U2_Workshop: The Odyssey

Camila Perez Alarcon

Sergio Luis Ayazo Santos.

Analisis de textos ingleses

Facultad de educación y humanidades

Licenciatura en inglés.

Semestre V: 2023- 1

Modalidad Virtual.

Corporación universitaria del Caribe –CECAR

Montelíbano - Córdoba.

2023

COL

Author: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz

Dear student please develop the following activities following these instructions properly:

1. Go to the resources section (in the virtual campus) and find a link called:

The odyssey – First task

A. Watch the video about “The Odyssey” by Homer (8th Century BCE).

B. Explore the timeline & Map, Slideshow, Connections and Key Points.

C. Read the Getting started section and Text section (Book 1) check the glossary too.

2. Answer these questions:

A. Write in front of each description the name of the character:

DESCRIPTION CHARACTER

Main suitor; all suitors take over Odysseus's house while he's gone; most arrogant Antinoo.

suitor.

Stays faithful to her husband, all the suitors wish to take her hand in marriage; Penelope.

questions her own husband to prove himself, before she believes him.

Strong and brave epic hero, left for Troy and doesn't return home until twenty years later, the Odysseus (Ulysses).

epic story is based in his journey home; defeats and kills all the suitors in battle with

Telemachus; the suitors had invaded his home while he was gone.

God of the sea, brother of Zeus Poseidon.

King of gods, Poseidon's brother Zeus.

Grew up without a father, sets out in order to find his father; defeats and kills all the Telemaco.

suitors in battle.

Daughter of Zeus; goddess of wisdom; helps Odysseus through his whole journey Atenea.

home and aids Odysseus and Telemachus in their battle against the suitors.

B. Whose help is invoked to tell the story of Odysseus and his adventures as the epic opens?

® The daughter of Jove.

C. On whose island is Odysseus imprisoned at the beginning of the epic?

® The Island of the goddess Calypso.

Author: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz

 D. Review the Expert´s View about the Odyssey in the materials provided and identify each expert´s view in

the following comments:

"When they were married, Odysseus didn't simply have a bed made for them; it was almost as if he constructed the

palace around the whole bed. It was sort of a tree bowl that had grown into the palace and they built the bedroom

around it."

® Expert’s name: Simon Armitage

This scene shows a fascinating mix of psychological realism and a symbolically heightened reality, in a kind of

expansive elaboration of the early flashes of realism to be found in the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh. In that story,

Gilgamesh denies that his beloved friend Enkidu has died, sitting by his corpse for six days and seven nights, until a

worm crawls out of Enkidu's nose. Homer makes much use of this vivid physical detail to bring his scenes to life even

farther. A lesser work would have cut straight to the chase, giving us an emotion-filled scene of rejoicing as the long-

separated hero and heroine rush into each other's arms. Yet here, surprisingly, Penelope refuses to recognize her

beloved husband, despite the fact that Athena has even restored him magically to his youthful appearance of twenty

years before. Not yet a modern novelist, Homer is quite comfortable giving us this miraculous transformation, and

Penelope herself never questions how this rejuvenation could come about. So why doesn't she recognize him? Or does

she, but she is refusing to admit it to herself? Or is she so completely a match for Odysseus that she takes nothing for

what it seems to be? Homer leaves us to plumb the meaning of the scene as he fleshes it out with the many details that

Odysseus, having fallen into the loving trap set for him by his wife, calls to mind in outrage at the idea that she now

might have a new, movable bed.

® Expert’s name: David Damrosch

"From the time which it began to circulate in the Greek world, The Odyssey was acknowledged as a traveler's text. So

Alexander the Great, when he set off to Egypt, had a copy of The Odyssey with him. Lawrence of Arabia is the other

classic explorer who is famous for citing The Odyssey as his inspirational text. I've heard it said The Odyssey was a

text that Columbus traveled with, and that in addition to the Bible, it was one of his master narratives for his New

World exploration. There's seldom a period when The Odyssey falls out of view."

® Expert’s name: Emily Greenwood

Author: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz

 "Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, and she's a perfect match for him, because she's just as crafty as he is, just as

devious, just as careful, and just as imaginative. She's keeping all of these suitors at bay in her house who are just

clamoring to marry her and take over the castle and the lands of Odysseus by telling them, Oh, you know, I have to

weave a shroud for my poor father, and I just have to finish this, and so she weaves it every day, and then at night she

unweaves it, so it's never ever done. So, even though he comes and he says, I'm home, it's me, it's your husband, she

wants one test."

® Expert’s name: Mary Zimmerman

"I think in a modern novel, you would expect a husband and wife to recognize each other before any other

recognition scene happens. But in The Odyssey, that relationship is so complex and so deep that when it has been

severed, it takes a very long and hard time to rebuild."

® Expert’s name: Gregory Nagy

3. In a short paragraph, define what the importance of this book in history is. Include aspects like:

 The social impact.

 The importance in world literature.

 The topics and characters and how they have transcended in history

 Any other aspect you consider relevant.

® The literary work "Odyssey" has a great social impact due to the adaptation of the story, in different

languages, in theaters and various versions seen in prose, verse, theater, cinema, television and comics.

Its importance in the literary world is due to its way of being read, be it as a story of monsters and

adventures, as the story that reflects the dark ages of Greece or that of a hero who survives obstacles to

return to his homeland or It can be read as a story of love and heartbreak between Penelope and

Odysseus because of this it has been appreciated, possessing many nuances and great literary beauty.

This epic poem has several themes in itself, the return of Odysseus to Ithaca, the voyage of Telemachus,

and the set of sailing stories about luggers and fantastic monsters who were on a voyage on a typical ship

in ancient Greece. Characters like Odysseus transcends to be an epic character, a character full of

courage and a lot of harshness when facing, likewise inherits his son Telemaco who goes out in search of

his father and to be able to bring him back to Ithaca for what thanks to this I consider that a very relevant

Author: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz

 aspect is that spiritual path that helps us find our soul that helps us transcend the ego to reach our

destination in peace.

4. Complete the chart with the following information:

CHARACTERISTIC ANSWER

Setting In ancient Greece, Ithaca is specifically mentioned.

Plot Epic literary genre, fantasy, action story and drama. It narrates the exploits of history,

heroes and legends. It transforms history into myths.

Theme The return of Odysseus to his native island, Ithaca, after the Trojan War. The theme is the

adventures of Odysseus on his return trip to the island of Ithaca and the journey of

Telemachus in search of his father.

Characters Odysseus, his wife Penelope and their son Telemachus. Other characters are the gods of

the Greek pantheon, such as Zeus, Athena and Poseidon. Penelope's suitors, who wanted to

usurp Odysseus.

Conflict Penelope is accosted by enemies of Odysseus who claim his throne and his wife, whom

they want to force into marriage. Penelope is forced to delay an unwanted wedding

because she hopes that Odysseus will return.

Resolution Odysseus returns to Ithaca and takes revenge on his wife's suitors and regains his throne.

Tone It is characterized by appreciation of tone and style. There is a variety of literary resources

such as verses, prose and a magical realism that catches its readers is very evident. There is

first and third person narration, the author does not express any of his feelings

Tense It is set in the Ancient Age. between the 8th century BC and the 7th century BC

Climax The important and decisive part of the story is the revenge of Odysseus, where the

consequences of attempting against him and his throne are related, and his revenge against

Penelope's suitors for wanting to marry her and his final meeting with his wife.

Author: Rubén Mauricio Muñoz