Part one
Finally Odysseus’s journey is over and he is able to go back to his home town of Ithaca. On his journey home he, “slept in peace, the memory of his struggles laid to rest” (289). This day is a turning point and an end to all struggles. But Poseidon is not pleased with the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus, so he asks Zeus if he can punish them. He “stuck (the ship) to stone, rooted her to the ocean floor and made for open sea” (291). The prophecy from years ago came true. On the land of Ithaca Odysseus awakes and thinks that the Phaeacians dropped him off on “no man’s land” and he is appalled. He trusted these people and does not understand why they would play a trick on him. Athena then appears, disguised as a shepard, and convinces Odysseus that it is the land of Ithaca and it is time to, “plot the death of the high and mighty suitors” (298). To do this Odysseus needs to be in disguise, so she transforms him into a beggar.
Why was Odysseus so quick to accuse the Phaeacians when he did not recognize his hometown of Ithaca? Was it because of a lack of trust or something else?
Part two
Odysseus journey home was very peacful; he was able to sleep the whole way there. Odysseus’s sleep was, “the sweetest, soundest oblivion, still as the sleep of death itself” (289). Odysseus was finally able to sleep in peace. He had nothing else to worry about. His crew was gone, sad but also less to worry over, and after years of being stranded his journey and hard times were over. He could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, which his sleep resembled. The ship Odysseus and the Phaeacians sailed on seemed like the strongest ship a person could have, which is also why Odysseus slept in peace. The ship was, “like a four-horse team careering down the plain… leaping with hoofs high to run the course in no time…” (289). This epic simile uses imagery and personification to help enhance the ships beauty and safety, which leads to Odysseus trusting the Phaeacians. This leads to the question that was brought up before on why Odysseus blamed the Phaeacians when he awoke. Later in this chapter Athena explains to Odysseus that, “no man, no woman, not a soul” should find out that he is, “the wanderer home at last. In silence (he) must bear a world of pain, subject (himself) to the cruel abuse of man” (296). Athena then changes Odysseus into a completely different person so not a soul will recognize him. Odysseus seems fine with this but if I were him I would not want to do it. After coming home from years and years of “torture” the first thing I would want to do is see my family, and how could Odysseus do that if he is a different person. He can not even come home and enjoy what he has missed because he has to fight off the suitors. Athena states that he must bear a world of pain, so is she saying that being out at sea was not enough torture for him?
Is changing Odysseus’s identity, so he is able to attack the suitors, a punishment for what he has done out at sea or is it something that had to be done for him to get his life back? Is Odysseus’ identity something he values?
Part three
Identity is an important issue today as it is in The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, identity is an issue that is valued in some circumstances but not at all important in others. In previous chapters Odysseus hides his identity until he absolutely needs to share with everyone who he is. He at first does not tell the Phaeceians who he is, and with the Cyclopes he tell his real name only when his crew and him escape from his island. Odysseus uses his identity to an advantage in some cases because he knows it will make him look like a better person. In other parts of the Odyssey, one’s identity is changed, which makes it seem like identity is not valued at all. In book thirteen alone we see identity change twice. Athena is in disguise when she first meets Odysseus at Ithaca, and also Odysseus’s identity is changed so he can get rid of the suitors. People act differently when certain people are around so disguising ones true identity can be used to an advantage, but then true identity is not valued. But also when a person disguises their true identity they end up learning something new about themselves. Is this why identity change is an occurring theme in The Odyssey? Today many people struggle with who they really are, and the only way to act “them selves” is to hide who they really are. Recently in society some students have been made fun of so much, because of who they really are, they had to take their lives because their true identity was not acceptable. This article describes how one student’s true identity was hidden and when revealed he could not go on living. Because of this, is true identity valued in society or is it better to not act lie yourself?
GQ1- I think Odysseus was so eager to blame the Phaecians becuase even though they helped him by giving him gifts and also transporting him to Ithaca, they still were strangers to him. He also did not know the crew personally, so if the king himself or another noble went with, he probably would have trusted them more. And I think that he can not trust any stranger because of his experiences with Calypso, and the Cyclops.
