ARGONAUTIKA the VOYAGE of JASON and the ARGONAUTS March 20–May 5, 2019

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

ARGONAUTIKA the VOYAGE of JASON and the ARGONAUTS March 20–May 5, 2019 THE S. MARK TAPER FOUNDATION PRESENTS A NOISE WITHIN’S REPERTORY THEATRE SEASON STUDY GUIDE Mary Zimmerman’s ARGONAUTIKA THE VOYAGE OF JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS March 20–May 5, 2019 Pictured: Erika Soto. Photo by Craig Schwartz. STUDY GUIDES FROM A NOISE WITHIN A rich resource for teachers of English, reading, arts, and drama education. Dear Reader, We’re delighted you’re interested in our study guides, designed to provide a full range of information on our plays to teachers of all grade levels. A Noise Within’s study guides include: • General information about the play (characters, synopsis, timeline, and more) • Playwright biography and literary analysis • Historical content of the play • Scholarly articles • Production information (costumes, lights, direction, etc.) • Suggested classroom activities • Related resources (videos, books, etc.) • Discussion themes • Background on verse and prose (for Shakespeare’s plays) Our study guides allow you to review and share information with students to enhance both lesson plans and pupils’ theatrical experience and appreciation. They are designed to let you extrapolate articles and other information that best align with your own curricula and pedagogic goals. More information? It would be our pleasure. We’re here to make your students’ learning experience as rewarding and memorable as it can be! All the best, Alicia Green DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Pictured: Geoff Elliott, Man of La Mancha, 2017. PHOTO BY CRAIG SCHWARTZ. Lead Production Sponsor Richard & Sally Roberts TABLE OF CONTENTS Co-Sponsor Kathleen & James Drummy Character Map ......................................4 Synopsis ...........................................6 Special thanks to our Dinner On Stage donors who kept the arts thriving this year by About the Author: Apollonius of Rhodes .................. 7 supporting our Student Matinees (SMATs): About the Adaptor: Mary Zimmerman ...................8 SMAT PERFORMANCE SPONSOR History of Jason and the Argonauts: A Timeline ............9 ($5,000 AND ABOVE) Dr. Richard R. Green Alan M. & Oral Traditions and Epic Poetry ........................10 William & Sheila R. Lamson Priscilla Kennedy Richard & Sally Roberts Ancient Greek Society ............................... 11 SCHOOL SPONSOR ($2,500 AND ABOVE) Mythical Figures: Gods and Monsters in Greek Tales .......12 Kathleen & Margaret H. Sedenquist The Hero’s Journey ..................................13 James Drummy Rhodes & Liz Trussell Barbara Henderson After the Golden Fleece: Medea .......................15 CLASS SPONSOR ($1,000 AND ABOVE) Themes ...........................................16 Peter & Molly Bachmann Keith Miller Glossary ..........................................18 Bill & Claire Bogaard Terri Murray Ginny & John Cushman Ms. Diana Peterson More Pre-Show Preparation: Research .......................20 Armando Gonzalez & Rosemary S. Risley Brenda Berg Daniel Rothmuller Pre-Show Preparation: Activities ....................... 21 Sandy Greenstein, Lyn Spector in honor of Ann M. Steinmetz Essay Questions ....................................23 Albert Greenstein Lois Tandy Additional Resources ................................24 Ryan & Denise Jay Vickie Taylor Elyse Klein, in honor of Bill & Rebecca Woods Terri Murray A NOISE WITHIN’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY: WORKSHOP SPONSOR ($500 AND ABOVE) Ruth & Jim Dewar Rary Simmons Ann Peppers Foundation The Jewish Community Jack & Becky Doody Deborah Strang Foundation Diane Glatt & David Holtz Janice Ohta & Fred Weiss Capital Group Companies Jim Kelly Michael J. Connell Foundation Kenneth T. and Tom & Gloria Lang Eileen L. Norris Foundation The Dick and Sally Roberts BUS SPONSOR ($350 AND ABOVE) Coyote Foundation Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Judi Barhydt Joan C. Mills Steinmetz Foundation Loren & Alice Brodhead Barbara Goen Edison International Meg Huntington Cajero Pete & Catherine Palermo The Green Foundation Dwight Stuart Youth Fund Robert & Joan Cathcart Richard & Sally Roberts Coachman Moore & Jose Rubio Associates, Inc. Louise Mayeri Spillman, Julie & Brian Daniels in honor of Victoria Degtyareva & Jack Spillman Michael Bateman Mary I. Wilson Linda Dozier ADDITIONAL DONORS Elvio Angeloni Irene Lacher, in honor of Peter & Molly Bachmann Frances Lacher Janet Castro Jaye Scholl & Jason King Charlie Bohlen Elizabeth Kurila & Michael Mindlin, in honor of the Steinmetz Foundation 4 A NOISE WITHIN 2018/19 REPERTORY SEASON | Spring 2019 Study Guide Argonautika CHARACTER MAP GODS AND CREATURES Hera Queen of the gods. Vows to always love Jason Athena Aphrodite The goddess of The goddess of love and beauty. wisdom and courage. Helps Hera in a scheme to make She watches over Jason Medea fall in love with Jason Boreas Rumor Eros The god and personification The goddess and personification Aphrodite’s minion. of the North Wind of a spreading rumor or false tale Also known as Cupid Amycus Fury Ghost Dryope Poseidon’s son and an Goddess of vengeance Arrives to tell Alcimede A water nymph infamous boxer of Jason’s journey ARGONAUTS Jason The leader of the Argonauts. Charged with retrieving the Golden Fleece from King Aeëtes Tiphys Hercules The pilot of the Argo Illegitimate son of Zeus. A demi-god and Greek hero known for his strength Meleager Idmon Hylas A young Argonaut. When he was born, the Fates A seer. He has a vision about the Hercules’ aide placed a burning log in a fireplace and predicted challenges the Argonauts will face and friend Meleager would die when the log burned completely Uncle Castor Pollux Meleager’s uncle Son of Zeus and Son of Zeus and brother of Castor. brother of Pollux He volunteers to fight Amycus Euphemos Polyphemus Atalanta Pelias’s Son Zetes A huntress and the only woman King Pelias’s son and Jason’s cousin. Jason tricks Crew members to join the Argonauts him to join the Argonauts to spite King Pelias 5 A NOISE WITHIN 2018/19 REPERTORY SEASON | Spring 2019 Study Guide Argonautika CHARACTER MAP IOLCOS King Pelias King of Iolcos and Jason’s uncle. It is prophesied that Jason will kill King Pelias, and in order to divert Jason, Pelias sends him on a mission to retrieve the Golden Fleece Aeson Alcimede Jason’s father and King Pelias’ brother Jason’s mother Cepheus Asterion King Pelias’ servants COLCHIS Aeëtes King of Colchis and Medea’s father. He owns the Golden Fleece Medea Apsyrtos Aeëtes’ daughter. She falls in love with Jason Medea’s brother Styrus Medea’s fiancé Andromeda A princess who is chained to a cliff in sacrifice to Poseidon’s sea monster Dymas Prisoner of Amycus The Women of Lemnos They welcome the Argonauts in Lemnos Phineus A blind prophet, sentenced by Zeus to live out his life starving and among harpies Meleager’s Mother She guards the log fated to represent Meleager’s life 6 A NOISE WITHIN 2018/19 REPERTORY SEASON | Spring 2019 Study Guide Argonautika SYNOPSIS Greek stories were well known before poets and playwrights wrote their own versions. As a result, many stories are told slightly differently depending on what the author wanted to communicate. Homer’s Odyssey does not include every story of the character Odysseus, and different plays and poems of the Trojan War or the Argonauts include different scenes or emphasize different characters. Some versions are radically different: the character of Iphigenia, who was the daughter Agamemnon sacrificed so that the Greek fleet could sail “The Capture of the Golden Fleece” by Jean-François Detroy, 1742-3. to Troy, is either sacrificed, saved at the last second by The National Gallery the gods, or is replaced by a deer and lives to meet her brother after the war. monsters and harpies, temptation and giants, clashing rocks and the loss of heroes—including Hercules. On Mary Zimmerman’s adaptation of Argonautika continues the journey, Jason learns of the dragon that guards the this tradition of carefully selecting which pieces of a Golden Fleece. Greek story to emphasize, where to begin and end the story, and which characters to feature. Her version The Argonauts arrive in Colchis, home of King Aeëtes focuses on Jason and Medea and begins with an and the Golden Fleece. Knowing that Jason will be invocation by the chorus that summarizes the story of unable to retrieve the fleece alone, Hera and Athena Helle and Phrixus. The action starts as Jason returns to