September 13, 2011 Rachel Frankenfield The Odyssey, Fitzgerald Translation Partially Taken from SparkNotes.

com Book 1 CHARACTERS: Odysseus is the protagonist, who fought among Greek heroes @ Troy, now struggles to return to kingdom in Ithaca. Husband of Queen Penelope, father of Prince Telemachus. Strong, courageous, favorite of goddess Athena, enemy of Poseidon. Telemachus is Odysseuss son, an infant when Odysseus left to go to Troy. About 20 yrs old at the beginning, a natural obstacle of suitors courting his mother, lacks the poise and confidence to oppose them. Athena often assists him. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus, mother of Telemachus. Spends her time in the palace, pining for Odysseus. Sometimes flighty and excitable, also clever and true to her husband. Athena is the daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, womanly arts. Assists Odysseus and Telemachus with divine powers. Often appears in disguise as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus. Poseidon is the God of the sea. The suitors are Odysseuss mortal antagonists, but Poseidon is his divine antagonist. Hates Odysseus Zeus is King of Gods and Men, who meditates the disputes of the gods on Mt. Olympus. Weighs mens fates in his scales. Sometimes helps or lets Athena help him. Antinous is the most arrogant of Penelopes suitors, leads campaign to kill Telemachus. Never sympathetic, dies with Odysseus returns. Eurymachus is a manipulative, deceitful suitor. Charisma and duplicity allow him to exert some influence over other suitors. Narrarator invokes the Muse, asking for inspiration as he prepares to tell the story. Story begins 10 years after the end of the Trojan War, the subject of the Iliad. All the Greek heroes have returned home except Odysseus. Odysseus is still on remote island Ogygia with Calypso (the goddess), who has fallen in love with him and wont let him leave. At home, a group of suitors is courting Penelope hoping to take over the kingdom. With the consent of Zeus, Athena goes to Ithaca to talk to Telemachus. Assuming the form of Odysseuss old friend Mentes, Athena predicts that Odysseus is still alive and will soon return to Ithaca.

 Athena suggests that Telemachus banish all the suitors and make a journey to Pylos to ask Sparta for any news of Odysseus. Then, Telemachus encounters Penelope in the suitors quarters, where he finds her upset over a song that the court band is singing. Telemachus reminds her that Odysseus is not the only Greek who has yet to return. Book 2 Amphinomus is the only decent suitor, who sometimes speaks up for Telemachus and Odysseus but is killed like the other suitors in the final fight Eumaeus is the loyal shephard who, along with Philoetius, helps Odysseus reclaim his throne after his return to Ithaca. Eurycleia is the aged and loyal servant who nursed Odysseus and Telemachus when they were babies. Eurycleia is well informed about palace intrigues and is a confidante to her masters. Kepps Telemachuss journey a secret from Penelope, and keeps Odysseuss identity a secret.

The assembly meets the next day and Aegyptius, a wise Ithacan elder, speaks first. He congratulates Telemachus for taking his dads shoes. Telemachus gives a speech, laments the loss of his father and his fathers home, which the suitors have taken over. Antinious blames this on Penelope, who he says seduces every suitor, but wont commit. Penelope says she will choose a husband after weaving a burial shroud for her father in law, Laertes. But each night, she undid the days weaving so it would never be finished. Antinous declares that if she cant make a decision, she will be sent back to Icarius so he can choose a new husband for her. Telemachus refuses to throw his mother out, calls upon the gods to punish suitors. A pair of eagles appears overhead, locked in combat, and the soothsayer Halitherses interprets their struggle as a sign of Odysseuss imminent reutn, and warns the suitors that they should leave and avoid a massacre. The suitors balk at this foolishness, meeting ends in deadlock. As Telemachus is preparing for his journey, Athena visits him, disguised as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus. She encourages him. She sets out to town assuming the disguise of Telemachus and collects a loyal crew to man the ship. Telemachus tells none of the house servants, because his departure would Book 3 Melanthius is the brother of Melantho, a treacherous and opportunistic goatherd, supports the suitors, esp. Eurymachus. Melantho is the sister of Melanthius, maidservant in Odysseus palace. Is having an affait with Eurymachus. NOTE: Melanthius and Melantho abuse the beggar who appears in Odysseus palace, not realizing that it is Odysseus.

