Hamlet-Tragic Man

Hamlet-Tragic Man

1) A Belief in His Own Freedom
Hamlet believes that any choices he makes in his life will lead him to whatever end. He is willing to accept this. He doesn’t believe that his fate is predetermined. An example of this would be how Hamlet is so set on avenging his father’s death that he is willing to do almost anything. He sends two innocent people, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to their death in his place in order to return to Elsinore and get his revenge on Claudius. That is a pretty drastic thing to do, but he is willing to accept the consequences of his actions for it or he wouldn’t have done it.
2) Supreme Pride (Hubris)
After Hamlet learns that Claudius killed his father, it’s like he knows this thing about Claudius that no one else (besides those he told) knows about. He now feels above people because he holds this secret knowledge. Most of all, he feels above Claudius because he knows what awful sin he committed, and he is confident that Claudius will pay for it in the end. Hamlet is also royalty, and therefore, it is natural that an extreme pride come with that territory; being above most people in rank and social status.
3) Capacity For Suffering
Hamlet suffers greatly when his father dies. He suffers when his mother hastily remarries his uncle. He suffers the most upon learning of his uncle/step-father Claudius’ sin in killing his own brother to gain political power. Hamlet later suffers for his love, Ophelia’s death. Hamlet really has a large capacity for suffering because the entire story is one sad thing after another taking place. That is why it is called a tragedy.
4) A Sense of Commitment
Hamlet is extremely committed to avenging his father’s death. That is what Hamlet is trying to accomplish from the beginning of the story, when he first learns the truth about his father’s death, all the way to the end when he finally does kill Claudius by stabbing him with a poisoned sword and then making him drink poisoned wine. There is only a short period of time where Hamlet is distracted from his vengeful manner in the middle of the story, but is reminded of its urgency and importance again and follows through with his want for revenge.
5) Vigorous Protest
Hamlet refuses/protests going to England to be killed, so he sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in his stead. Hamlet is determined to carry out his father’s wishes. Hamlet also dislikes his mother marrying Claudius so fast after his father’s death, but he doesn’t really “protest” so much as he greatly frowns upon it, and then hates Claudius after learning the truth about him.
6) Transfiguration
Hamlet becomes a little obsessed over avenging his father’s death throughout the entire play. As he becomes more and more suspicious of characters in association with Claudius and on eavesdroppers such as Polonius, he begins to act a little strangely, and because of his obsessive behavior and /or paranoia, ends up killing five people by the end of the play. He does succeed in avenging his father’s death before he dies. Hamlet dies knowing that he killed Claudius which was his main concern.
7) Impact
The impact of Hamlet’s strange behavior and paranoia is large on those around him. Five people die by his hand. The impact on Hamlet’s father is that his death has been avenged. The impact on the audience or reader of the play is that so much suffering and determination for revenge can drive a person to such extremes as taking the lives of innocent people and/or hurting the ones you love like Hamlet did by pretending he was mad.

Beowulf-The Cycle of the Hero

Beowulf-The Cycle of the Hero

Call to Adventure: The call to adventure begins when Beowulf first hears that the Danish kingdom is being terrorized by the demon/monster Grendel. He decides to go and kill the monster to help the Danes and relieve them of their suffering.
Helper: The Geat warriors (Wiglaf)
Threshold of Adventure: The threshold of adventure takes place when Beowulf and Grendel fight against each other. Beowulf does win, however, and Grendel loses his arm which leads him to his death.
Tests: After Grendel is out of the way, Grendel’s mother is left, and she is extremely vengeful for her son’s death. She goes to Herot and kills Hrothgar’s right hand man. When this is found out by the kingdom, Beowulf again feels the need to overcome this test/challenge of taking on Grendel’s mother. This is a test of Beowulf’s strength and bravery because he doesn’t know if he will come out of it alive.
Helpers: The “mighty sword” that helps Beowulf kill Grendel’s mother.
Triumph: Beowulf successfully kills Grendel’s mother and returns to Herot alive.
Flight: Beowulf returns to Geatland with many treasures for his king and queen and for himself that he received from the Danes.
Threshold Struggle: After becoming king of the Geats and many years of prosperity have passed, a dragon guarding treasure is angered by a thief and brings despair and havoc to the Geats. Beowulf commits one last heroic act by killing the dragon to save his people’s lives before he himself dies.
Elixir: Beowulf is buried with a lot of treasure, and also, another large portion of the treasure goes to his people.

Hamlet-A Modern Perspective

Hamlet is one of the most famous theatrical plays ever written. However, Hamlet was originally written by a man named Thomas Kyd. Shakespeare rewrote Hamlet and kept the same plotline as Kyd, but polished it and added so much more substance to the story to make it his own.
Hamlet’s soliloquies provide his personal thoughts and plans of action; this creates a whole other play/perspective within the play. You see the play with all the characters, and then with Hamlet’s soliloquies, you see another play; one where you learn Hamlet’s thoughts, feelings; his side or reaction to whatever is happening in the story. The famous line, “to be or not to be,” greatly ties in with what his view is on life. In Hamlet, you notice that it seems as though everyone is always watching everyone else. Someone is always looking for someone, spying on someone, watching out for someone…etc. It is a reaccuring theme throughout the play. After Hamlet discovers the truth about how his father died, there is a sort of silent battle throughout the rest of the play until Hamlet finally kills Claudius. It is a secret, and in order to not hurt anyone else (particularly his mother, Gertrude) Hamlet has to keep his newfound knowledge secret; which is ironic because all of the secrecy and the pretended “madness” and the spying is exactly what harms and kills people in the end. That is another ongoing theme in Hamlet: speaking the unspeakable. The soliloquy also serves as a way that Hamlet can speak and talk himself through all the secrets and things that are happening in the story. However, he still isn’t speaking any of it to another person; so it is just his thoughts coming out loud, but besides the fact that he is speaking the thoughts, this is really no different than merely thinking them because no one can hear him either way. So this is frustrating for Hamlet; only being able to share his innermost thoughts with himself. Some things he does share with Horatio, but his most sensitive side and thoughts he merely keeps to himself. In the end of the story, Hamlet dies feeling that he still has a story that needs to be told. Although Horatio agrees to tell Hamlet’s story, it won’t be Hamlet telling it. Horatio, although knowing the general idea of everything that went on in this epic and tragic tale, does not know the in depth version, the specifics and particulars that Hamlet knew. Those things will never be passed on, and that leaves the story with a sense of incompletedness.

Hamlet-Act 5

Act 5

Hamlet and Horatio spy on a gravedigger preparing a burial ground for Ophelia. Hamlet picks up a skull and in this moment realizes that all men turn to dust. (The skull was said to be that of his father’s old jester whom Hamlet had known as a boy.) Hamlet and Horatio hide nearby as the funeral procession approaches the grave site. Hamlet recognizes that this is Ophelia’s funeral. Laertes, angry at the priest, (who says the funeral shouldn’t be done on account that Ophelia committed suicide) jumps into the grave with Ophelia to hold her in his arms. Hamlet then appears at the scene to confess his love for Ophelia. The two get into a tiff and are pulled apart. The king and queen declare Hamlet mad and Hamlet runs off, Horatio following. Claudius reminds Laertes of their “plan” for revenge to calm Laertes down.
Hamlet tells Horatio how he replaced the letter that was being sent to England to have he (Hamlet) executed with a new letter to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern executed instead. Hamlet doesn’t really feel bad about this because the two of them merely catered to Claudius. Hamlet does feel bad, however, about his behavior toward Laertes. Laertes desires to avenge his father’s death, which is exactly what Hamlet aspires to do. Hamlet wants to be on good terms with Laertes. Osric (a courtier) comes to summon Hamlet to a fencing match against Laertes. Hamlet agrees to fight, although Horatio advises him not to. Hamlet seeks Laertes’ forgiveness, but Laertes will only accept Hamlet’s offer of love in the meantime. The two begin the fencing match. Hamlet strikes Laertes. Again, he hits Laertes. Gertrude raises a cup to Hamlet and drinks from it although Claudius warns her not to. It was the poisoned cup of wine meant for Hamlet. Laertes then strikes and hits Hamlet with the poisoned sword. The two get a hold of each others’ swords, and Hamlet strikes Laertes again, this time with the poisoned sword. The queen realizes she’s been poisoned and dies. Laertes, upon dying, says the king is to blame for the poisoned sword and for the poisoned wine. Hamlet, enraged, stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and makes him drink the poisoned wine. Claudius dies. Hamlet is dying and asks Laertes again or for forgiveness. Laertes forgives him, and then dies. Hamlet, dying, tells Horatio to live on and tell his story. He also asks that Fortinbras be made king of Denmark. Hamlet then dies. Fortinbras enters this sad scene, and Horatio says that he will explain all that has happened. Fortinbras has Hamlet taken away honorably, like a soldier.

