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who is odysseus talking to in the odyssey

by Chaim Terry Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Talking to his mother makes Odysseus long for home and family, but talking to Agamemnon makes him wary of that home. Though Odysseus loves his family, he must treat them with suspicion: he must employ cunning in dealing with friends and enemies both. One must always keep oneself partially hidden.

Full Answer

Who does Odysseus talk to?

spirit of TiresiasWhen his men finally persuade him to continue the voyage homeward, Odysseus asks Circe for the way back to Ithaca. She replies he must sail to Hades, the realm of the dead, to speak with the spirit of Tiresias, a blind prophet who will tell him how to get home.

Who is Odysseus talking to in Book 11?

What happens in Book 11 of The Odyssey? Odysseus summons the spirits of the dead. He does this so that he can speak to the Theban prophet Teiresias.

Who is Odysseus talking to in Book 10?

The final destination of book 10 is the island of Circe. Odysseus sends some of his men to investigate, and when they discover Circe, she turns them into pigs. Odysseus then meets the god Hermes, who informs him of what happened.

Who was Odysseus told to talk to first in the Underworld?

Odysseus visits the Underworld to seek knowledge from the Theban prophet Tiresias but gains much more than just advice from his journey. The first soul he meets is Elpenor, one of his men who died from a broken neck as he fell from the roof after a night of drinking.

Who slept with Odysseus?

Odysseus is an opportunist. During his stay at the Island of Ogygia with the nymph Calypso, Odysseus did have sexual intercourse with her but still claims himself as loyal. He is an opportunist because he saw that Calypso desires him and he took advantage of that.

Who does Odysseus reveal himself to last?

Having defeated the suitors, Odysseus reveals his identity to Penelope. The next day, he and Telemachus travel to the house where Odysseus's grieving father, Laertes, lives.

Who does Odysseus meet Book 9?

The cave's inhabitant soon returns—it is the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. He devours two of Odysseus's men on the spot and imprisons Odysseus and the rest in his cave for future meals.

Who is Odysseus talking to in Book 1?

Summary: Book 1 The narrator of The Odyssey invokes the Muse, asking for inspiration as he prepares to tell the story of Odysseus. The story begins ten years after the end of the Trojan War, the subject of the Iliad.

Does Odysseus reveal Himself in Book 21?

Summary: Book 21 The suitors warm and grease the bow to make it supple, but one by one they all try and fail. Meanwhile, Odysseus follows Eumaeus and Philoetius outside. He assures himself of their loyalty and then reveals his identity to them by means of the scar on his foot.

Why does Odysseus talk to in the underworld?

Odysseus goes to the Underworld in order to get important advice that will help protect him and his men once they leave Circe's island. He initially plans to leave immediately, but Circe warns him that he must first seek out the counsel of Teiresias, a blind prophet who died years ago.

Why does Odysseus sleep with Circe?

Answer and Explanation: Yes, Odysseus sleeps with Circe. She intends to turn him into an an animal by use of a magic potion, but Odysseus is secretly made immune by the god Hermes. When Odysseus does not fall victim to her magic, she takes him to bed.

Does Odysseus talk to Achilles in the underworld?

I reassured the ghost, but he broke out, protesting, “No winning words about death to me, shining Odysseus! than rule down here over all the breathless dead.” This exchange comes as part of the conversation between Achilles and Odysseus when the latter journeys to the underworld in Book 11 ( 11 .

What is the conflict in Book 11 of the Odyssey?

Conflict(s) the internal conflict in book 11, A Gathering Of Shades, is at Odysseus is missing his home. And when Tiresias tells Odysseus that there is nothing but anguish waiting ahead, he grieves upon what has been said & what is going to be said.

What happens at the end of Book 11 in the Odyssey?

Finally Tiresias appeared. Once he drank the blood of the slaughtered animals, he told Odysseus that his journey home would be full of trouble: Odysseus had angered Poseidon by blinding Poseidon's son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. The men will reach home, said Tiresias, if they leave the Cattle of the Sun unharmed.

What is the theme of Book 11 of the Odyssey?

Everyone must drink the blood before they can speak to him. Blood serves as a connection from the living to the dead. This relates to the theme of suffering and sacrifice ñ blood must be spilled for the gods so that the laws of nature are broken, the living can speak to the dead.

Who is the antagonist in Book 11 of the Odyssey?

