An Overview of the Branches of Philosophy essays

An Overview of the Branches of Philosophy essays Generally speaking, philosophy the critical examination of the grounds for fundamental beliefs and an analysis of the basic concepts employed in the expression of such beliefs. Philosophical inquiry is a central element in the intellectual history of many historical civilizations. The word is from the Greek (by way of Latin, philosophia) and means "love of wisdom" (Martinich provides a brief definition and description of three approaches to philosophical investigation: metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology (including its two branches, aesthetics and ethics). Metaphysics. This branch of philosophy deals with the ultimate nature of human existence, largely as an extension of the Metaphysics of Aristotle. This collection of treatises placed after the Physics [Gr. metaphysics =after physics ] treated what Aristotle termed the First Philosophy. The primary focus of metaphysical speculation is termed "ontology," which is the study of the ultimate nature of being; however, philosophical theology and cosmology are typically considered branches of metaphysics as well (Metaphysics 2000). This branch of philosophy leaves nothing unquestioned and proceeds entirely without assumptions; according to Walsh (1963), "The only propositions with which a metaphysician could properly be content were propositions whose truth could not be denied, or whose truth was seen to be involved in their own attempted denial" (11). Epistemology. This field of philosophy is defined as the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge. The term comes from the Greek episteme ("knowledge") and logos ("reason"), and accordingly the field is sometimes called the theory of knowledge (Martinich Axiology. This branch of philosophy is concerned with "values" and "what is good" (Morris 1961:219). "If axiological issues underlie ethical ...

Creating Compelling Characters

Creating Compelling Characters Creating Compelling Characters Creating Compelling Characters By Guest Author This is a guest post by Ali Hale. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. The success of a story rests on its characters. We remember truly compelling, vivid characters long after weve finished reading a novel or watching a movie: Im sure you can recall characters from books you read in childhood. Great characters can compensate for a weak plot or a so-so writing style – but if readers dont care about your characters, theyll put your story down. That clever plot twist or beautiful passage of writing might hook them briefly, but without characters that leap off the page, readers wont stay engaged. If you need more evidence that characters are crucially important, search Google for fan fiction. Many, many books, TV series and movies have spawned a huge amount of creative writing by fans – and this writing is all about the characters. The plots and sometimes even the settings are different from those in the original, but the characters remain the same. Simply knowing how important characters are doesnt help you much, though. You need to figure out how to create truly compelling characters who readers care about, laugh about, even cry about. Heres how: What Does Your Character Need? All compelling characters have a strong need, longing or desire. They should have a problem to overcome. They may not recognise this need (and indeed, many stories are about person coming to understand themselves better – for example, learning that they need companionship). I picked up a great tip on figuring out what characters need from Holly Lisles Create a Character Clinic. Use Maslows hierarchy of needs. Pick a level on the pyramid (you can find all you need to know on Wikipedias page) and then figure out what your character is seeking. At the most basic, physical level, your character might be in a survival situation and need food and water. Going up a level, you might have a character whose security is threatened: perhaps shes lost her job, or hes facing a health crisis. Quirks Dont Equal Character Many beginning writers make the mistake of thinking that giving a character a set of mannerisms or physical quirks is characterisation. It can be amusing and diverting, certainly. Sure, you can give your character a habit of whistling a particular tune, or jangling his keys, or peering over her glasses. But these alone dont make your characters compelling. When your characters do have unusual quirks, these need to be relevant to their back story – the things which happened to them before they appeared in your book. (Compelling characters need to be like icebergs: the reader has to have the sense that theres a lot more under the surface: characters shouldnt feel like they didnt exist before page one.) For example, Harry Potters scar is an important feature because it relates to his history and to the broader plot of the stories. Giving your character a mysterious scar which has no relevance to your story, however, isnt a shortcut to becoming as popular as J.K. Rowling In general, focus on who your character is rather than what they look like. Draw From Life – But Not Too Much So where do powerful, vivid characters come from? Often, the best place to start is yourself. What do you dream about, fear, desire? What secrets do you have? What are you most ashamed of – and most proud of? If youre trying to convey a characters internal thoughts, then you must be willing to draw on your only source of direct experience: the inside of your own mind. Dont go too far in drawing on real life, though. Beginning writers sometimes make the mistake of writing a version of themselves into their stories – often a perfect, flawless character who theyd quite like to be! While this might be emotionally satisfying to the writer, its either very irritating or very boring for readers. Some other tips when drawing on your life are: Were all complex people who may, at times, behave in contradictory ways. Dont make your characters too one-dimensional Most of us have quiet, even boring, lives. Your characters need to do more exciting things in order to engage the reader. Dont worry about describing your characters physically. Mention anything thats important (eg. a characters physical size may have a bearing on the plot and on their self-confidence) but dont burden the reader with details. Watch people when youre out and about, and make up stories about them. Let the Reader Empathise Your reader doesnt necessarily have to like your characters, but they should be able to feel a sense of empathy for them. Even your villains shouldnt be purely evil: there needs to be some explanation for why theyre such awful people – this often forms part of their back story. On the flip side, your heroes shouldnt be too perfect. We like to read about people with flaws, doubts and struggles – because when we read, were imagining ourselves in their place. Characters are compelling when we can share their struggles and cheer on their victories. Some quick ways to build empathy are: Show a character suffering (either mentally or physically) Include a brief flashback to an unhappy childhood or traumatic incident Write about your characters thoughts – especially if their actions might be hard for us to understand or treat sympathetically Use the first-person or third-person limited (deep) point of view Show a character being misunderstood by others Frustrate a characters attempts to meet their need Finally, have fun with creating your characters! If you find yourself writing about a character who bores you, then rewrite them – or recast them as a new character entirely. When you write characters that are truly compelling to you, theyll be compelling to the reader. Ali Hale is a writer whose posts getting more from life at Aliventures have been called so true, exactly what I need and exactly at the right time for me (click to grab the RSS feed here). When shes not blogging, shes working on her novel and other projects, including an MA in Creative Writing. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†The Possessive Apostrophe5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Assignment # 1 - Geography of Everyday Life Essay

Assignment # 1 - Geography of Everyday Life - Essay Example Although people inside the gym are normally few in the mornings, the place normally smells of sweat as people strain and flex their body muscles under various loads. The gym is decorated with pictures of people with a lot of muscle and strength. Whenever I get inside this place, I first feel some temporary tension especially when I think of having to bear the load of weights I will lift. Visiting the gym daily makes me feel more confident about my physical appearance and makes me feel strong, fit and physically powerful. For many people, the gym is a place where one expends some energy to rejuvenate the mind while at the same time strengthening muscles. This is a place where people invest their confidence in to control their Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure and boost their muscular endurance. After showering, eating, and spending a little time in the privacy of my home, I walk down to the harbour on a regular basis. The Lakeshore Harbour is a commercial area which welcomes millions of tourists each year, especially in the summertime. It is a huge open area where public events are held daily during the summer, and almost every weekend until extreme weather hits. The interesting thing about the harbour is that it is an extremely busy public area open for anyone, yet it is also the place I like to go when I feel the need for some peace and quiet. The sound of water gently hitting the beach is normally very pleasant to my ears. Although the sound is never pleasant during turbulent weather, the site of the pace is usually captivating during such times. The site of people relaxing, children playing and people rowing in boats or riding on floats is quite delightful to me especially when the sky above is clear. Urban parks, such as the harbour surroundings, are highly valued lan dscapes. They represent sources of pleasure, leisure, and escape from the concrete of the streets, and everyday sensuous encounters with ‘nature’. If

Moral relativism and Moral absolutism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moral relativism and Moral absolutism - Essay Example The concept of moral relativism stipulates that there is no sense in asking abstract questions concerning whether an act is either good or its bad. As per the theory, abstract questions that contain neither goodness nor badness in them. The concept stipulates that the issues of goodness and badness can only be found in contexts that are specified. Therefore, this implies that an action can be good for a certain individual but on the other hand be bad for another individual. It also suggests that certain acts may be correct in a certain cultural setting but considered to be bad in another cultural setting (Moral Relativism. Info). However, if the concept of moral relativism is considered true, an act should not be questioned on its goodness or badness in its abstract form but should only be questioned in particular situations. Different people view the issue of more relativism as being a palpable truth and undeniable whereas others perceive it as a threat to the ethical foundations up on which societies are built (Hammerlinck). The concept of moral relativism has been supported with various proofs by different people. Some of them have put forward arguments from disagreements, flexibility and from tolerance. Those who have forwarded arguments from disagreements argue that ethical relativism best describes the fact that different cultures and individuals have different ethical beliefs. From this perception, the ethical disagreements demonstrate that the issue of morality is just but a product of our personal opinions or our different cultures. This is the exact claim that has been put forward by the notion of moral relativism (Moral Relativism. Info). Other arguments for the notion of moral relativism that have been presented from flexibility arguments stipulate that the issue of moral absolutism will certainly break down when exposed to particular situations.

