In the flow of our discussion, Odysseus has returned to Ithaca and is planning his revenge on the arrogant suitors. We noticed the use of foreshadowing and irony as the time for Odysseus to reveal himself draws near. He must resist mounting temptations to unveil his identity too early as the suitors pile up offenses. We have opportunities to contrast noble characters (such as the swineherd and the oxherd) with the ignoble (such as Antinoos and the goatherd). We discussed the futility of an appeal of innocence offered by "not-so-bad-as-the-others" suitor Amphinomos. Though he is the most noble of the suitors, he has allied himself with the master's enemies and so shares their fate. What implications does this have concerning man's tendency to find confidence and security in righteousness relative to other people?
What character impressed you the most this week? Why?
For next week:
Be prepared to narrate books 20-24 of The Odyssey
Preread Beowulf
1) Survey
Familiarize yourself with the book and how it is structured. What is contained between the front and back covers? Make a list 10 observations about the book on the inside of the back cover.
2) Highlight (pink, orange, green)
Quickly scan the text of the entire poem. As you do, use your highlighters to mark as follows:
Pink - Mark references to people and places (usually proper nouns).
Orange - Block off all dialogue/speeches and write the name of the speaker near the opening quotation marks.
Green - Mark words, phrases, or clauses that suggest structure, such as a change of setting (time/place) or order (and then, later, afterwards...)
ex: at the top of page 17 "Time went by"
3) Compare
Compare Beowulf (what you learned from steps 1 & 2) to The Odyssey.
On the back cover of Beowulf, list three similarities and 3 differences.
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