The odyssey by homer book 10 summary and analysis youtube. Upon landing on the island, odysseus and his men spend two days and nights at rest, before odysseus sets out on the third day in. During this time elpenor, one of the men, died in a drunken fall from circes roof. But odysseus, protected by the herb moly a gift from hermes, compelled her to restore them to. Calypso, on the other hand, is an egocentric, dominating goddess who holds odysseus captive for seven years in hopes of marrying him. He decided to stay and got circe to change the men back. When circe shall smite thee with her long wand, then do thou draw thy sharp sword from beside thy thigh, 295 and rush upon circe. Although never seen as utterly malevolent, more often than not circe is portrayed in a fairly negative light. In book 10 of the odyssey, how does odysseus get circe to release his men. When odysseus arrived circe tried to turn him into a pig, but failed and realized who he was and asked him to stay. Lo, thy comrades yonder in the house of circe are penned like swine in close barred sties. Circe tells odysseus that no man has ever heard the song of the sirens and lived to tell the tale.
This section includes a plot summary, as well as a summary of the literary history from which the author draws in her retelling of the circe myth. When odysseus goes to rescue them, hermes approaches him in the form of a young man. Twelve children of his, too, there are in the halls, six daughters and six sturdy sons. It is interesting to see this from circes perspective, as a lone woman seeking only to defend herself.
Summary and analysis book 10 the bewitching queen of aeaea. Circe was the daughter of helios, a titan who represented the sun, and perse, an ocean nymph. Odyssey book 10 16 questions by 102731 last updated. The next morning, odysseus told the men that he saw smoke rising somewhere in the middle of the island, and the men cried out in fear of the inhabitants of the island. Son of laertes and seed of zeus, resourceful odysseus, you shall no longer stay in my house when none of you wish to.
Eurylochus doesnt trust circe and points out to odysseus that he shouldnt trust her either. After leaving the cyclops, the men travel to the islands of aeolus, the god of winds, who gives odysseus a bag containing all of the bad winds so that his journey will send him directly to ithaca. The internet classics archive the odyssey by homer. Summary having escaped the cyclops, odysseus and his men arrive at the home of. Circe has magic powers, which she uses to turn some of odysseus s men into pigs. They stay for one year, until odysseus finally begs her to let them go home. How does the character of eurylochus serve as a foil to odysseus in book 10. Book 10 recants how odysseus and his crew visit the wind king, aeolus. An ancient audience would find the lack of xenia wrong and as an insult to. Circes island so we sailed on, with heavy hearts for the loyal friends lost, though happy to have escaped death ourselves, and came to the island of aeaea, where circe of the lovely tresses lived, a fateful goddess with a human voice, sister to darkminded aeetes. Though most of circes fame derives from her short encounter with odysseus in book 10 of the odyssey, millers novel covers a longer and more.
In homers odyssey, circe is a witch, who lives in a mansion on the island aeaea, surrounded by a dense forest. Emilia irovic odysseus is finally home with his wife, penelope, and son, telemachus. The odyssey book 10 lyrics aeolus, the laestrygones, circe thence we went on to the aeolian island where lives aeolus son of hippotas, dear to the immortal gods. Much in the way that circe humanises a previously misunderstood character in homers odyssey, as does margaret atwoods the penelopiad. A foil is a character who contrasts w another character. In book 10, odysseus encounters circe, a nymph, and queen of aeaea. Though most of circe s fame derives from her short encounter with odysseus in book 10 of the odyssey, millers novel covers a longer and more complex life. Thence we went on to the aeoli island where lives aeolus son of hippotas, dear to the immortal gods. This 45page guide for circe by madeline miller includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 27 chapters, as well as several more in. Also like calypso, circe is described as lustrous and the nymph with the lovely braids, and is first seen weaving at her loom. Odysseus rushed to save them and along the way hermeswarned him to make circe swear to use no tricks on him and gave odysseus moly to protect him from circes powers. In book ten odysseus is still recounting past adventures to the phaecians. Hbo max has also picked up circe for an 8part miniseries adaptation. She was one of three thousand of her kind, daughters of titans oceanus and tethys.
