Sing to me of the man, O Muse, the man of twists and turns

driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

the hallowed heights of Troy.

Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,

many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,

fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home. 

So begins the Odyssey, an epic account of survival and homecoming – the poem that we shall explore in depth throughout this course (24 books in 6 weeks). Odysseus is the most complex of all Greek heroes, showing courage and endurance, on the one hand, but a master of tricks, disguises, and lies, on the other.  The poem conveys the most normative ideal – a return to house, land, wife, and kingship. But it also leads outward to adventure, risk taking, encounters with the strange and supernatural, and secret pleasures. Throughout we will be attentive to the characteristics of oral poetry (e.g., traditional epithets, type scenes, formulaic descriptions) along with narrative strategies of story-telling. At the same time, we shall grapple with the larger issues of gendered strategies, family and society, disguise and recognition, death and immortality, the role of the gods, and more, according to contemporary concerns.  The Odyssey, it is fair to say,has shaped our imagination and cultural values, whether for imitation, extension, revision, allegory, or even parody.  Moreover, as one critic observes, “the Odyssey is a generic shape-shifter, changing from a heroic epic into a quest narrative, a revenge tragedy, a domestic comedy, a romance, Bildungsroman and biography.” Students may, if they wish, pursue any one aspect of the Odyssey’s legacy in their final papers – whether in literature, art, or film.  

Course Outline:  We will read 4 books each week, along with suggested secondary material for each session which will be posted on Canvas. Weekly written responses to the reading.  A more comprehensive bibliography will also be available along with books on reserve. Students are advised to acquaint themselves before the course begins with the first of Homer’s epics, the Iliad, which tells of the Trojan War itself. (any translation) and urged to bring to class any supporting material (ancient to modern) that they like.

Texts: Homer,The Odyssey, trans. Robert Fagles(Penguin).  NB: students may consult other contemporary translations (e.g, Lattimore, Fitzgerald, Lombardo, Wilson), but Fagles is the one we will use.