conspire with Aphrodite to have the powerful daughter Iolcos to claim the throne from his uncle, Pelias, who is of the king, Medea, fall in love with Jason. Aeëtes celebrating his birthday. The goddess Hera, disguised as requires several tasks of Jason before he can approach an old woman, asks Jason to carry her across the river, the fleece: he must tame two wild bulls, plow a field with and in the crossing he loses a sandal. Hera and Athena them, and plant dragon’s teeth in the field. The bulls, bless Jason on his quest to restore the throne for his of course, breathe fire and the dragon’s teeth sprout family. magical warriors. With the help of Medea’s magic and advice, Jason accomplishes the tasks. At the fleece itself, King Pelias, meanwhile, has dreamt that a man with Medea helps Jason by lulling the dragon to sleep so that one bare foot will come to kill him. Recognizing it is Jason can retrieve the prize. Knowing the fury of her a prophecy, Pelias is afraid when the one-sandaled father, Jason promises to take Medea away with him and man arrives and turns out to be an heir to the throne. to marry her. Although Pelias’ servants plot to kill Jason, Pelias spares his nephew only to send him on an impossible quest. Aeëtes pursues the Argonauts as they sail away with Pelias tells Jason of the story of the fleece and orders both the fleece and Medea. The Argo is overtaken by him to recover it to prove himself worthy of the crown. the Colchian fleet, but Medea again saves the quest by tricking her brother Apsyrtos into meeting her. She Jason gathers a band of heroes for the journey. The sacrifices and dismembers him, tossing his body parts great carpenter Argos builds an enormous boat to hold into the sea. Aeëtes stops his pursuit in order to retrieve them all, including some of the greatest heroes of Greek and bury his son.
Recommended publications
  • Sample Odyssey Passage
    The Odyssey of Homer Translated from Greek into English prose in 1879 by S.H. Butcher and Andrew Lang. Book I In a Council of the Gods, Poseidon absent, Pallas procureth an order for the restitution of Odysseus; and appearing to his son Telemachus, in human shape, adviseth him to complain of the Wooers before the Council of the people, and then go to Pylos and Sparta to inquire about his father. Tell me, Muse, of that man, so ready at need, who wandered far and wide, after he had sacked the sacred citadel of Troy, and many were the men whose towns he saw and whose mind he learnt, yea, and many the woes he suffered in his heart upon the deep, striving to win his own life and the return of his company. Nay, but even so he saved not his company, though he desired it sore. For through the blindness of their own hearts they perished, fools, who devoured the oxen of Helios Hyperion: but the god took from them their day of returning. Of these things, goddess, daughter of Zeus, whencesoever thou hast heard thereof, declare thou even unto us. Now all the rest, as many as fled from sheer destruction, were at home, and had escaped both war and sea, but Odysseus only, craving for his wife and for his homeward path, the lady nymph Calypso held, that fair goddess, in her hollow caves, longing to have him for her lord. But when now the year had come in the courses of the seasons, wherein the gods had ordained that he should return home to Ithaca, not even there was he quit of labours, not even among his own; but all the gods had pity on him save Poseidon, who raged continually against godlike Odysseus, till he came to his own country.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Theories of Foreignness (Kennedy, RECW Ch 1 Pp
    Clas 122 2017 Mon Oct 2: Homer and Hesiod: Early Theories of Foreignness (Kennedy, RECW Ch 1 pp. 3-13) Overview of Homer's Odyssey -- a map of the world imagined by speakers of Greek The poem itself invites its audience to think about: What is a good society? What is a good leader? As readers here and now, we can also ask critical Questions: What are the poem's blind spots? How does the poem encourage its audience to think and behave? Do the poem's ideas about a good society and a good leader have meaning today? The images below come from a series of collages and paintings by Romare Bearden (1911-1988). The Smithsonian Institution organized a bautiful