ReplyDeleteGQ2- I do not think that changing Odyseeus' appearance would affect him to enact revenge on the suitors. He would still feel the same emotions towards the men courting his wife. Odysseus feels very strongly about his identity. When he blinded the Cyclops, he called out that it was he, Odysseus, not Nobody, that blinded him. He takes great pride in his adventures, and wants everybody to know his name.
GQ3- Identity is very important in both real life and the exploits of Odysseus. Odysseus wants his name to be known. In the real world, we want to be remembered for what we do, just like Odysseus. I think Identity is one way our society is connected to Ancient Greece's. Hiding one's identity is only valuable in certain situations. For example, when Odysseus was captured by the Cyclops, he did not want to tell him his real name until he was leaving becuase he would probably be killed if the Cyclops knew he was a famous war hero.
Part 1- I’m not sure why Odysseus accused the Phaecians. Maybe Odysseus was so quick to accuse the Phaecians because there were acquaintances of Poseidon. And why else would they be punished if they weren’t “allies”. It was lack of trust, throughout his journey there is at least one person trying to keep him from going back home and he never knows who that person may be.
ReplyDeletePart 2- I think he needed to change his identity to be one step ahead from the suitors. If no one knows he is back he would have more time plotting/planning his “revenge” against the suitors. He can have them thinking he is no longer alive and surprise them with a great plan that will let him rule again. Also, I do think Odysseus value his identity throughout the book he tells others who is either when he lands or after he injures any one. But why did he let Athena change his identity easily? He is well known and I think that would have been a distraction. The suitors would of probably have had a plan already to kill him.
Part 3- true identity is valued throughout; tv shows nowadays always emphasize on “showing your true colors” for example, Glee and Americas Best Top Model. Even though people struggle looking for who they are they still have an identity. The person who they think they need or want to be is their identity. For Odysseus the purpose of having another/changing identity is to see what the suitors are up to. I think it is worth doing so he can have an idea how to plot against the suitors. He can see who he can trust and who he can’t. Today, in our society, I don’t think it’s a good idea to change your identity. For what reasons do you need to change you self for? If you do change, its just an “identity”.. it isn’t who YOU are.
part 1- i think Odysseus had trust issues with the Pheacians, thats why he blamed them so quickly. All through his journey there was always someone trying to keep him from going back home. He never knew who was in his side or Posiedon's. He was a little unsure why they were being so generous to him-- giving him gifts/food, maybe he felt like it was a trap.
ReplyDeletepart 2- i think changing Odysseus appearance/identity was a good idea. This can help him see who he can really trust and who he can't. He can plot against the suitors without them knowing who he is. He can also find a way to get closer to the suitors so he can know what they are up to. Changing his identity gives him a chance to be a step higher than the suitors.
part 3- identity is important to both real life and the Odyssesy. To us, our identity pretty much sums up who we are. Being real or not you have an identity. THe identity that isn't real is there its just not who you are. Odysseus's identity meant a lot to him and the people around him. He became this guy who was trying to get home rather than the hero of the trojan war.
Imagine your on a trip with your friends, you fall asleep,wake up on the ground wrapped in a blanket, with no one around you. Am I the only person that would immediately think I was ditched in the wilderness? Than you realize "O wait, this is my back yard." Pretty much what happened to Odysseus, I'm not sure if trust is an issue, or just waking up not knowing where you are and being utterly confused.
ReplyDeleteBy no means was the changing of Odysseus's appearance a punishment, in fact it is probably the greatest thing Athena can bless him with. With this new appearance, Odysseus is set up for the most legendary of comebacks.Sure the long lost king can come home and everyone is happily reunited. Or you can sit in the shadows, and blow every bodies' mind at the best possible moment, which is what pallas Athena has in store.
I think identity is valued in both societies, and similar ways. In modern day society, you see plenty of Odysseus's, people obsessed with fame. People see it as there purpose in life to make their name known. The act of becoming famous is all some people need to be happy in life.
