LITERATURE CIRCLES

Literary Luminary
Name: Kenneth Nacion
Text: The Odyssey
Date: 9/9
Books: 20-24

Literary Luminary: The Odyssey features a powerful array of epithets and figures of
speech. Your job is: (a) to prepare a summary of the reading. Make a quick statement to discuss
the UNIVERSAL TRUTH found in the text; (b) to identify “Golden Lines”—or special passages
in the text (interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections). You will also ponder on
how certain lines in the text are further illuminated in succeeding scenes. Decide which passages
or paragraphs are worth remembering, and indicate how you plan to present them: (a) You can
read the passages aloud yourself, (b) ask someone else to read them, or (c) read them together
as a group. Make sure to discuss your analysis of the selected text.

Quick Statement: What, for you, is the UNIVERSAL TRUTH in the text? Compare
this with others’.
Cleverness and intelligence is more useful than physical strength in fights
and disputes. Odysseus had a well-made plan on how to carry out his
revenge on the suitors. During the fighting itself, he also positioned himself
strategically so he gained an advantageous position on the suitors. Even if
Odysseus just had a small team fighting with him, through his intelligent
strategy, they were able to defeat the numerous suitors.
GOLDEN LINES Book Significance and Analysis
You dogs, you never thought XXII 35-41
that I would any more come This is when
back from the land of Troy, Odysseus finally
and because of that you revealed himself to
despoiled my household and the suitors and brings
forcibly took my serving about the doom of
women to sleep beside you, the suitors.
and sought to win my wife
while I was still alive, fearing
neither the immortal gods
who hold the wide heaven,
nor any resentment sprung
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from men to be yours in the

future. Now upon all of you
the terms of destruction are
fastened.

Then spare your own people, XXII 54-59 This shows the
and afterward we will make cowardice and the
public reparation for all that selfishness of the
has been eaten and drunk in suitors. Even after
your halls, setting each upon wasting Odysseus’
himself an assessment of household, they still
twenty oxen. We will pay it had the nerve to
back in bronze and gold to bargain with him in
you, until your heart is an effort to save their
softened. Till then, we cannot own skins.
blame you for being angry.

Then resourceful Odysseus XXII 371-374 Odysseus’ revenge

smiled upon him and and wrath is not
answered: “Do not fear. irrational. He spares
Telemachos has saved you the innocent ones
and kept you alive, so you based on what
may know in your heart, and Telemachos said.
say to another, that good
dealing is better by far than
evil dealing.”

Let no rumor go abroad in XXIII 137-140 This shows Odysseus

the town that the suitors planning to keep the
have been murdered, until murder of the suitors
such time as we can make a secret in fear of a
our way out to our estate backlash from the
with its many trees, and once families of the
there see what profitable suitors.
plan the Olympian shows us.
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But if he is truly Odysseus, XXIII 107-110 Penelope, like the

and he has come home, then other people whom
we shall find other ways, and Odysseus revealed
better, to recognize each himself to, doubts
other, for we have signs that Odysseus.
we know of between the two
of us only, but they are
secret from others.

If in truth your are Odysseus, XXIV 328-329 Even Laertes doubts

my son, who have come back Odysseus’ return and
here, give me some fails to recognize his
unmistakable sign, so that I son.
can believe you.

Friends, this man’s will XXIV 426-429 Even if throughout

worked great evil upon the the book, majority of
Achaians. First he took many the Ithacans praised
excellent men away in the Odysseus and have a
vessels with him, and lost the favourable view of
hollow ships, and lost all the him, this line shows
people, and then returning that a significant
killed the best men of the number of Ithacans
Kephallenians. also despise him for
joining the Trojan
War and losing all his
men.

Now that noble Odysseus has XXIV 482-486 Despite Zeus giving
punished the suitors, let Odysseus hell
them make their oaths of throughout most of
faith and friendship, and let his journey, he now
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him be king always; and let wants Odysseus to

us make them forget the have peace. His
death of their brothers and suggestion of peace
sons, and let them be friends rather than war is
with each other, as in the ultimately what saves
time past, and let them have Odysseus’ rule and
prosperity and peace in his kingdom. This is
abundance. also surprising since
this is the first time
I’ve seen Zeus as a
wise character. I’ve
always seen him as
the bossy god who
does things based on
what he wants,
whether it’s smart or
not, and without
regard to the people
affected.
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Possible Reasons for Picking a Passage:

funny controversial important surprising

confusing informative