Subject: World Literature

Topic: ODYSSEY

INTRO : THE WANDERINGS OF ODYSSEUS : THE RETURN TO ITHACA

➢ Many considers this HOMER’s work to be more mature

➢ It contains the adventures of ODYSSEUS, the capture of TROY from the time he left TROY to the moment he has
reached home in ITHACA
➢ That time, the word “ODYSSEY” mean: a series of endless vicissitudes experienced by everyone in his life
➢ This describes the wanderings and tricks of a great hero
• The immortal spirit of the Greek race
• Set off with an entire fleet to at last arrive at his longed-for island alone, exhausted and replete with
experience
• Their next stop was an island off coast of Africa
• The people welcomed ODYSSEUS and companions to reconnoiter, offering them LOTUS which the
people also ate.
➢ BUT when the sailors of ships of ODYSSEUS ate the fruit, they forgot their homeland and desire to return home
➢ In the end, ODYSSEUS had to use force to get them to re-embark

II. IN THE COUNTRY OF THE CYCLOPES

➢ ODYSSEUS’ little fleet now sailed north and anchored at the island called the country of CYCLOPES, tentatively
called SICILY
• When they landed, ODYSSUES took with him 12 of his companions and bags of wine from MARON as a
gift to any people they meet
• On their way to the interior of the island , they came to a cave
• Inside were huge quantities of fresh milk and cheese
• ODYSSEUS was curious about the size of all the objects
• His companions wanted to leave but ODYSSEUS wanted to see exactly how large was the being that
lived in the cave
• When the owner of the cave-CYCLOP POLYPHEMUS came, saw the strangers --- he imprisoned them in
the cave blocking the opening with a boulder so large that even 50 people cannot move it.
➢ POLYPHEMUS devoured two of ODYSSEUS companion on the spot, and continued to eat in pairs
➢ ODYSSEUS offered him some wine of MARON
• He drank quite a lot of it, with pleasure and in a merrier mood, he asked ODYSSEUS what’s his name
• In an act of repaying ODYSSEUS for the fine wine, he promised to devour him last
➢ ODYSSEUS thought of how he and his companions could escape from the cave
• First of killing the beast, BUT who will move the rock across the mouth of the cave
• Next was to blind the beast using a pointed stick --- heated on the fire and plunged into the only eye of
the beast
➢ The beast cries that shook the island
➢ The other CYCLOPES answered
➢ ODYSSEUS and his companions escaped from the cave by clinging to the thick wool on the bellies of the sheep of
POLYPHEMUS flock
➢ They had raised the sails and were ready to depart when ODYSSEUS called out POLYPHEMUS that if ever he
were asked who had blind him, he was to say “ODYSSEUS spoiler of the cities.”
➢ POLYPHEMUS called on POSEIDON- his father to take revenge --- this started the wrath which the powerful god
of the sea felt for ODYSSEUS and start of new round of troubles

THE ISLAND OF CIRCE

➢ ODYSSEUS and his crew reached the country of LASTRYGONIANS, who were fierce eaters of human flesh
➢ They escaped by the skin of their teeth from the cannibals, who pursued them with stones and sank all except
one of their sheep
➢ This last craft and its crew were all that ODYSSEUS had left when he sailed north again --- to the island of CIRCE
➢ It is the island where the witch AEA lived --- now the headland of MONTE CARLO to the South Latium
➢ CIRCE was the sister of AETES, the King of COLCHIS from the myths about the ARGONAUTS and PASIPHAE, wife
of MINOS of CRETE
➢ CIRCE welcomed the detachment which ODYSSEUS sent out to reconnoiter under EURYLOCHUS
➢ She touched them with her magic wand and turned them into swine and other animals after serving them a
banquet
➢ EURYLOCHUS managed to escape and brought the news to ODYSSEUS
➢ ODYSSEUS decided to go to meet the witch and persuade her to bring him back his sailors into their human
forms
 ➢ CIRCE tried the same trick on ODYSSEUS but thanks to the potion which HERMES had given him before
approaching the palace
➢ The rest of their stay on the island was pleasant
➢ On CIRCE’s advice, ODYSSEUS went to the underworld to ask the soul of TIRESIAS – seer
➢ ODYSSEUS asked about his return home
➢ TIRESIAS told him , he would go home alone on a strange ship, that he would avenged on the suitors who wished
to marry his wife
➢ ODYSSEUS also met many souls of his fellow warriors who have been killed at TROY