Hamlet-Act 4

Act 4

Gertrude runs to Claudius and tells him that Hamlet is indeed mad and has killed Polonius. Claudius says that Hamlet must be shipped off to England immediately, and he (Claudius) must find a reason to explain to the court what has happened to Polonius. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and take him away.
Hamlet has disposed of Polonius’ body. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear and want to know what Hamlet has done with the body, but he will not tell them. Hamlet accuses them of being spies for Claudius, but finally he lets them escort him to the king.
Hamlet is brought to Claudius and again refuses to say where Polonius’ body is. He finally tells them that the body is under the stairs in the “lobby” of the palace. The king tells Hamlet that he must leave for England at once, and Hamlet agrees to this. Claudius has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern take Hamlet to the ship and with them gives special orders for England to put Hamlet to death upon arrival.
On the way to the ship, Hamlet encounters Fortinbras who is going to fight a war for land with a good name. Hamlet is reminded of his own personal mission to avenge his father’s death, and says that his thoughts from now on will be “bloody” and violent.
Horatio and Gertrude speak about Ophelia and how she has apparently gone mad due to her father’s death. Laertes has come back from France. Laertes is raging about avenging his father’s death. Claudius “nudges” Laertes in the direction of Hamlet in a violent way so that Laertes will be seeking revenge on Hamlet.
Horatio receives a letter from a sailor from Hamlet relating that Hamlet was captured by pirates who have returned him to Denmark. Horatio takes the sailors to the king because they have messages for him from Hamlet. Hamlet has returned, and Horatio leaves to find him near the palace.
Claudius and Laertes discuss Hamlet and why Claudius did not punish him publicly so as to not upset those that love Hamlet very much, like Gertrude. Laertes is glad to know that Hamlet has returned so that his revenge may take place very soon. Claudius encourages Laertes’ want for revenge because he believes Hamlet to be a threat to his kingship, his rule. (This is because he knows that Hamlet knows something about his murdering his brother, Hamlet’s father).
Claudius begins to create a plan in which Hamlet will be sure to die. Laertes and Hamlet will fence, and Laertes will have a poisoned sword. If he does not win against Hamlet, another option (plan B) will fall into place in which Hamlet shall be offered poisoned wine. Gertrude enters to say that Ophelia has drowned herself in the river due to her extreme grief and madness.

Hamlet-Act 3

Act 3

Claudius and Gertrude talk to Hamlet’s two friends who claim that they know not the cause of his recent behavior. They relate Hamlet’s enthusiasm towards the actors, and Claudius and Gertrude agree to see the play the actors are going to put on. Claudius and Polonius position Ophelia where they want her to be upon meeting with Hamlet so they can secretly watch the encounter. Hamlet comes in the room, talking to himself and using the famous line “to be or not to be: that is the question.” He is speaking about how sorrowful people are in life, but that they also fear what is after life. Ophelia approaches him and does as her father told her to do; return any tokens of affection that he has given her. This angers Hamlet and he denies ever having given her anything. He tells Ophelia to become a nun. He claims that women bring out the worst in men, and he wishes an end to all marriages. Ophelia is very disheartened by this speech. Claudius says that Hamlet’s madness is obviously not derived from love for Ophelia but in something possibly dangerous that he fears will be very bad once it erupts from within Hamlet. He decides it would be best for Hamlet if he sends him to England, away from Elsinore, to possibly distract him or be rid of his “mad” state of mind. Polonius, however, is still convinced Hamlet’s madness comes out of love for Ophelia and wants to set up a meeting between Queen Gertrude and Hamlet on which he can hide away again and spy to know for sure about Hamlet’s apparent madness. Claudius agrees to this.
The actors prepare to put on the play, and Hamlet speaks to Horatio about Claudius. Since Hamlet had told Horatio about the ghost and Claudius murdering his father (King Hamlet) he asks Horatio to watch Claudius’ expression during the play to detect any signs of guilt. Hamlet warns Horatio that he may begin to act “mad” once the performance begins, and sure enough, he does. He acts strangely/insanely toward Claudius and rude and harsh toward Ophelia whom he is sitting by. The actors act out the “dumb show” or rather, the silent “summary” of what the play will be about. The actors perform almost exactly what happened concerning Claudius and his brother; how Claudius poisoned his brother and seduced Gertrude. Claudius gets deeply uncomfortable with the play and walks out. (This displays his evident guilt in the matter.) Everyone then leaves the performance. Hamlet’s mother calls him to speak with her. Hamlet says he will go in a moment. He resolves to be stern with her, but not harm her in any way.
Claudius speaks to Hamlet’s school friends and asks them to escort him to England on account that his behavior may be dangerous. Polonius reminds Claudius of the plan to spy on Queen Gertrude whilst she speaks to Hamlet, and he says he will tell Claudius everything that he finds out. Claudius, alone, tries to pray under the extreme gilt he feels for having murdered his own brother. Hamlet enters, intent on killing Claudius, only, he observes Claudius is in prayer and doesn’t want to send him to heaven on account that his father never got to repent before his death. So, he must kill Claudius when he is sinning. Hamlet leaves and Claudius gives up trying to pray.
When Hamlet goes to speak with Gertrude, he frightens her and by frightening her, also frightens Polonius who is hidden in the room, spying. Hamlet thinks that it is Claudius and stabs his dagger at the person. This kills Polonius. Hamlet then speaks “daggers” at his mother for being seduced by Claudius and marrying him so quickly and forgetting her late husband so fast. She begs him to stop; he is making her examine her soul, and she doesn’t like what she sees. The ghost appears to remind Hamlet that he is only supposed to seek revenge for his murder, nothing more. Gertrude cannot hear or see the ghost, and so she thinks that Hamlet’s madness is now confirmed to be real. Hamlet tries to convince his mother that his madness has only been an act, but to not tell Claudius of this. Gertrude agrees not to tell. Hamlet leaves the room, dragging Polonius’ body behind him.

Hamlet-Act 2

Act 2

Polonius sends one of his servants to France to casually spy on Laertes and make sure he is behaving himself there. Ophelia enters, extremely upset because Hamlet “grabbed” her, but said nothing to her. Polonius decides that this must be because Hamlet is driven mad with his love for Ophelia since she hasn’t been seeing him anymore as Polonius told her not to. Polonius goes to tell Claudius of this presumption.
Claudius and Gertrude invite Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s friends from school, to Elsinore to try and cheer Hamlet up and decrease his moodiness/madness. Claudius receives news that he has avoided war with Fortinbras who was convinced to wage war elsewhere. Polonius presents love notes to Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet had given to Ophelia. He believes that Ophelia is the cause of his madness. Polonius wants to set Ophelia and Hamlet up to meet and listen to their conversation secretly, hidden out of sight. From this, Polonius hopes to see if Ophelia is the cause of Hamlet’s “madness.” Gertrude and Claudius agree to try this plan. Polonius first wants to speak with Hamlet, though. When he speaks to Hamlet, Hamlet definitely appears and sounds insane, and Polonius leaves, now wanting to hurriedly arrange the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet then speaks to his two school friends who he is happy to see, but suspicious of their true reasons for coming. He gets it out of them that they were sent by King Claudius to relieve him (Hamlet) from his saddened state. Hamlet admits that lately he has been in a state of indifference to everything and everyone. A group of actors walks toward Hamlet and his friends at Elsinore. Hamlet welcomes his friends to stay, but assures them that King Claudius and his mother are wrong about his “mad” condition. He claims to be mad only some of the time and completely sane the rest of the time. Polonius announces that the actors have arrived, and Hamlet asks one of them to give a speech. He is so taken with the speech that he asks the actors to perform a play the next day: The Murder of Gonzago. This play closely resembles how Claudius murdered his brother, and Hamlet resolves that he will find out if Claudius is guilty of the murder of his brother (Hamlet’s father) by his expression throughout the play the actors put on. Hamlet thinks he will be able to depict any sign of guilt in Claudius’ face if he is truly guilty.

Hamlet-Act 1

Act 1

Francisco and Barnardo are standing guard outside the palace. Francisco goes to bed, Barnardo continues to stand guard. Marcellus and Horatio join him, and suddenly the ghost of the late King Hamlet appears then disappears. The ghost has apparently appeared two nights previously. Horatio explains to Marcellus why the security has been so tight in Denmark lately: King Hamlet of Denmark battled with King Fortinbras of Norway. King Hamlet killed King Fortinbras and got all of his land. However, Fortinbras, the late King Fortinbras’ son, has gotten together a force to try and get the land back. (It is later found out that they are stopped from doing this.) The ghost appears again, and then promptly leaves. The men decide to inform young Hamlet (the late King Hamlet’s son) of the appearance of the ghost and see if he will try to speak with it.
Claudius is married to Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude. Claudius was brother to the late king Hamlet. Hamlet does not approve of their hasty marriage. Hamlet speaks to Barnardo, Marcellus, and Horatio about the ghost and agrees to try speaking to the ghost. The men go and await the ghost’s arrival. Hamlet suspects that if the ghost is dressed in armor, there must be something that is wrong.
Laertes warns Ophelia about Hamlet. He tells her to be careful with her emotions and not give herself to Hamlet for he does not believe Hamlet’s intentions toward her to be good/honest. Laertes leaves on a journey/trip. Polonious speaks to Ophelia as well about Hamlet and his “affections” toward her. He tells her to stay away from Hamlet. Ophelia agrees that she will do as he says.
Horatio, Marcellus, and Hamlet are all awaiting the ghost to appear. The ghost appears, and Hamlet asks the ghost what its purpose for showing itself is. The ghost wants Hamlet to follow him, but Horatio and Marcellus hold him back. Hamlet protests and is released, and the ghost and he walk away together. Horatio and Marcellus follow after them.
The ghost and Hamlet talk, and the ghost tells Hamlet his reason for appearing. He wants Hamlet to know that he was murdered by his brother, King Claudius, and he wants Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet promises to do this. When he meets up again with Horatio and Marcellus, he tells them what happened, and then makes them swear not to tell anyone about it. They swear they won’t. They all return to the palace.

Machiavellianism

Look up the term and discuss how it relates to the play.

Machiavellianism is when a person does something, perhaps immoral, to achieve or to retain political power. In Hamlet, Claudius is guilty of machiavellianism. He kills his own brother in order to take his place as king. Claudius also seduces his brother's wife and marries her. These are immoral acts that Claudius committed to gain political power.

"to be or not to be"

Hamlet's soliloquies comprise an important portion of the reading. Discuss why they are important and what function they serve, based on your readings so far. Also, identify and discuss themes that were presented that do not appear on your pretest focus.

