Book 8 odyssey analysis

The odyssey book 8 the phaeacian games context summary at dawn, athene goes around the city in towncrier disguise, shouting the news of the strangers coming and the upcoming feast. At the end of book viii, what does alcinoos demand of odysseus. Learn the odyssey book 8 characters with free interactive flashcards. Read a character analysis of odysseus, plot summary, and important quotes. Lombardos version is especially close to modern spoken english on shmoop, we quote from the 1950s version by. Homer opens the odyssey with an invocation to the muse of epic poetry and asks for her guidance in telling the story of a man who has experienced many twists and turns of fate and has suffered many hardships. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Theres nothing better than when deep joy holds sway throughout the realm and banqueters up and down the palace sit in ranks, enthralled to hear the bard, and before them all, the tables heaped with bread and meats, and drawing wine. Summary and analysis of book 8 of homers odyssey themes.

For the firsttime reader, probably the hardest thing about homers odyssey is its language. He is the husband of queen penelope and the father of prince. These are some of the greatest works of epic literature in the western canon. Summary and analysis book 1 athena inspires the prince. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. And were not even asking you to read it in ancient greek. Homer s 8th century bce oral narrative of a warriors decadeslong quest to return home defines epic poetry.

The dynamic between odysseus and broadsea is excellent, and the story sung by demodocus about the love triangle between the gods hephaestus, aphrodie, and ares is remarkable. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 8 summary. These books thus give background not only to odysseus s audience but to homers as well. Summary and analysis books 68 odysseus among the phaeacians. Moreover, they are complex pieces of work with many twists and turns. Alcinous, king of the phaeacians, and his wife arete have promised to help odysseus in his journey home. While odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife penelope and his son telemachus stave off suitors vying for penelopes hand and ithacas throne long enough for odysseus to return. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war, and his adventures at sea during his travel home. Fought among the other greek heroes at troy and now struggles to return to his kingdom in ithaca. King alcinous and queen arete rule the seafaring phaeacians on the island of. The odyssey at a glance cliffsnotes study guides book. At this little meeting, alcinous orders that a ship and crew be prepared for later that day. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor.

Consider a representative example, from when odysseus praises alcinous bard. Zeus agrees to send his son hermes immediately to ogygia in order to liberate the king of ithaca from calypso. The odyssey opens with the poet asking the muse of epic poetry, calliope, to inspire him in the telling of this story. The odyssey books 58 summary and analysis gradesaver. The next day, alcinous calls an assembly of his phaeacian counselors.

Ironically, for all of his poise, odysseus cannot remain at peace even when he finds himself outside the direct influence of the wrath of various gods. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey. The basic form of narrative in the odyssey is very strongly oriented towards imagery. Telemachus gathers an assembly of achaeans to make his case for removing the suitors from his home. Here is this stranger, i do not know who he is, come wandering suppliant here to my house from the eastern or western people. Odysseuss stay at alcinouss palace provides the reader with some relief as it bridges the narrative of odysseuss uncertain journey from calypsos island and the woeful exploits that he recounts in books 9 through 12.

Today, the word odyssey means an epic journey like that of odysseus, whose tenyear struggle to return home is. The notion of hospitality is so strong in the world of the odyssey that guests can even be considered part of ones family. Summary and analysis book 5 odysseus nymph and shipwreck. Then royal alcinous led the way to the phaeacians gathering place, laid out there by the ships.

The odyssey is homers epic of odysseus 10year struggle to return home after the trojan war. Choose from 500 different sets of the odyssey book 8 characters flashcards on quizlet. King alcinous and queen arete rule the seafaring phaeacians on the island of scheria. Does the story between ares and aphrodite relate at all to odysseus and is it a foreshadowing to a future event. In book 8 of the odyssey, what does the blind poet demodocus presence and his singing do for the. It is morning, and at the beginning of book 8 in homers the odyssey. The odyssey by homer books 67 summary and analysis. The king then invites everyone to the banquet and calls in his blind. Book 8 themes and colors key litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. If youre really struggling, you could check out some uptodate translations by robert fagles and stanley lombardo. The morning after odysseus rugged landing, athena disguised as a friend sends their daughter, nausicaa, and some of her handmaidens to wash clothes near the spot where the beleaguered hero. Kat clum discussion question 1 book eight of the odyssey shows that odysseus cannot handle the grief of hearing about his own friends dying.

Get a detailed summary and analysis of every chapter in the book from. The odyssey ends as odysseus wins a contest to prove his identity, slaughters the. Athena, back from athens, ensures attendance by spreading word that the topic of discussion will be the godlike visitor who recently appeared on the island. As soon as rosyfingered dawn appeared, royal alcinous left his bed, and so did odysseus, scion of zeus, sacker of cities. Odysseus, the reader is told, is the only greek survivor of the trojan war who. Poseidon is notably absent, and athena once more advocates odysseus case. Together with its companion poem the iliad, the odyssey describes the action and aftermath of the trojan wars, andis the model for the heroic quest.

There they sat on the polished seats next to each other, and pallas athene, planning greathearted odysseus return, traversed the. The odyssey is named after the greek hero odysseus. The odyssey by homer book 8 summary and analysis youtube. Banquet in the house of alcinousthe games now when the child of morning, rosyfingered dawn, appeared, alcinous and ulysses both rose, and alcinous led the way to the phaeacian. Now when the child of morning rosyfingered dawn appearedalcinous and ulysses both rose and alcinous led the. At dawn, athene goes around the city in towncrier disguise, shouting the news of the strangers coming and the upcoming feast. After everyone eats and drinks, the bard demodocus sings about the battle between odysseus and achilles. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war. Books 9 through 12 are told as flashbacks, as odysseus sits in the palace of the phaeacians telling the story of his wanderings. She also makes odysseus totally studly studlier and instills in him a desire to prove himself worthy of any challenge. On his way to the palace of alcinous, the king of the phaeacians, odysseus is stopped by a young girl who is athena in disguise. Summary and analysis books 6 8 odysseus among the phaeacians. Fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice. Book 8 at dawn, athene goes around the city in towncrier disguise, shouting the news of the strangers coming and the upcoming feast.