Reading Notes Week 3: Homer's Odyssey Part B

The fortune Teiresias tells to Odysseus is extremely specific and very long. I won't be using this form of foreshadowing. It was a really obvious way to describe the rest of the story, and it took all of the surprise out of the plot. What Greek story would be complete without a casual rape committed by a god? I could use that as a plot point that establishes the antagonist, or I could leave it out altogether. I find it interesting how nonchalant the Greeks were about rape. They were a historically patriarchal society. I do rather enjoy the smaller stories within the story as Odysseus describes the women he met in Hades' House. I could use that technique to tell backstory or create motive. However, it does seem to take up a lot of space on the page without really moving the story along in a desirable fashion.
 Ah! I like that Achilles and Odysseus get the chance to talk to each other. I think it's cool that Homer brought the epic heroes together. I find it incredibly interesting that Odysseus wanted to hear the Sirens' song for himself, despite not allowing his crew to hear. I think it shows that Odysseus holds himself in higher regard than other men. I feel like a true leader would have plugged his ears with wax like the other men. I really like that the story ends in tragedy. I think Homer wrote very good stories with extremely strong characters. He was incredibly descriptive, sometimes to a fault. He wrote clever solutions to seemingly large problems, and his imagination was fueled by myth and legend. It is always convenient that the hero of the story is never the one that gets scooped up and devoured by the monster of the moment. That would cut the story terribly short. Maybe I'll write a story that keeps changing perspective because the protagonist of the moment keeps getting killed. I will definitely do that this semester.

Odysseus' Journey Map by Giulia Zoccarato, DensityDesign Research Lab, found on Wikimedia. Bibliography:
Homer's Odyssey as told by Tony Kline, found here.

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.