Calypso is the beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on Ogygia, her island home. She holds him prisoner there for 7 years until Hermes, the messenger god, convinces her to free him. Polyphemus is one of the Cyclopes (uncivilized one-eyed giants) whose island Odysseus comes to soon after leaving Troy. Polyphemus imprisons Odysseus and his crew and tries to eat them, but Odysseus blinds him using a clever ruse- a trick or action intended to deceive someone- and escapes. However, in doing so, he angers Polyphemus father- Poseidon. Cire is the beautiful witch/goddess who transforms Odysseus crew into swine pigs- when he lands on her island. With the help of Hermes, Odyseeus resists her powers and becomes her lover, living in luxury for a year. Laertes is Odysseus aging father, who lives on a farm in Ithaca. He regains his spirit when Odysseus returns and later kills Antinous father. Tiresias is a Theban from Thebes, an ancient city in upper Egyptprophet who lives in the underworld. He meets Odysseus when Odysseus visits the underworld in book 11. He shoes Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca and allows him to communicate with the other souls in Hades the underworld. Nestor is the king of Pylos and a former warriot in the Trojan War. Known as a cleber speaker. Telemachus visits him in Book 3 to ask about his father, but Nestor knows little about Odysseus whereabouts. Menelaus is the king of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of Helen. He helped lead the Greeks in the Trojan War. Helps Telemachus in his quest to find Odysseus when Telemachus visits him in Book 4. Helen is the wife of Menelaus and queen of Sparta. Her abduction from Sparta, by the Trojans, started the Trojan War. She is beautiful, but criticized for giving into her Trojan captors - a person or animal that catches or confines another- and causing many Greek men their lives. Helps Telemachus find Odysseus. Agamemnon is the former king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and commander of Achaen forces at Troy. Odysseus encounters Agamemnons spirit in Hades (the underworld). Murdered by his wide, Clymenestra, and her lover, Aegisthus, upon his return from the war. He was later avenged by his son, Orestes. At Pylos, Telemachus and Mentor (Athena) witness a religious ceremony in which bulls are sacrificed to Poseidon. Mentor encourages him to approach Nestor and ask about Odysseus, but Nestor has no information. Nestor recounts that after the fall of Troy, a falling-out (argument) took place btwn Agamemnon and Menelaus, the two Greek Brothers who had led the expedition. Menelaus set sail for Greece ASAP, while Agamemnon waited a day. Nestor went with Menelaus, Odysseus went with Agamemnon. Says he can only pray Athena will be as nice to Telemachus as she was to Odysseus. Has heard that suitors have overtaken the palace.

 Telemachus asks about Agamemnons fate Nestor says that Agamemnon returned from Troy to find Aeigisthus, a base coward remained behind while the greeks fought in Troy, had seduced and married Klymenestra. With her o-k, he killed Agamemnon. Would have taken over Agamemnons kingdom, but Orestes returned and killed Aegisthus and Klymenestra. Nestor uses Orestes courage as an example and a precedent for Telemachus. He sends his own son, Pisistratus, along to accompany Telemachus to Sparta. The next day, the two set out on land. Athena sheds the form of mentor and assumes to form of an eagle in front of the court of Pylos, and stays behind to protect Telemachus ship and crew. Book 4 Pisustratus is Proteus is Medon is Iphthime is In Sparta, Menelaus and Helen are celebrating the (separate) marriages of their son and daughter. Greet Pisustratus and Telemachus, recognize Telemachus as Odysseus son As they feast, Queen H and King M recount with melancholy (negative connotation) the numerous examples of Odysseus craftiness in Troy o Dressed as a beggar to gain access to the city o Trojan Horse- allowed Greeks to sneak into Troy and kill Trojans The next day, King M tells the story of his own return from Troy o Stranded in Egypt, he was forced to capture Proteus (Old Man of the Sea) o Proteus told him all the way back to Sparta, then informed him of the fates of Agamemnon and Ajax (another Greek hero, survived Troy but dies when he was back in Greece) o Proteus told him that Odysseus was still alive but imprisoned by Calypso on her island Upon learning this, Telemachus and Pisistratus return to Pylos and set sail to Ithaca. Meanwhile, at Odysseus house, the suitors find out about the voyage and decide to ambush him when he returns The herald Medon overhears their plans, reports to Penelope Penelope is upset when she finds out she may lose her son and her husband, but Athena sends a ghost in the form of Penelopes sister, Iphthime and Iphthime tells her not to worry and that Telemachus will be protected. Book 5

Ino is

All gods except Poseidon meet on Mount Olympus; discuss Odysseus fate. Athenas speech in support of Odysseus encourages Zeus to intervene. Hermes (messenger god) is sent to Calypsos island, ________, to tell her that Odysseus must be allowed to return home/ Calypso delivers an impassioned indictment of the male gods and their double standards (makes a comment about the male gods double standards) and complains that they can have mortal lovers but any affairs of female gods must always be frustrated. Eventually, she subsides to the supreme will of Zeus. Calypso helps him build a new boat and stocks it with food foraged from her island. After 18 days at sea, Odysseus sees Scheria, the island of the Phaecians (his next destination appointed by the gods) Poseidon sees him and realizes what the other gods have done without him. He creates a storn, which almost drags Odysseus under the sea, but the goddess Ino rescues him by giving him a veil which will keep him safe. Athena comes to his aide as well. A river going up to the coast of Scheria allows him to swim into its waters. Throws the veil into the waters, as he was instructed to do by Ino, and walks inland to rest in a safe forest. Book 6 Nausicaa is