Hamlet's soliloquies are important because they provide insight into Hamlet's innermost thoughts and feelings about life, love, revenge, murder...etc. It's only during these speeches that we hear about any of those subjects because everything is very hush hush in Hamlet. The soliloquies enable Hamlet to speak freely, as opposed to when he is in the company of other characters and must keep secret his thoughts. The soliloquies tie in to a big theme that is used throughout the entire play: the theme of speaking the unspeakable. Hamlet never confronts Claudius to ask or accuse him (Claudius) of killing his father. Hamlet uses the players to act out the play that symbolizes Claudius murdering his (Hamlet's) father. This still isnt a direct use of words, though. It's after that performance that Claudius is suspicious that Hamlet knows of his big sin, but still, there is no exchange of words that express this suspicion. Things are kept very secret, very hush in Hamlet.

Beowulf-Key Facts, Symbols and Motifs

Key Facts, Symbols and Motifs

Setting: Denmark and Geatland
Motifs: Monsters; mead-hall (Herot)
Symbols: the golden torque (golden cup), feasts/banquets (bring Grendel to Herot)

Themes:

• establishing identity (what is its importance?)
• the difference between a good warrior and a good king
  

Beowulf-Principal Characters

Principal Characters

• Beowulf-Geatish hero, kills Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon; main character of the book
• Grendel-demon/monster that terrorizes Hrothgar's kingdom for many years; killed by Beowulf
• Hrothgar-king of the Danes, awards Beowulf with treasure, has lost many people to Grendel and has suffered from this
• Unferth-Danish Warrior, jealous of Beowulf, but later realizes that he is inferior to Beowulf
  
• Wiglaf-helps Beowulf fight the dragon, very loyal to Beowulf; proves himself to be worhty of taking Beowulf's place as king
• Welthow-Hrothgar's queen; she is wise
• Grendel's mother-another demon/monster that resides in the swamplands; is also killed by Beowulf
  

Beowulf-Plot Overview

Plot Overview

Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, has ruled his kingdom well, and the kingdom has prospered. However, their celebrating and songs of success angers Grendel, a supposed demon and monster that dwells in the swamplands around the kingdom. Grendel kills and terrorizes the kingdom for years until Beowulf, a hero and leader of the Geats sails to Denmark to kill the monster Grendel and end Hrothgar's kingdom's suffering. Beowulf is accepted into Hrothgar's kingdom and a feast is held to celebrate. Unferth, a great warrior, is suspicious of Beowulf's greatness and claims that Beowulf's stories of his heroic acts are possibly false or over-exaggerated. Beowulf responds by boasting about the time he killed nine sea monsters while racing against Brecca for five days. There is cheering and celebrating in Herot that night until Grendel arrives, and Beowulf rips/cuts Grendel's arm off. Grendel dies, and the kingdom thinks they are safe again. However, Grendel's mother seeks revenge for her son's death. She goes to Herot and kills one of the king's right hand men. Beowulf goes to the swamp intent on killing Grendel's mother. He battles with her, and finds a mighty sword on one of the walls where she (Grendel's mother) dwells. With this mighty sword, Beowulf decapitates Grendel's mother's head. The suffering in the kingdom has subsided. Heaped with gifts of thanks, Beowulf and his band of Geats head back to Geatland where he presents his many gifts and treasures to his king, Hygelac. Through the years, Hygelac dies, then his son, and the crown goes to Beowulf. Beowulf rules the Geats, and they prosper. When Beowulf is an old man, a thief steals treasure from a cave where a dragon resides guarding the treasure. The dragon is mad about the treasure being stolen and burns and brings destruction to the Geats. Beowulf goes after the dragon, although old, and cuts the dragon in half. However, Beowulf is injured, and the dragon's venom begins to kill him. Beowulf's loyal friend, Wiglaf, tried to help Beowulf battle the dragon, although he couldn't do as much as Beowulf. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to gather treasure from the cave so that he may die with it. He also tells Wiglaf to bring gold and treasure to his people. Beowulf is cremated, then buried with treasure.

Themes in Gilgamesh

The Hero’s Companion: Enkidu is Gilgamesh’s dearest companion, his equal, his soul-mate. “He turned to Enkidu who leaned against his shoulder and looked into his eyes and saw himself in the other, just as Enkidu saw himself in Gilgamesh. In the silence of the people they began to laugh and clutched each other in their breathless exaltation.” (pg. 24, Gilgamesh) They both do everything together as a team from the time they become friends up until Enkidu dies. Enkidu is very in tune with nature, more so than Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is more in tune with the ways of being courageous and powerful; the ways of society as well. In this way, the two balance each other out really well when they become a team. The purpose of a sidekick or a companion to the hero is to have that someone that will watch out for you and you to them. You take care of each other; you protect each other. One may be more experienced at one thing, the other at something else to form that balance that Enkidu and Gilgamesh share. In companionship, Enkidu and Gilgamesh become the best of friends, each other’s equal. Enkidu is a highly esteemed helper to Gilgamesh.
Love: Gilgamesh and Enkidu share a love in their friendship. They are so much like each other; they are “soul-mates.” The whole reason Gilgamesh goes looking for immortality is to bring Enkidu back to life because without him, Gilgamesh feels no further purpose in his life. He grieves for him all the time, and wants him to be alive again. This dedication to his friend shows his love for him. Also, the two always have each others’ back when they are fighting Humbaba, and also later when they are fighting against the Bull of Heaven. They look out for one another. “Don’t be afraid, said Gilgamesh. We are together. There is nothing we should fear.” (pg. 28, Gilgamesh)
Loss of Innocence: Enkidu loses his innocence and becomes a man after he sleeps with the prostitute. However, in becoming a man, Enkidu loses himself a little. His animal friends shame him, and he leaves the life he has always known to go to Uruk where he meets Gilgamesh and leads this new life up until he dies. When he is dying, he talks about how he used to know life in everything and how his life before the prostitute had been a simple, familiar, comfortable one. He feels he is dying in shame because he is now a man who sees death in things. “He became bitter in his tone again: because of her. She made me see things as a man, and a man sees death in things. That is what it is to be a man. You’ll know when you have lost the strength to see the way you once did.” (pg. 49, Gilgamesh) This is even a little parallel to Christian belief dealing with loss of innocence in that once you lose your innocence, a part of you is stripped away that you can never get back.
Intervention of the gods; gods relationship with mortals: The gods intervene two major times in Gilgamesh. Once when Ishtar and Anu send the Bull of Heaven down on Earth and after Gilgamesh, and another time when the gods send a great flood down on the mortals. Ishtar and Anu send down the Bull of Heaven because Ishtar wants man to suffer on account of Gilgamesh refusing her love. “But a little hunger will replace their arrogance with new desire. Then Anu acceded to her wish. The Bull of Heaven descended to the earth and killed at once three hundred men, and then attacked King Gilgamesh.” (pg. 45, Gilgamesh) The gods also send down the huge flood when men begin to search for immortality and defy their natural conditions. The gods send the flood to exterminate mankind and to show that only gods are to be immortal, not men. The flood is meant to put men in their place; to teach a lesson.
View of the afterlife; pessimistic and optimistic: In Gilgamesh, there are both pessimistic and optimistic views on immortality. Gilgamesh tends to take a more positive view on immortality. He thinks it would take care of any fears about death for him. He also thinks that if he can find out the secret of immortality, he can find a way to bring Enkidu back to life. So, Gilgamesh’s view on the afterlife is more that life shouldn’t end, at least not for himself and Enkidu. However, we also hear Utnapishtim’s view on the afterlife and immortality, and his view leans more towards pessimism. He never desired to be immortal like the gods, he was chosen to be immortal, and he doesn’t want to be. He is lonely, and he has suffered great losses. He even tells Gilgamesh that he envies him his freedom as a mortal man. “I think compassion is our God’s pure act which burns forever, and be it in Heaven or in Hell doesn’t matter for me; because Hell is the everlasting gift of His presence to the lonely heart who is longing amidst perishing phantoms and doesn’t care to find any immortality if not in the pure loneliness of the Holy One, this loneliness which he enjoys forever inside and outside of His creation. It is enough for one who loves to find his Only One singled in Himself. And that is the cup of immortality!” (pg. 74, 75, Gilgamesh)
The Common Flood Story: Utnapishtim’s story about the flood is very similar to and parallel to the story of Noah’s Arc. The gods decided to send a great flood down on men because men were searching to be like the gods; searching for immortality and defying their natural or human conditions. For this, the gods see it fit to remind men of their place on Earth, and that’s when they send the floods. Utnapishtim is warned about the flood by Ea, though, because he is a man not desiring immortality. Therefore, when the flood is over and Utnapishtim and his family survive the flood in a giant boat built by Utnapishtim for the duration of the flood, the gods “choose” him to be like the gods and make him immortal merely because he had no desire of it in the first place. “The war god touched my forehead; he blessed my family and said: before this you were just a man, but now you and your wife shall be like gods. You shall live in the distance at the rivers’ mouth, at the source. I allowed myself to be taken far way from all that I had seen. Sometimes even in love we yearn to leave mankind. Only the loneliness of the Only One who never acts like gods is bearable.” (pg. 79, Gilgamesh) It is after the flood that the gods decide to make Utnapishtim immortal because he survived the flood, and he does not desire immortality.
Legacy: Gilgamesh leaves behind his sorrows and returns to Uruk a new and wiser man than he was before. He looks at the walls his people have built around the city; their accomplishments. “He looked at the walls, awed at the heights his people achieved and for a moment-just a moment- all that lay behind him passed from view.” (pg. 92, Gilgamesh) This makes him look more towards the future rather than living in the past as he had been. The wall will serve as protection for his people. The wall was built during his life, and will be left behind after him to the kings that will rule after him.