Poseidon. God of the sea. As the suitors are Odysseus's mortal antagonists, Poseidon is his divine antagonist.

What is the character of Odysseus?

Character Analysis Odysseus. Odysseus is a combination of the self-made, self-assured man and the embodiment of the standards and mores of his culture. He is favored by the gods and respected and admired by the mortals. Even the wrath of Poseidon does not keep him from his homecoming.

What is Odysseus' difficulty in controlling his men?

The most notable example being his difficulty in controlling his men. After the victory over the Cicones, Odysseus wisely wants to take the plunder and depart quickly (9.50). His men prefer to stay, leading to a defeat at the hands of reinforcements.

What is the island where Odysseus eats sacred cattle?

Again, on the island of the Sungod Helios, Odysseus' men disobey strict orders and feast on the sacred cattle when he goes inland to pray and falls asleep. The struggles Odysseus faces make his growth as a character more realistic and more credible because it is not simple or absolute. Previous Book 24. Next Penelope.

What motivates Odysseus to win?

Victory motivates Odysseus. He wants to return home and live well in Ithaca; as a result, every step along the way is another test, sometimes, another battle. His concern with victory is also cultural, as well as practical. In Homer's world, where there are no police or justice systems, might usually makes right. The strong prevail. Odysseus often has only two choices: death or victory. Even when Athena intervenes on his behalf, she often leaves ultimate success or failure up to Odysseus. During the battle with the suitors, for example, she could easily and quickly prevail; but she makes Odysseus earn the victory.

How does Odysseus live?

He lives by his wiles as well as his courage. He is an intellectual. Often he openly evaluates a situation, demonstrating the logic he employs in making his choices. When it proves effective, Odysseus lies (even to his own family), cheats, or steals in ways that we would not expect in an epic hero.

What is Odysseus' concern with victory?

In Homer's world, where there are no police or justice systems, might usually makes right. The strong prevail. Odysseus often has only two choices: death or victory.

Does Poseidon keep him from homecoming?

Even the wrath of Poseidon does not keep him from his homecoming. He is confident that he represents virtue even when a modern audience might not be so sure. He is also a living series of contradictions, a much more complicated character than we would expect to find in the stereotypical epic hero.

How does Odysseus show his loyalty to his men?

His impeccable leadership skills are yet another demonstration of the hero in Odysseus. Odysseus shows his men loyalty in return for the same. When Circe turns Odysseus’ men “into swine” (Homer), he agrees to stay with her for one year after she returns them to their human bodies. Odysseus acts as a hero yet again to his people by doing whatever it takes to free them. He sacrifices a whole year, in which he could be returning home, in order to get them back.

What does Odysseus' quote show?

This quote shows that Odysseus has persistent loyalty to his dead friends through the grief he shows. “Come this was, honored Odysseus, great glory of the Achaeans, and stay your ship, so that you can listen here to our singing”, Odysseus shows extreme loyalty to his wife in this quote because

What is the Odyssey argumentative essay?

Odyssey Argumentative Essay The Odyssey is an epic by Homer. It is a story about Odysseus journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. All the Greek heroes had returned home after the Trojan War except for Odysseus who was an important hero in Ithaca. Odysseus was absent in his son’s life and Telemachus decided that, it was time to find his father and bring him back home to his wife Penelope. Odysseus was trapped in Calypso Island for ten years and this made his son Telemachus to embark on a journey to find him after he learnt that he was not dead.

Why is Telemachus loyal to his father?

Telemachus is loyal for his courage to stand in for his father while he was away and him helping him during a battle. “Amphinomus now came running at Odysseus broadsword naked in his hand the thought to make the great soldier give way at the door. But with a spear throw from behind Telemachus hits him between the shoulder” This quote shows that Telemachus was still loyal to his father even after

Why does Odysseus keep returning to the island?

Odysseus’ relationship with Circe keeps him from returning home because he stays there for a year. Odysseus says “So she enticed and won our battle-hardened spirits over.” (245:10: 513-514) While Odysseus is there, he is so enamored with Circe that he forgets about the home he loves so much, and the son and wife who he had left behind. Similar to the situation with Calypso, Odysseus is lured to spend time with Circe even though he focused on returning home otherwise. This shows that Odysseus may be a lot more fake than he lets on because for all his talk of wanted to return home he spent a year on Circe’s island not making an effort to return to his homeland. Maybe the real reason that he is always saying that he wants to go home despite the way he acts is because he is telling this story to the people that he hopes will bring him back to Ithaca so he is trying to extract pity from them even if he isn’t as

How long did Odysseus fight in the Trojan War?

