Fate

In classical mythology the three Fates (Moerae) were goddesses believed to determine a person's fate when he or she is born.  They worked together to set the course of a person's life and determine his or her final end.  Clotho spins the thread of life, Lakhesis measures out each person's days, and Atropos cuts the thread and chooses how and when a person is fated to die. 

Agency is a philosophical term that refers to how free a person is to act independently in the world and have their choices influence the world.  Free will is related to agency, but isn't exactly the same thing.  Free will is how much control people have over their thoughts, choices, and actions from among a variety of options.  This distinction is important, because someone could believe she has a strong degree of agency in her life (control over her choice of a spouse for example), but also still believe she was "destined" to meet that spouse, and also believe that meeting that special person was determined by things mostly outside her control (career/education/geography/time period & life span/etc.)

Using textual evidence, explain how you see fate, agency, and free will functioning in other parts of The Odyssey thus far.  How do these representations of fate, agency, and free will resonate and/or clash with your understanding of 21^st century life and beliefs?  Do you think most people now believe in destiny or champion free will?  Or is this too simple a question?  Do contemporary beliefs fall somewhere in between?  

Is Odysseus Complicated or Consistent? Or ...Consistently Complicated?

One of The Odyssey's enduring strengths is the depth and complexity of the characters. One could read the text repeatedly and come away with fresh insights each time based on the multi-faceted nature of even the minor characters.  We discussed the characters Telemachus and Penelope in Friday's class, and noted how our understanding of each character becomes more complex and varied as the story progresses.  Depending on an individual's perspective, one can read Telemachus and Penelope as having positive and negative character traits.  As we discovered Friday, textual supports exist for both positions. 

Thus far in your reading, what do we know of Odysseus's character?  What kind of man/king/husband/warrior/father/hero/guest/leader is he?  If you had to sum him up in a sentence, how would you describe him?  What character(s) in the book see him the same way?  What specific passage(s) lead you to this description of Odysseus?  Alternately, is such a summary even possible, or are the descriptions of Odysseus too complex for one sentence?  (Remember to back up your position with textual evidence, and let us know which page and line numbers you are referencing.)

Sing, O Muse....

Ancient Athens had nine Muses for the arts, beautiful goddesses who inspired creation and even spoke through the artists and poets who invoked them. Sometimes a Muse simply gave the spark of inspiration an artist asked for, but they also can indirectly create the art and use the poet as a kind of ancient "spokesperson."

The Muse of epic poetry is Calliope, and she is who Homer invokes when he writes:

Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed halls of Troy.
Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,
many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,
fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.
But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove--
the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,
the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun
and the Sungod wiped from sight the day of their return.
Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,
start from where you will--sing for our time too.

Where exactly does the Muse start?  What are some possible reasons to begin the narrative there?  What effect(s) do the choices the Muse/Homer made have on you as a reader?  How does having a Muse as a necessary part of the creation process change our understanding of an artist's relationship to his or her art?  (Don't feel like you have to respond to each question above.  Just use them as a jumping off point for your own idea on the subject.)

Welcome! First Day Post

This is the first post of the semester, and a good way for us all to get to know each other a bit better.  First take a moment to look over the syllabus and schedule in Blackboard.  Then in the comments section off this post, please answer these questions by Tuesday at 5 pm.

Name:

Hometown:

Major:

Aspect of class I'm most looking forward to:

Least looking forward to:

Goals for the class:

Goals for 2010:

One surprising thing about me: