." 

COMMENT: Do these passages seem to contradict much of Odysseus' story about getting home to his wife and family, and of being trapped by other goddesses? Why does he play this strange game of cat and mouse with his family, and why is he so obsessed about figuring out "who respects us and fears us"? How do you read his character in light of this passage, and does it seem consistent with the earlier Odysseus, or is it a strange reveal by the poet? Could this be another 'story' added years later to the narrative...or is this the original story shining through? Or does it all make perfect sense considering our 'cunning' and 'resourceful' hero? 

For Tuesday: Morales, Classical Mythology, Chapters 5-6

NOTE: I posted the Paper #3 assignment below this one in case you lose your copy, or simply want to reference it. Our readings from Morales are designed to complement this assignment and help you see The Odyssey in a slightly different light. 

Answer TWO of the following for Tuesday's class:

Q1: Many women scholars have understandably wanted to abandon classical myth and its related literature altogether, finding it too enmeshed in patriarchal values and misogynist discourse. However, as Morales explains, many scholars and writers are also engaging in what she terms "psychic activism" (95). What does this mean, and how would this enrich the myths and works we do have? How might this help us read Homer, for example?

Q2: Morales explains in Chapter 5 that Freud viewed myths as "case studies, from which he draws conclusions about men's universal experiences" (74). Why might this be a fruitful way to use myth...and what are also its limitations? Why, too, was his approach more suited to men than to women?

Q3: According to Chapter 6, what are some of the reasons (we think) that ancient Greece, Rome, and Renaissance Europe were so obsessed with depicting rape in mythology? Does every culture think about 'rape' the same way? And how could a myth change the way (or normalize the way) we think about it as a culture?

Q4: Somewhat related to Q1, the psychotherapist Joseph Schwartz wrote that "we are now too mature to rely on the Greeks for our narratives" (79). Despite this, we continue to think in terms of the Greeks even in our popular culture, as movies such as Wonder Woman demonstrate. Why might it be premature to claim that we've outgrown myths? What might be the consistent appeal to myths in a world as technologically advanced as the 21st century? 

Paper #3: Abandoning the Gods

“Mortals! They are always blaming the gods/For their troubles, when their own witlessness/Causes them more than they’re destined for!” (Book 1)

INTRO: The Odyssey uses the gods even more explicitly than does The Iliad, with Athena, Hermes, Poseidon, and numerous lesser gods inserting themselves into the story and either saving—or damning—Odysseus and Telemachus. However, for all their involvement, they don’t really do anything that couldn’t happen without their involvement. Odysseus could get lost on his way back home simply because of bad weather and poor navigation; Telemachus could decide to seek his father without Athena’s encouragement; and Odysseus lust after Circe and leave Calypso without Herme’s blessing. What if the gods are simply more an excuse or an explanation of what goes inside a mortal’s head? Especially when that mortal is an obscure “man of twists and turns” like Odysseus?

PROMPT: For your Third Paper, I want you to discuss how the poem would change if we took the gods out entirely. While Circe and Calypso are immortal, they’re not gods in the same way that Athena and Zeus are, so they can stay in. Just think about people Odysseus and Telemachus actually interact with, especially since when they speak to the gods, it’s always through an intermediary. Discuss a few passages that would change in some significant way without the presence of the gods. How would we read these passages differently? How might they complicate or contradict the story as told either by the poet-narrator or Odysseus himself? Again, you don’t have to talk about EVERYTHING that changes, but choose a few passages and CLOSE READ them: show us how removing the god makes us see different possibilities in the story.

SOURCES: Using Morales’ Classical Mythology will be helpful here, since she reminds us that “we [can] read the myth as emblem rather than narrative” (9).  Since the gods are never consistent from poem to poem (or story to story), that suggests that could be a creation of the poet to explain the world around them. So how do these ‘god symbols’ reflect the emotions and psychology of the heroes they influence? Why might we read Athena as some aspect of Odysseus’ own personality, for example? ALSO, you might consider that Odysseus, as the narrator for much of the poem, might be inserting the gods into the story to cover his own tracks. He does occasionally lie and misrepresent facts when he takes over…

REQUIREMENTS:

• No page limit, but have a true conversation with the poem: think, be creative, and play with the words.
• Quote and close read a few passages from the poem; don’t rely on summary or paraphrase.
• Use Morales or Graziosi (or both) as secondary sources in your discussion—and quote them, too!
• DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 16^th BY 5pm!

 

Blog Response #5: The Odyssey, Books 8.9.10 & 11

 Be sure to read the next four books (or get as close as you can), and watch the video below (16 minutes). The response question is at the end as usual, but you need to listen for it, since I don't write it on the Powerpoint. However, I think you'll catch it pretty easily. Enjoy! 

For Tuesday: The Essential Odyssey, Books 1,4, 5 & 6 (see below)

For next Tuesday, be sure to read Books 1, 4,5 & 6 from The Essential Odyssey, though there are NO QUESTIONS to answer. However, I've given you a few ideas below which you might consider as you read, and one of these will be used as an in-class response on Tuesday's  class (hint, hint!). Otherwise, try to enjoy the break and enjoy this exciting book--you might like it even more than The Iliad (or at all, if you didn't like that book). 