That night, Phaecian princess Nausicaa sees Athena in her dreams, disguised as her friends. In the dream, Athena encourages Nausicaa to go to the river the next day to wash her clothes, so she will appear more attractive to the men courting her. The next morning, Nausicaa goes to the river, and is naked with her handmaidens, playing catch while the clothes dry, when Odysseus wakes up in the forest and encounters them. He, too, is naked. He asks for their assistance without revealing who he is. Nausicaa leaves him alone to wash the dirt and brine off, and Athena makes him look especially handsome, so when Nausicaa sees him, she begins to fall in love with him. Nausicaa doesnt want to cause a scene going into the city with a strange man, so she gives him directions to the palace and tells him how to approach Arte (Queen of the Phaeacians) Odysseus prays to Athena for hospitality from the Phaeacians, and sets out for the palace. Book 4

Pisustratus is Medon is Iphthime is In Sparta, Menelaus and Helen are celebrating the (separate) marriages of their son and daughter. Greet Pisustratus and Telemachus, recognize Telemachus as Odysseus son As they feast, Queen H and King M recount with melancholy (negative connotation) the numerous examples of Odysseus craftiness in Troy o Dressed as a beggar to gain access to the city o Trojan Horse- allowed Greeks to sneak into Troy and kill Trojans The next day, King M tells the story of his own return from Troy o Stranded in Egypt, he was forced to capture Proteus (Old Man of the Sea) o Proteus told him all the way back to Sparta, then informed him of the fates of Agamemnon and Ajax (another Greek hero, survived Troy but dies when he was back in Greece) o Proteus told him that Odysseus was still alive but imprisoned by Calypso on her island Upon learning this, Telemachus and Pisistratus return to Pylos and set sail to Ithaca. Meanwhile, at Odysseus house, the suitors find out about the voyage and decide to ambush him when he returns The herald Medon overhears their plans, reports to Penelope Penelope is upset when she finds out she may lose her son and her husband, but Athena sends a ghost in the form of Penelopes sister, Iphthime and Iphthime tells her not to worry and that Telemachus will be protected. Book 5 Ino is

All gods except Poseidon meet on Mount Olympus; discuss Odysseus fate. Athenas speech in support of Odysseus encourages Zeus to intervene. Hermes (messenger god) is sent to Calypsos island, ________, to tell her that Odysseus must be allowed to return home/ Calypso delivers an impassioned indictment of the male gods and their double standards (makes a comment about the male gods double standards) and complains that they can have mortal lovers but any affairs of female gods must always be frustrated. Eventually, she subsides to the supreme will of Zeus. Calypso helps him build a new boat and stocks it with food foraged from her island.

 After 18 days at sea, Odysseus sees Scheria, the island of the Phaecians (his next destination appointed by the gods) Poseidon sees him and realizes what the other gods have done without him. He creates a storn, which almost drags Odysseus under the sea, but the goddess Ino rescues him by giving him a veil which will keep him safe. Athena comes to his aide as well. A river going up to the coast of Scheria allows him to swim into its waters. Throws the veil into the waters, as he was instructed to do by Ino, and walks inland to rest in a safe forest. Book 6 Nausicaa is

That night, Phaecian princess Nausicaa sees Athena in her dreams, disguised as her friends. In the dream, Athena encourages Nausicaa to go to the river the next day to wash her clothes, so she will appear more attractive to the men courting her. The next morning, Nausicaa goes to the river, and is naked with her handmaidens, playing catch while the clothes dry, when Odysseus wakes up in the forest and encounters them. He, too, is naked. He asks for their assistance without revealing who he is. Nausicaa leaves him alone to wash the dirt and brine off, and Athena makes him look especially handsome, so when Nausicaa sees him, she begins to fall in love with him. Book 7 Alcinous is Arete is

On his way to Alcinous palace, a young girl (Athena in disguise) stops him and offers to guide him to the kings home. She covers him in protective mist to keep the Phaecians from harassing him. She advises him to approach Arete, because she will know how to get him home. Once Athena delivers Odysseus to the palace, she leaves Scheria to go to Athens. Odysseus arrives and the residents are holding a festival to honor Poseidon. Odysseus is surpriced by the kings opulemce. He sees the queen and throws himself at her feet. The mist dissiopates. The king wonders if Odysseus is a god, but Odysseus tells him that he is mortal. Odysseus explains his problem, and the king and queen promise to send him off the next day in a Phaecian ship.

 Later, the king and queen are alone with Odysseus and the queen notices the clothes Odysseus wears are those she had made for Nausicaa. She interrogates Odysseus more, but Odysseus still wont share his name. Odysseus tells the story of his journey from Calypsos idland, his encounter with Nausicaa, and how she gave him the clothing. Odysseus claims it was his idea to come to the palace alone to keep Nausicaa out of trouble. Alcinous is so impressed that he offers his daughters hand in marriage.