The pain he goes through exhibits his love for the special ones in his life, and it gives him the strength to make it home. Odysseus is challenged during the ten year war, but he will not give up, which proves how he is a true hero. The hero shows how he is a true hero through his actions and not his words.

What is Ody capable of?

Ody also is capable of deeds of strength and courage. He shows this in the book by when he gets home to Ithaca after 20 years with him almost dying many times. Also, what fits with that is a great warrior. This means that the epic hero was at war before the epic. This is just like Ody because he was going to the Trojan War when he left home and that is where is he trying to get home from, Troy.

How does the Odyssey relate to the Iliad?

For instance, both the Iliad and the Odyssey begin their story near the end of what might appear to be the tale. [ 68] Yet both extend their reach both chronologically and thematically beyond the specific events that fall within the time span of {124|125} the specific story they relate. [ 69] If we ask questions about how the Odyssey broadens its scope to become a story that in some way extends beyond Odysseus himself, Penelope and her opaque motivations do not provide the answers we seek. The broadening of time and scope that occurs in the Odyssey, which neoanalysis is well suited to help us understand, primarily occurs in two ways: through tales of the homecomings of other Greek heroes, especially Agamemnon; and through references to events that befall Odysseus and his family either before the Odyssey begins or after it ends. [ 70]

How many speeches does Penelope give to Odysseus?

While the four speeches of Penelope and Odysseus up to this point have all been introduced by common reply formulas, a highly developed and extremely effective multi-verse speech frame spans the interval between Odysseus’ speech here and Penelope’s reply (203-214). This elaborate passage could be replaced by the single verse τὸν δ’ ἠμείβετ’ ἔπειτα περίφρων Πηνελόπεια (circumspect {101|102} Penelope said to him in answer), which introduces all but two of her speeches to Odysseus in Book 19, without loss of narrative clarity. However, our passage is one of the most striking and effective in the Odyssey, and its presence here elevates the typical motif of “returning husband in disguise tests loyalty of wife” [ 25] to a deeply moving encounter. In this passage, a pair of separate similes describes Penelope’s emotion at hearing news of her long-absent husband and that husband’s (lack of) reaction to her tears. [ 26]

How does Neoanalysis help us understand the Odyssey?

Neoanalysis can best contribute to our understanding of the Odyssey by exploring the different traditional stories that seem to lie behind the tales that Telemachus hears on his journeys and how they are used to shape the Odyssey. [ 71] Similarly, neoanalysis can help us to explore further the traditional antecedents for the stories of the shroud of Laertes, the trials of Odysseus after his return to Ithaca, etc. and how these “before” and “after” aspects of the story of Odysseus and his family operate in the poem. [ 72] By focusing on Penelope’s motivation, whose opacity seems to stem not from imperfect use of conflicting traditional materials but in fact from an appropriate use of traditional story patterns, [ 73] neoanalysis has failed to produce the kind of important insights about the Odyssey that it has given us about the Iliad. It has, however, performed a useful service in rehabilitating the Odyssey from the incompetent hash of poetasters that the Analysts believed it to be. It is to be hoped that future neoanalyst scholars will follow the direction of Danek 1998 and Reece 1994, and use their methods to answer questions of their own choosing about the Odyssey rather than simply redeeming it from the incompetence that the Analysts attributed to it. {125|126}

What does Eurycleia tell her mistress?

At the beginning of Book 23, Eurycleia goes to the women’s quarters to tell her mistress that Odysseus has returned and has killed the suitors (5-9). Although the nurse is laughing, Penelope shows no emotion in response to this report. She immediately answers Eurycleia with skepticism and even abuses the old nurse for telling lies (11-24). After a second repetition, however, Penelope reacts strongly to the nurse’s report.

What is the meeting between Penelope and Eurycleia?