* Why does Athena take the form of Mentes, an old family friend, rather than simply appearing to Telemachus in her natural form? Is Telemachus (or others) fooled by the disguise? What might this suggest about the gods' relationship with mankind, and how might it relate to what we read in The Iliad? Do the gods seem to have more interaction with mortals here, or less?

* Book 4 is fascinating in that it imagines Helen of Troy living back with her husband, Menelaus, after the Trojan War. How does the poem depict Helen at this stage of her life? Does this sound like the same woman who defied Aphrodite and Paris? Who spoke at Hector’s funeral pyre? Or is it a different character by a different author?

* In the ancient world, good manners/customs are as important as looking good or noble. Though Athena often paves the way for Odysseus and Telemachus, their manners often save the day, and make others accept them and/or render them aid. What seems to be the definition of 'good manners' in Homer's Greece? What qualities/actions did they expect men and women to display in public? 

* Calypso is yet another "evil woman" in ancient literature, though Homer offers a much more nuanced portrait of her motives. How does she compare to Helen of Troy in Book Four, particularly in her response to the gods to release her hold on Odysseus? Again, you might consider whether or poet is a "man" or a "woman" in writing this (I'm speaking generally--meaning only, are they more sympathetic to a woman, or more judgmental). 

* Odysseus proves quite clever in defeating the cyclops, Polyphemus, but he ultimately loses this adventure. What is his fatal flaw in this encounter, and how might it tie in with the theme of the work in general? Where else have we seen men 'fail' in the same way? 

* In general, how is Odysseus depicted as a ruler and a hero in these books? Is he also a royal tyrant, a greedy ruler, like Agamemnon? Or more of a selfish, hubristic hero like Achilles? How might his adventure with the cyclops illustrate his essential nature, and is this how an Achilles would have acted?

For Spring Break: The Odyssey, Books 1,4,5,6

Obviously, no class next week! Be sure to start reading The Odyssey for the week we return, Books 1, 4, 5, & 6. I won't give you any questions over Spring Break (how decent of me!), but I will give you some bullet points to consider to help you as you read. We'll discuss these points in class next week. But be sure to read, since you don't want to fall behind once we return--we'll have to pick up the pace because there's only a few weeks left!

Here's some highlights from this week's class:

ACHILLES: UNIQUE OR COMMON? 

• Page 58(Graziosi): The Iliad practices the “Poetics of Inclusion”: only tells one part of the story, but hints at the entire thing...we can see a much larger world just behind the curtain, even though it's not all explored or even mention 
• Page 60: BIG—even the quick victims have a history, a story; he could have told us more 
• Every death is a LOSS! Even the most minor character leaves a body, a history, a family; every man has a mother and a father--many have wives and children. Achilles can't see that (until Priam). 
• Page 51: he ISN’T special—look at what everyone suffered! Priam especially, but also Andromache, Helen, etc.

THE OLDEST THEME IN LITERATURE: TRYING TO CHEAT DEATH

• Page 52: THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH—can anger bring back the dead? Achilles is a lot like Gilgamesh 
• Page 53: PTSD—like war veterans, goes through despair and rage: why the poem is about “menis” (rage)
• Page 49: he is a mortal man: gifts won’t help him; they won’t extend his life or bring back others –nothing as precious as life itself (50)
• NOT A GOD—but a mortal; so can’t be Apollo. He only has a few years to enjoy his life, and money can't buy him more. Apollo doesn't need life, and can't die, so all he has is money and sacrifices to enjoy. 

THE DATE OF ONE’S FATE

• Page 66: We all believe we shall die "whenever"; but Hector knows exactly when—and has to act accordingly
• Page 69: Andromache’s plea—to offer an alternative fate for Hector, which he refuses 
• Page 70: Shame and glory—his main motivators (her pain will become his future glory)
• Page 73: His death—ALONE, though he always cared for the community (they abandon him at the end—his people, and the gods)
• Page 56: WOMEN get the last word: people can only flourish if they look after each other.

Blog Response#4: Graziosi's Homer, Chapters 5-7

 Here's a shortish blog video for Chapters 5-7 of Graziosi's Homer: A Very Short Introduction. We'll talk more about these chapters in class, but the video below highlights one or two very important points I don't want you to miss. And of course, don't forget to leave a COMMENT below! 

Paper #2: Heroes of the Past and Present (due Friday, March 12th)

NOTE: The questions for next week are in the post BELOW this one...

“Heroes were heroes because they captured the Zeitgeist and embodied the fantasies of the people. The heroes of classical mythology were figures from the past. But what made them heroes, their mythism, if you like, always came from their importance to the present” (Morales 55).

INTRO: As we’ve discussed in class, The Iliad is a complex mix of traditions, characters, and voices—the very reason it became mythic. It’s a story that likes to be re-told, and despite the legendary setting and events, it still feels and sounds human. We can relate to the characters and their conflict, because it’s not really the war that matters; it’s who they love, what they’ve lost, and what they want to gain before having to slink off to Hades in defeat. As Sappho writes, “Some men say an army of horse...and some men say an army of ships if the most beautiful thing on the black earth. But I say it is what you love” (trsnl. Anne Carson).