Link Between Entrepreneurship and Economic Development

Link Between Entrepreneurship and Economic Development In the influential article by Solow (1956), a structure was given for the readers to have a clear view of the linkage between economic growth and the basic important factors of production. He suggested ways in which maximum economic growth is easily achievable through his dynamic state of the art framework. Solows model named as the growth accounting framework, includes two factors; physical capital and labor precisely, whereas technological change being the implicit factor. One of the basic purposes is to tell the reader about the entrepreneurial trends going on in the world. Entrepreneurship is a central focus in the growth policy which is well matched in the Solows model and it is also linked to the economic growth at the same time. It is linked to the economic growth in the sense that it is facilitating the current organizations through spillover of knowledge and in turn increasing the economic growth. According to Acs (2004) and Audretsch (2006) the term knowledge filter for the commercialization of the firm in terms of RD, human capital, university research etc may not be the only sources of economic growth. It has been noticed that the investment in new knowledge has been substantial resulting in growth and decrease in unemployment, but it blocks commercialization of new knowledge investments in turn reducing innovative activity and ultimately declining growth. The growing of entrepreneurship policy to promote economic growth is an attempt to create entrepreneurship capital, or the ability of an economy to generate the start-up of new firms. Porter (1990) said that Entrepreneurship is at the heart of national advantage. The role of entrepreneurship motivates economic growth through innovation and sustaining of competition among competitors. Entrepreneurship is an important part of industrial growth and the backbone of any country for its economic development. The spirit of entrepreneurship brings about enthusiasm, persistence and the ability to seek entrepreneurial opportunities that lead to success. A countrys ability to generate a steady stream of business opportunities can only come about when its people take to entrepreneurial activities. Entrepreneurs are essentially the engines of growth for a country. Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs are vital drivers of economic growth, employment, innovation and productivity and it has been long understood by analysts and economic theoreticians. Entrepreneurship is the driving force behind the growth in the modern economy. Taking into consideration the topic I have chosen the following dimensions: Entrepreneurship Commercialization Investment Capital New firms Now I will thoroughly discuss each dimension separately Entrepreneurship: According to the Small Business service 2002, the term entrepreneurship is derived from the word entrepreneur, and it is commonly referred to as the activity that individuals connect in that is often characterized by a unique reflection, innovative approaches and risk taking in order to create a new business or grow an existing business. It can be defined as a managerial performance that time after time develop opportunities to bring results beyond the individuals own capabilities, which involves creativity and innovation says Thompson (1999) and it is also a focus on change and opportunity as well as organization-wide management says Wickham (2001). Entrepreneurship is an attitude that covers an individuals motivation and capability, independently or within the context of an organization and to spot an opportunity and to pursue it in order to create wealth or economic success. It is advance thinking outside the box leading to new ideas, new products or services. Better production methodologies and efficient ways of doing things also helps in economic growth according to Khan (2008). Cantillon, (1700s), used the term entrepreneur to refer to a person who took an active risk-bearing role in pursuing opportunity. It is not a 21st century phenomenon as Coulter (2003) says. Deakins and Freel (2003) in their research found out that entrepreneurship acts as a catalyst in bringing about an economic change and helps in economic development. Entrepreneurship is the apparent aptitude and enthusiasm of persons, on their individual base, in groups, inside and outside existing organizations to make out and generate new economic opportunities (new products, new production methods, new organizational schemes and new product-market combinations), and to introduce their ideas in the market, in the face of uncertainty and other obstacles, by making decisions on location, form and the use of resources and institutions says Wennekers and Thurik (1999). Schumpeter in his theory of Economic Development emphasizes the role of the entrepreneur as basic cause of economic development. He describes how the innovating entrepreneur challenges existing firms; by introducing new inventions that make current technologies and products obsolete. This process of creative destruction is the main characteristic of what has been called the Schumpeter Mark I regime. This process of creative accumulation is the main characteristic of the Schumpeter Mark II regime. Commercialization: Commercialization is a process that helps firms achieves a good name in the market economy. New technologies are introduced in the market and they further help in attaining much public attention. Commercialization has been occurring throughout the world and proves helpful in getting much surface attention. The basic component of commercialization of innovation includes patent protection and capital investments. According to the WIPO2007; National Governors Association 2008, both the patent requests along with the easy governmental policies for promotion of capital investments in concept to the new commercial applications are rising. Economic development is possible through successful commercialization. It is a cycle as commercialization increases the economic value by creating high skilled people which in turn is the basis of highly waged jobs and both these lead towards the stability of the economy. New technology in commercialization is playing its vital role as this knowledge when applied appropriately and in the right direction helps in the growth of the economy. A five stage model of commercialization process according to Jolly (1997) has been outlined in order to attain market entry of new procedures, goods and techniques. These stages are as follows: Imaging stage This is the first stage in which the researcher finds the basic research which relates to a new concept. Technology exploration is the main purpose of this stage. Incubating stage In the incubating stage, the already existing techniques and technologies are examined, the ones that are being generically used and tested. Demonstrating stage Prototypes are created in this stage of the new concept. Promoting stage This stage is the beginning of the entry and expansion of the prototypes being created in the demonstrating stage. Sustaining stage The last stage according to Jolly tells us that whether the prototype is able to sustain the in the long run or not (David A. Boulay; Charles T. Worley; Meagan Barnes , 2008) Investment: Investment and entrepreneurship are interrelated with each other. Entrepreneurship is not possible without investment. Investment is required for production of new products and services. It is also required for enhancing knowledge and technology which helps in innovation. In intrapreneurship: conceptualizing entrepreneurial employee behavior by Jeroen de Jong Sander Wennekers in (2008), the major inconsistent elements of entrepreneurship are the investment of personal financial means and the related financial risk taking, a higher degree of self-sufficiency, and legal and fiscal aspects of establishing a new independent business. New ventures started by entrepreneurs are often risky and they require heavy investment. It is a risk that entrepreneurs take; in order to bring out a new innovation in the form of a new product or new service or even a new methodology of production, into existence. The transformation of knowledge into a new product is risky and if the idea clicks the investment is turned into profit which helps in economic development. According to Baumol (2002a, 2002b) the entrepreneurial function of risk taking in the innovation process from the role of larger