1. It probably is difficult for him to trust other people fully. His crew did not trust him and put him into trouble (cattle and opening the disruptive wind). He also heard about how Agamemnon’s wife betrayed and killed her own husband. And by listening to his story we have seen how he is suspicious about everyone, so I think accusing Phaeacians was almost a natural response for him.
ReplyDelete2. I don’t think changing Odysseus’ identity is a punishment for him. Athena changed his appearance so he could fool other people (especially the suitors) and attack them in order to get his palace back. I am sure Odysseus’ identity is something he values a lot because we see how he is proud to tell other people that his name is Odysseus and how skillful he was during the Trojan war. For example, he deceives the Cyclops by saying that his name is Nobody. He could have just left them and let them think Nobody defeated him, but Odysseus makes sure that the cyclop know his real name is Odysseus.
Athena says Odysseus must bear pain not because she thinks he needs to suffer more but because Poseidon thinks so and she knows that he will bring more pain.
3. Identity is valued in The Odyssey and in real life. It’s valued in The Odyssey because even though Odysseus and Athena often hide their real identity, they always reveal themselves at the end. Athena doesn’t always reveal herself by saying so, but either Odysseus or Telemachus realizes the one talking to them is Athena in disguise. And identity is valued in real life as well because we learn about identity in school (like in sophomore year) and we see how people face identity crisis. If identity is something that is not important, it would not matter if people know who they really are or not. But because it is valued in our society, it becomes an issue when people face identity crisis. At the same time though, some try to disguise their identity. If they are like Odysseus, trying to fake others in order to establish something good, then it is worth it. But if they are like the student in the article you linked, it is not worth it. You might think it’s better to hide it in such case since other people won’t look at you weird, but you will eventually realize it isn’t worth it because you are trying to avoid who you really are and that will definitely make your life difficult.
GQ1: I believe Odysseus was so quick to accuse the Phaeacians because even though he spent all that time telling them his story, he still did not know them very well. Although he was not certain if the Phaeacians sent him to the wrong place, Odysseus might have still felt the need to blame someone and the Phaeacians were the ones who sent them there. I think Odysseus was so quick to blame them because of his lack of trust. Throughout the story, Odysseus has come across people, such as Calypso, that he was not able to trust. So now, when something does not go his way, he feels the need to blame someone because those people are strangers to him and he never knows for sure if he can trust them.
ReplyDeleteGQ2: I think changing Odysseus’ identity will end up helping him because if he were to arrive as himself, the suitors may become defensive and try to kill him. I do not believe it is punishment because Odysseus has been trying to get home forever and once he finally reaches home, Athena does not want him to suffer right away. Also, since Odysseus is not himself, Eumaeus shares things with him that he would not have if he had not changed his identity.
Identity is definitely something Odysseus values because he wants people to know who he his. That is why once they escaped from the Cyclops, he still shouted back his name. So, changing his identity is probably very tough for him because he is not able to tell Eumaeus what he has been through and that he is finally home.
GQ3: As I stated before, I do believe that identity is important to Odysseus and I also think it is valued in The Odyssey. Identity is very important in real life as well because people want to be known for their achievements. The purpose of one disguising their personality is so people do not see who they really are. In real life, you will almost always find a person who is “fake” and wants people to see them differently just so they are liked. I do not believe this is worth it because you should not act a certain way or be a certain person just to impress others.
1. I believe in general people when they wake up somewhere other than their home they're confused for a bit where they're at.But Odysseus had been through so much so it had a little to do with trust as well. Odysseus was quick to accuse the Phaeacians because of everywhere he goes he is either accepted or rejected so he thought that he got rejected again and that they betrayed him and left him.
ReplyDelete2. Odysseus changes his identity to help himself out. If he went straight in as himself there is a change that he would have been attacked by the suitors who want his wife so they can become the king. Changing his identity will only help him get his palace back after that he will be himself again. Odysseus definitely values identity he is very proud of who he is and likes to show off his name and who he is. Like people said above when he defeats the cyclops he made sure that he isn't "nobody" that he knew its was Odysseus that defeated him so he values his identity.