Circe, like calypso, is an immortal goddess who seeks to prevent odysseus from returning home. Circe, in greek legend, a sorceress, the daughter of helios, the sun god, and of the ocean nymph perse. Around her house, there are strangely docile calm and trained lions and wolves, the victims of her magic potions. Book 10 of homers odyssey finds odysseus and crew on circes island taking a break from their arduous journey home much to the worry of crew. Odysseus and his single ship sailed on, and anchored on circes island. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war.
Death death is hades, the god who rules over the dead. Circe is described as evil in her heart which instantly doesnt make her a good or moral character. Odysseus crew lands next on the island of aiolia, ruled by aiolos, the god of the winds. Homer makes several references in the odyssey to the deceased traveling down to the realm of hades and his queen, persephone per. Paste magazine listed circe as the second best novel of the 2010s, in a list of 40. The following version of this book was used to create your study guide. He should have his men plug up their ears and tie him to the mast so he can listen without. Circe drugs a band of odysseuss men and turns them into pigs. Circe has magic powers, which she uses to turn some of odysseuss men into pigs. The winds blow the ship back to aeolus, who refuses to help them again. She was able by means of drugs and incantations to change humans into wolves, lions, and swine. She is a daughter of the god helios and either the oceanid nymph perse or the goddess hecate. One was named aeetes, and he looked after the golden fleece, a fleece. Circe was renowned for her vast knowledge of potions and herbs.
Odysseus reveals another flaw in book 10 that compounds his hubrispoor. Books like circe and the song of achilles the penelopiad, by margaret atwood. Circe turns the pigs back into men butputs them all into a trance. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Next, the laestrygones destroy all their ships but one. When he resists and is liberated by hermes under orders from zeus, calypso offers him immortality if he will stay. After you do, consider the following circe book club questions. In book 10 of the odyssey, what does circe do to some of. Odysseus reveals another flaw in book 10 that compounds his. His kingdom is generally referred to as the underworld, being thought of as beneath the earth.
Now, aeolus has six daughters and six lusty sons, so he made the sons marry the daughters, and they all live with their dear father and mother, feasting and enjoying every conceivable kind of luxury. The greek hero odysseus visited her island, aeaea, with his companions, whom she changed into swine. Circe told odysseus to travel to the land of the dead to speak to the prophet tiresias. In it are captured all the winds that might drive the ships off. Heros journey the achaeans sail from the land of the cyclopes to the home of aeolus, ruler of the winds. Circe gives odysseus a magic drink, but it does not affect him and he threatens to kill her with his sword. They rested for two days, and odysseus went out and killed a deer to feed his men. Having escaped the cyclops, odysseus and his men arrive at the home of aeolus, master of the winds, where they are greeted warmly and hosted for a month. Aeolus presents odysseus with a bag containing all of the winds, and he stirs up a westerly wind to guide odysseus and his crew home.
In short, everyones crazy about this book, and you probably will be too once you read it. Circe, the grace of the witch detail of tilla durieuxas circe about. Recall the events from book 10 of homers odyssey, and then answer the questions in one or two sentences. After 10 years at war, and 10 years of traveling home, odysseus is finally home at ithaca but before he can officially return to his household, he must kick the suitors out of his house. This is a timeline of odysseus journey from ithaca to the trojan war then back home by. He sends them off with a fair wind and a bag of violent winds. Circe lures odysseus men, and gives them a feast meat and wine. Circe encourages odysseus to pass through the land of the dead next so. Odysseus and his men stayed on circes island for a year but grew increasingly restless. In the beginning of the selection, how does eurylochus prove himself to have good judgment. It is an island that floats as it were upon the sea, iron bound with a wall that girds it. Questions on circe and book 10 of the odyssey essay example.
Eager to move on, odysseus receives an oxskin pouch from aeolus. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Even then, circe helps the greeks with supplies and advice. Odysseus continues sharing the story of his journeys with the phaeacians in book 10 of homers the odyssey, including a stay with the god of the winds and meeting circe. Once circe realizes who odysseus is, why does her attitude toward him change. Circe also fails to show xenia to odysseus as although she does offer him food, she asks multiple questions to him. The achaeans sail from the land of the cyclopes to the home of aeolus, ruler of the winds. The wanderings of odysseus homecoming readings book 10. Odysseus and his single ship sailed on, and anchored on circe s island. More is made of the relationship between circe and odysseus and it forms the main core of the book, particularly the latter half.
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