current corporations that are engaged into routine processes of large scale innovation. In the impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth by M.A. Carreea b.c and A.R. Thurika, a large amount of companies guide to high interest in huge amount of investment and research and development programs leading to high growth where as less amount of investments in research and development lead to slow growth. Capital: Capital is the financial asset that is used for investment in the entrepreneurial activity to start a new venture of innovate the existing one. However, entrepreneurial and risk taking behavior certainly makes apparent itself in the creation of new ventures. Higher the entrepreneurship intensity is, the higher the level of the hidden variable entrepreneurship capital becomes. Entrepreneurship capital means the ability for economic agents to generate new firms. Entrepreneurship has typically been referred to as an action, process, or activity whereas entrepreneurship capital is the ability of the people to generate new firms and help in the economic prosperity of the world. According to G. Hofstede (2002), entrepreneurship capital can also be a part of stock capital as it reflects other numerous factors such as legal, institutional and social factors. A recent study shows that entrepreneurship capital is somewhat a missing link in describing the variations in economic performance says Acs and Audretsch (2003) From the economic perspective, Hebert and Link (1989) distinguish between the supply of financial capital, innovation, allocation of resources among substitute uses and decision-making. Such perspectives generate a high propensity for economic agents to start new firms can be characterized as being rich in entrepreneurship capital. Entrepreneurship capital exerts a positive impact on economic output for a number of reasons. The first being mechanism for knowledge spillovers. Romer (1986), Lucas (1988 and 1992) Grossman and Helpman (1991) recognized that knowledge spillovers are an important mechanism underlying growing expansion. A second way that entrepreneurship capital put forth a positive impact on economic out-put is through the increased competition by high number of enterprises. Jacobs (1969) and Porter (1990) argue that competition is more conducive to knowledge externalities than is local monopoly. A third way that entrepreneurship capital generates economic output is by providing variety among the firms. Not only does entrepreneurship capital generate a greater number of enterprises, but it also increases the multiplicity of enterprises in the location. A key assumption made by Hannan and Freeman (1989) in the population ecology literature is that each new organization represents a unique approach. Entrepreneurship Capital and Economic Growth by Audretsch and Keilbach tells that entrepreneurship capital contributes to output and growth by serving as a means for knowledge spillovers, increasing competition, and by instilling diversity leading to economic growth. New Firms: Schumpeter (1942) gave his work in a very influential manner and since then entrepreneurship has been the hot topic in economic growth and development. With the advent of entrepreneurship, new firms and new employment opportunities are created which brings with it productive innovation says Baumol (2002). It is important to understand factors that promote new firms to economic development. High level of new firms is created with entrepreneurial activities which significantly promotes economic vitality and shows that the economy is dynamic rather than being static. Different factors affect the creation of new firms such as unemployment, population growth, industrial structure, and human capital, the availability of financing and entrepreneurial individuality. Building on the contributions of urbanism Jane Jacobs, Lee, Florida and Gates (2002) showed that social diversity and human capital have constructive relationships with regional innovation production measured by per capita patent production. According to Rynolds, (1994) factors like unemployment, population, industrial scattering and financial availability are important in terms of new firm formation. Armingten and Acs (2002) found that industrial intensity, income growth, population growth and human capital were closely related to new firm formation. Kirchhoff (2002) found academic research and development expenditure to be associated with rates of new firm structure across regions. Studies noted the significance of the function of association in entrepreneurship. Saxenian (1999) found that extensive networks of Chinese and Indian workers help people start new firms with the help of contacts and financial support in Silicon Valley. STUART and SORENSON (2003) argue that businesses cluster because geographical closeness enables them to use social ties necessary to gather together essential resources. Conclusion: Entrepreneurship is a vast topic which covers the major aspects of economic growth. Entrepreneurship is possible with the help of new innovative ideas that gives birth to new firms. For making the innovation real, investment is required in capital and assets. All these dimensions lead towards economic growth of the world.

Bob and the Troubles of China

Name ________________________ The Odyssey Study Questions- ANSWERS Book One (p. 77-92): 1. What do you see as the attitude of the Gods' towards men? They think men are foolish. They bring most pain and suffering upon themselves. 2. What do you see as the attitude of the Greeks towards hospitality? They take the role of hosts seriously. The Greeks had to open their home, be gracious, and share their food, and drink with their guests. 3. How would you characterize Telemachus at this point? What are his strengths? Telemachus is trying to be a good host and holds himself to a higher set of standards.He is disgusted by the behaviors of the suitors around his home. He cares about the values and morals of the Greeks. 4. What are his weaknesses? He has allowed the suitors to overtake his father’s home. 5. How does Athena plan to affect Telemachus? Athena poses as a man, Mentes (Odysseus’ friend) and enters Telemachus’ home. She tells Telemachus that Odysseus is still ali ve and that he must rid the home of the suitors. 6. What tragic homecoming story do we hear of? How does it relate to the situation in Ithaca? The Achaeans’ Journey Home from Troy.It is the story of Odysseus and his men. 7. Who is Phemius? The bard- he tells stories and entertains. 8. How does Telemachus show strength with Penelope? He confronts her when she is weeping over Odysseus. â€Å"I hold the reins of power in this house† (p. 89) 9. How does this relate to the visit of Athena? Athena helps Telemachus to confront his mother and the suitors- something he would not have done on his own. Athena now sends him on a journey to find his father (Book Two). Book Two (p. 93-106): 1. What is the suitor's attitude towards Penelope's reluctance to choose one of them?The suitors think Penelope is toying with them. They want Telemachus to stand up to his mother and either make her choose a suitor or kick her out. 2. Why do they think it is their right to â€Å"demand† t hat she choose? They think they can demand Penelope choose because she has been leading them on for over three years. Penelope has been weaving a shroud for Laertes. She told the suitors she would choose from among them when she finished the shroud, but the men found out she has been unweaving it at night. 3. What are the two different interpretations of the omen?The omen: two eagles (Zeus’ animal) fly across the sky (p. 98). Interpretation 1: Halitherses says Zeus is saying Odysseus will return home shortly (p. 98). Interpretation 2: Eurymachus says they are just birds, but then offers his own prophecy: Telemachus will be hurt and Halitherses will be fined (p. 99). 