A Different Kind of Hero: the
Quest of Odysseus
Ch. 13
Differences between the Iliad and
the Odyssey

Focus in Iliad on war, the business of men
◦ Focus in Odyssey on home and homecoming,
which is associated with women

Iliad: few powerful female figures
◦ Odyssey: many powerful female figures

Iliad restricted to a small strip of land for
a month and a half’s time
◦ Odyssey covers whole world and beyond
(from Greek perspective) and covers 10 years
time
Authorship of Odyssey
It is said that the Odyssey was composed
in Homer’s old age, or even by his
daughter or granddaughter
 Vocabulary and style of both poems
similar, but themes are quite different in
Iliad and Odyssey
 If Odyssey is by another bard, it is likely
by some follower of Homer, but probably
not a woman (as women were not stage
performers in 8th c. Greece)

The Structuring of the Odyssey
First four books set scene in Ithaca and
give us background to Odysseus
 Odysseus first appears as character in
Book v.
 While among Phaeacians, Odysseus tells
his own story (Books ix-xii)
 Last half of the work set in Ithaca, as
Odysseus plots and takes revenge

Demodocus, the Blind Singer
In Odyssey viii, Demodocus, a blind singer
at Alcinous’ court, entertains Odysseus
and the Phaeacians with stories of the
gods (the love affair of Ares and
Aphrodite) and the Trojan War (the Trojan
Horse)
 It was posited that Demodocus was a
Hitchcockian self-insertion into the work
by Homer

Location of Ithaca
Location of Ithaca not known for certain
 Ithaca was not a rich or powerful land –
Odysseus went to Troy with only 12 ships
 There is an island off W coast of Greece
called Ithaka which is associated with
Ithaca.
 Another island, Kefalonia, has been
suggested as possible location

Different Kind of Hero
Though quite strong (only Odysseus can
string his bow, just as only Achilles can lift
his Pelian ash spear), Odysseus is
primarily a strategist
 He is also quite a powerful speaker,
though he does not seem like much
 He is short and stout, not tall

Divine connections?
Odysseus is son of Anticleia and Laertes
 Anticleia is the daughter of Autolycus,
who named Odysseus
 Autolycus is sometimes thought the son
of Hermes, and
 Autolycus and Odysseus are known for
their ability to tell tales and trick others

Odysseus’ weakness
Though able to control it mostly,
Odysseus has a big ego, and this causes
him to foolishly give out his name and
address to the Cyclops, Polyphemus, who
passes the info on to his father, Poseidon
 By poem’s end, Odysseus has learned to
keep that desire for fame in check

Feminine characters in Odyssey
Penelope, Odysseus’ clever wife – her
epithet, periphron, suggests care and
double checking before acting
 Nausicaa, the young princess of the
Phaeacians has a crush on Odysseus, but
keeps her cool when they meet on the
beach
 Circe, the sorceress who turns Odysseus’
men into swine, falls in love with the hero
and gives him useful advice

Feminine Characters, continued
Athena – though not the most feminine of
goddesses, she is a strong female
presence in the poem and is Odysseus’
benefactor. As patron of weaving, she also
has a connection with Penelope, who
tricks the suitors with her tapestry
 Eurycleia, Odysseus’ old nurse, remains
faithful to her long missing master

Dangerous Female Figures
Calypso, the goddess who detains
Odysseus for 7 years and wants him to
stay with her
 The Sirens, who sing a song which lures
men to their deaths
 Scylla and Charybdis, two sea monsters,
who once were beautiful women

Outline of the poem
Books i-iv: the “Telemachia” involve
Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, who goes to
find out about his dad. These books gives
us the lowdown on the situation at Ithaca,
they allow Telemachus to grow up by
having him do a mini-Odyssey, and we get
some stories about Odysseus from
others
 Book v-vi: Leaving Calypso and reaching
Phaeacia

Outline of the poem, continued





Books viii-xii: Visit with the Phaeacians, incl.
Odysseus’ telling his story from Troy to the
present
Book xiii-xix: Odysseus in Ithaca, in disguise,
scopes out the scene. He is welcomed by
his faithful swineherd, Eumaeus
Book xx-xxii: the Contest of the Bow and
the Battle in the Hall – Odysseus manages to
kill the various suitors, and then kills the
disloyal servants as well
Book xxiii: Reunion with Penelope
Book xxiv: Reunion with Laertes