Gilgamesh-Literary Archetypes

Literary Archetypes

Hero/Antihero: Gilgamesh suits both. He is viewed as a good king by his people or rather his people don’t seem to have a problem with him. He shows his power and strength by killing Humbaba. He also goes on a journey in search of the secret of immortality. Killing Humbaba and going on this journey are two main things that demonstrate Gilgamesh’s courage and also his determination. Howver, Gilgamesh can also be viewed as the antihero because of his loss of faith and hope in everything after Enkidu dies. After Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh, although on a quest for immortality, does a lot of aimless wandering, sleeping, grieving, etc. The book says Gilgamesh wanders without a purpose; he is directionless. It isn’t until after his conversations and help from Utnapishtim that he undergoes a transformation that leaves him a more optimistic, changed man. This is what makes him an antihero as well as a hero.

The Wise Fool: The wise fool is Utnapishtim. He is a seemingly wise character in Gilgamesh, especially regarding his views on immortality. When Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh the story of the great flood and how he was chosen to be immortal, but did not desire it, this displays the passing down of knowledge from Utnapishtim to Gilgamesh. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that immortality or to be like the gods is not something to be desired. It is not, should not, be the place of men. Once you are immortal, there is also loneliness. Especially for Utnapishtim who lost all of his fellow people in the great flood.
The Devil Figure: Ishtar displays many “devilish” thought processes and actions in Gilgamesh. She is the one who wants to send the Bull of Heaven down to earth and kill three hundred men and kill Gilgamesh. She does this because Gilgamesh will not marry her. She is a very vengeful character, it seems. Also, she is an attributor to the great flood. She thinks it is a good idea to wipe out mankind; to put them in their proper place.
The Outcast: Enkidu is an alienated character both when he is living with the animals and when he becomes a “man;” a member of society. He is viewed as an outcast by the town of Uruk and by society when he is like an animal because he is a man who looks and acts as an animal would. He is stand-outish in that way. He also frees the hunter’s animals from the traps, and this makes the hunter want Enkidu to just become a man so that he will stop doing this. Thus the prostitute comes into play and makes Enkidu a supposed “man” by sleeping with him and taking his innocence. Now it’s the animals that view Enkidu as the outcast, the shameful one for sleeping with the prostitute and leaving behind a familiar and comfortable life to join in on the ways of society. So, really, the only place Enkidu ever fits in is with Gilgamesh, and that’s only for a short time.
The Double: I believe that although Ishtar is devilish, conniving, and vengeful, she also has a less dominant soft side in that she comes to realize the enormity of her impulsiveness, but only after she’s done something dreadfully wrong. An example would be when the great flood is sent down on mankind, she realizes that although men were in the wrong, to kill off all of mankind was a terribly rash and impulsive decision on her part. “Ishtar cried out like a woman at the height of labor: O how could I have wanted to do this to my people!” (pg. 78, Gilgamesh) This quote displays Ishtar’s softer side, which is definitely not a dominant characteristic of hers; at least not until she is seeing firsthand the effects of her actions.
The Scapegoat: Enkidu serves as the “sacrifice” or the scapegoat that appeases the gods. The gods say that either Gilgamesh or Enkidu must die on account that they killed both Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. The gods choose Enkidu to die. One reason they do this is because he is already wounded, weakened by Humbaba. Another reason is because Gilgamesh is two thirds god, and apparently that excuses him from any kind of “punishment” like what Enkidu ends up receiving. Enkidu knows that the gods are going to choose him to die, and he doesn’t fight this knowledge or protest against it in anyway, but merely accepts it. He quietly fades away, and as he is dying, he sorrowfully speaks about how his life was before the prostitute took away his innocence; how he knew life in everything at one point in time.
The Temptress: I think the temptress is immortality itself, especially in this story. Immortality is what men strive for, what they crave. Even today, there are those who desire immortal life whether it be because they fear death, or for another reason. Immortality just seems to be an appealing idea to some. In Gilgamesh, only the gods have immortality, and when men begin to defy mortality and go in search of immortality, the gods are not very happy. This would mean that men would be like the gods, and then nothing would set the two apart. The gods send a great flood to wipe out mankind and put men back in their rightful place; to teach them a lesson. So, in desiring immortality and pursuing it, men brought forth their own destruction.
The Good Mother: Although Ninsun is literally a mother and is also protective and worried over Gilgamesh, (and also Enkidu) she is a smaller part and does less physically for Gilgamesh in nurturing and such. The character who nurtures, gives guidance, and all together helps Gilgamesh is Siduri, the barmaid he meets on his way to Utnapishtim. She rubs his back, bathes him, clothes him, feeds him, and lets him sleep and grieve for Enkidu.

Gilgamesh-Book Four

Book 4

After a time, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and wonders if anyone even knows or remembers Enkidu. He asks a passerby if he remembers anyone by the name of Enkidu, and the passerby only shrugs his shoulders. Gilgamesh looks to the walls of his city, at his people’s achievements, and for a moment, he forgets his past sorrows.

Gilgamesh-Book Three

Book Three
Gilgamesh is in extreme grief over the death of his dear friend, Enkidu. He felt he was "no longer a king, but a man who had lost his way." Gilgamesh goes a little crazy with grief and to find eternal life and bring Enkidu back to life become his life's mission. He goes to talk to Utnapishtim, who knows the secret to eternal life. Gilgamesh travels to the mountains of Mashu and encounters the Scorpion people who recognize Gilgamesh as being two thirds god. They think his quest is foolish, and that he will surely not survive this mission, but they let him pass into "the darkness" where they say he will find only grief. He enters the Road of the Sun, (which is kind of ironic because that realm is in complete darkness) and Gilgamesh stumbles his way onward in blindness, still grieving for Enkidu every moment along the way. He comes to a valley that is full of fruit and "precious stones." Gilgamesh shouts the story of Enkidu over the valley. Eventually, he reaches the sea and comes across a cottage where a barmaid named Siduri lives. she helps him, cleanses him, lets him sleep and rest and grieve. She eventually asks him to just stay with her and not continue on his journey. She thinks his quest to be foolish, a waste of time. He is greatly offended and angered by this, and this anger gives him energy enough to set out again to continue on with his journey to find Utnapishtim and the secret of immortality. She tells him he must cross the sea of death with the help of the boatman, Urshanabi. She angers Gilgamesh even more when she tells him he is blind with self-love. He replies that he is "blinded with loss, not self-love." On the way to the boatman, Gilgamesh is smashing things into pieces in all his anger and smashes the "stone images" that were going to help him corss the sea of death. urshanabi says that now he must build poles to push his way across the sea of death. Gilgamesh uses all his poles, but one (the poles are rotted by the sea) and with the last pole, he takes his clothes off and amkes a sail that sails him across the sea of death. He meets Utnapishtim. Uptnapishtim and Gilgamesh discuss immortality and how Uptnapishtim thinks it is to be achieved; however, Uptnapishtim does not thnk that nay man should desire everlasting life. Uptnapishtim is lonely, and full of sorrow. He tells how he came to immortality. He was chosen, he did not desire it as Gilgamesh does. He said that the gods decided to send a great flood down on the city, Shurrupak because men are defying mortality and beginning to search for immortality which is not the condition of men. Ea warns Utnapishtim of the flood and tells him to make a great ship and put all life possible in it. Utnapishtim does this and the animals, his family, and some of his people are safe during the flood. However, many others that are not in the great ship die, and Utnapishtim can hardly bear this. The flood lasts seven days. (This story is very similar to Noah's Arc) Enlil touches U's head and says that now he and his family will be like gods because they survived the great flood. However, Utnapishtim is still very upset at having seen so much death. He still suffers fthis grief as he continues to live on. (Utnapishtim says he envies Gilgamesh's freedom.) Gilgamesh again feels sleepy and sleeps seven days. Utnapishtim says that this is a slothlike man, a man living in death, not really living. He tells the boatman to burn the pelts of Gilgamesh so that he may begin to move on from his grief by letting it go and not hanging onto it. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of a plant deep in the river that will help Gilgamesh lead a new life. Gilgamesh goes to the river and retrieves the plant and hugs Utnapishtim in thanks. He then crosses with urshanabi back over the sea of death. Gilgamesh is now alone again, but he does not feel very lonely anymore with the plant he has. He goes for a refreshing swim in a pool of water and leaves the plant unguarded. A serpent eats the plant and sheds its skin. Gilgamesh sees that the plant is gone and sees the snake skin. He cries.

Gilgamesh-Book Two

Book Two
Gilgamesh and Enkidu, now friends, decide to go kill Humbaba, guardian of the cedar forest. Actually, Gilgamesh is all for this idea, to prove that Humbaba isn't all that scary and powerful and to kill him. However, Enkidu is fearful of this idea. He knows the forest much better than Gilgamesh. The two go to Uruk's wise elders to ask what they should do. The elders decide that to kill Humbaba would be a mighty victory. NInsun "adopts" Enkidu and prays to Shamash (the sun god) to protect the two of them on their journey. The two travel to the cedar forest and enter it. They go to sleep, and Enkidu has frightful dreams that show that only one of them will survive this mission. The next day, Gilgamesh hits a tree with his axe to summon/irritate Humbaba. The two are very scared. Humbaba appears and hits Enkidu to the ground and wounds him. After this, Humbaba falls to the ground, and quickly, Gilgamesh strikes his axe down on Humbaba's neck. Humbaba is dead, but now Enkidu is wounded., The next morning, Ishtar, goddess of love, fruitfulness, and war, visits Gilgamesh and Enkidu. She tries to get Gilgamesh to marry her, but he will not due to the way she has treated her past "lovers." She gets really angry at his refusal and tells her father Anu, god of all gods and god of the sky, that to punish Gilgamesh, they should send the Bull of Heaven (a drought) to starve and thirst men and Gilgamesh. She also thinks the drought will instill new desire in Gilgamesh and all men. Anu sends the Bull of Heaven down to Earth, and it kills three hundred men. Then it goes after Gilgamesh. Enkidu grabs the Bull's tail and twists it until the bull cannot breathe. Then he stabs the bull in the back of its neck. The bull dies, but Enkidu is still suffering from the wound that he received from Humbaba, and he begins to run a fever. The gods decide that either Humbaba or Enkidu must die because they killed first Humbaba and then the Bull of Heaven. Shamash says that Enkidu shouldn't die because he is "innocent," however, Enlil says Enkidu should die because Gilgamesh is two thirds god and is king. They choose Enkidu, who already knows that they will choose him to die. As Enkidu begins to fade away, he talks about his animal friends and blames the prostitute for making him "a man, a man who sees death in things." He asks Gilgamesh why this happens to them; is this what happens to friends?