ON THE ISLAND OF AEOLUS

➢ AEOLUS is the master of the winds ; he welcome ODYSSEUS and his companions --- they stayed there for a
month
➢ When the time for them to leave, AEOLUS presented ODYSSEUS priceless gift --- a bag made of leather which he
had shut up all the strong winds
• Only one wind had been left free – the breeze ZEPHYR ( which blow gently and take the ship straight
home to ITHACA)
➢ ODYSSEUS passed on to his companions AEOLUS’ warning that the bag was not to be opened because the winds
would escaped and blow them into great dangers on the rest of the voyage
➢ BUT the crew did not obey their master. They thought ODYSSEUS was given a bag of rare wine . On a night when
ODYSSEUS was asleep, someone opened the bag--- out rushed the howling winds thus the small ship spun round
and round in a fearsome storm
➢ The gale blow them back on the island of AEOLUS
➢ ODYSSEUS begged AEOLUS to send them another tailwind --- he was convinced that the gods did not want to
help ODYSSEUS --- so he left him to his fate.

THE ISLAND OF THE SIRENS -----SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIA

➢ ODYSSEUS blocked up the cars of his companion in order to overcome the songs of evil spirits (half-women and
half-birds)
➢ ODYSSEUS himself was curious to hear how the songs of the sirens sounded
• He ordered his crew to lash him to the mast (pole) of the ship where he could listen without
endangering anyone. He told the sailors that if he should attempt to tell them in sign language to set
him free, they were to bind him tighter
➢ After passing the island of SIRENS, ODYSSEUS next dealt with the CLASHING Rocks and the channel between
SCYLLA and CHARYBDIS
➢ SCYLLA – was a sea monster resembled a woman from waist up, the remainder being composed of 6 fierce and
monstrous dogs
• Lived in a cave on the Italian side of the Strait of MESSINA, and she devoured even passing sailors
➢ On the other side of the Strait which separates ITALT from SICILY was CHARYBDIS
➢ CHARYBDIS – a gigantic monster swallowed vast quantities of sea water 3x a day
• Sweeping down her throat anything which floats pass the sea, including ships
• She regurgitated (repeat) the water she had swallowed
➢ These monsters made the strait of MESSINA , an extremely dangerous place because it was not possible to avoid
both of them
➢ ODYSSEUS sailed closer to SCYLLA so as not to be swallowed by CHARYBDIS – she devoured some of his sailors