PROMPT: For your second paper assignment, I want you to discuss which character you feel is the most ‘heroic’ or ‘mythic’ in the poem. This could be anyone, from the ‘big’ heroes such as Achilles and Hector, to the seemingly less important characters such as Helen, Andromache, or Briseis (in other words, it doesn’t have to be a man). Focus on ONE SCENE that you feel shows this character in their best, most heroic light—something that can be both literal and allegorical. By this, I mean a scene that reads powerfully in the poem itself, but could also be translated as relating to our own lives as readers in the 21st century. What hero most inspires you by their words and actions? Be sure to show us what they say or how the poet describes them as being heroic or mythic. And remember, a “hero” doesn’t have to be “good”...a hero can be an “anti-hero,” or someone who becomes mythic for refusing to conform to the ideals of their society, and offers us a new way of thinking about our own role in the human drama.

FOCUS: Be sure to analyze a single scene that you feel best shows the character in their heroic/mythic light. You can quote from another part of the book, of course, but only to highlight this specific scene. ALSO, use one or both of our critical books, Homer and Classical Mythology to help you discuss your scene. Quote from the book and use it to illustrate your ideas or some aspect of the hero’s character.

REQUIREMENTS:

* page limit optional—but enough to make your point

* Focus on a single character in a single scene (be sure to QUOTE)

* Use of one or both of the secondary texts in class

* DUE FRIDAY, MARCH 12th by 5pm

For Next Week: Books 22, 23 & 24 of The Iliad & Tuesday's Class Recap

Try to finish The Iliad for next week's class, but don't worry if you don't quite make it there. You'll have time to catch up soon. Also, after the questions below, there's a brief recap of our class today. 

Answer TWO of the following as usual: 

Q1: In a passage omitted from our version of Book 24, the gods debate about whether Achilles should give up Hector’s body.  Apollo, who thinks he should, speaks:

How callous can you get?  Has Hector

Never burned for you thighs of bulls and goats?

…but now you cannot

Bring yourselves to save even his bare corpse

For his wife to look upon, and his mother,

And child, and Priam, and his people…

No, it’s the dread Achilles that you prefer,

His twisted mind is set on what he wants,

As savage as a lion bristling with pride,

Attacking men’s flocks to make himself a feast.

Achilles has lost all pity and has no shame left.

Shame sometimes hurts men, but it helps them too.

A man may lose someone dearer than Achilles has,

A brother from the same womb, or a son,

But when he has wept and mourned, he lets go.

The Fates have given men an enduring heart.

But this man?  After he kills Hector,

He ties him behind his charior

And drags him around his dear friend’s tomb.

Does this make him a better or nobler man? (lines 37-57)

What do you think Apollo means by an “enduring heart,” and why might this speech suggest that hubris is a quality of gods—not men? 

Q2: How does Book 24 present Achilles’ decision to give Hector’s body back to Priam?  Is it still an act of compassion and mercy?  Does this book redeem Achilles in our eyes, or is he merely a pawn of the gods, forced to do Zeus’ bidding? 

Q3: How do the various women respond to Hector’s body—Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen?  How does this give us different perspectives on who Hector was, and whether or not he died honorably—or for the right reason? 

Q4: Why do you think the book ends with the funeral of Hector, rather than with the fall of Troy, or even the death of Achilles?  If the story is about Achilles’ rage, then why not end with the natural outcome of his rage—his death?  Why is ending the book here, rather than later on in the actual story of Troy, somehow satisfying?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TUESDAY'S CLASS RECAP: 

AESTHETICS AND AUTHORSHIP (pages from Graziosi's book):

* Page 9: "Homer" is an aesthetic judgment--the idea of a single author is more aesthetically pleasing to us. It fits in with our "myth of genius," and a great work being the product of a single great mind, even though this may be erroneous. 

* Page 7: In the  17th century, the poems were thought "too vile, rude, cruel, proud" to be the work of a single person. Are there too many inconsistencies and discrepancies? Could one mind produce all of this--the glories and the difficulties? 

* Page 14: Was the poem, perhaps, an oral poem dictated to a scribe, so that there is "one author," either the poet-reciter or the poet-transcriber? This is possible, but also unlikely: there are still too many voices for one person to be the sole originator of the work. 

CLUES IN THE EPIC?

* Page 13: The formulas the epic follows—oral tricks to help a poet flesh out the story and fill the verse. However, neither poem is a slave to them; it goes beyond mere formulas and cliches. 

* Page 16: The difference between how Achilles is described and how he actually is—“swift footed,” but never moves, etc. The poem often evokes the cliched language of a hero or a god, and then shows us the opposite, as if to make fun of them, or to simply be ironic. That does suggest that the narrator is pushing against the fabric of the narrative. 

* THE SIMILES, as discussed in the last blog--be sure to watch and comment! 

* page 18: ALSO—the literary language of the poem is not a spoken language, but an invented, ornate language. For example, we never say "thus," or "heretofore" in normal speech, but we could use it in academic writing. It's used to create a more formal, more analytical style of writing. So, too, with Homer's verse, which doesn't reflect how the Greeks spoke, but how they told history/mythology. It had to sound different. 

THE AUDIENCE AND THE NARRATOR

* Page 24-25: Graziosi demonstrates how the poem offers asides and metaphors to suggest that the audience is not the same as the characters in the poem. This may have been added later to make the myth more relevant and relatable to the audience. almost like a translation. 