Gilgamesh-Book One

Book One

In this book we learn of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, who does as he pleases merely because he is king. Aside from this, we also learn of Enkidu, man that is like animal, who is Gilgamesh's supposed equal. Gilgamesh had been having dreams that his mother, Ninsun, interpreted to be about the coming of Gilgamesh's soul mate. As Gilgamesh is having dreams, the story focuses in on Enkidu, the animal-like man, and how he lives amongst the animals. He has known no other way of life than this. One day, a boy stumbles upon Enkidu and watches secretly and in awe as Enkidu acts very much like an animal, but is obviously still human. The boy is the son of a hunter, and Enkidu has been freeing all the animals from the hunter's traps. The boy tells his father about what he saw, and his father tells him to speak to Gilgamesh about it. He tells the boy to ask Gilgamesh to send a prostitute down to Enkidu that will sleep with him, and then Enkidu shall be shamed by the animals and abandoned. The prostitute sleeps with Enkidu, and Enkidu feels the presence of the animals leave him. He is now a man, not an animal. The prostitute shaves his long hair and makes him appear to be a proper man. She then takes him into Uruk where he meets Gilgamesh. Alike in appearance, (Enkidu slightly stronger) the town assumes Ekidu to be Gilgamesh's equal. They wrestle around in dislike for one another, but then realize that they are each others' equal and become friends instead.

Man's Quest For Immortality Presentation

IMMORTALITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfTqXL0d9Ls

5 Steps to prolonging life, leading to immortality
1) Eat a healthy diet.
2) Be active everyday.
3) Take supplements such as vitamins or iron supplements, anything to keep your body's needs in check and balanced
4) Take good care of your body's parts that could be susceptible to early deterioration and your entire body in general. Don't over exert yourself very often, don't get too lazy though. Keep that healthy balance between the two.
5) Cyronics: This is the use of technology to either live longer, forever, or even bring back the dead. Freezing yourself is thought to be a possible way to be able to do these things. (freezing is done by injecting a solution into your system that will preserve your insides; a little like formaldehyde)

I've discovered that some people believe immortality to really happen someday, maybe even within the next 10,000 years, due to advanced technology and newly found knowledge. However, there are some who think that immortality will never be obtainable to any of us. The people who strive for this goal may have a fear of death or maybe they are just driven to do something that has, for years, been considered impossible.

Presentation

"Mad, perhaps insane, he tried to bring Enkidu back to life to end his bitterness, his fear of death. His life became a quest to find the secret of eternal life which he might carry back to give his friend" (Mason, pg. 55).
The quote above describes Gilgamesh's objective or reason for desiring immortality. Today people desire immortality for almost the same reasons as Gilgamesh does. There are three main reasons why people seek immortality: a fear of death, time, and to do what has always been said to be impossible. The biggest common element is fear of death, which ties right into Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is afraid of dying and being forgotten. The same goes for people today. The fear is caused by the thought that one day you will simply stop breathing, you will no longer exist, at least not in life. Although we don't know when we will die, we plan on having a long time before we die. This still isn't reassuring, though, because people know that time will run out eventually. People want to have endless time; time to waste, time to do countless things they've always wanted to do. With a time limit on our life span, we begin to feel rushed, pressured to do the things we want before our time runs out. Another reason people want immortality is because it is said to be impossible. To achieve what is thought to be impossible would be a great accomplishment, a tremendous achievement for people. People desire this success.

1) fear of death
2) running out of time
3) attain the impossible

Themes in the Theban Plays

Proper burial of the dead: Antigone goes against the law to “properly bury” her brother because she feels she has the right to bury a loved one. He didn’t die doing a necessarily “honorable” thing, (attacking Thebes to gain control of it) but he is family and he cannot be replaced because his parents are dead. This is why she wants to give him a proper burial.
“It was by this service to your dear body, Polynices, I earned the punishment which now I suffer, though all good people know it was for your honour. O but I would not have done the forbidden thing for any husband or for any son. For why? I could have had another husband and by him other sons, if one were lost; But, father and mother lost, where would I get another brother?” –Antigone (pg. 150)
Individual vs. State: Antigone against the law; all of Antigone is a good example of this. Antigone defies the law to give her brother, Polynices a proper burial.
“Gods of our fathers, my city, my home, rulers of Thebes! Time stays no longer. Last daughter of your royal house go I, his prisoner, because I honoured those things to which honour truly belongs.” –Antigone (pg. 151)
“You cannot mean…to bury him? Against the order?” –Ismene (pg. 127)
Hubris: Creon rules Thebes with a great amount of pride. He seems to think that the state is a “one man state” in which only his rulings matter.
“The people of Thebes! Since when do I take my orders from the people of Thebes!” –Creon (pg. 146)
“Why, doesn’t every state belong to its ruler?” –Creon (pg. 146)
Purpose of Prophecy: The purpose of prophecy in the Theban plays is that it tells people of their fates. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus hears from a prophet that his fate is to kill his father and marry his mother. However, he could not keep his prophecy from coming true. His fate was pre-determined and his actions through the story only ensured his fate rather than change the course of it.
Theban Legend “…for Apollo’s oracle had nothing but ill to foretell of him: he was destined one day to kill his father, and to become his own mother’s husband. Could any mortal device be proof against the god’s prediction? Could any mortal be so presumptuous as to try to thwart it it?” Theban Legend (pg. 23)
The Blind See: The only one who seems to ever really know what’s going on is the one who cannot see. The prophet, Tiresias, sees things more clearly than everyone in the plays without the use of his eyes.
“You are pleased to mock my blindness. Have you eyes, and do not see your own damnation? Eyes, and cannot see what company you keep? Whose son are you? I tell you, you have sinned-and do not know it-against your own on earth and in the grave. A swift and two-edged sword, your mother’s and your father’s curse, shall sweep you out of this land. Those now clear-seeing eyes shall then be darkened….” –Terisias (pg. 37)
Loyalty: Antigone is loyal to her brother, Polynices when she goes against the law to bury him honorably.
“Is he not my brother, and yours, whether you like it or not? I shall never desert him, never.” –Antigone (pg. 128)
Free will versus Fate: Oedipus believes that he can change the course of his prophecy and he believes that all the actions he makes will bring him to whatever fate he so chooses. He does not believe that the gods choose fates or that fate is a pre-determined thing for people.
“Cithaeron! Foster-mother! Did you shelter me for this? Could you not let me die that instant, instead of saving me to tell the world how I was got? Corinth, and Polybus, My seeming home and parent, did you think what foul corruption festered under the bloom of your adopted son’s young loveliness?-Now found all evil and of evil born.” –Oedipus (pg. 64)
Ritual: It is a ritual to bury the dead. Antigone performs a burial ritual to honor her brother.
“Go your own way; I will bury my brother; And if I die for it, what happiness! Convicted of reverence- I shall be content to lie beside a brother whom I love. We have only a little time to please the living, but all eternity to love the dead. There I shall lie forever. Live, if you will; live and defy the holiest laws of heaven.” –Antigone (pg. 128)
Integrity: Antigone is a person of integrity. This is because she stands by her morals. She is a girl of morals when she is willing to die for what she believes to be right. This is the opposite of her sister, Ismene. Ismene didn’t want to partake in burying Polynices, but still wanted the credit for it later on and wanted to die honorably with Antigone. But Antigone wouldn’t stand for it.
“Whose was the deed, Death and the dead are witness. I love no friend whose love is only words.” – Antigone (pg. 141)