3. I believe identity is valued in both cases. In the Odyssey identity is valued, for example once Odysseus reaches a new place one of the first few questions is what his name is what land he is from and who his father is. The purpose of these questions is so they can quickly figure out who they are hosting. In reality identity is valued but it is more searched for. Lots of times people struggle with their identity because of everyone around them with all the peer pressure to look, act, and simply be a certain way that society portrays as the way to be. People disguise their identity for various reasons. In the Odyssey its done mostly by Odysseus to save his life and to be unnoticed when hes present. In reality people disguise themselves to fit in or to hide who they truly are in fear of being rejected.
1. I think that Odysseus was so quick to blame the Phaeacians because of all of the trials that he had been through up to this point. I think it also had to do with the fact that he thought that he was the center of the universe, and that everyone was out to get him. Jammy has an interesting point in that they were acquaintances of Poseidon, and we all know how little Odysseus should trust Poseidon at this point.
ReplyDelete2.I don’t think that disguising as a beggar was something that Odysseus had to do; I think that it was something that he wanted to do. He was in love with tricks, and also in love with the praise that people give him. He wanted to find out who was still loyal to him, and at the same scratch his own back by hearing their praise. So in a way I think it was necessary for him to disguise himself as a beggar because that was just who he was. Odysseus’ image is one of the most important things in his life. This can be seen by how often he would wish that he had died at Troy so he could have died with honor to his name instead of actually living on in exile.
3.I feel that identity is valued too much in our society. People should be happy with their selves, and shouldn’t need to change just to please other people. I think disguising one’s own identity is a way of ignoring the problem instead of actually dealing with it. It was also a much more plausible strategy in Odysseus’ world since he could literally change shape thanks to Athena.
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ReplyDelete1. I think throughout the course of his journey Odysseus has lost a lot of hope. He’s been through so much suffering that he is not able to go through another one. He has been tricked, deceived, and treated bad by a lot of people that it didn’t take him a lot of time to think that the Phaenician’s might have tricked him. Mainly I think that trust is not a real concrete idea in this book because most of the trust is based on money. Money is what makes people happy in book. As we can see from the book, it is a great thing to get gold and treasures from the people but it also an easy thing for people to steal it since it is so valuable. Trust is not securely fit into Odysseus mind because of the situations he’s gone through and the basic morals that he is standing on.
ReplyDelete2. I think changing Odysessus’s identity was not a punishment at all. It was necessary for him to enter the city without getting hurt. This actually on the contrast was a honor that Athena would do something this great for him. If Odysessus just walked into the city, the suitors would conjure up a plan to kill him immediately or something bad could have happened to him. By disguising him, his life was just kept safe. I think Odysessus values his identity but in this situation it doesn’t matter to him because he knows that there is a mission that is supposed to be accomplished. Whatever he needs to do to kill the suitors is going to be done by him.
3. Disguising oneself around a bunch of lies is not the best way to go about something. Identity is an issue that is individual. Every person has issues on this topic because during some point in your life, people have to decide their true identity. It is really difficult because some things that you may do are just out of the norm. Even if they are abnormal, if something is your passion, you need to express yourself. But in the process of expressing yourself, you cannot be disrespectful to other people. But overall a person should never hide what they believe in because at one point everything has to come out so it’s better to this earlier in life and learn to live with the certain trait.
1. I believe that Odysseus was so quick to accuse the phaeacians because hes been double crossed, lied to, and more so many times on his h=journey home that it just seems natural that these people werent what they seemed and just jumped him on soem no man's land.
ReplyDelete2. Definatly Odysseus's identity is somthing he values, but i think Athena transformed him into somone else just so he can see first hand everything these people are doing to his home, if he simply returned as Odysseus everyone would stop what there doing right away, being somone else gives him a chance to experience everything fully so he can build up rage in witch to pay them back with.