* Page 26: Was the poem a way to understand the lost, ancient world? The Greeks grew up around ruined fortresses, ancient statues, and other landmarks whose meaning was probably lost in time even in antiquity. So the poem itself could be a 'myth,' or translation of these objects through the language and events of the poem. 

* Page 34: Where do we hear the "author's" voice in the narrative? How do we know that they are distinct from the story they tell? Where do we 'hear' them?

* page 37: seeing from the Greek side—the Iliad is more ‘cinematic,’ it moves like a movie would today (even though such technology wouldn't be invented for thousands of years!) 

* page 41: The Odyssey is more from Odysseus’ side—more at ‘eye level.' We seem from a more intimate point of view. 

 

Blog Response #3, The Iliad, Books 16.18.19

No classes this week, so watch the video below (and comment) and read Books 16,18, & 19, which goes along with this. We'll also talk about Homer: A Very Short Introduction, Chapters 1-4 on Tuesday. Stay warm and see you then!

 

Summary of Tuesday's class and Questions for Graziosi, Homer: A Very Short Introduction, Chs.1-4

Read the Introduction and Chapters 1-4 from Graziosi's Homer: A Very Short Introduction for next Tuesday (if we have class--the weather might be just as bad!). But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, even though you shouldn't cross icy bridges! (bad joke) 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: In Chapter 1, Graziosi quotes the famous German philosopher Nietzsche, who claimed, "Homer as the poet of the Iliad and the Odysseyis not a transmitted, historical fact--but rather an aesthetic judgement" (9). What did he mean by this? How can the identity of a poet be an "aesthetic judgement," and what does this say about Homer's myth?

Q2: What makes it so difficult to pinpoint when Homer wrote his epics? What clues do the poems offer and disguise? Is there anything definitive we can say about the identity of Homer's audience?

Q3: Graziosi writes that "the world of the similes often seems more humble than that described in the main narrative--but also technologically more advanced" (25). What does she mean that the similes and metaphors are often more 'advanced' than the world of the poem? And why is this significant?

Q4: In Chapter 4, Graziosi makes the claim that "Within the epics themselves, however, the voice of the narrator can clearly be heard" (34). Where do we hear or see this? And why does she think it's important to distinguish the narrator from the poem itself? 

SUMMARY OF TUESDAY'S CLASS AND IDEAS: 

Morales, Page 45, the role of Sisyphus: if he aberrant or heroic? The voice of a minority or of the people? Whose side does Homer seem to be on, the Greeks or the Trojans? Can a poet take a side? 

THE HERO ETHOS

• Page 46: Glaucus and Diomedes: the ethos of enemies—our parents were friends, therefore we are friends! Hospitality and Honor
• Page 56: Hector's criticism of Paris—not the ideal of honor
• Page 65: Phoenix to Achilles: Even the gods can bend—you can’t be pitiless
• page 68: Phoenix: your honor will be less, not greater, if you come to our aid to late. History will remember your actions. 
• 69: The Honor Code—a man accepts compensation for a murdered son and defrays his retribution. And yet you persist, who only lost a 'slave girl'? 

ACHILLES’ ETHOS/FATE

• Page 61: Do you have to be a god to love your mate?
• Page 60: Achilles’ philosophy: the coward and hero get the same reward, so what’s the use? Existentialism? 
• Page 62: Nothing is worth my life; note how Achilles fears death as the greatest evil, unlike Hector...
• Page 54: Hector: no man can escape his fate (stoic) 
• Page 74: Sarpedon: let’s go forward since no man can escape it
• TROJANS MORE HEROIC? GREEKS THE ENEMIES? Who are the “good guys” here?

WOMEN AT WAR

• Page 50: Helen’s lament, but also “In time to come poets will sing of us”: this echoes one of Sappho's famous fragments, "someone will remember us, I say, even in another time." 
• Page 52: Andromache’s lament—the doom to come & what he knows himself: if he leaves, he will die and she will be sold as a slave
• Page 49: Athena denies the Trojan’s prayers—if their hearts cannot be moved, what use of sacrifice?

 

Blog Response #2: The Iliad, Books 6,9 & 12

Be sure to read the next 3 books for Tuesday's class, and watch the 14-minute video below about the ideology of the poem. Please leave a comment below responding to the question at the end of the video. 

ALSO: Paper #1 is due Friday by 5pm! Don't forget!

Ideas from Week Four's Class, The Iliad, Books 1-3

Here are some responses and passages that go along with our questions and discussion from Tuesday. If you missed class, please let me know if you have any questions!  

Q1: The Gods did not have moral authority; they were just like us…how do we see this? How does Homer offer the ‘myth’ of the Gods?

• Page 37: Zeus would not fulfill their prayers…and page 39: no one plagues us more than you!
• Page 17: Thetis begging Zeus--he caves because she's one of his former lovers, and he can't say no to her
• Page 18: Hera’s response (oh my, the great son of Cronos has spoken!") and Zeus' threats of domestic violence
• Page 20 & 24: the gods manipulate mortals’ lives for their own gain—not for justice or morality (they are AMORAL--no idea of morality at all)
• Page 30: Paris—we don’t get to choose what the gods give us!

The gods are GIANT versions of us, though minus the morals. If men and women could live forever without religion or a conscience keeping us in check, this is who we would be--Zeus and Aphrodite! All appetite, all jealousy, all greed...mankind is ALWAYS superior to the gods in the end. 

