Odyssey Discussion Blog
DIRECTIONS:
1. For your first discussion board post, you will need to respond to one (or more) of the following questions:
- How does Homer portray the relationship between gods and men in the Odyssey? What roles do the gods play in human life?
- What gender roles do characters play in the Odyssey? Which characters hold the most power and why?
- Homer’s Odyssey begins in media res, meaning “in the middle of things.” Examine the effect of this literary device.
- Is it possible for a modern reader to accept Odysseus’s killing of the suitors? If not, how does this change in values affect our enjoyment of Homer’s poem?
- What is the role of family in the Odyssey? What values characterize the relationship between fathers and sons? You may wish to compare and contrast some of the father and son pairs in the epic (Odysseus and Telemachus, Laertes and Odysseus, Poseidon and Polyphemus, etc). How does Homer portray the idea of continuity between generations?
2. Write your discussion post. Within your post, you must cite textual evidence to support your argument(s). I recommend a minimum of two quoted passages. In terms of length, you should be working towards 500-700 words as a minimum (it's fine to go above this!). You must treat this as a formal writing assignment, so please make sure it follows standard MLA formatting guidelines (see OWL at Purdue's site here to review MLA guidelines). Consider first typing your essay in a program like MS Word to utilize spelling and grammar check functions, as polish does count towards your grade.
3. Submit your post by first sharing it with Mrs. Rohlfs using googledrive ([email protected]). When you share your document, make sure you allow Mrs. Rohlfs to edit the document so that she can give feedback. Click here if you need help learning how to share an editable document with Mrs. Rohlfs. Next post to the weebly blog by clicking on "Comment" on the top of this blog post window. Include your full name when you submit your post.
3. Reply to the posts of two classmates. NOTE: When responding to the posts of your classmates, place a title at the top of your response that includes the “@” symbol followed by the author’s name. This will allow classmates to understand whose post you’re referring to in your reply.