sweetsouthern Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 This is dd's paper and I would love any input on it. thanks!   Odysseus's Return to Penelope   The Odyssey is a heroic classic that tells the tale of Odysseus's struggles to return home to his wife Queen Penelope and son Prince Telemachus in Ithaca after the Trojan War has ended. Odysseus being a strong and bold warrior known for his cunningness, cleverness, and quick thinking led him through a courageous ten year journey from the end of the war to his long awaited return home. In the beginning of his journey, Odysseus and his crew came to the island of the Cyclopes, a huge race of monsters with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. Unwittingly, Odysseus and a scouting party feasted in the cave of Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. The Cyclopes then returned and trapped the Greeks in with a huge bolder and ate two men at each meal. Odysseus then thought of a plan to escape. He and his remaining men stabbed the Cyclopes in they eye with a giant sharpened pole when he was in a drunken sleep. As Polyphemus was letting his sheep out of the cave to pasture, Odysseus and his men got out by hanging on to the underbellies of the sheep. Returning to their ship, Odysseus shouted to Polyphemus, telling him that he, Odysseus, had blinded him. The giant hurled two great boulders at the ship that nearly sunk it. Then Polyphemus prayed to his father Poseidon to cause Odysseus as much trouble as possible. Next, Odysseus sailed east and arrived at the Island of Dawn, which was inhabited by Circe, the sorceress. The group of men that were sent to explore the place were feasted by Circe and then turned to swine. Odysseus learning of this went after Circe and on his way the god Hermes gave him the herb moly to resist her enchantment. Circe invited him in to eat, but her enchantment was ineffective. Odysseus then told her to restore the swine to human form. He remained with her long enough to father three sons with her before departing on his way. Then, arriving on the island of Ogygia , Odysseus was enchanted by a nymph named Calypso. Calypso's singing mesmerized Odysseus into staying with her, making him her immortal lover. Calypso kept him captive there for seven years, during the time sleeping together. While Odysseus enjoyed his life with Calypso, he soon decides that he cannot be away from his wife Penelope any longer. Goddess Athena who favorites Odysseus then asks Zeus to order the release of Odysseus from the island and Zeus orders the messenger Hermes, to tell Calypso to set Odysseus free, for he was not to live with her forever. Calypso pleads for him to stay, but finally agrees to send Odysseus on his way providing him with bread, wine, and supplies to make a small raft for his journey. Meanwhile, in the twenty years that Odysseus has been away from his wife Penelope, suitors have moved into the palace and proceed to devour Odysseus wealth. Penelope has promised to pick one of them as king when she was done with a tapestry which she worked on by day and would unravel by night. Athena guided Odysseus son to Nestor's court and then to Sparta and the court of Menelaus, where he sought word of his father. Menelaus then assured Telemachus that his father was alive so he went home and Athena gave him the idea to visit the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus. There he found an old beggar who suddenly revealed himself to be Odysseus. Father and son finally reunited and wept and made plans for ridding the palace of the arrogant suitors. Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus went to the palace. Penelope came to receive bridal gifts from the suitors and requested that the beggar come to her room. Penelope never knew it was Odysseus, as he kept his disguise, telling her lies about his adventure. While bathing Odysseus old nurse, Eurycleia, recognized him by a hunting scar on his leg and Odysseus made her keep quiet. The next day Penelope announced that she would marry the man who could string Odysseus' great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve rings in a line. After all the suitors had tried and failed the beggar asked to try. The suitors protested, but Telemachus stood up for the beggar, who then strung the bow and fired the arrow through the rings. Giving a shout of triumph the beggar showed himself to be Odysseus and fired arrow after arrow into the host of suitors. The suitors then started to fight back drawing their weapons. After Odysseus ran out of arrows Telemachus brought him armor, swords, and spears. The father and son cut the suitors down as they tried to escape and at last they were all dead leaving only a poet alive. Then he made the palace maids who had slept with the suitors clean up the mess and then hung them. Having then set his house in order, Odysseus revealed himself to Penelope, who had kept to her chamber during the ordeal. Finally the two were happily reunited. Odysseus wanderings had still not yet come to an end. He was later exiled from Ithaca for ten years by the King of the Epirot islands. Ten years passed and Odysseus died in a fight at sea by his own son birthed from Circes, Telegonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 What was the assignment? If it is a book report that is retelling the tale, then my comments would reflect that. If it is an essay with a thesis to be defended, my comments would be very different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 well, I think I would say its a book report retelling the tale of his return home to peneolpe :) she wanted to spin it differently than a usual old book report, so I let her have free reign on how to steer that part of it ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 The Odyssey is a heroic classic that tells the tale of Odysseus's struggles to return home to his wife Queen Penelope and son Prince Telemachus in Ithaca after the Trojan War has ended. Odysseus being a strong and bold warrior known for his cunningness, cleverness, and quick thinking led him through a courageous ten year journey from the end of the war to his long awaited return home. The way this second sentence reads, Odysseus is the subject leading "him" (unnamed) through a journey. It needs to be rewritten to so that his cunning (not cunningness), cleverness and quick thinking are the subject. In the beginning of his journey, Odysseus and his crew came to the island of the Cyclopes, (Cyclops) a huge race of monsters with one eye in the middle of their foreheads. Unwittingly, Odysseus and a scouting party feasted in the cave of Polyphemus, a son of Poseidon. The Cyclopes (cyclops) then returned and trapped the Greeks in with a huge bolder (boulder) and ate two men at each meal. Odysseus then thought of a plan to escape. He and his remaining men stabbed the Cyclopes (cyclops) in they (his) eye with a giant sharpened pole when he was in a drunken sleep. As Polyphemus was letting his sheep out of the cave to pasture, Odysseus and his men got out by hanging on to the underbellies of the sheep. Returning to their ship, Odysseus shouted to Polyphemus, telling him that he, Odysseus, had blinded him. The giant hurled two great boulders at the ship that nearly sunk it. Then Polyphemus prayed to his father Poseidon to cause Odysseus as much trouble as possible. Next, Odysseus sailed east and arrived at the Island of Dawn, which was inhabited by Circe, the sorceress. The group of men that were sent to explore the place were feasted by Circe and then turned to swine. Odysseus learning of this, went after Circe and on his way the god Hermes gave him the herb moly to resist her enchantment. Circe invited him in to eat, but her enchantment was ineffective. Odysseus then told her to restore the swine to human form. He remained with her long enough to father three sons with her before departing on his way. Then, arriving on the island of Ogygia , Odysseus was enchanted by a nymph named Calypso. Calypso's singing mesmerized Odysseus into staying with her, making him her immortal lover. Calypso kept him captive there for seven years, during the time sleeping together. (unnecessary if we already know that he is her lover?) While Odysseus enjoyed his life with Calypso, he soon decides that he cannot be away from his wife Penelope any longer. Goddess Athena who favorites (favors) Odysseus then asks Zeus to order the release of Odysseus from the island and Zeus orders the messenger Hermes, to tell Calypso to set Odysseus free, for he was not to live with her forever. Calypso pleads for him to stay, but finally agrees to send Odysseus on his way providing him with bread, wine, and supplies to make a small raft for his journey. Meanwhile, in the twenty years that Odysseus has been away from his wife Penelope, suitors have moved into the palace and proceed to devour Odysseus wealth. Penelope has promised to pick one of them as king when she was done with a tapestry which she worked on by day and would unravel by night. Athena guided Odysseus son to Nestor's court and then to Sparta and the court of Menelaus, where he sought word of his father. Menelaus then assured Telemachus that his father was alive so he went home and Athena gave him the idea to visit the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus. There he found an old beggar who suddenly revealed himself to be Odysseus. Father and son finally reunited and wept and made plans for ridding the palace of the arrogant suitors. Still disguised as a beggar, Odysseus went to the palace. Penelope came to receive bridal gifts from the suitors and requested that the beggar come to her room. Penelope never knew it was Odysseus, as he kept his disguise, telling her lies about his adventure. While bathing Odysseus, old nurse, (take out this comma) Eurycleia, (and this one) recognized him by a hunting scar on his leg and Odysseus made her keep quiet. The next day Penelope announced that she would marry the man who could string Odysseus' great bow and shoot an arrow through twelve rings in a line. After all the suitors had tried and failed the beggar asked to try. The suitors protested, but Telemachus stood up for the beggar, who then strung the bow and fired the arrow through the rings. Giving a shout of triumph, the beggar showed himself to be Odysseus and fired arrow after arrow into the host of suitors. The suitors then started to fight back drawing their weapons. After Odysseus ran out of arrows, Telemachus brought him armor, swords, and spears. The father and son cut the suitors down as they tried to escape and at last they were all dead leaving only a poet alive. Then he made the palace maids who had slept with the suitors clean up the mess and then hung them. (is "he" Odysseus or the poet?) Having then set his house in order, Odysseus revealed himself to Penelope, who had kept to her chamber during the ordeal. Finally the two were happily reunited. Odysseus wanderings had still not yet come to an end. He was later exiled from Ithaca for ten years by the King of the Epirot islands. Ten years passed and Odysseus died in a fight at sea by his own son birthed from Circes, Telegonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetsouthern Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 omgosh! how did I miss all that??? LOL!! thank you so much!!! does the actual writing of the report sound well written? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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