 Q2: Mythic heroes are extraordinary—outrageous and outstanding, according to Morales. Is Achilles? Why is the story about him and his rage?

• Page 5-6: his defiance of Agamemnon (see pg. 23: no one else gets away with this)
• Page 6: Agamemnon: "you actually like fighting and war!"
• Page 12: but he's very human—he cries over Briseis, begs his mother for revenge
• Page 13: Thetis: you are doomed to an early death

Q3: HUBRIS: how does Achilles and Agamemnon embody this? Why is the story so concerned with this quality?

• page 4: Agamemnon ignores the soothsayer
• Both men refuse to listen to each other
• Agamemnon steals Briseis; Achilles refuses to fight with the Greeks, dooming them to death and destruction 
• And yet, hubris can also be a good quality...it's what allows Achilles to defy Agamemnon (who really is an SOB), and why Helen defies Aphrodite

What makes Helen a "living" character even though she's an ancient myth, and often, just a trophy for Paris? How does Homer humanize her? ALSO, how are other characters humanized and made to seem modern for the reader?  

• Page 29: Hector’s response to Paris--I wish you had never been born! 
• Page 31: soldiers want the war to be over; Trojans hate Paris (pg. 42)
• Page 33: Helen’s lament…bitch that I am!
• Page 40: Helen’s defiance of Aphrodite & Paris! She realizes that it would be immortal to sleep with him during a war. But the gods refuse her. 

For Next Week: Reading Questions for The Iliad, Books 1-3

NOTE: Remember that the Paper #1 assignment is two posts down (due next Friday!) 

Answer two of the following:

Q1: In Classical Mythology, Morales writes that “it was the gods’ interactions with each other, and with mortals, that gave the myths meaning. It was not important that the gods had moral authority; they did not. They were unfaithful, vengeful, petty, and mean, just as humans are” (43). How do we see this in the first three books? How does Homer show them not as “gods” but as extreme versions of humanity—even caricatures of humanity?

Q2: Examine Achilles’ confrontation with Agamemnon in Book I: how do we respond to him as a hero in this passage?  Does he meet Morales’ qualifications for the mythic hero: “Mythic heroes were—and are—outrageous and outstanding. They are phenomenal. They distil some collective ideal or fantasy” (55). How do we see this here? What makes him particularly “outrageous and outstanding”?

Q3: Though Achilles is often thought to be the embodiment of hubris (Morales, pg.44.), in what ways does Agamemnon also deserve this title?  How do we see the leader of the Greek armies display this quality, and how does it endanger the Greeks’ relationship with the gods?

Q4: Morales writes that “the aim of this book is to understand classical myths not as fossilized entities, but as living agents” (2). What makes Helen a “living” and exciting character even today when we see her in Book 3? Consider her words when she confronts Aphrodite and tells her, “It would be treason to share [Paris’] bed” (41). How could she still be a mythic character for women today, rather than just a ‘prize’ to be won by Paris or Menelaus?

Class Ideas from Week Three

We watched a short clip from the original Star Wars film, A New Hope (1977). You can watch the clip here: 

We also discused some of the tropes and themes in this clip: The Unlikely Hero, the Chosen One, The Mentor/Wizard, the Sidekick, the Evil Empire. His father wanted him to have the lightsaber, to become a Jedi; but he can’t get involved, it’s “such a long way away.” A simple farm kid who finds himself in the middle of a galactic struggle.

Here are some other themes and ideas that come out of our conversation and out of Chapters 3 & 4 in general:

MYTHIC HEROES

• Page 53: Why do some heroes become Myths—who undergoes an “apotheosis”? (54). What makes Luke or Harry Potter immortal?
• Page 55: Not whether he lived, or lived well, but that he was LARGER THAN LIFE
• Page 55: ZEITGEIST (The spirit of the age): myths represent the fantasies of the people, their importance to the present--not just an image of the past. 

 HEROES AS PROMETHEUS

• Page 44: HUBRIS—transgressing the Immortal Order, also, the fatal flaw that all heroes have. 
• Page 45: Is Myth a way to keep people in line? Did they really believe in it as scripture?
• Page 40: Gods were not moral, they were humans writ large...so not really a religion; more a way to interpret the past/present--which leads naturally to allegory (see below)
• Page 43: The Gods’ favor was enjoyed in this life, not the next: life after was pretty much assured...so why might this life matter more?

MYTH OR ALLEGORY?

• Page 56: Mythoi and Logoi: often, that which is logoi (factual) doesn’t inspire us—we want logoi that sounds like mythoi (stories, tales, lies); movies “based on a true story”
• Page 57: The myth of myth being “savage”: that myth was a primitive way of thinking that led to logic and philosophy 
• Page 62: Allegory saved myth—but the danger of allegory? Can it explain too much away? 
• Page 66: Important passage--allegory gives the reader control of the material; we are not beholden to the path or to an author. We get to choose how to read and how to adapt it to our own lives.

 

Paper #1: Myths of the Future, due Feb.5th

NOTE: Blog Response #1 video is in the post BELOW this one...

“Heroes were heroes because they captured the Zeitgeist and embodied the fantasies of the people. The heroes of classical mythology were figures from the past. But what made them heroes, their mythism, if you like, always came from their importance to the present” (Morales 55).

