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Analysis Of The Book ' The Odyssey '

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The Odyssey Books 1-4
Arête:
• Book 1 o Aigísthos lacks arête-“stole Agamemnon’s wife and killed the soldier on his homecoming day” (53-54) even after Hermes warned him no to o Telémakhos shows arête by giving Mentês food & gifts before asking his identity- “irked with himself to think a visitor had been kept their waiting” (150-151)
• Book 2 o Penelope shows arête with wit and trickery-“so every day she wove on the great loom…every night by torchlight she unwove it; and so for three years she deceived the Akhaians” (112-114)- delays choosing a suitor, loyal to Odysseus o Lack of arête for the suitors-“My house is being plundered: is this courtesy?”(68)
• Book 3 o Nestor recounts Odysseus’s arête and skill o Nestor hopes Telémakhos will get revenge with the suitors as Orestes did when he demonstrated arête and “killed the snake who killed his father” (334)
• Book 4 o Meneláos & Helen tell stories of the arête Odysseus showed & the Trojan Horse
Characters:
• Gods: Zeus(“summoner of cloud”, “Father of us all”), Athena(“the grey-eyed goddess”, known for her wisdom, supports Odysseus)
• Mortals: Telémakhos(Odysseus’s son, “clear-headed”), Penélopê(Odysseus’s faithful wife, “Penélopê the wise”), Eurýmakhos, Antínoös & other suitors, Mentês(Athena in disguise, revealed in Book 4), Eurýkleia(faithful/devoted nurse), Nestor(king of Pylos), Pisistratus (Nestor’s son), Meneláos & Helen(king, queen of Sparta)
Aspects of Greek culture:
• Role of Women/Way of Governing: o Telémakhos

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