4. How does Telemachus respond to the position put forward by Antinous? Antinous wants Telemachus to force his mother to choose and says that Telemachus should forget that he and his mother have been wronged and just feast with the suitors.Telemachus refuses on all accounts. Antinous says Telemachus will die on hi s journey. (p. 102-103) *He lets his nurse (nursemaid) know he is leaving to go to Sparta, but doesn’t want to tell his mother till â€Å"ten or a dozen days have passed / or she misses me herself and learns I’m gone† because â€Å"she mustn’t mar her lovely face with tears† (p. 105). BOOK THREE SUMMARY At Pylos, Telemachus and Mentor (Athena in disguise) witness an impressive religious ceremony in which dozens of bulls are sacrificed to Poseidon, the god of the sea.Although Telemachus has little experience with public speaking, Mentor gives him the encouragement that he needs to approach Nestor, the city’s king, and ask him about Odysseus. Nestor, however, has no information about the Greek hero. He recounts that after the fall of Troy a falling-out occurred between Agamemnon and Menelaus, the two Greek brothers who had led the expedition. Menelaus set sail for Greece immediately, while Agamemnon decided to wait a day and continue sacrifici ng on the shores of Troy. Nestor went with Menelaus, while Odysseus stayed with Agamemnon, and he has heard no news of Odysseus.He says that he can only pray that Athena will show Telemachus the kindness that she showed Odysseus. He adds that he has heard that suitors have taken over the prince’s house in Ithaca and that he hopes that Telemachus will achieve the renown in defense of his father that Orestes, son of Agamemnon, won in defense of his father. Telemachus then asks Nestor about Agamemnon’s fate. Nestor explains that Agamemnon returned from Troy to find that Aegisthus, a base coward who remained behind while the Greeks fought in Troy, had seduced and married his wife, Clytemnestra.With her approval, Aegisthus murdered Agamemnon. He would have then taken over Agamemnon’s kingdom had not Orestes, who was in exile in Athens, returned and killed Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. THIS IS THE STORY ZEUS WAS REFERRING TO IN BOOK 1. Nestor holds the courage of Oreste s up as an example for Telemachus. He sends his own son Pisistratus along to accompany Telemachus to Sparta, and the two set out by land the next day. Athena, who reveals her divinity by shedding the form of Mentor and changing into an eagle before the entire court of Pylos, stays behind to protect Telemachus’s ship and its crew.BOOK FOUR SUMMARY In Sparta, the king and queen, Menelaus and Helen (â€Å"THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED 1000 SHIPS†- THE ONE THE TROJAN WAR WAS OVER), are celebrating the separate marriages of their son and daughter. They happily greet Pisistratus and Telemachus, the latter of whom they soon recognize as the son of Odysseus because of the clear family resemblance. As they all feast, the king and queen recount with melancholy the many examples of Odysseus’s cunning at Troy. Helen recalls how Odysseus dressed as a beggar to infiltrate the city’s walls.Menelaus tells the famous story of the Trojan horse, Odysseus’s masterful gambit that allowed the Greeks to sneak into Troy and slaughter the Trojans. The following day, Menelaus recounts his own return from Troy. He says that, stranded in Egypt, he was forced to capture Proteus, the divine Old Man of the Sea. Proteus told him the way back to Sparta and then informed him of the fates of Agamemnon and Ajax, another Greek hero, who survived Troy only to perish back in Greece. Proteus also told him news of Odysseus—that he was still alive but was imprisoned by Calypso on her island.Buoyed by this report, Telemachus and Pisistratus return to Pylos to set sail for Ithaca. Meanwhile, the suitors at Odysseus’s house learn of Telemachus’s voyage and prepare to ambush him upon his return. The herald Medon overhears their plans and reports them to Penelope. She becomes distraught when she reflects that she may soon lose her son in addition to her husband, but Athena sends a phantom in the form of Penelope’s sister, Iphthime, to reassure her. Ip hthime tells her not to worry, for the goddess will protect Telemachus. Book Five (p. 152-167): 1.How long does Odysseus stay on Calypso's island? He was with Calypso for seven years (she got him on his way home from Troy). 2. What is the source of Calypso's power over Odysseus? She is an attractive goddess who is â€Å"lustrous† (p. 155, 157, 158). It is a sexual seductive power. 3. What do we learn of Calypso's feelings for Odysseus? She loves Odysseus and saved him. She wants to keep him (p. 156). He does not want her â€Å"unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 157). 4. What will Calypso give Odysseus if he stays with her? Hermes comes from Zeus and demands Calypso release him.She offers Odysseus immortality if he stays with her (p. 158-159). 5. Calypso asks Odysseus to compare her with Penelope; does Odysseus respond satisfactorily? â€Å"[Penelope] falls short of you [Calypso], / your beauty, stature. She is mortal after all / and you, you n ever age or die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 159). REMEMBER, GODDESSES ARE ULTRA SENSITIVE. 6. How would you characterize the making of the raft, and the departure of Odysseus? Cut 20 trees and made his raft (more of a ship) with Calypso bringing him tools and showing him where things were. It took 4 days. On the 5th day, Calypso launched him from her island.On the 18th day, Poseidon noticed him â€Å"Outrageous! † (p. 161) and created chaos on the ocean. 7. For how many days does Odysseus swim? Three days (p. 164). 8. Why does Zeus, despite his liking of Odysseus, allow Poseidon to make this journey such an ordeal? Poseidon is a god and angry. Zeus will not allow him to kill Odysseus, but take out his frustration. 9. Ino-Leucothea, in the guise of a seabird, gives him her veil. Why veil? She felt bad for him, â€Å"Ah poor man, / why is the god of earthquakes so dead set against you? †¦ Here, take this scarf [veil], / tie it around your waist— it is immortal† (p. 63) . To save him. He could tie it around himself without weighing himself down. 10. Why does Odysseus return Ino's veil to the sea? He returned it to her as she was in the sea (he feared it at first thinking it might be a trick of another goddess) (p. 166). 11. After two days of swimming, note several phases of decision-making. Does Odysseus accomplish his rescue on his own? â€Å"If I clamber out, some big comber will hoist me, / dash me against that cliff†¦ If I keep on swimming down the coast, trying to find a seabeach †¦ another gale will snatch me up and hail me back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 165).He needed help from Athena and Ino. BOOK SIX SUMMARY That night, Athena appears in a dream to the Phaeacian princess Nausicaa, disguised as her friend. She encourages the young princess to go to the river the next day to wash her clothes so that she will appear more fetching to the many men courting her. The next morning, Nausicaa goes to the river, and while she and her handmaidens a re naked, playing ball as their clothes dry on the ground, Odysseus wakes in the forest and encounters them. Naked himself, he humbly yet winningly pleads for their assistance, never revealing his identity.Nausicaa leaves him alone to wash the dirt and brine from his body, and Athena makes him look especially handsome, so that when Nausicaa sees him again she begins to fall in love with him. Afraid of causing a scene if she walks into the city with a strange man at her side, Nausicaa gives Odysseus directions to the palace and advice on how to approach Arete, queen of the Phaeacians, when he meets her. With a prayer to Athena for hospitality from the Phaeacians, Odysseus sets out for the palace. BOOK SEVEN SUMMARY On his way to the palace of Alcinous, the king of the Phaeacians, Odysseus is stopped by a young girl who is Athena in disguise.She offers to guide him to the king’s house and shrouds him in a protective mist that keeps the Phaeacians, a kind but somewhat xenophobic people, from harassing him. She also advises him to direct his plea for help to Arete, the wise and strong queen who will know how to get him home. Once Athena has delivered Odysseus to the palace, she departs from Scheria to her beloved city of Athens. Odysseus finds the palace residents holding a festival in honor of Poseidon. He is struck by the splendor of the palace and the king’s opulence.As soon as he sees the queen, he throws himself at her feet, and the mist about him dissipates. At first, the king wonders if this wayward traveler might be a god, but without revealing his identity, Odysseus puts the king’s suspicions to rest by declaring that he is indeed a mortal. He then explains his predicament, and the king and queen gladly promise to see him off the next day in a Phaeacian ship. Later that evening, when the king and queen are alone with Odysseus, the wise Arete recognizes the clothes that he is wearing as ones that she herself had made