Writing Assignment for The Odyssey

Your assignment is to write a 2 page paper (double-spaced) that would convince the class of something from the Odyssey.  It could be a comparison between two things, a question you have, a problem you notice, or an argument that you want to convince someone about.  

For instance, to take an idea from one of our class members, “Homer had a dysfunctional view of fathers, and we see that through his depiction of father-son relationships in the Odyssey.”  You then could bring evidence from the relationships between Telemachos and Odysseus, Nestor and his son, Odysseus and Laertes, etc.  (I’m not saying this is a good idea, but just how you would go about arguing it.)

Finally, read the Introduction to the Odyssey that Lattimore wrote before The Odyssey (it’s in your volume).  I think it could be very useful to you in your assignment, and could give you a lot of ideas if you’re concerned you don’t have a good one.  I rarely read introductions before I read a book for the first time; instead, they should be kept for reading after you finish.  I think you will appreciate it in light of finishing his translation.

Download the complete Course Materials for British & World Literature in one file