The Return of Odysseus
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Transcript of The Return of Odysseus
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The Return of OdysseusPowell ch. 22
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Odyssey
one of the most influential myths in the
western world
In ancient times it was compared with comedy
because it has a happy ending
The iliadwas compared to tragedy
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The Cicones and the Lotus Eaters
Odysseus recounts his adventures at a banquet on theisland of Phaeacia in the court of king Alcinous
The land of the Cicones
Odysseus men sacked the city and against his advicepaused to steal the cattle and the wine. The next daythe Cicones attacked them killing six men from every
ship
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The Cicones and the Lotus Eaters
The remaining Greeks escaped by sea but a storm blew
them into the land of the Lotus Eaters
The local inhabitants consume a plant (lotus) that makes
men forgetful of their purpose and home. Odysseus men
tried it:
Once any of them had tasted the honey-sweet fruit of the
lotus, he lost his desire to return, to boast of his glorious
exploitsignoring their tears I frog-marched them back at
once to the vessels
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Polyphemus
The Greeks next came to the land of the
Cyclopes and encountered Polyphemus The
race of theCyclopes did not know the arts of
civilization, had no political life, and were
cannibals
Polyphemus devoured Odysseus men and
would eat Odysseus as well.
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Polyphemus
he grabbed with his hands two of my sailors
and smashed them down on the rock, as you
kill a superfluous puppy. Their brains burst out
from their skulls and ran all over the floor
Odysseus tricked the Cyclops: He got him
drunk, told him that his name was Nobody,
and blinded him with a sharpened stake
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Polyphemus
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Polyphemus
they picked up the olive-wood log, red-hot and sharp at thetip, and swung it into his eye. Against it I threw my wholeweight and spun it around, like a shipwright drilling a holein a timber
he let out a terrible cry, which the rocky cavern
reechoedhe shouted to other Cyclopes, who lived in thenearby caves to come to his rescuethey asked him whatwas the matter. He replied: Nobody wants to kill me
Odysseus managed to escape from Polyphemus caveunder a sheep
Polyphemus prayed to his father Poseidon to destroyOdysseus
may he come as a beggar, a vagrant for long weary years,may he come in a ship not his own, and find his householdin chaos.
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Polyphemus
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
Odysseus comes to the island ofAeolus, the wind-king
Aeolus spends his days dining with his six sons and six
daughters, all married to one another Aeolus gives Odysseus a sealed bag that contains all
the dangerous winds. He warns him not to untie thebag under any condition
Favored by the good winds, Odysseus and his menapproach Ithaca
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
His men, thinking that the bag contains gold, untie it,
the dangerous winds escape, and the fleet is caught
in a storm and forced to return to the island of
Aeolus
Aeolus orders them away
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
The Greeks come to the land of the Laestrygonians,
park their ships in a narrow bay, and send out men to
search the land
They meet the local kings daughter; she leads them toher father, but he gobbles one down
The Laestrygonians are cannibals. They rush forth, eat
Odysseus men, destroy their ships, and only Odysseus
and his crew escape
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
Next they come to the island ofCirce
Half the crew goes inland to investigate; Odysseus
remains by his ship
A member of the crew, returns to report that awoman in the island prepared a potion, gave it to the
rest of the men, then touched them with her wand,and turned them into pigs
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
Hermes gives Odysseus a magical herb called molyand
Odysseus goes inland
Circe offers him the same drink but nothing happens.
The molyprotects Odysseus Circe recognizes him and invites him to her bed
Odysseus draws his sword and forces Circe to swear an
oath that she will not harm him. Only then do they go
to bed
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Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and Circe
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Sirens
They approach the island of the Sirens
No one can resist their song
Odysseus stops up the ears of his men, but not his
own, with wax and orders himself bound to themast. If he cries out, they are to bind him tighter
Indeed, Odysseus begs his men to release him. Theybind him tighter
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Sirens
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Scylla and Charybdis
Next they come to a double evil:
Charybdis: a whirlpool that sucks down and spits up a
torrent of water three times a day
Scylla: a monster with twelve feet and six necks, eachwith its own head. Up to her middle she is hidden in a
cave, but she holds her head out to catch passerby
She seizes six men and devours them on the spot
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Scylla
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The Cattle of Helius
They arrive at Thrinacia, the island ofHelius
Circe had told them not to touch the cattle of Helius
but the men are starving and, as they are reduced toeating only fish, they decide to kill the cows and roast
the meat
Odysseus finds out but it is too late
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The Cattle of Helius They leave the island of Helius behind
Zeus, acting on behalf of Helius, smashes theirship. Everyone drowns except Odysseus
He is carried back toward the straits of Scylla and
Charybdis, clinging in a mast Charybdis whips round and round, and Odysseus
is almost sucked down
At the last moment he seizes a fig tree above thewhirlpool
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Calypso
Odysseus washes up on Ogygia, the island ofCalypso
He lives there for seven years. Calypso loves him and
offers him eternal life, if he marries her
But Odysseus longs to go home Athena asks Zeus to release him. Zeus sends Hermes to
inform Calypso. She agrees to let Odysseus go
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Calypso