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Lesson 2

We will discuss Books 6 and 7, focusing on the roles of the gods in The Odyssey.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I use text evidence and original commentary to support a comprehensive response about The Odyssey?

  • Can I analyze how themes are developed through characterization and plot in Books 6 and 7 of The Odyssey?

  • Can I analyze how Homers develops complex yet believable characters in The Odyssey?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Publishing Group, 1996
  • Digital Access
    • “What Role Do the Gods Play in The Iliad and The Odyssey?,” Barry Powell, YouTube, Oxford University Press, June 30, 2014

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read – Discuss

We will discuss Books 6 and 7 of The Odyssey.

In pairs, discuss the following questions about Books 6 and 7 based on your homework from the previous lesson:

  1. What examples of xenia do you see in Books 6 and 7? How is the concept of xenia honored? In what ways is it not?

  2. What is Athena’s role in these books? How would you characterize her actions? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

  3. What decisions does Odysseus make in these books? How would you characterize his actions? Use evidence from the text to support your thinking.

As you discuss your answers, consider adding notes to your Character Note-Taking Tool for Athena. You will begin a Character Note-Taking Tool for Odysseus to use along with the other characters you have been tracking.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss

We will closely read a quotation from Book 1 and use it to understand the relationship between mortals and gods.

Step 1

In Book 1, Lines 37-40 there is a quotation from Zeus:

Ah how shameless-The way these mortals blame the gods.

From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes

but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,

compound their pains beyond their proper share.

Conduct a free-write in your Learning Log to answer the following question:

  1. What does this quotation say about the relationship between the gods and mortals in The Odyssey? What does this quotation suggest about power?

Step 2

Now that you have established some independent ideas with a partner, use the Attending to Details Tool with the following question:

  1. How do gods and mortals interact in The Odyssey?

As you work with the tool, refer to Books 1-7.

In the previous lesson, you used the Attending to Details Tool to answer the question “Who or what yields the most power?” Similarly, we will use the tool to answer the question above.

Step 3

Use the tool in the following way:

  1. Write down the guiding question in the space provided at the top. Read the text, paying attention to details that relate to the guiding question. Depending on how long the section of text is, you might find several examples. Use the Attend to Details row to write down the details that most strongly relate to the guiding question.

  2. Make connections between the details you recorded and the guiding question in the Think About the Details row. This is often the "reasoning" that is asked for when you make an observation or claim, and then use evidence to support it. It makes your thinking visible to others and helps you remember what that thinking was if you come back to this later.

  3. In the Express Your Understanding row, write new connections, observations, ideas, or questions that result from reading and analyzing the text.

Activity 3: View – Discuss

We will view a video in order to understand the way in which the gods intervened in the lives of mortals and why.

Step 1

We will watch the video "What Role Do the Gods Play in The Iliad and The Odyssey?" by Barry Powell. While watching, consider the following guiding questions:

  1. What was the role of the gods in ancient Greek culture?

  2. Why did the gods choose to interfere in the lives of mortals?

You might use the Video Note-Taking Tool to help you take notes while you watch the video.

Step 2

After watching the video, update your ideas from the free-write by re-examining the quotation by Zeus from Book 1:

Ah how shameless-The way these mortals blame the gods.

From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes

but they themselves, with their own reckless ways,

compound their pains beyond their proper share. (1.36-40)

  1. What has this video added to your thinking about the relationship between gods and mortals in The Odyssey?

  2. What do the quotations and video say about who is responsible for the fate of mortals?

Step 3

With a partner, revisit your Attending to Details Tool from the previous activity. What revisions or additions would you make to the tool based on the information you learned in the video?

Discuss your ideas with your partner and revise or add to your tool.

Activity 4: Read

For homework, we will read a summary of Book 8 and 9 in order to understand the events of The Odyssey.

Read or listen to a summary of Book 8.

For homework, read and annotate Book 9.

While reading, consider the following questions and take notes in your Learning Log by citing evidence from the text to support your thinking:

  1. How do the Phaecians show xenia to Odysseus?

  2. How would you characterize Odysseus’s actions during the scene with the Lotus Eaters?

  3. How does Odysseus use trickery against Polyphemus? Cite multiple examples.

  4. How would you describe Odysseus's actions in Book 9? Why?

  5. How is imagery used in Book 9 to create a vivid picture of the lands Odysseus and his men visit?

While reading, continue to add words to your Vocabulary Journal.