The Odyssey: Book 1 (Lines 1-25), Book 5 (lines 1-287)

The Odyssey Book 1 + 5

A) In both books one and five we learn that Odysseus is trapped in the caves of Calypso. Calypso wants to marry Odysseus and refuses to free him. This form of captivation reminds me of when I studied the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Although this isn’t happening currently it does relate well to the event in the Odyssey. America needed to negotiate with the Iranians in order for Iran to release the American Hostages. Just like Hermes visits Calypso to tell her she needs to release Odysseus. This scene also relates to the scene in the Iliad when Agamemnon captures Chryseis.

B) This part of the text is important to the text because without it there would no longer be any point about this epic poem. Most of the poem is about the journeys of Odysseus, so without him returning to Ithaca there would be no journey.

C) I think Calypso is a decent character after what she did in book five. Even though she wants to steal Odysseus from Penelope, she shows her respect for the other gods (especially Zeus) when she releases Odysseus at the other gods’ commands. She also sent Odysseus on his return journey with food and wine. At the end of the reading she also vows not to attack Odysseus on this trip back to Ithaca. I believe this was crucial piece of evidence that we cannot judge characters before we really find out what they are about. Calypso might seem bad but to me she is generous and kind, as shown with the way she ultimately treats Odysseus.

C. Why did Poseidon take no pity if all of the other gods have? Why did he keep raging until he found the great Odysseus? Why would they want the more powerful Gods to practice outrage? Wouldn’t they want them to be nicer than the other gods? “no, let him be cruel and always practice outrage.”. What does it mean when it says “A great fire blazed on the hearth and the smell of cedar cleanly split”?
E. When it says “Hermes could not find him within the cave. Off he sat on a headland, weeping there as always, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish,” I think that it means he was stuck somewhere and could not get home. Also, when it says “Hermes the guide and giant killer ate and drank. Once he had dined and fortified himself with food he launched right in, replying to her questions:” I think that she may have fed him and given him drinks to either make him tell her the information or she might have drugged him to make him answer. When it says “who would willingly roam across a salty waste so vaste, so endless?” it is that he went across the ocean but I do not know where he came from.
I. Well Nicholas, the quote “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy” has to do with the book The Odyssey because the characters in the book are always getting thrown off course of where they are trying to go due to the gods. Then, there are other gods that help those certain people get back onto track of where they were going.

E) One character that I really enjoyed in “The Odyssey” book 5 was the character Calypso. The reason I like the character Calypso was because she was a character that one would really have to think about. The reason one would have to think about Calypso because everything she did was for her and for Odysseus. One example she did the things for Odysseus was “The man I saved, riding astride his knell – board all alone, when Zeus with one hurl of a white – hot bolt had crushed his racing warship down the wine – dark sea. There all the rest of all his loyal shipmates died but the wind drove him on, the current bore him here. And I welcomed him warmly,”. The reason she helped him was because on the island she lived on she was quite lonely so she would take care of him. She was going to give him the power of Immortality. But even though she treated him kindly he was kept as a prisoner. This allows one to think about what kind of character she is.

F) One relationship that I found a nice yet weird relationship was the relationship between Calypso and Odysseus. The reason I thought that this relationship was weird was because even though he was a slave and she was his captor. One example of this was when Calypso was talking to Hermes. She says “And I welcomed him warmly, cherished him, even vowed to make him immortal ageless, all his days …”. Even though Odysseus was a captive he was truly cared for.

G) If on a movie set designer and would be creating the set to book 5 I would use a lot of beautiful plants and sights. The reason I would use beautiful sights and plants was because “She gave him a polished smoothing – adze as well honed and then she led the way to the islands outer edge where trees grew tall, alders, black poplars and firs that shot sky – high,”.

I) This is in response to Nick's question "When I was reading the Odyssey this quote really confused me and I wanted to know what it means in relation to the story. The quote is 'Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy' The quote was confusing because I don’t know how this is related to the story of the Odyssey. Well to answer that question Odysseus was a very smart and sly man. In order to defeat the Trojans, they needed to invade the city, which has never been done before. In order to do this, Odysseus comes up with a plan to fake surrender to the Trojans by offering them an enormous horse (filled with hiding soldiers) as an apology gift. The Trojans bite, and the city of Troy was filled with Greek soldiers, thus winning the war. Also in the story, characters are going on a journey which is interfered with the Gods several times, in good and bad ways.

C)I was confused as to who Muse truly is. It says "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy” (Book 1 Lines 1-3) and this is Odysseus because he was the man to come up with the plan to plunder the city of Troy when the Greeks invaded the city. The part that confused me the most was when it says "Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus, start from where you will-sing for our time too." (Book 1 Lines 11-12) Here it says that Muse is the daughter of Zeus. Unless there is more than one Muse I'm still unsure about his true identity.

D) I was very interested in the first part of our reading, (Book 1, Lines 1-25) because of the stupidity of the Greeks and the consequences faced for such actions. The Greeks first received the wrath of the Sungod when they ate the cattle of the sun. But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all, the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return." (Book 1 Lines 7-10) Next it talks about other consequences they faced when it says "By now, all the survivors, all who had avoided headlong death were safe at home, escaped the wars and waved." (Book 1 Lines 13-15) Here it talks about all the ways the ones were killed, through either wars or the wrath of the sea. Then it talks about another obstacle, though not through the Greeks stupidity. "But one man alone... his heart set on his wife and his return, Calypso the bewitching Nymph the lustrous goddess, held him back, deep in her arching caverns, craving him for a husband." Just as everything seems clear, he has survived every obstacle, he runs into one final one because of either his looks or his brains, something he cannot control. I thought this was funny because it not only held Odysseus back , but the rest of the survivors.

B) Without this section the story wouldn’t have a plot line wouldn’t it? It helps start off the rest of the story of Odysseus trying to get home to his family. Book 5 is pretty much the beginning of the main story while books 1-4 are the back-story of how we ended up here. Every good story needs a beginning and book 5 is the start of Odysseus’ story. And its mood sounds bleak with a hint of hopelessness doesn’t it.

E) It seems that Odysseus has taken a lot. I mean he is shipwrecked and lost at sea. He lost his entire crew. And the only reason he is allowed to leave is destiny. He is forced to go out on a boat with so much uncertainty behind it. I wouldn’t go if I were him. Would you? It sounds like a bad idea from the start. And does Odysseus even want to go? He seems happy where he is! Is being forced to leave or is he going of his own free will?

I) NicholasLeong, Zeus is the leader of the gods in Greek mythology. He commands the other gods to do as he wishes. What he does is control the gods to make sure they are doing what is needed. That is why he seems like the tuff macho god. He has to use fear to keep the others in line. The leader needs help to get work done anywhere. It is understandable that he tells the others what to do! He’s their boss!