Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B


Story 1: The Ghosts of Famous Women

To be completely honest, this story seemed little more than simply a string of long names from Greek mythology, including family lines and relations to various gods and goddesses. However, I like the overall idea - that Odysseus has come into contact with this red carpet-esque group of people. Surely this added excitement and awe for the people that read the story, having knowledge of the characters. With regards to a potential story from this plot, I could see the expansion of the Oedipus scene as a crazy narrative. As briefly described in this story, Oedipus is a character that kills his father and weds his mother, the plot from which we derive the term "Oedipus complex." It would be interesting to invent a ridiculous situation in order to explain a modern phrase!

Story 2: The Spirit of Achilles

This story presents a theme not uncommon throughout history: the desire of a father for the success of his son. I think this has strong emotional components, imagining the ghost of a father inquiring about the battle stories of his son. For some reason, this calls to mind images of William Wallace in Braveheart. I can picture his father, killed in battle, looking on with pride because of his sons bravery and skill. Other stories can be devised enacting the relationship between parents and children, as well as the parents' expectations and the kids' subsequent behavior. In this case, Achilles was proud of his son. But what could he have done if his son had not been so successful?

Story 3: The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis

Here I found a story similar to the readings earlier this week about the cyclops. However, I find the introductory part of this story fascinating. Odysseus has enough self-control to prevent himself from drawing near to the Sirens, but also has enough leadership to keep his crew safe. This could form the basis of a very interesting, involving the balance of desire and self-control, as well as the role that friends play in maintaining accountability.

Bibliography:
"Odyssey: The Ghosts of Famous Women" by Homer (translated by Tony Kline) - online link
"Odyssey: The Spirit of Achilles" by Homer (translated by Tony Kline) - online link
"Odyssey: The Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis" by Homer (translated by Tony Kline) - online link

Image Information: Achilles in his full battle regalia.
Link: Image

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