exhibit of the series recently, and there is a good free app (showing many of the works and adding audio commentary) available for I phone and android; search for "A Black Odyssey" where you get apps. As our story begins ..... During his journey back to his home in Ithaca after the war at Troy, Odysseus is on the island of Calypso. Athena asks Zeus if Odysseus can come home to Ithaca. Zeus says yes, and sends Hermes to tell Calypso that Odysseus needs to come home. Calypso lets Odysseus build a raft and he departs. This is only possible because .... RECW 1.1 Od. 1.22-26: Poseidon, the god of the sea, is visiting the Ethiopians, and thus is not watching Odysseus. Poseidon had been thwarting the homecoming because of the way that Odysseus treated the Cyclops Polyphemus, who was descended from Poseidon.
    [Show full text]
  • Provided by the Internet Classics Archive. See Bottom for Copyright
    Provided by The Internet Classics Archive. See bottom for copyright. Available online at http://classics.mit.edu//Homer/iliad.html The Iliad By Homer Translated by Samuel Butler ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BOOK I Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a brave soul did it send hurrying down to Hades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs and vultures, for so were the counsels of Jove fulfilled from the day on which the son of Atreus, king of men, and great Achilles, first fell out with one another. And which of the gods was it that set them on to quarrel? It was the son of Jove and Leto; for he was angry with the king and sent a pestilence upon the host to plague the people, because the son of Atreus had dishonoured Chryses his priest. Now Chryses had come to the ships of the Achaeans to free his daughter, and had brought with him a great ransom: moreover he bore in his hand the sceptre of Apollo wreathed with a suppliant's wreath and he besought the Achaeans, but most of all the two sons of Atreus, who were their chiefs. "Sons of Atreus," he cried, "and all other Achaeans, may the gods who dwell in Olympus grant you to sack the city of Priam, and to reach your homes in safety; but free my daughter, and accept a ransom for her, in reverence to Apollo, son of Jove." On this the rest of the Achaeans with one voice were for respecting the priest and taking the ransom that he offered; but not so Agamemnon, who spoke fiercely to him and sent him roughly away.
    [Show full text]
  • Kleonai, the Corinth-Argos Road, And
    HESPERIA 78 (2OO9) KLEONAI, THE CORINTH- Pages ioj-163 ARGOS ROAD, AND THE "AXIS OF HISTORY" ABSTRACT The ancient roadfrom Corinth to Argos via the Longopotamos passwas one of the most important and longest-used natural routes through the north- eastern Peloponnese. The author proposes to identity the exact route of the road as it passed through Kleonaian territoryby combining the evidence of ancient testimonia, the identification of ancient roadside features, the ac- counts of early travelers,and autopsy.The act of tracing the road serves to emphasizethe prominentposition of the city Kleonaion this interstateroute, which had significant consequences both for its own history and for that of neighboring states. INTRODUCTION Much of the historyof the polis of Kleonaiwas shapedby its location on a numberof majorroutes from the Isthmus and Corinth into the Peloponnese.1The most importantof thesewas a majorartery for north- south travel;from the city of Kleonai,the immediatedestinations of this roadwere Corinthto the north and Argos to the south.It is in connec- tion with its roadsthat Kleonaiis most often mentionedin the ancient sources,and likewise,modern topographical studies of the areahave fo- cusedon definingthe coursesof these routes,particularly that of the main 1. The initial fieldworkfor this Culturefor grantingit. In particular, anonymousreaders and the editors studywas primarilyconducted as I thank prior ephors Elisavet Spathari of Hesperia,were of invaluableassis- part of a one-person surveyof visible and AlexanderMantis for their in- tance. I owe particulargratitude to remainsin Kleonaianterritory under terest in the projectat Kleonai,and Bruce Stiver and John Luchin for their the auspicesof the American School the guardsand residentsof Archaia assistancewith the illustrations.