3. I think identity is valued much more in the Odyssey then in real life because back then people really cared about there reputation, and made sure people new of there accomplishments. Now people hide who they are just to be part of a group or the social norm so they can easily get aloong with the people they want to get along with.
1. He is so quick to blame the Phaeacians becasue he doesn't really care them as hosts all he casres about is how he can use them to get to where he wants to be. Its either that or it can be counted as anger at being stranded in an unknown place again. But I get what you are saying about trust.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the identity change was necessary for Odysseus to defeat the suitor because then they could not be preparing for him and his return. If they had known that he was back, they would be putting on armor and getting ready to kill him. Yes he does value his identity because when he meets someone new and they ask for his story he tells them who his story with a lot of pride so I do think that he values his name a lot.
3. Identity is really valued in the Odyssey and just like Brandon K. says it really is valued too much in our society. Because today everything is about who you are, and how you protect yourself. Identities are very valuable in the sense that if they are stolen your life can be turned to hell. In the Odyssey, the name and identity are one of the most important themes in the book.
1. I think Odysseus quickly blames the Phaeacians because he would rather blame them than himself. He does not want to admit that he does not recognize his own land and therefore reverts to blaming the people who brought him there. He wants to keep his pride and continue to believe he remembers Ithaca and it has not changed since he left. Unfortunately, Ithaca has changed but Odysseus will not believe so until he is proven wrong. That is where Athena comes in.
ReplyDelete2. I think Odysseus’ identity had to be changed so he would have the upper hand in attacking and killing the suitors inside his palace. In my opinion this is in no way a punishment. I think it is the complete opposite. Like you said, the gods are giving Odysseus the opportunity to win his life back and set everything like the way it was before he left.
3. In everyday life your identity is very important. Everyday people are judge on who they are, what they do, who they are seen with, and what they wear, which are all components of their personal identity. Sometimes your identity can help you better yourself with your environment and work and other times I can cause others to shut you down. In the case for The Odyssey, I think identity is not as important. The characters in the book take in strangers into their home and help the strangers out and then ask the questions. Compared to today’s society the questions come first and if the answers are right then the help is given.
GQ1: I think Odysseus was so quick to blame the Phaeacians because he didn't know them, which means he didn't trust them. The crew wasn't his own and with past bad luck with people (Calypso and the Cyclopes) he doesn't have much reason to trust them. He also just woke up on a strange land alone, so his first thoughts would be to blame the crew he was with. I think most people would do that. It was definitely a trust issue. He had so many experiences in the past that were not good, that it makes sense that he thinks a lot about trusting people and being quick to blame them.
ReplyDeleteGQ2: I do not think it was a punishment at all. If any thing it was something that would give him the upper hand in taking out all the suitors. If they knew he was home, they would have the upper hand and be able to get ride of him a lot faster than him taking them all out. The change in appearance allows him to go about and plan his revenge. Hi identity and more in the way people see him are, is very important to him. What kind of a great hero and warrior would he be if he didn't at least attempt to kill all the men who tried to get with his wife while he was missing.
GQ3: I think identity is valued in both societies. Through out most of the book, his actions are guided by how people are going to see him eventually in the end. Keeping up his reputation is super important and it is today too by a lot of people. People get so busy and caught up in being what other people want them to be like that we loss our true identities. I don't think our actions should be guided by this notion of caring how other people see us.
-Because Odysseus had suddenly felt false hope when he had expected so much, he couldn't help but to blame the Phaeacians. It was his fustration that blocked his mind from clearing. I think that was the reason why Athena decided to come at that signiicant point in time. But earlier in the chapter, Odysseus sent Arete and Alcinous as well as the the Phaeacians his blessings; he did trust them.
ReplyDelete- In order to fulfill the outcome of his destiny, it was a necessity for Odysseus to go through this major step as a preparation for his grand entrance. I see it as Odysseus testing his loyalty to the gods.
Athena had said "Anyone else, come back from a wandering long and hard, / would have hurried home at once, [...]. Oh, but not you, / it's not your pleasure to probe for news of them" (13.378-81).She knew that he was someone like none other. I think Athena's plan to diguise Odysseus was her way of easing the burden that he's endured.