Oedipus as the Tragic Man

1) A Belief in His Own Freedom- Oedipus believes that he is solely responsible for himself. He makes his own choices and accepts any outcomes of those choices. He doesn’t believe that he has a pre-determined fate by the gods, rather, that the choices he makes will eventually lead him to his fate by his own hand and none other than himself decides this. The biggest example of this is when he hears his prophecy that he is to murder his father and marry his mother. Oedipus doesn’t know that his supposed parents are adopted parents. So, in believing them to be his real parents and upon hearing his prophecy, Oedipus runs away to avoid this from happening when really his running away is what led him to destruction and proved the prophecy true. He did not succeed in changed the course of his “pre-determined” fate, rather he ensured it. However, Oedipus, upon learning of his big sin, accepts the outcome of the whole mess and does not try to deny anything.
2) Supreme Pride/Hubris- Oedipus demonstrates a supreme pride in the respect that he feels as though he is above everyone. He (thinks that) he escaped/avoided his prophecy. He solved the riddle of the Sphinx and saved Thebes. His life has been fairly happy and successful up to this point, and that’s one of the main reasons he doesn’t consider Thebes’ recession to be anywhere near his fault. He’s too “high and mighty” in his mind (although he doesn’t display this obnoxiously) to think he could possibly be the one responsible for Thebes’ bad fortunes.
“There was a riddle too deep for common wits; A seer should have answered it; but answer came there none from you; bird-lore and god-craft all were silent. Until I came-I, ignorant Oedipus, came-and stopped the riddler’s mouth, guessing the truth by mother-wit, not bird-lore.” –Oedipus (pg. 37)
3) Capacity for Suffering- Oedipus suffers most upon learning that his prophecy came true after all. He is then living with the knowledge that he killed his own father, married his mother, and they had children together. He is also having to endure the fact that he is the “sinful” or the one responsible for his town and people’s suffering. Oedipus justifies that his actions were all done through his ignorance, but he feels that he deserves severe punishment for those actions nonetheless. Oedipus endures the heavy burden that is placed on him and is strong enough to live with it.
4) A Sense of Commitment- First, Oedipus is committed to avoiding his prophecy, so he runs away from home and later ends up in Thebes. However, the choices he makes from the moment he leaves home up to the time Thebes begins to suffer all move him towards his fate or his “resolution.” So, really, his commitment to escape from his prophecy only ends up making the prophecy come true in the end. Secondly, Oedipus tells the citizens of Thebes that whoever killed King Laius will be banished from Thebes, nothing more, and that would be the “punishment” for the crime. Oedipus commits to this same punishment when the criminal who murdered Laius turns out to be none other than himself. He stands by what he told the people of Thebes the punishment would be and doesn’t try to change it or dismiss it merely because he is king and in charge. He banishes himself and gouges out his eyeballs in his despair which is like an added punishment that he administers to himself.
5) Vigorous Protest- Oedipus speaks with the prophet Tiresias who tells him (after a lot of pestering and egging on by Oedipus) that he, Oedipus is the one who is responsible for the suffering in Thebes. Oedipus is outraged at this and objects, thinking that there is no possible way that he, king of Thebes, is the cause for these hard times. Even upon his first learning that his prophecy came true, Oedipus objects and tries to justify his objection with the fact that he ran away from his parents long ago and hasn’t seen them since.
6) Transfiguration- When Oedipus learns the truth about his real parents and that he actually did kill his father and marry his mother, he suffers greatly from this knowledge. It is through this suffering that Oedipus’ character is transformed. He learns that in trying to avoid his prophecy, he only made it come true and that he couldn’t have possibly avoided it unless he had known who his real parents were, and they hadn’t even know he was alive anyway. With his painful knowledge, he goes from being a man who thought himself on a higher level than others to a man who has lived and who has suffered just as others do. He also sees though that although he could not/did not keep his prophecy from coming true, he still did good things, and he didn’t have to have the same power as the gods to do any of what he did.
7) Impact- The impact on the other characters in the book and what I got out of Oedipus’ story was this: Oedipus is only human. He's just a man. He unknowingly made mistakes in his life and upon recognizing his mistakes, he learns from them just as any person should do. We learn that in trying to be perfect or “god-like” we obtain nothing because we have nothing to learn from. If Oedipus had done everything correctly in his life and not made any major mistakes, what then, would be the point of the story? His actions through the book and at the end also affect his offspring, who are now "damned" without even having done anything merely because they came to be through sin.We learn from our experiences, good and bad, and try to accept when we do things wrong, accept the consequences and move on with our lives and try to do things better or differently the next time. We only have so much time to live before time runs out.

Despair

Question:

What is the meaning of "Despair" and how does this theme manifest itself in both plays?

Answer:

The literal meaning of despair is to lose hope, to be without hope. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus despairs because he finds out that he is the sole cause of his land’s suffering/recession. He also despairs because he learns that he has committed an enormous sin. He learns that he killed his real father and married his own mother for which the gods punish him by spoiling his lands and making the people of Thebes, including Oedipus, suffer. Now he understands that he has been the sole cause for all the suffering, and he has this burden to carry on his shoulders until he dies. He is to be banished from Thebes, which was his own original punishment before he found out the true villain was none other than himself. Oedipus has lost any hope he ever had that he had changed his pre-determined fate. He despairs because he has failed in trying to avoid his prophecy even though he tried very hard to change the course of it. After Jocasta hears of this, she despairs and kills herself. Oedipus then despairs because his wife/mother has killed herself and he gauges his eyes out with golden brooches from her dress. It is his despair that leads him to do this. Oedipus must leave Thebes, his own punishment, and Creon lets him say goodbye to his children/siblings. He despairs because he must leave his family, his home. By the end of Oedipus the King, Oedipus is a perfect example of a hopeless, deeply burdened man who can hardly bear being alive. In Antigone, despair plays a large role in Antigone’s life. She defies the law and buries her brother, Polynices. She despairs because she believes Polynices deserves an honorable burial; he is family, he is irreplaceable to Antigone. Antigone is also in despair about Creon. Creon rules Thebes as a “one man state” otherwise known as the king is always right merely because he is king. Antigone is really upset about this because she did what she believed to be an honorable and respectful thing by burying her brother. Creon views her actions as being unlawful, and that is it. He doesn’t really consider the reasons why she disobeyed the law, and he doesn’t consider the “laws of heaven.” He just thinks that she should be punished because she knowingly broke the law and Antigone is in despair over this. Haemon and Antigone are betrothed, and after Haemon finds out that Antigone will be killed for her “crime,” he gets mad at Creon. (his father) He says if she is to die, then so shall he. Antigone actually hangs herself in her tomb, and at the sight of this, Haemon kills himself. Creon witnesses this and is in much despair over having sentenced Antigone to her death and Haemon by association. Now his son is dead. When Creon’s wife finds out, she too, goes into the palace and kills herself. By this point, Creon is in so much pain and despair that he cries out for the gods to kill him, he prays to be killed, because he cannot bear the pain he feels inside. However, Creon lives and is merely lead away from his dead wife. There is a lot of despair there at the end of Antigone what with everyone killing themselves on account of Creon. It is all very tragic and dramatic, which is what makes the story even more interesting.
So despair really plays a huge part in both Oedipus the King and Antigone.
“I am nothing. I have no life. Lead me away…That have killed unwittingly my son, my wife. I know not where I should turn, where look for help. My hands have done amiss, my head is bowed with fate too heavy for me.” –Creon (pg. 161-162, Antigone)
“O dark intolerable inescapable night that has no day! Cloud that no air can take away! O and again that piercing pain, torture in the flesh and in the soul’s dark memory.” –Oedipus (pg.62, Oedipus the King)

Antigone - Conscientious Objection

Question:

What is "conscientious objection"?In what ways does Antigone demonstrate conscientious objection?In your opinion, did she do the right thing? Explain your view in terms of how 21st Century citizens might view her actions.

Answer:

Conscientious objection is going against the established law to better suit your personal beliefs/morals. Antigone defies the law by burying Polynices whom she believes deserves an honorable and proper burial. I think she did do the right thing in terms of her time period and in terms of today's society. She says that because her and her brother's parents are dead, her brother is someone she can never replace as you could a husband or wife. She uses this to justify her actions, that although her brother may not have been performing honorable acts (going against his brother Eteocles, fighting for Thebes/against Thebes) he was still family and still deserved to be buried properly/justly. The same goes for today's society. Even if one of my family members was considered not honorable or good, they are still family, and if they died, they would not be left unburied and forgotten. They would still receive some kind of burial or funeral, properly.

"It was by this service to your dear body, Polynices, I earned the punishment which now I suffer, though all good people know it was for your honour. O but I would not have done the forbidden thing for any husband or for any son. For why? I could have had another huband and by him other sons, if one were lost; But, father and moster lost, where would I get another brother?...." -Antigone (pg. 150, Antigone)

"What law of heaven have I transgressed? What god can save me now? What help or hope have I, in whom devotion is deemed sacrilege?" -Antigone (pg. 150, Antigone)

Ignorance vs. Guilt- GRADE THIS ONE.

Question: If a person does not know, is that person still guilty of grievous crime?

Consider the plight of Oedipus and a modern day example.What would you do if you were on the jury at the Oedipus trial? What would you do if you were on the jury in a modern day trial?What would cause you to vote one way or another? Values? Beliefs? Evidence? Society Norms? Other information?

Answer:

I don't think a person can truly be guilty of a crime if they are not aware that their actions are unlawful. How are you to avoid doing what's wrong if you are uninformed of its severity? However, if you are able to be knowledgeable and aware of the law and choose not to be, that's a completely different thing.
If I were on jury at Oedipus’ trial, I would first consider the fact that Oedipus was not ignorant of the law, but ignorant of his actions pertaining to the law. So, he knew the law existed, but did not know that he broke the law because he thought he had successfully avoided that route when he first ran away from “home.” Then I would wonder if there was any kind of way he could have known that his actions were unlawful. His real parents thought he was dead, therefore would never even think to expect his return. His adopted parents did not tell him they were not his real parents. So, really, if he had known that he was adopted, he most likely could have avoided his prophecy and avoided law breaking. However, since he was never informed of this, (which was not his fault) he ran away right after hearing his prophecy to avoid breaking the law. But through his ignorance of his true origin, he only ends up making the prophecy come true. I don’t think that he is truly a guilty man, because it was he who was not informed about his being adopted. How then, was he supposed to know that what he was doing was exactly what he shouldn’t be doing?
Regarding modern day situations, I would probably go through the same thought process as with Oedipus. I would rule that a person who could know the law, but chose not to and committed a crime would still be guilty. They were ignorant about the law, but there wasn’t anything keeping them from knowing it. So that would be the person’s own fault, and ignorance would not be an excuse in that case. However, just like in Oedipus’ case, if a person knows the law, but doesn’t know his actions are wrong due to some miscommunication or missing information, (like with Oedipus not knowing he was adopted) then I would say that person is not guilty.
So, basically, if a person knowingly commits a crime, they are guilty. If a person chooses to not know the law, although they easily could, and commits a crime, they are still guilty because they made the choice to not know the law. Ignorance would not be a valid excuse in this case. If a person knows the law, but breaks it unknowingly due to other key factors, they are not guilty. A person can be aware of the law, but not be aware of key information that could keep them out of trouble, and that is what lands them in a bad place, just as with Oedipus.
These are examples that I believe are valid in deciding if a person is guilty or not guilty. I wouldn’t necessarily base my decisions off of my own values or follow society’s example. I would base my decisions mostly on the key evidence of a case; what makes a person guilty of crime and what doesn’t. Of course, there is other information and evidence that play into a person’s case, but in Oedipus’ case, I believe that he is not truly guilty of his crime because although he did do it, he really was ignorant that his actions were in any way wrong.

