1. Odyssey Analytical Discussion
Books 11 & 12

2. Book 11 The Kingdom of the Dead

3. The Journey to the Underworld
Archetypes relating to death
Archetypal ritual for the summoning of the dead

4. Encounter with Elpenor
Summary of encounter
What Greek cultural concept does this encounter reflect?
Motif – temptation, monster, or folly/recklessness?

5. Encounter with Tiresias
Background of Tiresias
The Prophecy
What does it echo?
What will the rest of Odysseus’s journey involve?
What must he do?
What, essentially, does Tiresias warn against?

6. Encounter with Anticleia
Summary of the encounter
Relationship between Odyssey and Anticleia – What can we conclude?
How does this encounter characterize Odysseus? Think about the characteristics of an epic hero.

7. The Rest of the Underworld Reads like a “who’s who” of dead Greek people
Tyro
Antiope
Alcmena
Jocasta
Chloris
Leda
Iphimedeia
Phaedra
Procris
Ariadne
Clymene
Maera
Eriphyte
The interlude on pp reflects the strong oral culture of the Greeks.
In the Underworld, Odysseus learns of many of the other Achaean heroes who either never made it home or didn’t make it home for long.
Agamemnon
Achilles
Patroclus
Antilochus
Ajax
Minos
Orion
Tityus
Tantalus
Sisyphus
Heracles (Hercules)

8. Encounter with Achilles
Concepts of nostos and kleos
What does Achilles say about nostos and kleos? (lines )
How might this relate to the rest of the epic?

9. Book 12 The Cattle of the Sun

10. Circe’s Instructions Relation to Tiresias’s prophecy
What is Circe’s opinion of how Odysseus should handle these situations? What is revealed about her by this?

11. The Sirens Summary of events
What do we make of Odysseus’s actions here?
Motif – temptation, monster, or folly/recklessness?
Metaphorical meaning – restraint, knowledge of life’s risks, lack of control

12. Scylla and Charybdis Summary of the event Epic simile – p. 279
Motif – temptation, monster, or folly/recklessness?
Metaphorical meaning – difficult decisions, “being caught between a rock and a hard place”
What can we learn about dealing with difficult decisions based on Odysseus’s experience of being caught between a whirlpool and a six-headed, man-eating monster?
Evaluate Odysseus’s leadership based on this event. How do we perceive his leadership?

13. Thrinacia – Helios’s Cattle
Summary of events
Role of Eurylochus and his rationale
Imagery
Motif – temptation, monster, or folly/recklessness?
Metaphorical meaning – respect for authority and law
What can we learn about the Greeks’ perception of the relationship between the individual and law/authority?
Evaluate Odysseus’s leadership based on this event.