The Odyssey Book 11
Theme
Book 11 of the Odyssey shows that people often go to great depths to find their identity.
Greek Culture
Piety
"There Perimedes and Eurylochus held the victims while I dug an ell square pit with my sword and poured libation to all the dead"(11.23-25).
Odysseus and his crew show piety through their sacrifices
Literary Devices
" The sun never shines there, never climbs the starry sky to beam down on them, nor bathes them on the glow of kits last normal rays"(11.16-18).
"The souls of the dead gathered, the ghosts of brides and youths and worn out old men and soft young girls with hearts new to sorrow,any many men wounded with bronzed tipped spears..."(11.35-38)
"You seek a homecoming as sweet as honey but a god will make it bitter"(11.97-98).
"And the white armed Arete began to speak"(11.344).
The Gods
Image
Persephone leads the women towards Odysseus
Poseidon interferes trying to keep Odysseus from getting home to Ithica
Summary
- This image depicts book !!
- The main figure in the middle is Odysseus
- He is surrounded by the ghosts
- The ghost of Tiresias is talking to Odysseus
- Here Odysseus learns his prophecy from Tiresias' ghost
Epithets
- Odysseus arrives at the river of Ocean where he pours out a libation to the dead
- He speaks with many ghosts one of which is Tiresias the Theban prophet
- Odysseus learns that Poseidon is punishing him for blinding Polyphemus
- He also learns about what is happening in Ithaca
- Later Odysseus meets Achilles and he is mobbed by souls
- After this Odysseus is frightened so he sails away
Tiresias The Theban prophet: Tiresias
The Earth shaker: Poseidon
Discussion Questions
Why does Odysseus feel the need to find his identity?
What is the purpose of the ghost s of the wives?