"Had I any way to dam that channel too, I would not rest till I had prisoned up this body of shame in total blankness. For the mind to dwell beyond the reach of pain, were peace indeed."

-Oedipus (pg.64, Oedipus the King)

"Apollo, friends, Apollo has laid this agony upon me; not by his hand; I did it." -Oedipus (pg. 62, Oedipus the King)

From the Theban Legend: "But by chance he came to hear, again from the mouth of Apollo's ministers, the terrible prediction concerning him. Again, as his parents had done, he sought to give the lie to the oracle. He fled from Corinth, resolved never again to set eyes on his supposed father and mother as long as they lived...." -Theban Legend (pg. 24)

"There passed some fifteen years of seeming prosperity. But beneath the deceptive surface a hideous depth of shame and infamy lay concealed...." Theban Legend (pg. 24)

Antigone

Antigone

Eteocles and Polynices, Antigone and Ismene’s brothers, killed each other in fighting for ownership of the land of Thebes. Eteocles is put to rest via a proper burial, whereas Polynices is to go unburied as a form of punishment. Antigone is determined to bury her brother, Polynices, as she believes he should be buried honorably as Eteocles was. However, her sister, Ismene, tells Antigone that this action will not go unpunished. Ismene tells Antigone that if she indeed buries Polynices, the punishment is death. Antigone doesn’t care, and says she will bury him anyway, as it is the right thing to do; she asks Ismene to help her in the act, but Ismene refuses saying that she will have no part in this scheme, she will not choose death like Antigone so chooses.
Eteocles died defending Thebes from Polynices, who fought against the city and nearly brought about its destruction. This is why Eteocles was given a proper burial upon his death whereas Polynices was left to rot above the earth and not below it. Creon decides that this is the just route to take.
A sentry brings a message to Creon that is urgent, but he is afraid to relate the news because he doesn’t know how the king will react to it. He finally tells Creon that an unknown person has properly buried Polynices. The Chorus suggests that the gods may have done this on their own, but Creon disagrees with this saying that the gods would never do such a thing for a traitor like Polynices. Creon grows suspicious that one of the sentries watching over the burial grounds took a bribe to defy the law/rule of Creon,and illegally buried Polynices. He begins to suspect the current sentry of this crime and threatens him saying that if the real criminal is not found out, he will put the sentry to death. The sentry, in his innocence, is totally freaked out by this and leaves.
The chorus sings about men and their powers, but how men should not always make choices of their own accord, but rather listen to the gods who are the real powers in the world and abide by the laws and rules of their lands.
The sentry returns with Antigone. The sentry tells Creon that he and the other sentries dug up Polynices and left him to lie there. They were then caught up in a storm, but when the storm passed they saw Antigone bent over Polynices, attempting to rebury him. The sentries caught her and asked her if she was the one who originally buried Polynices, and she said she was; she denied nothing they accused her of. And again, when Creon asks her if she committed this crime, she replies that she did, and denies no accusation cast upon her. Creon lets the sentry go, free of all charges and suspicions, and asks Antigone if she was aware of his strict rule that none shall bury Polynices. Antigone replies that she was well aware of this rule, but doesn’t believe she did any wrong by the gods. She says she only broke the rule of Creon, who she believes to be unjust anyway. Creon calls up Ismene and then sentences both sisters to death. Antigone says that her burying Polynices was an honorable act and therefore, she will gladly die for it. She says that most of the town has taken her side against the king’s on the issue, they are just too afraid to confront the king about it. Creon asks Antigone if she thought that burying Polynices was an insult to her other brother Eteocles because they were enemies, and she replies that both brothers, despite their motives, deserve proper burials. She does not want to hold any grudges, but to love. Ismene then says that she will share her sister’s punishment although she had to no part in the rule breaking. Antigone, however, tells Ismene not to do this and that she is a coward for not helping until now and still wanting to die in glory. Ismene still tries to save Antigone by appealing to Creon’s softer side and bringing his son into play because Haemon and Antigone are promised to one another for marriage. Creon, however, does not soften under her words, and orders that the two sisters be tied up and taken away.
The chorus sings a song about how Oedipus’ house is now again full of sadness, death, and deception.
Haemon learns of Antigone’s arrest, and Creon speaks to him about it. Haemon says that he would abide by his father over any woman, and that he is loyal to his father. Haemon also says that the town does not want Antigone to be punished for a deed that is seemingly honorable in most aspects. Creon gets mad at this, that his own people be questioning his ruling/decisions. Haemon then tells Creon that he is shallow and too proud which only infuriates Creon further. Creon then begins to insult Haemon, and the two begin to argue. In doing this, Haemon hints that Creon’s killing Antigone could bring about the death of another person. Creon, enraged, asks for Antigone to be brought out and murdered right infront of Haemon’s eyes, but Haemon gets out of there fast. Creon then decides that Ismene should not have to die, but Antigone will die slowly, locked inside of a tomb alive.
The Chorus sings about love and its powers and how it cannot be overthrown by weapons or warfare and can drive people to insanity. The chorus regards Antigone’s “nobility” as sheer pride as she walks to her tomb.
On the way to her tomb, Antigone declares that she would not have broken Creon’s rule if the person that was not to be buried was her husband or her child because both of those can be replaced. However, a brother whose parents are dead could not be replaced, and that is her justification of the whole situation. She is put into the tomb, and the Chorus sings about other figures in myth who have been put in tombs alive to die, just like Antigone is now.
Tiresias, the blind prophet, is led in by a boy who describes to him everything he sees. The boy is eyes for the both of them. Creon asks for Tiresias’ advice, and Tiresias tells him that his actions towards Polynices’ burial and death punishment for Antigone will make the gods send a “curse” down on Thebes and all who inhabit it. Creon gets angry at this and says that accuses Tiresias of being a blind fool who gives poor advice. Tiresias tells Creon that the gods are to take care of the dead, whether they are honorable or dishonorable; the gods are to decide that. People are limited to rule only within the world’s boundaries. Tiresias, insulted by Creon, asks the boy to lead him away from there. However, Tiresias’ prophecy has shaken up the Chorus and Creon also admits to being a little weary of what is to come. Creon decides he will do what the people of Thebes think he should do. The people tell him to free Antigone of her sad fate, and Creon goes off to do so. The Chorus begins to pray for the protection of Thebes because he is scared about that Tiresias’ prophecy will come true.
A messenger enters and tells the Chorus that Haemon has killed himself. Eurydice, wife to Creon, mother to Haemon, overhears part of the messenger’s news and asks to hear it all, and she says she can bear it no matter how grieving the news may be. The messenger relays the news of her now deceased son who had been heard wailing and crying at the sight of Antigone, who had hung herself in her tomb. Haemon was heard wailing by Creon who had been reburying Polynices, and Creon had gone done to the tomb to see what the sound was. Haemon had then taken a sword and made a plunge for Creon, but Creon ran away. Haemon then plunged the sword into his own self. After hearing this news, Eurydice walks silently back into the palace.
Creon enters the palace, holding Haemon’s body and blaming himself for his death. The messenger then tells Creon that Eurydice has committed suicide due to her extreme grief of her son’s death. The messenger tells Creon that Eurydice blamed Creon for all the death and destruction that had take place due to his extreme pride; this she did just before she stabbed herself in the heart. Creon, overwhelmed by grief, prays and begs for death.
The Chorus sings a song about how the gods are not especially appreciative of the proud and hold no rewards for such persons.

Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King

The book starts off with the townspeople gathering around Oedipus' palace in Thebes and inquiring of Oedipus the despair that has lately been surrounding their lives. One of the eldest men speaks to Oedipus about the town's poverish state and asks him to help the townspeople, the citizens, get out of such a mess. Oedipus tells the old man that he will do all in his power to help and bring the town back to its propserous state. Creon, Oedipus' brother-in-law is sent to speak with Apollo and returns. He speaks to Oedipus about there being a cursed person in the town that is bringing bad fortune to their lands; they say the one, or few, who killed Laius, king before Oedipus, are condemned by the gods and now bring hardship to the land where they reside. Creon says that the murderers of Laius were a band of theives, robbers. He says they must be run out of Thebes in order for the land to once again prosper. Creon says that no one tried to find out the murderers before because the town was being terrorized by a Sphinx who spoke only riddles.

Oedipus tries to find out the murderer himself by promising that whoever confesses will be punished no further than banishment from Thebes. No one confesses, all are quiet. Then Oedipus gets angry and reprimands the citizens for not finding and punishing the murderers long ago, as they rightly should have been at that time.

Oedipus then calls and speaks to Tiresias, the blind prophet. Although he cannot see, he seems to see more than the average man. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he knows of the murderer, but cannot say who he is. This greatly angers Oedipus, and the angrier he gets, he begins to insult Tiresias and finally accuses him of being the murderer. At this Teiresias says that he-Oedipus, king of Thebes-is Laius' muderder. Oedipus is, of course, outraged to hear this accusation, and begins to think that Tiresias and Creon are conspiring against him, to overthrow him.

Tiresias keeps talking, saying that Oedipus does not know of his true parents. Although this makes Oedipus more angry, it also intrigues him, and he asks Tiresias who are his real parents. Tiresias replies that the murderer of Laius will be the brother and father of his children, the son and husband to his mother.

After Tiresias leaves, Creon enters, and Odysseus sort of banishes him under the suspicion of his conspiracy to overthrow him and take his place as king because it was he who told Oedipus to summon Tiresias. However, Jocasta, Oedipus' wife, enters and talks Oedipus out of that madness and Creon leaves.