THE OXEN OF THE SUN --- THE ISLAND OF CALYPSO

➢ ODYSSEUS next stop was the island of THRINACIA where herds of white oxen sacred to the sun
➢ The winds prevented the companions from sailing on till their supplies run out
➢ ODYSSEUS had strictly forbidden the sailors to slaughter and eat the sacred oxen of the Sun --- but in hunger,
they slaughtered and roasted some
➢ HELIOS --- the sun god demanded that ZEUS punish ODYSSEUS for this insult
➢ As the companions set out on their voyage, their ship was struck by one of ZEUS’ thunderbolts and sank
➢ Only ODYSSEUS who did not eat the meat of the sacred oxen was saved by clinging to the mast of the ship
➢ The water swept him toward CHARYBDIS whom he was saved at the last moment as the monster opened her
mouth to suck him, ODYSSEUS caught hold of a fig tree whose roots were deep in the rock
• He was battered by the waves for nine (9) days before he was washed up on the shores of OGYGIA – the
island of CALYPSO
➢ CALYPSO --- a nymph, the daughter of ATLAS
• Live in a beautiful decorated cave which led out into a wonderful gardens and forests
➢ ODYSSEUS spent an enchanted time with CALYPSO
➢ CALYPSO did everything on her power to keep ODYSSEUS by her side and even a promise of immortality
➢ ODYSSEUS’ desires to go home never fades
➢ ZEUS sent HERMES to beg CALYPSO to let ODYSSEUS go home on the request of ATHENA
➢ CALYPSO allowed ODYSSEUS to go home, helped him with the wood in making raft and provided him with
supplies and advice for the journey
THE ISLAND OF THE PHAEACIANS
➢ ODYSSEUS set in an easterly direction BUT the wrath of POSEIDON had not died away
➢ He was washed away with mountainous waves, his ship was wrecked and cast him into the sea once more
• After hours of struggle, he was washed into the shore, the island of PHAEACIANS, now called CORFU
• In his exhaustion, he fell asleep; was awaken by a girlish voice of NAUSICAA
➢ NAUSICAA – a daughter of King ALCINOUS and Queen ARETE’
• She helped ODYSSEUS up and gave clothes
• She showed him the way to the palace
• The King and Queen welcomed ODYSSEUS warmly, held a feast in his honor
• ODYSSEUS told them all his adventures
• The King and Queen expressed them admiration and sympathy for his feats which made him famous in
the place
• They also expressed their desire that he should stay there and marry NAUSICAA
➢ ODYSSEUS politely explained his longing to go home to ITHACA
➢ The King and Queen were moved of his desire that they lent him a ship to take him back home
➢ On his way home, he fell asleep
➢ The PHAEACIANS set him ashore to the quiet beach of ITHACA, surrounded him by the gifts of ALCINOUS
➢ The gods had come for ODYSSEUS to set foot on his home island after 20 years

ODYSSEUS AND ITHACA

➢ The years of hardships had changed him
➢ What he had lost in youthfulness – he had gained in experience and maturity
➢ The grace and support of the goddess ATHENA had left him handsome and strong which even his wife,PENELOPE
had not recognized but remained loyal to him
➢ His son TELEMACHUS had grown to manhood over the years of his absence
➢ TELEMACHUS had set off to seek out all whom his father had fought hoping that they might lead him to his
father’s whereabouts
➢ ODYSSEUS went to EUMAEUS, his trusted swineherd
➢ At first he did not recognized ODYSSEUS, his father
➢ ODYSSEUS met his son, TELEMACHUS and learned about what had been happening at the palace
➢ The suitors who wished to marry PENELOPE had gathered from all over ITHACA and the other lands over which
ODYSSEUS held away
➢ They installed themselves in the palace, eating and drinking at ODYSSEUS’ expense and squandering his fortune
➢ PENELOPE had kept them away by a trick --- telling them that she would make her choice as soon as she had
finished weaving the shroud for her father-in-law, old LAERTES
• She wove in her loom all day – but at night, she secretly undid what she had woven
• The secret got out --- the eight suitors became insistent and PENELOPE was forced to make a decision
who would she marry
• When ODYSSEUS found out, he decided to teach them a lesson they would never forget
• He disguised himself as a beggar; entered the palace with TELEMACHUS
• No one recognized him except ARGUS (his faithful dog) --- merely a puppy when he left for TROY
• As soon as he saw his master, ARGUS climbed to his feet, lay down in front of ODYSSEUS, wagged his tail
, and died

ODYSSEUS TAKES REVENGE ON THE SUITORS

➢ ODYSSEUS sudden appearance cause the suitors to behave roughly
➢ PENELOPE was the only one who wanted to talk to him hoping to hear news of her husband
➢ ODYSSEUS did not reveal himself, but raised hopes that ODYSSEUS would be coming soon
➢ PENELOPE, unwilling to believe him announced the suitors would compete against each other in games; she will
marry whoever wins
➢ The archery contest required considerable skill on the part of the competitors;
• First they have to bend the bow of ODYSSEUS himself which PENELOPE kept safe
• Then shoot the arrow through the holes in a number of axes set in a line
➢ One after another suitors tried, ODYSSEUS asked if he could try
➢ With amazement , the suitors saw him bend the bow easily and hit the target effortlessly
➢ The hours of reckoning had come, ODYSSEUS’ loyal servants locked up the weapons which they left earlier in an
upper room
➢ The suitors were all killed. This news come to PENELOPE and still hardly dared believe that her husband had
returned
➢ In the end, he convinced her of his identity by revealing the secrets that only the two of them knew, and by
describing her bridal chamber.

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