for her daughter N ausicaa.Suspicious, she interrogates Odysseus further. While still withholding his name, Odysseus responds by recounting the story of his journey from Calypso’s island and his encounter with Nausicaa that morning, which involved her giving him a set of clothes to wear. To absolve the princess for not accompanying him to the palace, Odysseus claims that it was his idea to come alone. Alcinous is so impressed with his visitor that he offers Odysseus his daughter’s hand in marriage. BOOK EIGHT SUMMARY The next day, Alcinous calls an assembly of his Phaeacian counselors.Athena, back from Athens, ensures attendance by spreading word that the topic of discussion will be the godlike visitor who recently appeared on the island. At the assembly, Alcinous proposes providing a ship for his visitor so that the man can return to his homeland. The measure is approved, and Alcinous invites the counselors to his palace for a feast and celebration of games in honor of his guest. There, a blind bard named Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. Everyone listens with pleasure except Odysseus, who weeps at the painful memories that the story recalls.The king notices Odysseus’s grief and ends the feast so that the games can begin. The games include the standard lineup of boxing, wrestling, racing, and throwing of the discus. At one point, Odysseus is asked to participate. Still overcome by his many hardships, he declines. One of the young athletes, Broadsea, then insults him, which goads his pride to action. Odysseus easily wins the discus toss and then challenges the Phaeacian athletes to any other form of competition they choose. The discussion becomes heated, but Alcinous diffuses the situation by insisting that Odysseus join them in another east, at which the Phaeacian youth entertain him and prove their preeminence in song and dance. Demodocus performs again, this time a light song about a tryst between Ares and Aphrodite. Af terward, Alcinous and each of the young Phaeacian men, including Broadsea, give Odysseus gifts to take with him on his journey home. At dinner that night, Odysseus asks Demodocus to sing of the Trojan horse and the sack of Troy, but as he listens to the accomplished minstrel he again breaks down. King Alcinous again notices and stops the music. He asks Odysseus at last to tell him who he is, where he is from, and where he is going.Book Nine (p. 211-229): 1. Where do Odysseus and his men go first after they leave Troy? Ismarus- they raided the city, killed the men, and took the women. 2. Who are the Cicones? The people of Ismarus. They bring an army against Odysseus and kill six men from each of his twelve ships. 3. Who are the lotus eaters? They offer Odysseus’ men lotus flowers which make them uncaring about anything but eating more lotus flowers. 4. How does Polyphemus prevent Odysseus and his men from leaving his cave? He puts giant boulder in front of the mouth of the cav e. 5. What does Polyphemus' diet consist of?People, goats, cheese, milk. 6. Are the Cyclops in any way civilized? (Opinion) 7. What mistake does Odysseus makes as he sails away? He tells Polyphemus his real name and taunts him. Book Ten (p. 230-248): 1. After the attack from the Laestrygonians, how many ships are left out of the original twelve? One- only Odysseus’ ship. 2. What sort of character is Circe? What craft does she practice that Penelope also practices? She is immortal and a sensual woman. She is gifted in weaving like Penelope (remember her death shroud deal). 3. Why (aside from her magic) is she able to turn Odysseus' men into swine?How do they offend her? She drugged the men when they drank. She didn’t like their behavior. 4. Into what does Circe transform Odysseus' crew? Pigs. 5. What does Hermes give to Odysseus? Moly (a poisonous plant) to stop him from being changed by Circe’s wine potion; it is no longer poisonous because a god gave it to him. 6. What makes Odysseus give in to Circe's enticements? Is this typical of him? She is a beautiful immortal woman who promised to return his crew to their form. We know he stayed with Calypso, so it seems within character. 7. How long does Odysseus stay in Circe's palace? year. 8. Why does he want to leave? He wants to go back to Ithaca and his wife. 9. Where must Odysseus go to learn his way home? He must go to the Underworld and talk to Tiresias (the blind prophet- same one from Oedipus). Book Eleven (p. 249-270): 1. What favor does Elpenor ask of Odysseus? He wants Odysseus to give his body a proper burial- the one who fell off of the roof at Circe’s and died (p. 251). 2. What ritual does Odysseus perform in order to meet those in the Underworld? He gives libations (milk, honey, wine, water) and performs sacrifices (sheep). 3.What does Tiresias do in order to speak to Odysseus? He had to drink the blood of the sacrifices. 4. What does Odysseus learn about his journey from Tiresias in Hades? He will get home, but if he touches the cattle of Helios, he will lose all his men and have a more treacherous trip home (p. 253). He will have to make amends to Poseidon at the end of his journey. 5. What does Odysseus learn from Anticleia? What does he try to do after she speaks to him? Why does he fail? Anticleia is his mother. She died of grief while he was gone. Penelope is still waiting for him. His father is still alive but is ad because Odysseus is still gone. He kept trying to hold/hug her, but she kept dissolving because she is only a soul. 6. What does Agamemnon tell Odysseus about how men should feel about women? Is it significant that earlier in the book we hear about celebrated women? He thinks women are shameful. They are manipulative and wily (p. 262- 263). 7. What is the reason for Ajax's anger at Odysseus? Ajax refuses to talk to Odysseus. Ajax still holds a grudge over the fact that Odysseus won the armor of Achilles (during the Trojan War). 8. What is the Greek Underworld (Hades) like?The souls come up out of Erebus. As Persephone brings him through the Underworld, he sees Minos judged the dead. Orion is in a field, Tityus is being tortured with two eagles eating his liver. He sees torment and suffering everywhere. 9. What do you make of Tantalus and Sisyphus? They are being punished for eternity. Tantalus can’t eat or drink but is forever thirsty and hungry. Sisyphus is constantly pushing a boulder to the uphill and it rolls back down just as he is about to push it over the top. They are to suffer futility. Book Twelve (p. 271-285): 1. Why has Odysseus returned to Aeaea?He needs to bury the body of Elpenor as he promised. 2. How does Circe help him? She warns Odysseus of all the dangers that await them- the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the cattle of the sun god and how to lose the fewest men. 3. What does the episode of the Sirens tell us about Odysseus' character? Homer's understanding of the power of music? He alo ne is to hear the Siren’s song. He is unique and stronger than the other men with whom he travels. Homer understands that music has power to seduce, tame, and incite. 4. What advice does Odysseus take that Circe gives him about Scylla and Charybdis?What does this tell us about leadership? He braves Scylla rather than Charybdis. If he took on the whirlpool, he would have lost his entire crew. He is willing, as a leader, to make hard choices. 5. Why are the cattle of Helios' island so tempting? The men have not eaten fresh meat in a long time. 6. What warning does Odysseus give his men? Do not eat the cattle of the sun god. 7. This is not the first time Odysseus' warnings are ignored. Whose fault is this? Opinion. 