Jocasta tells Oedipus that all prophets are wrong. She then relates a story in which a prophet told her and Laius that Laius would be killed by their own son. They had their son removed from their home and abandoned, feet pinned together, on a mountainside. Or so they thought. This story sounds somewhat familiar to Oedipus and he asks Jocasta to describe to him the scene in which the king was killed. Jocasta does so, and Oedipus is relieved to know that king Laius was killed by a band of theives, not he, for Oedipus, too, killed a man among other men in a carriage at a three-way crossroads. Oedipus tells Jocasta about when he was child, that one of his father's men drunkily told him that his parents were not his true parents. Oedipus questioned his parents who assured him they were. He was still not sure, though, and traveled to the oracle. The oracle of Delphi did not tell him if his parents were his true parents, but he did tell him that he would eventually kill his own father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus ran away thus coming to Thebes and to rule, and on the way there, is met by a carriage of men who provoke him and he kills all but one or two who escape him. He then traveled to Thebes. (He also solves the Sphinx's riddle, and the town is finally rid of her.)

Oedipus begins to send for those who may know what happened at the three-way crossroads, but no one knows. A messenger arrives and tells Jocasta that Oedipus' father, Polybus, is dead of natural causes. Oedipus and Jocasta are very happy to hear this on account that Oedipus is the rule over Polybus' lands as well now. Oedipus does get weary, though, when he thinks back to the prophecy that he is still to sleep with his mother. The messenger assures Oedipus that no such thing will take place because Merope and Polybus are/were not his real parents.

The messenger then instills fear once again in Oedipus when he speaks about his younger years as a shepherd and how he was given a little baby by another to raise, who's feet had been pinned together. He had delivered that baby to Polybus and Merope, and together they raised him.

Jocasta is slowly piecing together the story and leaves the scene, returns to the palace.

The shepherd who originally took the baby to dispose of it, but could not, is brought forth. He explains that it was he who brought the baby Oedipus from Polybus and Merope themselves. Oedipus finally understands what's going on here, and leaves in an instant, runs back into the palace.

It turns out that Oedipus unknowingly murdered his own father, and married his own mother, and they had children together. Jocasta committs suicide, and at this, Oedipus gouges out his eyes with 'golden brooches.' Oedipus asks to be banished from Thebes, and Creon grants him this, if the gods allow it. Oedipus believes the gods do not want him dead. Oedipus' girls enter so that Oedipus may say goodbye to them. Creon ends the goodbyes and tells Oedipus that it is time for him to go.

Introduction to Oedipus the King

The Introduction

Dramatic Irony: In Oedipus the King, dramatic irony is significant because the main story line is the ignorance of Oedipus versus the well informed-reader/other characters in the book. The reader is filled in on what is going on in the book, whereas Oedipus remains in blissful ignorance until the end when he finds out the truth of his origin and family. The reader, however, is informed of this in the introduction, before the story/play begins.

The introduction also talks about Sophocles, his being a respectable sort of person in prosperity and in hard times up until his death. The introduction mainly sets up the background of the play: the time period, the prosperity, the land's recession, the type of government, and the peoples' struggle to overcome their poverty although without success. This gives the reader the knowledge to better understand Oedipus the King as they read through it.
The chorus acts as a bystander, every once in a while presenting the main themes of the play. The chorus also comments or holds conversation with the other characters in the play.

The Odyssey-Book Twenty

Book Twenty

Odysseus is worried that there are too many suitors for he and Telemachus to overthrow, but is then calmed by Athena who reminds him that the gods will help. Penelope cannot sleep because she is very upset about Odysseus and really doesn’t want to have to remarry, so she asks Artemis to kill her. Odysseus hears her and asks Zeus to send a sign that is good. Zeus sends thunder and a maid nearby gets angry at the suitors. The next day, the suitors meet, and Amphinomus tells them to call of Telemachus’ murder because they all see an eagle with a dove in its talons. This is a sign of doom, they think. Odysseus tries very hard to not lose his temper over the suitors. One of the snobby and wealthy suitors throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus and Telemachus loses his cool and threatens to kill this man. However, the suitors only laugh. Little do they know of their inescapable doom.

The Odyssey-Book Nineteen

Book Nineteen

As soon as the suitors go to sleep, Telemachus and Odysseus go to work collecting and hiding all the weapons. Athena provides light for them to see. Telemachus tells the nurse, Eurycleia, that they are getting the weapons out of harm’s way, out of the way so they won’t get damaged at all. Telemachus then goes to bed, and Odysseus (still disguised as a beggar) is joined by Penelope who wants to ask him questions about his family, his homeland..etc. She wants to know if the “beggar” really has met Odysseus, and she asks him to describe Odysseus and any men that may have been with him as a test to see if he really had met Odysseus. The beggar, Odysseus, describes in detail the clothing he was wearing and the name of one of the men that accompanied him. Penelope believes him because his discriptions are correct. He then tells Penelope the same story he told Eumaeus about how he met Odysseus and how he came to Ithica although he changes the story just slightly. He tells Penelope that Odysseus is indeed still alive and will probably be home very soon. Penelope insists that one of her maids should wash his feet, and Eurycleia does so. Eurycleia was Odysseus’ and Telemachus’ nurse/ a kind of nanny to them their whole lives. She knows everything about Odysseus, and as she is washing his feet, she feels a familiar scar above his knee from when he was little and went boar hunting with his father. She recognizes immediately that this beggar is Odysseus disguised and gets really excited and tearful. Odysseus tells her she must not tell anyone, or it could bring about her own ruin. She promises not to tell anyone. Penelope (who was distracted by Athena during Eurycleia’s discovery of Odysseus) then describes to Odysseus a dream that she has had in which an eagle comes down by her geese and kills them. After the eagle does this, it comes to her and speaks. It says to her that it is her husband, Odysseus, and that it just killed all of her suitors. Penelope doesn’t know what this dream means, but she has finally decided to choose a new husband. She will choose the first man that can shoot an arrow through twelve loop holes in a row.

The Odyssey-Book Sixteen

Book Sixteen

When Telemachus arrives at Eumaeus’ home, he sees Odysseus (still disguised). Eumaeus explains the “stranger’s” story to Telemachus and asks Telemachus if Odysseus might stay at the palace. But Telemachus knows of the suitors’ schemes and doesn’t think it’s a safe idea for either of them to stay there. He sends Eumaeus to the palace to inform Penelope that her son has returned to Ithica safely. When Eumaeus has left to deliver the message to Penelope, Odysseus is left alone with Telemachus. Odysseus is called outside by Athena and while outside she transforms him to a younger, more heroic-looking form of himself. When he goes back inside the hut, Telemachus is shocked and asks who this person is. Telemachus asks Odysseus if he is a god or accompanied by a god to be able to disguise himself and change his appearance so quickly. Odysseus tells Telemachus the truth: that he is his father. At first, Telemachus doesn’t believe him, but is finally convinced that it is true, and they both hug. Then Odysseus begins to form an idea, a plot, of how they are going to get rid of the suitors. He plans to disguise himself again as a beggar in the city. Telemachus will hide all the weapons until the time is right, and then they can both use all the weapons to their advantage to kill the suitors. Eumaeus doesn’t get to Penelope in time to inform her of Telemachus’ return because a messenger from the ship informs the whole city first. The suitors are bummed because they had this plan to kill Telemachus upon his return, but didn’t foresee his sneaky entrance onto Ithica through the countryside. The suitors quickly begin devising a new plan to kill Telemachus. Amphinomus (one of the better suitors) says that everyone should wait for a sign from the gods before doing anything. Later on, Penelope yells at Antinous for plotting to kill her son. Another suitor, Eurymachus, calms her down by lying and saying that Telemachus will be safe.

The Odyssey-Book Fifteen

Book Fifteen

Athena warns Telemachus that he must return home soon to prevent the suitors from marrying his mother. She also warns that the suitors are planning to kill him upon his return so she gives him a route that he must take when he returns to Ithica. He must go first to Eumaeus, and he will tell Penelope that her son is home safe. Telemachus prepares to leave immediately after waking up, and his hosts give him great gifts and send he and his men on their way. Before departing, an eagle carrying a goose swoops down near Telemachus. His hostess, Helen, says it is an omen that Odysseus is going to come back and get revenge on the suitors. Telemachus and his men make a couple of stops on the way to Ithica, before boarding their ship, to rest.
Odysseus (still disguised as an old man) continues to stay with Eumaeus. Eumaeus tells Odysseus of how he first came to Ithica.
Meanwhile Telemachus and his men board their ship and sail to Ithica. Upon arriving in Ithica in the morning, Telemachus takes the separate route to Eumaeus just as Athena told him to do, and his men go on up to the city. Before his men depart from Telemachus, however, they all see a hawk carrying a dove in its talons fly by. One of Telemachus’ men interprets this as a sign that Odysseus’ home and people are strong.

The Odyssey-Book Fourteen

Book Fourteen

Odysseus is back in Ithica disguised as a weary, old man. He goes and stays with the swineherder, Eumaeus. Odysseus is disguised because he doesn't want the suitors to attack him, and also because he wants to know how loyal his people have been while he's been away. Eumaeus begins fill Odysseus in on how faithful Penelope has been and how the suitors are constantly diminishing his goods, eating all the meat. Odysseus listens intently to Eumaeus and knows that he is a loyal and trustworthy man, always praising him (Odysseus) and watching over his goods. Eumaeus feeds Odysseus and gives him clothes to keep him warm. Eumaeus says that Odysseus is most likely dead, and Odysseus disagrees saying that he is probably alive and coming home soon. Eumaeus says that he no longer believes this because so many suitors have come to Penelope and asked for gifts in exchange for news of her Odysseus. But all news is a scam, and Penelope is beginning to lose faith that the real Odysseus will ever return home. Odysseus, when asked about how he came to arrive in Ithica, makes up a story about how he fought at Troy with Odysseus and later went to Egypt, but only to end up poor. However, it was during his trip to Egypt that he claims he heard news that Odysseus was still alive.