. As unchanging immortals, the gods in The Odyssey can turn events, reconcile otherwise impossible motives, and rescue people who have got to be rescued. Analyze how one of the deities we explored—such as Zeus, Athena, Hermes, Calypso, Poseidon, or the Sirens—influences the primarily human field of action in the epic.
- In keeping with the patriarchally-centered epic tradition, The Odyssey focuses upon male heroes who perform exalted war-related deeds. To what extent are there are opportunities for assertions of female determination and will in relation to this formulaic emphasis? Analyze the representation of Penelope in relation to this priority.
- In Book II of The Odyssey, Athena reassures Telemachus “The son is rare who measures with his father,/ and one in a thousand is a better man,/ but you will have the sap and wit/ and prudence–for you get that from Odysseus” (l.287-91). Compare and contrast Telemachus’s journey with that of Odysseus. How does the younger man’s experience enable him to develop as a character?