8. This is also not the first time Odysseus's orders are defied. Does this absolve him of responsibility? Opinion. BOOK THIRTEEN SUMMARYThe account of his wanderings now finished, Odysseus looks forward to leaving Scheria. The next day, Alcinous loads his gifts on boa rd the ship that will carry Odysseus to Ithaca. Odysseus sets sail as soon as the sun goes down. He sleeps the whole night, while the Phaeacian crew commands the ship. He remains asleep even when the ship lands the next morning. The crew gently carries him and his gifts to shore and then sails for home. When Poseidon spots Odysseus in Ithaca, he becomes enraged at the Phaeacians for assisting his nemesis. He complains to Zeus, who allows him to punish the Phaeacians.Just as their ship is pulling into harbor at Scheria, the prophecy mentioned at the end of Book 8 is fulfilled: the ship suddenly turns to stone and sinks to the bottom of the sea. The onlookers ashore immediately recognize the consummation of the prophecy and resolve to abandon their custom of helping wayward travelers. Back in Ithaca, Odysseus wakes to find a country that he doesn’t recognize, for Athena has shrouded it in mist to conceal its true form while she plans his next move. At first, he curses the Phaea cians, whom he thinks have duped him and left him in some unknown land.But Athena, disguised as a shepherd, meets him and tells him that he is indeed in Ithaca. With characteristic cunning, Odysseus acts to conceal his identity from her until she reveals hers. Delighted by Odysseus’s tricks, Athena announces that it is time for Odysseus to use his wits to punish the suitors. She tells him to hide out in the hut of his swineherd, Eumaeus. She informs him that Telemachus has gone in search of news of him and gives him the appearance of an old vagabond so that no one will recognize him. BOOK FOURTEEN SUMMARY Odysseus finds Eumaeus outside his hut. Although Eumaeus doesn’t recognize he withered traveler as his master, he invites him inside. There Odysseus has a hearty meal of pork and listens as Eumaeus heaps praise upon the memory of his former master, whom he fears is lost for good, and scorn upon the behavior of his new masters, the vile suitors. Odysseus predicts that Eumaeus will see his master again quite soon, but Eumaeus will hear none of it—he has encountered too many vagabonds looking for a handout from Penelope in return for fabricated news of Odysseus. Still, Eumaeus takes a liking to his guest. He puts him up for the night and even lets him borrow a cloak to keep out the cold.When Eumaeus asks Odysseus about his origins, Odysseus lies that he is from Crete. He fought with Odysseus at Troy and made it home safely, he claims, but a trip that he made later to Egypt went awry, and he was reduced to poverty. It was during this trip, he says, that he heard that Odysseus was still alive. BOOK FIFTEEN SUMMARY Athena travels to Sparta, where she finds Telemachus and Pisistratus, Nestor’s son. She tells Telemachus he must hurry home to Ithaca before the suitors succeed in winning his mother’s hand. She also warns him of the ambush that they have set and explains how to avoid it.Finally, she instructs him to head first for the home of the swineherd Eumaeus, who will convey the news of his safe return to Penelope. The next day, Telemachus announces his departure and accepts gifts from Menelaus and Helen. As Telemachus pulls away from the palace in his chariot, an eagle carrying a goose stolen from a pen swoops down beside him. Helen interprets the incident as an omen that Odysseus is about to swoop down on his home and exact revenge on the suitors. Once at Pylos, Telemachus has Pisistratus drop him off at his ship, insisting that he has no time to spare to visit Nestor again.The ship is about to set off when Theoclymenus, a famous prophet’s descendant who is fleeing prosecution for a crime of manslaughter that he committed in Argos, approaches Telemachus and asks to come aboard. Telemachus welcomes him and offers him hospitality when they get to Ithaca. In the hut of Eumaeus, Odysseus tests the limit of his hospitality by offering to leave in the morning, a false gesture that he hopes will prompt Eu maeus to offer to let him stay longer. He urges the old man not to go out of his way and says that he will earn his keep working for the suitors, butEumaeus will have none of it. To get mixed up with those suitors, he warns, would be suicide. Odysseus and the swineherd then swap stories. Eumaeus explains how he first came to Ithaca: the son of a king, he was stolen from his house by Phoenician pirates with the help of a maid that his father employed. The pirates took him all over the seas until Laertes, Odysseus’s father, bought him in Ithaca. There, Laertes’ wife brought him up alongside her own daughter, the youngest born. The next morning, Telemachus reaches the shores of Ithaca. He disembarks while the crew heads to the city by ship.He entrusts Theoclymenus to a loyal crewman, Piraeus. As they part, they see a hawk fly by carrying a dove in its talons, which Theoclymenus interprets as a favorable sign of the strength of Odysseus’s house and line. Book Sixtee n (p. 338-353): 1. How does Eumaeus greet Telemachus? He wept and sobbed. He greeted him as he would his own son. (p. 339) 2. What errand is Eumaeus sent on? He is to tell Penelope that Telemachus has returned and to have her housekeeper tell Odysseus’ father (Laertes) that he is home (p. 343). 3. Why does Odysseus reveal his identity to Telemachus?Athena urged him on so the two could plot the demise of the suitors (p. 343-344). 4. How does Odysseus' look when he reveals himself to his son? p. 344- He is tall, handsome, black hair, etc. He is heroic looking (godlike). 5. How does Telemachus react when Odysseus identifies himself? At first he does not believe it is him. â€Å"No, you’re not Odysseus! Not my father! † (p. 344). 6. What are the three major points of strategy in the plan which Odysseus tells to Telemachus? a. Odysseus will pretend to be a beggar as he enters the hall with the suitors.Telemachus will hide all the weapons except for 2 swords, 2 spears , and 2 oxhide bucklers for Odysseus and Telemachus. b. Athena ; Zeus will daze the suitors. c. Odysseus and Telemachus will kill all the suitors (and possibly Penelope if she has not been faithful). 7. What does Antinous try to get the suitors to do? He wants them to plot to kill Telemachus (p. 350). 8. Who offers a different perspective? Amphinomus says that it’s not right to kill the descendants of kings, but if Zeus wants it, then he will do it, but not before. 9. How does Penelope learn of what the suitors are thinking?The herald Medon told her what transpired (p. 351). 10. How does Penelope react to this information? She confronts Antinous (p. 351). 11. Which of the suitors attempts to reassure her? Eurymachus tells her no one will try to hurt her son. BOOK SEVENTEEN SUMMARY Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut and heads to his palace, where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and the nurse Eurycleia. In the palace hall he meets Theoclymenus and Pi raeus. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace; he fears that the suitors will steal them if they kill him.When he sits down to eat with Penelope, Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta, but he doesn’t reveal that he has seen Odysseus with his own eyes in Eumaeus’s hut. Theoclymenus then speaks up and swears that Odysseus is in Ithaca at this very moment. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town in Telemachus’s footsteps. On the way they meet Melanthius, a base subordinate of the suitors, who heaps scorn on Eumaeus and kicks his beggar companion. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace.The suitors give him food with great reluctance, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him. When Odysseus answers insult with insult, Antinous gives him a blow with a stool that disgusts even the other suitors. Report of this cruelty reaches Penelope, who asks to have the beggar brough t to her so that she can question him about Odysseus. Odysseus, however, doesn’t want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen’s room. Eumaeus announces that he must return to his hut and hogs, leaving Odysseus alone with Telemachus and the suitors. BOOK EIGHTEEN SUMMARYAnother beggar, Arnaeus (nicknamed Irus), saunters into the palace. For a beggar, he is rather brash: he insults Odysseus and challenges him to a boxing match. He thinks that he will make quick work of the old man, but Athena gives Odysseus extra strength and stature. Irus soon regrets challenging the old man and tries to escape, but by now the suitors have taken notice and are egging on the fight for the sake of their own entertainment. It ends quickly as Odysseus floors Irus and stops just short of killing him. The suitors congratulate Odysseus.One in particular, the moderate Amphinomus, toasts him and gives him food. Odysseus, fully aware of the bloodshed to come and overcome by pity for Amphi nomus, pulls the man aside. He predicts to Amphinomus that Odysseus will soon be home and gives him a thinly veiled warning to abandon the palace and return to his own land. But Amphinomus doesn’t depart, despite being â€Å"fraught with grave forebodings,† for Athena has bound him to death at the hands of Telemachus (18. 