Notes: The Odyssey - Book One

Setting

• Mount Olympus
  • Zeus consults with Athena, his favorite child, about intervening in Odysseus's life.

Key Characters

• Zeus: God of gods.
• Athena: Daughter of Zeus, involved in aiding Odysseus.
• Hermes: Also involved in aiding Odysseus.
• Odysseus: Stranded, his family in distress.
• Penelope: Odysseus's estranged wife, hoping for his return.
• Telemachus: Son of Odysseus, has not seen his father since infancy.
• Suitors: 108 men and their servants occupying Odysseus's palace.

Key Themes

• Divine Intervention: The gods decide to assist humans, focusing on Odysseus.
• Hope and Faith: Penelope holds onto hope for Odysseus's return.
• Hospitality: Custom dictates the suitors can reside in the palace.
• Justice: Odysseus’s return is necessary to restore order.
• Fathers and Sons: Telemachus steps up to find his father and restore the kingdom.

Plot Points

• Decision to Intervene: Athena and Hermes decide to help Odysseus.
• Penelope's Dilemma:
  • Refuses to give up hope.
  • Creates and dismantles a death shroud nightly to avoid choosing a suitor.
• Telemachus's Role:
  • At 20, urged by Athena to take action against the suitors.
  • Tasked with finding Odysseus and restoring the kingdom.

Other Important Details

• Suitors' Presence: Drink wine, eat food, and cause chaos in the palace.
• Penelope's Strategy: Her constant reconstruction of the shroud delays the suitors’ plans.

Implications

• Odysseus’s homecoming is crucial for restoring normalcy and justice in Ithaca.