INTRO: Similar to your Blog Response #1 post, I want you to look for the ‘mythology’ in the modern world—and more specifically, in the dominant forms of literature that can still create myth. So where are the myths of today be created? What “lore” is being collected and what “fantasies” are being acted out by modern participants? How are old heroes transforming into new protagonists, and past fantasies becoming allegorically renewed? And what “ideology” might emerge from our streaming shows and podcasts?

PROMPT: For your First Paper, I want you to answer the question, what work of art do you think has a good chance to become a myth in the next hundred years? In other words, how can you see a relatively modern film, book, show, podcast, album, etc., becoming the basis for an extensive lore and an allegorical interpretation of its characters, stories, and symbols? Think about what works today have already inspired retellings and adaptations of their original material in memes, jokes, copycats, and parodies. What works have added words to our language or characters to our stock of leading men and women? Remember that these myths don’t have to be about the ‘future’ or the ‘past,’ but should be “important to the present,” and capture something of the “zeitgeist” of our age, even if, ultimately, this work owes a lot to its fictional forbearers. 

SOURCES: Use Morales’ Classical Mythology to help you discuss this topic. Use passages as a framework to analyze and discuss your work in question. And be specific: discuss a specific character, passage, scene, episode, or lyric to help us ‘see’ the mythological aspects in question. Remember that any story can become a myth if enough people care about it, so you can’t go wrong here; the trick is to convince us the process of “apotheosis” (page 54) is already in effect. Where do we see this work being repackaged and repurposed for the ages? And how aware do you think the author and/or creators are of making a modern myth? Is it by purpose—or totally by accident?

REQUIREMENTS:

• 3-4 pages, double spaced at least (you can do more!)
• Focuses on ONE work (not a series of works, or a type of works—don’t do science fiction or superheroes in general)
• Uses passages from Morales’ Classical Mythology as a primary source; you must QUOTE and apply these passages to your work (don’t just say: “Morales says a lot of cool things about myth that totally apply to Star Wars!”).
• Due Friday, February 5^th @ 5pm by e-mail or in the box on my door (HM 348)

Blog Response #1: Chapters 3-4 from Classical Mythology

 Watch the video below which is a mini-lecture on Chapters 3-4 from Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction. Then respond to the question below as a COMMENT. If you have any trouble posting, try to make a blogspot account (which is free), or you can even e-mail me your response. ALSO: I'll post the Paper #1 assignment this weekend, so keep an eye out! 

Summary of Tuesday's Class (Week Two)

Just to help jog people's memories, and to provide some raw material for future papers and assignments, here are some of the ideas we discussed in class on Tuesday:

We discussed some of the manifestations of a "myth": a myth is a PROCESS and not a thing. It is continually evolving and being added to, revised and resurrected. It never dies or stays put.

A myth is always a lore (collection of stories), and ideology (a way of reading these stories), and functions as pleasure (a vicarious way of living the myth and processing it in our daily lives--or in our fantasies). 

Any story can become a myth, but not all stories are myths; a myth has to be a COLLECTIVE recollection--something shared by an entire culture and told in one of the dominant modes of storytelling. Stories told in forms that are not in the mainstream rarely become myths. However, stories we find in podcasts, in a Netflix series, or a Broadway show, have a better chance of entering the collective psyche today. 

Myths are also heterogenous, not homogenous; there is not one story but many. A myth is often revised. We saw this with the story of Europa. There were many ways to interpret it, and it is used in many ways--often symbolically, rather than by focusing on the narrative. 

With a modern myth like Star Wars, there can't be just one story or one movie that is the 'real' one. If it's a real myth, it must be told and re-told, and revised, and adapted in different contexts. However, there are always a group of fans who object, who want the lore to remain the same. But a real myth must undergo a metamorphosis. 

As the book states, we also need to look at WHO is telling the myth and WHY they're telling it this way. Myth is often a form of propaganda for the tellers--it reflects who they are and where they're from. Also, myths are often read in context; a myth changes in a specific time and location.

For example, we looked at the movie Troy: it changed The Iliad to suit the needs and interests of a modern audience. It cast Brad Pitt as Achilles, who is not Greek and is an icon of American movies. That changes the meaning and context of the story. So does casting an African-American as Achilles, which has also been done. It doesn't make the story "wrong," but tells a different aspect of the story.

A story has a Beginning, Middle, and an End. A myth can focus on all, or two, or one. Many myths start in the Middle, or just tell the End. As we'll see with Homer, the poems never tell the entire myth--just a single part. 

For Next Week: Read Morales, Classical Mythology, Introduction & Chapters 1-2, and Questions Below

For next week's class, be sure to read Chapters 1-2 of Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction, and answer TWO of the questions below for class. Answer each question with a few sentences or a short paragraph each. I'm more interested in how you answer these questions than in what you say. So for example, don't give me a simple yes/no answer, and don't try to figure out what the 'right' answer is. These are designed to get you thinking 'inside' the book rather than simply skimming over it. Bring these questions to class with you next week, since you'll turn them in after class. 

Q1: What does it mean to read a myth as an "emblem, rather than narrative" (9)? Why do some people appropriate myths more for what they embody or represent, rather than the actual stories they tell? Can you think of examples in our own culture where we do that?