    [Show full text]
  • Νοῦν Μὲγ' Ἄριστος Καὶ Γλῶσσαν 2021 Acl National Greek
    ACL NATIONAL GREEK EXAM - 2021 INTRODUCTION TO GREEK νοῦν µὲγ’ ἄριστος καὶ γλῶσσαν 2021 ACL NATIONAL GREEK EXAMINATION INTRODUCTION TO GREEK TIME: 50 MINUTES DO NOT USE DICTIONARY 1) In the upper left-hand corner, fill in the boxes with your name (last, first) and fill in the corresponding bubbles below each box. 2) In the lower left-hand corner under “special codes”, fill in the boxes with your school number. Your examiner will give you your school number. Fill in the corresponding bubbles below each box. 3) In the lower right box under “exam type”, write the exam name (INTRODUCTION). 4) In the vertical column in the middle, fill in the bubble for your current grade level. INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENT: Mark the correct choice on your answer sheet. Answers not bubbled on the answer sheet will not be scored. There is only one correct answer/choice for each question. Choose the best possible answer. Remember: Use a #2 pencil only. Fill in the bubbles on the answer sheet completely and neatly. Erase unwanted answers on the answer sheet completely. Do not make any stray marks on the answer sheet. καλὴ εὐτυχία! π 1. The letter directly following is θ. a) ο b) . ρ c) . ν. d) Γ 2. The lower-case equivalent of the letter is λ. a) τ. b) γ. c) η. d) 1 ACL NATIONAL GREEK EXAM - 2021 INTRODUCTION TO GREEK Ζηνόθεµις 3. The name in an English transliteration would be a) Zinotemis. b) Zenothemis. c) Zevothemis. d) Zanophemis. 4. The word ‘orchēstra’ in Greek characters is ὀρξήστρα.
    [Show full text]
  • Gods of the Silver Screen: Cinematic Representations of Myth and Divinity Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
    Ogden / Companion to Greek Religion 1405120541_4_027 Final Proof page 421 17.11.2006 4:50pm A Companion to Greek Religion Edited by Daniel Ogden Copyright © 2007 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd PART IX Epilogue Ogden / Companion to Greek Religion 1405120541_4_027 Final Proof page 423 17.11.2006 4:50pm A Companion to Greek Religion Edited by Daniel Ogden Copyright © 2007 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Gods of the Silver Screen: Cinematic Representations of Myth and Divinity Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones Ever since cinema’s infancy, myth – and Greek mythology in particular – has been a mainstay of cinematic output, in that films either incorporate mythological names or characters in their titles – The Andromeda Strain (dir. Wise, 1971), The Poseidon Adventure (dir. Neame, 1972), Black Narcissus (dir. Powell, 1947) – or else recreate episodes from classical mythology. Jon Solomon estimates that there have been over eighty mythological movies made by American and European film studios to date, proving that movie producers are keen to mine the depths of classical myth for screen materials (Solomon 2001:101). The release of films like Disney’s animated feature Hercules (dir. Clements and Musker, 1997) and the blockbuster Troy (dir. Petersen, 2004) demonstrates that Greek mythology continues to play a significant role in the construction of ancient history in mass popular culture. As Martin Winkler puts it: Ancient myths and archetypes recurring in films attest to the vitality of our own cultural tradition. Retellings of classical stories on film show that filmmakers have used the ancient material consciously in order to comment on their own times or that they unconsciously reflect cultural trends.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading Penelope and Molly: an Intertextual Analysis
