Reading Notes Week 3: Homer's Odyssey Part A

I decided to read Homer's Odyssey this week after reading the Iliad last week. I like the way Homer writes intricate characters and trials and tribulations, and I was interested in seeing how he writes a character who endures so much tragedy for such a long time. To begin, I like that this story is told in first person from Odysseus's point of view. That serves to immediately connect the reader to the main character. Even when requesting hospitality, Odysseus reminds the Cyclops not to offend the gods. I would like to include this high regard of religious importance in my character spines. The characters in this week's story will be Roman-Catholic, so they will make references to religion and God. I really like the complicated plot point that finds Odysseus and his crew trapped in the cave with the Cyclops. It would have been too easy to kill the Cyclops and depart, but the cave door is so heavy that they need the Cyclops to move it. This creates an interesting dynamic and forces the protagonist to work with the antagonist to accomplish a goal. The Cyclops inspires me to write a cannibalistic character as a bad guy in my stories. I think that would make for an interesting antagonist. I like that Odysseus does not always have to overpower his enemies. He is able to outwit them and solve problems creatively. Odysseus shows weakness and arrogance when he shouts insults back at the Cyclops. This shows that he is a human character with flaws. It is important to write weaknesses into characters, otherwise they might not ever struggle. I think this reading has given me ample ideas for creating strong protagonists and antagonists.


Polyphemus by Guido Reni, found on Wikimedia.

Bibliography:
Homer's Odyssey as told by Tony Kline, found here.