Q2: Morales writes that "classical myth is often talked about as if it were a homogenous and static category. Instead, as we have seen, the ideological impact of myths changed within the classical world" (14). Why is it crucial for myths to change and become heterogenous throughout time? Why might that make them "myths"?

Q3: Discussing the frescoes in Pompeii in Chapter 2, Morales suggests that "The house makes you work hard at reading the myths and how they interrelate" (21). Why might context also change how we read a myth? Why is where a myth is located as important as what it is?

Q4: Why is the image of Prometheus in Rockerfeller Center (nicknamed "Leaping Louie") so controversial? Why did people criticize it by saying, "Pardon me, but is that meant to be permanent?" (35). What rules did it seem to break about art or mythology? Is it a legitimate criticism? 

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to the Spring 2021 version of World Literature to 1700, which this year is focusing exclusively on the works of Homer. No, not the donut-loving father from the Simpsons, but the much more obscure figure from the ancient past who is credited with writing two of the most influential epic poems in existence: The Iliad and The Odyssey. We'll spend this semester reading shortened versions of each work (but not too short!), as well as several critical works about mythology and the historical context of ancient Greece. Ideally, by diving deep into his works and world, you'll better understand where ancient texts come from, and how these works shape us as readers and citizens of the 21st century. 

There are three REQUIRED books for class: The Essential Homer, Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction, and Homer: A Very Short Introduction. The other two books are optional, though you will need one of them (or you can use a third text, which we'll discuss in class): Miller's Circe or Shanower's Age of Bronze. 

The syllabus is pasted below, though I'll give you a hard copy in class. Please let me know if you have any questions at jgrasso@ecok.edu. I can't wait to share these works and the ensuing discussions with you this semester! 

English 3913: World Literature to 1700, “The World of Homer”:

Spring 2021

Tuesday / Thursday, 12:30-1:45

Dr. Joshua Grasso / jgrasso@ecok.edu (X 430)

Office Hours: MWF 10-11 & 1-2; TR 12-12:30

Class Website: ecuworldlit.blogspot.com

From Morales’ Classical Mythology: “Classical mythology only happens when the stories become active agents: when people use them. As such, classical myth is not an object or series of objects to be known. Rather, it is a continual process of telling and retelling, of provoking and responding, of critiquing and revising. It is a process rather than an event. Or, to borrow Mary Beard’s formulation, we should think of it as a verb, and not a noun.”

Course Description: In this class, we’re going to read all the works of Homer (all two of them!) to try to understand why these books are so firmly lodged in the human imagination. Why do people keep reading and “using” these books to explain the past and to make sense of the present? What characters and metaphors have they bequeathed to the world, and why do they remain modern even after the passage of two or more centuries? As Morales suggests above, Homer isn’t a thing but a process, and reading Homer is a verb—we do things with Homer, and it does things to us. Or in the words of the poet Cavafy (who was borrowing from Homer), “Keep Ithaka always in your mind./Arriving there is what you’re destined for./But don’t hurry the journey at all.” (these lines will make more sense after you’ve read The Odyssey!).

Required Texts:

• The Essential Homer, translated by Stanley Lombardo
• Graziosi, Homer: A Very Short Introduction
• Morales, Classical Mythology: A Very Short Introduction
• (choose ONE): Miller, Circe or Shanower, Age of Bronze

Required Work:

• In-Class Participation: see below
• Response Questions: 20 pts.
• Blog Responses: 20 pts.
• Papers 1-3: 45 pts. (15 pts. each) 
• Final Paper: 15 pts.

In-Class Participation: Since we only meet once a week, coming to class is very important; this is our one chance to make difficult works ‘speak’ and to have wide-ranging discussions about the material. You are required to come to each class unless you are sick, have a verified case of COVID, or other concern (feel free to contact me). If you miss more than TWO classes for any unexcused reason, you’ll lose -10 pts. from your final grade (a letter grade, basically). So please keep me informed if things come up, and don’t hesitate to miss class if you’re sick or have a similar emergency.

REMEMBER: always bring a mask, your book, and an open mind! Leave your laptop and work for other classes at home…you won’t get participation points if you surf the web or do other work where I can see it. Don’t waste the opportunity to enrich the class with your insights or be enriched by someone else’s.

Response & Blog Questions: Whenever we have a reading, I will alternate from response questions due the next day in class, and Blog Responses, where I will post a short video based on the reading, requiring you to post a response ‘comment’ on the blog. These are designed not as busy work, but to get you actively reading the material, and thinking about connections beyond the plot. Each is worth 20 pts. for the semester, and you will get full points so long as you miss no more than ONE response. After that, you lose -5 pts per missed response. So be careful!

Papers 1-3: These are generally short, focused assignments that respond to a single text, but will ask you to make connections beyond each text. Paper #1 responds to Classical Mythology; Paper #2 responds to The Iliad; and Paper #3 responds to The Odyssey. You can revise each paper for a higher grade based on my comments.

Final Paper: This is a slightly more intricate assignment which will use an outside text, either Miller’s Circe or Shanower’s Age of Bronze. Be sure to read one of these books throughout the semester so you’ll be ready to write this paper as your ‘final.’ Hint: Circe is a loose re-telling of The Odyssey, and Age of Bronze is a kind of prequel to The Iliad, so you might read whichever book coincides to the poem you most prefer.