    Reading Penelope and Molly: An Intertextual Analysis A thesis submitted to the Miami University Honors Program in partial fulfillment of the requirements for University Honors By Michelle L. Mitchell May 2004 Oxford, OH ii Abstract Reading Penelope and Molly: An Intertextual Analysis by Michelle L. Mitchell This thesis takes an intertextual approach to Homer’s Odyssey and James Joyce’s Ulysses. Intertextual analysis goes beyond examining the ways Joyce adopts Homer’s themes and characters in his own modern epic to also consider the ways in which a reading of Ulysses can affect one’s understanding of the Odyssey. Examining the reader’s role in the production and consumption of texts allows for a more realistic examination of how texts are actually processed. The focus of my interetextual analysis of both works is on the representation of women, particularly Penelope and Molly Bloom. iii iv An Intertextual Analysis of the Representations of Women in Homer’s Odyssey and Joyce’s Ulysses by Michelle L. Mitchell Approved by: _____________________________________, Advisor Judith de Luce _____________________________________, Reader Madelyn Detloff _____________________________________, Reader Kathleen Johnson Accepted by: _____________________________________, Director, University Honors Program v vi Acknowledgements Many thanks to my advisor, Judith de Luce, for her encouragement and guidance. Thanks also to Madelyn Detloff and Kathleen Johnson, my readers, for their suggestions. I would also like to thank the Office for the Advancement of
    [Show full text]
  • Pythios and Pythion: the Spread of a Cult Title J.K
    Mediterranean Historical Review Vol. 22, No. 1, June 2007, pp. 57–69 Pythios and Pythion: The Spread of a Cult Title J.K. Davies The epithet Pythios/Pythion, unequivocally denoting the cult of Apollo of Delphi, came to have a very widespread distribution throughout the Greek world, comparable only to that of Zeus Olympios. Pre-Hellenistic attestations are summarily reported, showing concentrations (e.g., Attika, Argolis, Thessaly, Aegean islands, Krete), significant vacua (e.g., Boiotia, north-western Greece), and overlaps with the epithets Delphinios and Pythaieus. Likely periods and mechanisms of its spread are sketched, as are possible explanations (colonization, oracles, purification), though without overt preference for any one model of network-formation. Keywords: Apollo; Cult; Oracle; Purification; Distribution It is a cliche´ of scholarship that the terms Pythios and Pythion derive from Pytho, the earliest attested name for the cultic area later known as Delphoi,1 and that they came to refer unequivocally to Apollo as the principal god of the upper sanctuary there. They therefore belong among the ‘locational’ epithets of the god, parallel to Klarios or Didymeus, not among those derived from function or from association or identification with animals.2 As such, they pose a problem, for it was unusual for locational epithets to spread far beyond their primary sanctuary, still less to show such widespread attestation throughout much of the Greek-speaking world: Zeus Olympios provides perhaps the only true comparison, with even Eleusinian Demeter well behind. Their distribution therefore needs an explanation, and one which is couched not just in terms of geography or of the ‘profile’ of the god but also, and primarily, in terms of human needs and of the ways in which a specific cult could be transferred, or replicated/cloned, elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • The Odyssey, Book One 273 the ODYSSEY
    05_273-611_Homer 2/Aesop 7/10/00 1:25 PM Page 273 HOMER / The Odyssey, Book One 273 THE ODYSSEY Translated by Robert Fitzgerald The ten-year war waged by the Greeks against Troy, culminating in the overthrow of the city, is now itself ten years in the past. Helen, whose flight to Troy with the Trojan prince Paris had prompted the Greek expedition to seek revenge and reclaim her, is now home in Sparta, living harmoniously once more with her husband Meneláos (Menelaus). His brother Agamémnon, commander in chief of the Greek forces, was murdered on his return from the war by his wife and her paramour. Of the Greek chieftains who have survived both the war and the perilous homeward voyage, all have returned except Odysseus, the crafty and astute ruler of Ithaka (Ithaca), an island in the Ionian Sea off western Greece. Since he is presumed dead, suitors from Ithaka and other regions have overrun his house, paying court to his attractive wife Penélopê, endangering the position of his son, Telémakhos (Telemachus), corrupting many of the servants, and literally eating up Odysseus’ estate. Penélopê has stalled for time but is finding it increasingly difficult to deny the suitors’ demands that she marry one of them; Telémakhos, who is just approaching young manhood, is becom- ing actively resentful of the indignities suffered by his household. Many persons and places in the Odyssey are best known to readers by their Latinized names, such as Telemachus. The present translator has used forms (Telémakhos) closer to the Greek spelling and pronunciation.