176). Athena now puts it into Penelope’s head to make an appearance before her suitors.The goddess gives her extra stature and beauty to inflame their hearts. When Penelope speaks to the suitors, she leads them on by telling them that Odysseus had instructed her to take a new husband if he should fail to return before Telemachus began growing facial hair. She then tricks them, to the silent delight of Odysseus, into bringing her gifts by claiming that any suitor worth his salt would try to win her hand by giving things to her instead of taking what’s rightfully hers. The suitors shower her with presents, and, as they celebrate, Odysseus instructs the maidservants to go to Penelope.The maidservant Melantho, Melanthius’s sister, insults him as an inferior being and a drunk; Odysseus then scares them off with threats. Hoping to make Odysseus even more angry at the suitors, Athena now inspires Eurymachus to insult him. When Odysseus responds with insults of his own, Eurymachus throws a stool at him but misses, hitting a servant instead. Just as a riot is about to break out, Telemachus steps in and diffuses the situation, to the consternation of the suitors. Book Nineteen (p. 390-409): 1. What ruse does Odysseus tell Telemachus to carry out at the beginning of the book?Telemachus is to tell the suitors he is putting the weapons away for safe keeping and so that they will not hurt each other when they are drunk. 2. What does the stranger ask Penelope not to ask him? Why? Does she ask him anyway? He says, â€Å"don’t, please, search out my birth, my land, / or you’ll fill my heart to overflowing even more / as I bring back the past† (p. 394). The stranger is Odysseus and he doesn’t want to reveal himself yet. She wants to test his honesty. 3. Where does Odysseus tell Penelope he is from? Does this story have anything in common with the story he tells Eumaeus?He says he is from Crete. It parallels (many of the same strokes) the stories he has told in the past (he has to keep his lies in order). 4. How does Penelope react to what she hears of Odysseus? How does Odysseus react to her reaction? She is moved and upset. She weeps and says she believes he knew Odysseus. He reassures her. He is happy that she misses him and has been loyal to him. 5. What prediction does Odysseus give to Penelope? Odysseus will return within the month. â€Å"True, this very month- just as the old moon dies / and the new moon rises into life- Odysseus will return! (p. 400). 6. How did Odysseus obtain the scar that Eurycleia recognizes? (On his foot) He got it while hunting boar with his gra ndfather Autolycus. 7. What does Odysseus say to Eurycleia? He says he will kill all of the maids in the house, but Eurycleia says she will tell him who is guilty and who is innocent. 8. What is the dream which Penelope describes to Odysseus? How does he interpret it? An eagle kills all of her 20 geese. It then speaks â€Å"Courage, daughter of Famous King Icarus! / This is no dream but a happy waking vision, / real as day, that will come true for you. These geese were your suitors†¦ † (p. 407-409). Odysseus says it is a prophecy of the future- that Odysseus has basically told her through her dream what will happen. 9. How does the stranger affect Penelope? Why is she favorably disposed toward the stranger? She trusts him (because she can connect with him). 10. How does Penelope plan to test the suitors to see which one she will marry? She will marry the one who can string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through 12 axes set in a line (think the aspects of a hero- they have a special weapon only they can wield).BOOK TWENTY SUMMARY Penelope and Odysseus both have trouble sleeping that night. Odysseus worries that he and Telemachus will never be able to conquer so many suitors, but Athena reassures him that through the gods all things are possible. Tormented by the loss of her husband and her commitment to remarry, Penelope wakes and prays for Artemis to kill her. Her distress wakes Odysseus, who asks Zeus for a good omen. Zeus responds with a clap of thunder, and, at once, a maid in an adjacent room is heard cursing the suitors.As the palace springs to life the next day, Odysseus and Telemachus meet, in succession, the swineherd Eumaeus, the foul Melanthius, and Philoetius, a kindly and loyal herdsman who says that he has not yet given up hope of Odysseus’s return. The suitors enter, once again plotting Telemachus’s murder. Amphinomus convinces them to call it off, however, when a portent of doom appears in the form of an eagle carrying a dove in its talons. But Athena keeps the suitors antagonistic all through dinner to prevent Odysseus’s anger from losing its edge.Ctesippus, a wealthy and arrogant suitor, throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus, in response to which Telemachus threatens to run him through with his sword. The suitors laugh and laugh, failing to notice that they and the walls of the room are covered in blood and that their faces have assumed a foreign, ghostly look—all of which Theoclymenus interprets as portents of inescapable doom. Book Twenty-One (p. 424-438): 1. What must the stringer of the bow do with his shot? Shoot the arrow through 12 axes in a line (almost impossible) with one arrow. 2.In what way do Telemachus' words after â€Å"giving up† show him to be a worthy son? He could have strung the bow, and is doing this on purpose to entice the suitors to the challenge, but in the process makes himself look weak- something he is willing to do for his father. 3. Wh at is Antinous' and Eurymachus' reaction to the challenge? Antinous yells at the servants for crying. He then admits it will be a difficult challenge to overcome (which he hopes to do). Eurymachus considers it a disgrace if they cannot string the bow. 4. Melanthius is ordered to do what in order to make the bow easier to bend?Get a fire going and grease. They will â€Å"Heat and limber the bow and rub it with grease† to make it easier to bend (p. 430). 5. How does Odysseus prove his identity to the cowherd and the swineherd? He showed them the scar on his foot. 6. What is the purpose of the â€Å"biography† of the bow? It shows us that his bow is special (only he can wield it). â€Å"His well-sprung bow was there, / and quivers, too, with lots of painful arrows, / gifts he had received from Iphitus, his friend, / son of Eurytus, a man like the immortals, / when they'd met in Lacedaemon, in Messene, / at the home of wise Ortilochus.Odysseus / had gone there to collect a debt the people owed— / Messenian men had run off with three hundred sheep / and seized the shepherds, too, leaving Ithaca  / in their ships with many oars. Because of this, / Odysseus, who was just a boy, had been sent  / a long way by his father and other senior men, / part of an embassy. Iphitus was searching / for twelve mares he'd lost and sturdy mules, as well, / still on the teat. Later on these animals / led him to a fatal destiny, the day he met / the mortal Hercules, Zeus' great-hearted son, / who knew all there was to know about great exploits. Hercules slaughtered him, although he was a guest  / in his own home—a cruel man who didn't care / about the anger of the gods or the dining table / he'd set before him. After their meal, he killed him / and kept the strong-hoofed mares with him at home  / for his own use. While Iphitus was enquiring / about these horses, he got to meet Odysseus / and gave him the bow. In earlier days, this weapon had been u sed by mighty Eurytus, and when he died, / he'd left it for his son in his high-roofed home. / Odysseus had given him a keen-edged sword  / and a powerful spear, as well. This was the start / of their close friendship.But they never bonded / as mutual dinner guests—before that happened / Zeus' son had murdered Iphitus, son of Eurytus, / a man like the immortals, who gave Odysseus / that bow of his. Lord Odysseus never took it / whenever he went off to war in his black ships. / It lay there in his home as a memorial  / to a dear friend. He carried it in his own land. † 7. Penelope's taking the bow from its hiding place is one of the most moving moments in this part of the poem – why? This is the first time we really see Penelope weep openly for Odysseus. She sobs and believes that he is never coming home. She then sat down, placed the bow case on her knees,/ and wept aloud, as she took out her husband's bow. † Book Twenty-Two (p. 439-454): 1. What is Ant inous doing when Odysseus shoots him? Why is he the first victim? He shoots him just as he’s about to drink. 