Late Work Policy: One day late = -10 pts. Two days late = -20 pts. Zero after that.

THE FINE PRINT

1.       You must buy all the books for the course. Trying to use on-line summaries will doom you to vague, uninformed responses. If the goal of any class is to become more engaged with the material, reading the books is essential. Read and enjoy the material. :)

2.       If you miss class, check the blog to see if there are any new assignments or material. You can also e-mail me if the blog hasn’t been updated to be sure.

3.       When you e-mail work to me, check the attachments carefully. If I can’t open it (or it’s simply not attached) it doesn’t count. I will contact you if this happens, but the clock is ticking...if you turn in an e-mail without an attachment at 4:59 and the paper is due at 5, it might be late!

4.       If you have any kind of emergency, please contact me as soon as possible. If I know you’re going through something difficult, I can work with you and help you get the work. If you only tell me weeks or months later, it’s too late.

5.       The COVID situation can change our class dynamic at any time. If you’re confused by what’s going on or feel you can’t complete the work, etc., please contact me first. Let’s talk through it to make sure it’s not as bad (or as hard) as you think. I’m always available by e-mail and will respond within an hour or two at most (unless you e-mail me at one o’clock in the morning!).

6.       Academic Integrity link: https://www.ecok.edu/sites/default/files/siteContent/administration/academic-affairs/documents/AcademicIntegrityPolicy.pdf

ADA Statement: East Central University is committed to providing equal access to University programs and services for all students. Under university policy and federal and state laws, students with documented disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations. If any member of the class has a documented disability requiring academic accommodations, he or she should report to the Office of Disability Services.  A student seeking reasonable accommodations originating from a documented disability must register with the Office of Disability Services so that said accommodations may be provided. Contact the Academic Affairs Office if any assistance is needed in this process.

72-Hour Transition Statement: Should on-campus instruction be suspended for any reason, ECU’s face-to-face and blended courses will transition to online/virtual delivery within 72 hours.  Online courses will continue as scheduled.

Tentative Course Schedule:

 

WEEK ONE (Jan.11-15)

Discussion: Introduction to the Course

Reading Homework: Morales, Classical Mythology, Chapters 1-2

Writing Homework: Responses for Chapters 1-2

 

WEEK TWO (18-22)

Discussion: Morales, Chapters 1-2

Reading Homework: Morales, Chapters 3-4

Writing Homework: Blog Response #1

 

WEEK THREE (25-29)

Discussion: Morales, Chapters 3-4

Reading Homework: The Iliad, Books 1-3

Writing Homework: Responses for Books 1-3

 

WEEK FOUR (Feb.2-5) Paper #1 due Thursday @ 5pm!

Discussion: The Iliad, Books 1-3

Reading Homework: The Iliad, Books 6,9,12

Writing Homework: Blog Response #2

 

WEEK FIVE (8-12)

Discussion: The Iliad, Books 6,9,12

Reading Homework: Graziosi, Homer, Chapters 1-4

Writing Homework: Responses for Chapters 1-4

 

WEEK SIX (15-19)

Discussion: Homer, Chapters 1-4

Reading Homework: The Iliad, Books 16,18,19

Writing Homework: Blog Response #3

 

WEEK SEVEN (22-26)

Discussion: The Iliad, Books 16,18,19

Reading Homework: The Iliad, Books 22,23,24

Writing Homework: Responses for Books 22,23,24

 

WEEK EIGHT (Mar.2-5)

Discussion: The Iliad, Books 22,23,24

Reading Homework: Graziosi, Homer, Chapters 5-7

Writing Homework: Blog Response #4

 

WEEK NINE (8-12) Paper #2 due Thursday @ 5pm

Discussion: Homer, Chapters 5-7

Reading Homework: The Odyssey, Books 1,4-6,8

Writing Homework: Responses for Books 1,4-6,8

 

WEEK TEN (15-19): SPRING BREAK

 

WEEK ELEVEN (22-26)

Discussion: The Odyssey, Books 1,4-6,8

Reading Homework: The Odyssey, Books 9-11

Writing Homework: Blog Response #5

 

WEEK TWELVE (29-Apr.2)

Discussion: The Odyssey, Books 9-11

Reading Homework: Classical Mythology, Chapters 5-6

Writing Homework: Responses for Chapters 5-6

 

WEEK THIRTEEN (5-9)

Discussion: Classical Mythology, Chapters 5-6

Reading Homework: The Odyssey, Books 12-18

Writing Homework: Blog Response #6

 

WEEK FOURTEEN (12-16) Paper #3 due Thursday @ 5pm!

Discussion: The Odyssey, Books 12-18

Reading Homework: The Odyssey, Books 19, 22

Writing Homework: Responses for Books 19, 22

 

WEEK FIFTEEN (19-23)

Discussion: The Odyssey, Books 19, 22

Reading Homework: The Odyssey, Books 23-24 & Homer, Chapters 8-10

Writing Homework: Blog Response #7

 

WEEK SIXTEEN (26-30)

Discussion: The Odyssey, Books 23-24 & Homer, Chapters 8-10

Reading Homework: None!

Writing Homework: Work on Final Paper!

 

Final Paper due Thursday, May 6^th @ 5pm!