    [Show full text]
  • World of the Hero: Homer's Odyssey
    World of the Hero: Homer’s Odyssey Pavlos Avlamis [email protected] FOCUS: The contrast between the civilised, human, Greek world (Ithacan books 13-24, and ‘Telemachy’ 1-4) and the world of the ‘adventures’ (bks 5-12) This is a central conceptual and structuring device in the poem, attention to which helps enrich appreciation of: • Literary technique (structure, plot, language) • Cultural context • Characterisation and ‘heroism’ [The above three intersect with a variety of OCR’s aims for WotH] I will: 1. Set up the contrast between civilisation and its opposite in the poem. 2. Show some ways in which the Odyssey’s fictional worlds have been contextualised from the external context of the poem (cultural context) and from within the poem (plot, poetics). 3. Suggest further reading (electronic access to selections of material to follow). The Odyssey is divided between three worlds: 1. The ‘wild’, uncivilised world of the adventures ‘out there’ (bks 5: Calypso/Ogygia, and bks 9-12: the adventures between the storm that follows the departure from Troy and Odysseus’ arrival on Ogygia) 2. The civilised Greek world of Ithaca and other cities (Pylos, Sparta) in books 1-4 and 13-24. 3. The in-between world of the Phaeacians (bks 6-9 and beginning of 13) which combines elements of both worlds and is at once both a familiar community and a strange one. The Phaeacians transport Odysseus from the mythical world to human reality. What makes the world of the adventures non-human? • physically monstrous characters (Scylla, Cyclopes, etc), • lack of agriculture • no sacrifices • no cooking – cannibalism [think: Polyphemus] • no hospitality (think: Polyphemus, but also the suitors back home [reversal]) The story of the Odyssey: Man returns from war but his boat is blown away by storm.
    [Show full text]
  • The World of Odysseus M
    THE WORLD OF ODYSSEUS M. I. FINLEY INTRODUCTION BY BERNARD KNOX NEW YORK REVIEW BOOKS CLASSICS THE WORLD OF ODYSSEUS M. I. FINLEY (1912–1986), the son of Nathan Finkelstein and Anna Katzellenbogen, was born in New York City. He graduated from Syracuse University at the age of fifteen and received an MA in public law from Columbia, before turning to the study of ancient history. During the Thirties Finley taught at Columbia and City College and developed an interest in the sociology of the ancient world that was shaped in part by his association with members of the Frankfurt School who were working in exile in America. In 1952, when he was teaching at Rutgers, Finley was summoned before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee and asked whether he had ever been a member of the Communist Party. He refused to answer, invoking the Fifth Amendment; by the end of the year he had been fired from the university by a unanimous vote of its trustees. Unable to find work in the US, Finley moved to England, where he taught for many years at Cambridge, helping to redirect the focus of classical education from a narrow emphasis on philology to a wider concern with culture, economics, and society. He became a British subject in 1962 and was knighted in 1979. Among Finley’s best-known works are The Ancient Economy, Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology, and The World of Odysseus. BERNARD KNOX is director emeritus of Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC. Among his many books are The Heroic Temper, The Oldest Dead White European Males, and Backing into the Future: The Classical Tradition and Its Renewal.
