Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part B

(Teiresias Foretells the Future to Odysseus: Henry Fuseli)

I find it interesting how basically every time we see Odysseus and his men in a new scene they are always crying or grieving. It is understandable, but I just think it is odd that the story always points this fact out.

It is sad when Elpenor’s ghost talks to Odysseus and tell him what to do with his body. He is ghost now, but he still has concerns with his body on Earth. It is even more sad when Odysseus sees his mother’s ghost since he didn’t know she had died. This would be a terrible way to find out your mother is dead and this is a very emotional part of the story that I will keep in the retelling.

It is amazing how Teiresias is able to tell Odysseus’s future in great detail. For the retelling, I could possibly add in some funny acts that Odysseus has to do in order to return home safely.

Odysseus talking to his dead mother is the most powerful part of the story. You can feel the raw emotion especially when he tries to hug her. I will definitely try to keep the essence of this scene intact in the retelling because of how memorable it is.

It is really cool how Odysseus got to talk to all of these famous ghosts and learn more about them. The most interesting was Jocasta because I read “Oedipus Rex” in high school so I knew what she did before Odysseus explained. I will keep her character in the retelling.

Seeing Agamemnon in this state is weird because he was just a power-hungry character in the Iliad. I like the contrast in his character now as it shows a different side to him.

Achilles is one of my favorite characters in Greek Mythology and hearing him basically say he would rather be a slave and alive on Earth than dead is interesting. However, it is not surprising because he only joined the Trojan War again to avenge Patroclus. I do want to include the part of Achilles leaving extremely proud of his son because that is a nice moment for Achilles that he can hang onto in death.

I don’t like how Ajax doesn’t say anything to Odysseus because he’s still mad at him. I will change that to where Ajax forgives him and they have a nice reunion like the other people Odysseus talked to.

The Sirens scene could be told in a more comical way. Odysseus could be trying to plead with his men and trying to negotiate to untie him and everything.

The last part with Scylla and Charybdis could be longer since it is such an epic scene. I feel like it was rushed and I didn’t get the full effect of what happened. 

Bibliography: Homer's Odyssey, as translated into English by Tony Kline