An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind?

In Book 22  of the Odyssey Odysseus -- with the help of Athena and Telemachus -- exacts his revenge on the suitors, killing them all, as well as his disloyal servants and maids.  Yet, after Odysseus and Penelope are reunited the book does not end.  Odysseus and Telemachus retreat to the countryside to fight the kin of the slaughtered suitors who are themselves seeking vengeance.  Only with the intervention of Athena is a bloodbath averted.  What is the ending of the story telling us about the value of vengeance?  Is is necessary to restore order but dangerous?  Is it a foolish and counterproductive practice?  Does it make the whole world blind or is it the only way to establish a just society?

Is the Slaughter Justified?

In Book 22 Odysseus with the aid of his son and loyal servants slaughters all the suitors (despite the pleas of mercy from some of them), all the maids, and even the priest Leodes. Are these killings justified? Could he have punished them without killing them? Could he have driven them from the house. Are some of the killings justified, but others not? What about the people they spared (Phemius and Medon) -- what was Telemachus' reasoning? Was it wise or prudent to kill them all?

The Real Couples of the Odyssey

By the time  Odysseus reveals himself and embraces Penelope in Books 23 (after one last trick), we we have met many couples in the epic:  Besides  Odysseus and Penelope, couples in the story include  Odysseus and Calypso, (although Odysseus is held against his will); Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, (although not directly);  and Menelaus and Helen. What is the significance of these couples?  Do some of these couples show the ideal of love and marriage while others show flawed and problematic relationships?  According to the story, what should you look for in a relationship and what should you avoid?  Do you agree?

What Has Odysseus Learned ?

In Book 18, Odysseus, still disguised as a beggar, “[a]nd the one who knew the world” (144), comments to one of the kinder suitors:

So I will tell you something. Listen. Listen closely.
Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.
So long as the gods grant him power, spring in his knees,
he thinks he will never suffer affliction down the years.
But then, when the happy gods bring on the long hard times,
bear them he must, against his will, and steel his heart.
Our lives, our mood and mind as we pass across the earth
turn as the days turn . .
as the father or men and gods makes each day dawn.
I, too, seemed destined to be a man of fortune once
and a wild wicked swath I cut, indulged my lust for violence,
staking all on my father and my brothers.
Look at me now.
And so, I say, let no man be lawless all his life,
just take in peace what gifts the gods will send (18.149-63)


What do the lines above reveal about the impact of Odysseus own journey on him? What has he learned? What insights has he gained? What values does he advocate? What other episodes in the poem up to this point contribute to the viewpoint expressed by Odysseus in these lines? Is Odysseus' journey similar or different to Telemachus' journey to manhood? Has Odysseus changed (has he renounced any of his former values or beliefs)?

In Medias Res: Chronological v. Narrative Order

In class we observed that the narrative order of the Odyssey, the order the event are retold in the epic, is different from the chronological order, the order the events occur in time. The epic begins in medias res, literally in the middle of things. What is ONE reason that the story begins in this way? Why doesn't the story begin with Odysseus leaving Troy?

Lies, Lies, Lies, Yeah!

Odysseus tells two elaborate lies in Books 13 (to Athena) and Book 14 (to Eumaeus) about his identity, his history and his reasons for coming to Ithaca. There is an old saying "once a liar, always a liar." Does the fact that Odysseus has the capacity to fabricate such lies cast doubt on the veracity of his story in Books 9-12? Or does something about the content of the stories (e. g. he admits to mistakes of judgment) or his situation in Phaecia (e. g . they have already demonstrated they are superb hosts) suggest he is truthful? Or perhaps he doesn't tell boldfaced lies but bends the truth a little? Does it call into question the truth of the entire epic itself?

I'll Follow You to Hell and Back -- Odysseus as a Leader

Odysseus leaves Troy with nine ships full of men. By the time he is rescued by Calypso, however, all his men have perished. His men are killed by Ciconians, Polyphemus and the Laestrygonians. Yet at the same time, he rescues his men from Polyphemus' cave and Circe's enchantment. Is Odysseus a good leader who is just cursed by the gods? A good leader with a mutinous crew? Or is he a poor leader who causes his own problems because of misplaced ideals, or reckless behavior or poor leadership skills? Or perhaps somewhere in between or none of the above? Explain your answer using examples from the text to support your point.

Fame - I Want to Live Forever

Odysseus demonstrates a passionate desire for kleos or fame through much of the Odyssey. Consider, for example, his taunting Polyphemus with his name as he escapes his island (and there are other examples) Yet, is it presented as an unequivocally good pursuit? Does the search for kleos help or hinder his journey? What about situations in which he disguises his identity? What is the importance of kleos to Odysseus and the Odyssey (the two may not be the same answer)?

The Gods Must Be Crazy: Is Immortality Such a Big Deal?

After the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh realizes his own mortality.  In order to find meaning in his life, he risks life and limb to track down Utnapishtim to find the secret of immortality.   Odysseus, on the other hand, rejects the offer of immortality from Calypso.  Despite a life devoid of suffering and full of sensual pleasure, Odysseus prefers his own life with all its hardships and his eventual death to eternal "paradise" with a goddess.  Did Odysseus make the right choice?  Is immortality something desirable?  Does our impending death make our lives meaningless?   How should we feel about living forever?

Growing Up

At the beginning of the Odyssey, Telemachus seems young and powerless. He is completely passive in the face of the suitors abuses and they treat him like a pushover. As he embarks on a journey and the epic wears on, how and why does the character of Telemachus change?

Whose Fault Is It Anyway?

Zeus complains in Book I of the Odyssey:
Ah how shameless--the way these mortals blame the gods.
From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes,
but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,
compound their pains beyond their proper share (1.37-40).

What is Zeus saying? Is he right? Whose fault is it anyway that Odysseus has been wandering for ten years -- that the suitors are eating him out of house and home? From what we know of the story so far (think of the story of Agamemnon, Ajax, Menelaus and Nestor as well as Odysseus), are the gods to blame for our suffering and successes-- or are we?