I think that he accuses them because at this point of the story he has been through so many hardships and has not had anything go for him the way he wants. If I were stranded on an island that didn't look familiar after going through so many hardships, I would think that they betrayed me as well. I think he thought that this was going to be another battle and obstacle he would have to go through in order to return home.
ReplyDeleteI think that changing his appearance is just a way to help him take revenge on the suitor because if he is disguised, then that gives him the ability to get closer to the suitors without them noticing who he was. If any of the suitors saw that Odysseus had returned to Ithaca, then they would do anything to get rid of him in order to keep the control over the Ithaca.
I think that identity is valued equally in both the Odyssey and in real life because in real life people would do anything to be heard in order to become famous and rich. In the Odyssey, Odysseus wants to be remembered as a hero.
I think that Odysseus blamed the Phaecians because they were strangers to him. It is not easy to trust strangers, even after they have helped you. Odysseus probably just jumped to the conclusion that they only helped him because they had a hidden agenda.
ReplyDeleteI think that disguising Odysseus was actually an advantage. It is kind of like when Agamemnon was talking to Odysseus, and warned him to not make a big fan fare when he got home. I think that if he announced his return, the suiters would have a better chance of killing him. But now, he has the element of surprise.
I think your true identity is the most important because, if you lie about yourself then your true self is eventually going to come out. And when that happens, the people you thought were your friends won't respect you anymore because you lied about who you are.
1. I think it’s just because he’s been through a lot. He’s been expecting to be in Ithaca once he gets off the ship, but he couldn’t recognize the place because of the goddess Athena’s doing. And based on what I experienced, it is quite disappointing to not receive what you’ve been expecting for a long time when you were told over and over again that you’ll get it. I think it’s just normal that he blamed the Phaecians because they promised him he’ll get home in no time, but he couldn’t recognize the land as his own.
ReplyDelete2. It’s definitely not a punishment. With this new identity. He was able to enter his kingdom without getting hurt. Changing his identity will surely help him of taking back what is his in a heartbeat. Probably not in a heartbeat, but easier than if he comes back as himself. Being in this disguise, he was able to see the world he didn’t see before. He was able to know more about his loyal swineherd, Eumaeus. Surely, Odysseus values his identity. For me, his identity is the reason why all of these are happening to him.
3. I agree when you said that identity change happens in the Odyssey for that person to learn about himself and also, for the people around him to learn about themselves through that person. For example, Athena disguises herself when she shows up to Telemachus in order for him to discover his true potential and his true identity. Identity is valued in real life and in the Odyssey. The gods have been using disguises to protect their real identity. I think that’s how it is, as well, sometimes in real life. People disguise themselves as someone or something they’re not to protect themselves from the other people who doesn’t understand them. And they reveal their real identity to people who gets them.
GQ1.) I think that if any of us got dropped off while we were sleeping in a place we did not recognize the initial thought that would come to mind would be that Phaeacians had abandoned us. I also think that Odysseus has every right to think this because of all the hardships he has encountered throughout his journey home. I think that it is not specifically the Phaeacians that Odysseus does not trust; I believe that he is wary of everyone.
ReplyDeleteGQ2.)Of course Odysseus’s identity is something he values. The whole book so far is basically about him gloating about all he has done and him trying to gather pity from others. He thrives off his name and identity; without his identity, he is nothing. I think that by changing his character so he is able to attack the suitors isn’t a punishment, it is a gift. I believe this because I think that if Odysseus went into his home now he would immediately be killed by the suitor. I think that by changing his identity Athena was saving his life. The act of surprise will help him kill the many suitors.
GQ3.)Identity is definitely valued in the Odyssey and in real life. If Odysseus did not have his identity he would not be able to get away with and achieve all the things that he does. Also his son would not be able to gain the respect he gets automatically by saying his father’s name. In real life though, I think that a person’s identity gives them a sense of belonging. People search for their identities sometimes even their entire lives. If it was not a big part of our society why would people continually search for it?