Parallel Plot Structures in The Odyssey
Telemachus (Books 1-­‐4) •
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Athena intervenes as Mentes/Mentor and convinces Telemachus to leave Ithaca and go to King Nestor and King Menelaus so that he can learn about Odysseus (Bk 1) Telemachus confronts the suitors and tells them to quit abusing his hospitality and go home, he then plans his voyage without telling Penelope(Bk 2) First he visits King Nestor at Pylos (Bk 3) Next he visits King Menelaus at Sparta (Bk 4) This is Telemachus’ rite of passage into adulthood/manhood Odysseus (Books 5-­‐8) •
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Odysseus is stuck on Ogygia, Calypso’s island, and has been there for 7 years and has been held captive by Calypso through seduction Athena urges Zeus to follow through with their agreement and release Odysseus from Calypso; Zeus sends Hermes to Calypso and tells her to release Odysseus and help him off the island (Bk 5) When Poseidon sees that Odysseus has left, he sends a tidal wave to try to kill Odysseus; Ino saves Odysseus and Athena has him wash up on the shore of Phaeacia, where she intervenes again and has Nausicaa come to the shore to find Odysseus (Bk 5) Nausicaa takes Odysseus up to the palace and tells him how to see her father, King Alcinous, so that he is welcomed as a guest and given high hospitality honors (Bk 6) King Alcinous shows elaborate hospitality rituals to Odysseus—celebrations, feasts, food, wine, bathing, music, stories, competition (Bk 7 and Bk 8) King Alcinous promises to get Odysseus home after learning who he is, but first asks that Odysseus tell the story of why it has taken so long to get home (Bk 8)