Calenda and blog

After a hiatus, we're up and running (well, in my case, walking) again. Be sure to check the calendar, which will be updated each day.

Odyssey questions

Below are the three questions we arrived at today. (Good work!) Prepare for two of the questions. (I suggest you write an outline and think through an opening paragraph. You will not be able to use those notes in class, however.) I will, on Friday, provide you with two questions, and you will respond to one of them.

In an organized manner essay, you will use events and details from The Odyssey to defend your position on one of these questions. Don’t simply retell the story. Always remember that you’re trying to prove something, not simply tell me what you remember.

1. The gods help and hinder Odysseus on his journey home. Overall, do the actions of the gods benefit Odysseus or harm him and his quest?

2. Penelope is presented as a character rich in wonderful qualities. In what ways does the text compare and contrast her with other characters in order to amplify our sense of her outstanding personal qualities?

3. Do the heroic qualities demonstrated by Odysseus make him more or less human? That is, do we see him as someone whose heroic traits make him relatable or, instead, inaccessible?