Penelope and the audience are prepared for a meeting between the two spouses now that Penelope has learned of Odysseus’ identity . The audience’s impatience for this meeting has been sharpened by the long interval since their first meeting in Book 19 and more immediately by Penelope’s conversation with Eurycleia in which she learns who Odysseus is. [ 40] But the narrator postpones the business of reunion even further, creating additional suspense not only for the audience but also for the characters themselves. When Penelope descends to the hall after this conversation and does not immediately throw herself into Odysseus’ arms, the incensed Telemachus berates her for her lack of feeling (97-103). Penelope excuses herself by saying that she is astounded by the news, and tells him that if the beggar is really Odysseus, they will recognize one another.

What is the first meeting between Odysseus and Penelope?

Although the reunion of Penelope and Odysseus is a recurring motif throughout the Odyssey, actual contact between the two first gets underway in Book 17, when Penelope invites the beggar to speak with her via a message to Eumaeus (17.505-511). When Athena arouses in Penelope the idea of showing herself to the suitors (18.158-163), [ 3] Odysseus is present in the hall to observe her interactions with the young men who want to supplant him. This scene between Penelope and the suitors forms an effective prelude or backdrop to the meeting between her and her disguised husband in Book 19. In the first pair of speeches in the conversation between Penelope and the suitors, each of the speakers shows his or her nature as a speaker and as an adversary in the ongoing battle between them about the legitimacy of the suitors’ behavior and Penelope’s refusal to marry any of them. Eurymachus straightforwardly compliments Penelope on her beauty (245-249), while Penelope in her reply does a masterful job of saying one thing that effectively and indirectly communicates something different {93|94} to the suitors. She recalls at length what Odysseus said to her when he left for the Trojan War (253-270) and she berates the suitors for their rude behavior in using up the goods of her household instead of wooing her with gifts as would normally be expected of a suitor (272-280).

What is the story of Penelope and Odysseus?

The story of Penelope and Odysseus and their drawn-out reunion over the course of the last third of the Odyssey is one of the most extensively studied portions of the Homeric epics. [ 1] The gradual rapprochement between Penelope and Odysseus, stretching over several books of the Odyssey, contains two major movements or sections, one in Book 19 and one in Book 23. Penelope and Odysseus first meet face to face in a long conversation that essentially takes up all of Book 19. This conversation falls into two parts, separated by the incident of Eurycleia and her recognition of Odysseus’ scar. At the end of the second section of this conversation, Penelope decides to hold the bow contest. Odysseus now goes among the suitors, wins the bow contest, and slaughters the suitors. The Penelope-Odysseus reunion returns to center stage at the beginning of Book 23, when Eurycleia rushes up to her mistress’ quarters to tell her that the suitors are dead and the anonymous beggar who killed them is Odysseus. This information brings Penelope down to talk to the stranger for herself, and in another long conversation, Penelope tests the stranger and satisfies herself that he is indeed her husband. [ 2] This climactic conversation, for many the highlight of the entire poem, contains the single most elaborate speech frame in the Homeric epics. {92|93}

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1.The Odyssey: Odysseus | SparkNotes

Url:https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/character/odysseus/

3 hours ago When he first addresses Nausicaa on the island of Scheria, for example, his suave, comforting approach quickly wins her trust. Like other Homeric heroes, Odysseus longs to win kleos …

2.Who is Odysseus relating his adventures to in book 9 of …

Url:https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/who-odysseus-relating-his-adventures-book-9-580474

15 hours ago Expert Answers. In book 9 of the Odyssey, protagonist Odysseus relates his past adventures to the Phaeacians; this flashback explains how Odysseus ended up on Calypso's island. …

3.Odysseus - CliffsNotes

Url:https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/o/the-odyssey/character-analysis/odysseus

19 hours ago When Odysseus left for Troy, he had already established his reputation as a hero. His participation in the war was crucial to the Greeks' victory. It was he who disguised himself as an old beggar …

4.Odysseus Loyalty In Homer's The Odyssey | ipl.org

Url:https://www.ipl.org/essay/Odysseus-Loyalty-In-Homers-The-Odyssey-PKUEYLNPJ486

8 hours ago  · When they arrive, Odysseus decides not to go but sends his men with the lead of one of his best warriors Eurylochus. Odysseus’ men didn’t want to go because they were …

5.Chapter 2. One-on-one Conversations (Odysseus and …

Url:https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/chapter-2-one-on-one-conversations-odysseus-and-penelope/

4 hours ago  · Odysseus travels to the Land of the Dead to speak with the prophet Tiresias. When he gets there, he makes a blood sacrifice so that the spirits of the dead will emerge from the …

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