2. How do the other suitors appeal to Odysseus? At first they turn on him (the stranger) and tell him he will be punished for killing a man of Ithaca. Once Odysseus reveals himself, they say he has gotten his revenge- Antinous was the one who spurred them on. They offer to repay him for all they have taken, eaten, and destroyed. (p. 440-441) 3. How does Eurymachus react to Mentor? 4. How much does Athena help Odysseus, and how much is the victory his? She gives him guidance and makes the suitors (most of) miss when they are throwing spears at Odysseus and Telemachus. Arguments can be made that he would not have won without her guidance and interference. 5. Who tests the strength and courage of Odysseus and Telemachus? Athena. â€Å"Athena spoke. But she did not give him the strength  / to win that fight decisively. She was still testing / the power and resolution of Odysseus / and his splendid son. So she flew up to the roof / inside the smoky hall, and sat there, taking on  / the appearance of a swallow. 6. The dead suitors are compared to what kind of creatures? Bodies= dead fish Bodies= ox lion (Odysseus) has â€Å"devoured† 7. Which appendages does Melanthius lose? Where do they end up? (Remember Antinous' threats to send Irus to Echetus in the beginning of Book 18; and a similar threat to Odysseus in Book 21) They â€Å"lopped (cut off) his nose and ears with a ruthless knife, / tore his genitals out for the dogs to eat raw / and in manic fury hacked off hands and feet† (p. 454). BOOK TWENTY-THREE SUMMARY Eurycleia goes upstairs to call Penelope, who has slept through the entire fight.Penelope doesn’t believe anything that Eurycleia says, and she remains in disbelief even when she comes downstairs and sees her husband with her own eyes. Telemachus rebukes her for not greeting Odysseus more lovingly after his long ab sence, but Odysseus has other problems to worry about. He has just killed all of the noble young men of Ithaca—their parents will surely be greatly distressed. He decides that he and his family will need to lay low at their farm for a while. In the meantime, a minstrel strikes up a happy song so that no passers-by will suspect what has taken place in the palace.Penelope remains wary, afraid that a god is playing a trick on her. She orders Eurycleia to move her bridal bed, and Odysseus suddenly flares up at her that their bed is immovable, explaining how it is built from the trunk of an olive tree around which the house had been constructed. Hearing him recount these details, she knows that this man must be her husband. They get reacquainted and, afterward, Odysseus gives his wife a brief account of his wanderings. He also tells her about the trip that he must make to fulfill the prophecy of Tiresias in Book 11.The next day, he leaves with Telemachus for Laertes’ orchar d. He gives Penelope instructions not to leave her room or receive any visitors. Athena cloaks Odysseus and Telemachus in darkness so that no one will see them as they walk through the town. BOOK TWENTY-FOUR SUMMARY The scene changes abruptly. Hermes leads the souls of the suitors, crying like bats, into Hades. Agamemnon and Achilles argue over who had the better death. Agamemnon describes Achilles’ funeral in detail. They see the suitors coming in and ask how so many noble young men met their end.The suitor Amphimedon, whom Agamemnon knew in life, gives a brief account of their ruin, pinning most of the blame on Penelope and her indecision. Agamemnon contrasts the constancy of Penelope with the treachery of Clytemnestra. Back in Ithaca, Odysseus travels to Laertes’ farm. He sends his servants into the house so that he can be alone with his father in the gardens. Odysseus finds that Laertes has aged prematurely out of grief for his son and wife. He doesn’t recog nize Odysseus, and Odysseus doesn’t immediately reveal himself, pretending instead that he is someone who once knew and befriended Odysseus.But when Laertes begins to cry at the memory of Odysseus, Odysseus throws his arms around Laertes and kisses him. He proves his identity with the scar and with his memories of the fruit trees that Laertes gave him when he was a little boy. He tells Laertes how he has avenged himself upon the suitors. Laertes and Odysseus have lunch together. Dolius, the father of Melanthius and Melantho, joins them. While they eat, the goddess Rumor flies through the city spreading the news of the massacre at the palace. The parents of the suitors hold an assembly at which they assess how to respond.Halitherses, the elder prophet, argues that the suitors merely got what they deserved for their wickedness, but Eupithes, Antinous’s father, encourages the parents to seek revenge on Odysseus. Their small army tracks Odysseus to Laertes’ house, b ut Athena, disguised again as Mentor, decides to put a stop to the violence. Antinous’s father is the only one killed, felled by one of Laertes’ spears. Athena makes the Ithacans forget the massacre of their children and recognize Odysseus as king. Peace is thus restored. *All summaries from SparkNotes. com

Essay on LSD - 1087 Words

LSD For thousands of years people have spoke of all types of visions. Whether the visions were from religious groups, Indian tribes, or self proclaimed prophets; all types of people have seen things. This was more than likely occurring with the help of different types of hallucinogens. Hallucinogens have been around since the beginning of time. Some mushrooms, cactus flowers, and even different types of mold are all able to produce hallucinogenic effects. However, it was only within the last century that man actually started to produce his own. LSD, or lysergic acid diethylamide-25, is a relatively new substance in society. All known effects show LSD, or acid, as the harmful drug most people know it as. There are people who believe†¦show more content†¦Of course the doctors did this not knowing the effects of the drug, long term or short term. With time knowledge grew, but sadly, so did the curiosity about the drug. This led to a stronger demand for the drug for people to try to satisfy their own curiosity. To this very day people try it just to see what it is like, or to find out what they will see. Visions are just one of the many effects this drug has on subjects that take it. In the past L.S.D. and other hallucinogens have been used in professional studies of the human mind. These studies have had mixed results, that always almost always vary, depending on the patient and his or her surroundings. When something new comes and is publicized and talked about, human nature tends to make people experiment. That is exactly what people did with L.S.D. The mass of the population did it for fun with no real intent to harm them. Psychiatrists had a field day with the new drug. Psychotherapy was the major field in which L.S.D. played a factor. All through the Sixties and up into the early Seventies, doctors tried all angles to find a concrete use in the field of psychotherapy for L.S.D. In the Sixties the drug was even attempted as a weapon for chem ical warfare. The effect of the drug was said to take all rationality out of its victim making them an easy target. L.S.D. prevailed in 1965 because it was said to do good things to people. First, it could easily bring out inner emotions and repressed memoriesShow MoreRelated lsd Essay1485 Words   |  6 Pages LSD (lysergic Acid Dyethilamide) A Swiss chemist named Dr. Albert Hoffman first produced lysergic acid Diethylmide –or best known as LSD in 1938 (Dye, 1992, p. 2). Hoffman discovered the drug while trying to synthesize a new drug for the treatment of headaches. He obtained the lysergic acid from the parasitic fungus that grows on rye plants known as ergot. From the lysergic acid, he synthesized the compound LSD. 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What is it about these drugs that alter people’s decisions and consciousnessRead More The Psychological Effects Of LSD Essay1677 Words   |  7 Pages The Psychological Effects of LSD Introduction nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;LSD has always been a center of controversy in American society, often times because peoplehave been miseducated about its effects or exposed to media bias. Its physiological effects onthe brain and body have become more and more apparent in the last few decades when research in neuroscience peaked. The psychological effects of LSD have been often difficult to describe and document very well -- they were first discovered