    [Show full text]
  • Repo R T R E S U M E S Ed 013 818 24 Te Odd 060 a Curriculum for English ; Student Packet, Grace 7
    REPO R T R E S U M E S ED 013 818 24 TE ODD 060 A CURRICULUM FOR ENGLISH ; STUDENT PACKET, GRACE 7. NEBRASKA UNIV., LINCOLN,CURRICULUM DEV. CTR. PUB DATE 65 CONTRACT OEC-2-10-119 EDRS PRICE MF-$1.00 HCNOT AVAILABLE rROM MRS. 258F. DESCRIPTORS- *CURR/CULUM GUIDES,*ENGLISH CURRICULUM, *ENGLISH INSTRUCTION, *GRADE 7,*INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, COMPOSIIION (LITERARY), LINGUISTICS,LITERATURE, LANGUAGE, LITERARY ANALYSIS, MYTHOLOGY, SPELLING,SHORT STORIES; FORM CLASSES (LANGUAGES), DICTIONARIES,NEBRASKA CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT CENTER THE SEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTPACKET, PRODUCED BY THE NE9RASKA CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENTCENTER, BEGINS WITH THEUNIT ENTITLED "THE MAKING OF STORIES"IN WHICH STUDENTS CONSIDER WRITERS' AUDIENCES AND METHODSCF COMPOSITION AND PRESENTATION. SUCH MATERIAL AS "ACHRISTMAS CAROL" AND SELECTIONS FROM "THE ODYSSEY,""BEOWULF," "HYMN TO HERMES," AND GRIMM'S "FAIRY TALES"ARE STUDIED TO SHOW THEDIFFERENT SETS Cf CONDITIONS UNDERWHICH AUTHORS "MAKE UF"STORIES. A RELATED UNIT, "THE MEANING OFSTORIES," ATTEMPTS TO TEACH STUDENTS, THROUGH POEMS ANDSTORIES, TO ASK WHAT A STORY MEANS AND FICAd THE MEANING ISCOMMUNICATED. WITH THIS BACKGROUND, STUDENTS ARE PREPAREDTO STUDY SELECTIONS IN THREE UNITS ON MYTHOLOGYGREEKMYTHS; HECREW LITERATURE,AND AMERICAN INDIAN MYTHS. IN THEFOLLOWING UNIT, STUDENTS ENCOUNTER BALLADS, AMERICANFOLKLORE, AND A WESTERN NOVEL, "SHANE." THE FINAL LITERATUREUNIT, "AUTOBIOGRAPHYBENJAMIN FRANKLIN," IS DESIGNED FOR THESTUDY Cf A LITERARY GENRE AND THE WRITING OF PERSONALAUTOBIOGRAPHIES. IN THE LANGUAGE UNITS, STUDENTS STUDY FORMS OFWORDS AND POSITIONS Cf WORDS IN SENTENCES, THE ORGANIZATIONAND USE CF THE DICTIONARY,AND METHODS OF SOLVING INDIVIDUALSPELLING PROBLEMS. UNITS CONTAIN OVERVIEWS OF MATERIALTO OE STUDIED, DISCUSSIONS Of LITERARY GENRES, HISTORICALBACKGROUNDS OF WORKS, STUDY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, COMPOSITIONASSIGNMENTS, EXERCISES; SUPPLEMENTARY READING LISTS, VOCABULARYLISTS, AND GLOSSARIES.
    [Show full text]