西洋文學概論Week6

 

The content of the course

 

1.vocabulary

Invocation: The act of invoking or calling upon a deity, spirit, etc.,

for aid, protection, inspiration, or the like; supplication.

 

--naut   …人

For example: astronaut: A person engaged in or trained for spaceflight.

 

Prophetess: A woman who speaks by divine inspiration or as the

           interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.

 

Siren: In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous yet beautiful

creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music

and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

The term "siren song" refers to an appeal that is hard to resist but

that, if heeded, will lead to a bad conclusion.

 

 

 

2. Penelope

Penelope is the wife of the main character, the king of Ithaca,

Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman mythology), and daughter of Icarius

and his wife Periboea. She only has one son by Odysseus, Telemachus,

who was born just before Odysseus was called to fight in the Trojan War.

She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband, during which

she devises various strategies to delay marrying one of the 108 suitors.

On Odysseus's return, disguised as an old beggar, he finds that Penelope

has remained faithful. She has devised tricks to delay her suitors, one of

which is to pretend to be weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's elderly f

ather Laertes and claiming that she will choose a suitor when she has finished.

Every night for three years, she undoes part of the shroud, until Melantho,

one of twelve unfaithful serving women, discovers her chicanery and reveals

it to the suitors.

 

 

3.quiz

 

3. How does Athena disguise herself to make preparations for

Telemachus’s journey?

 (A) As a beggar (B) As Antinous(C) As Mentor (D) As Mephistopheles

 

When Athena visited Telemachus she took the disguise of Mentor to hide

herself from the suitors of Telemachus's mother Penelope. As Mentor, the

goddess encouraged Telemachus to stand up against the suitors and go

abroad to find out what happened to his father. When Odysseus returned to

Ithaca, Athena appeared briefly in the form of Mentor again at Odysseus' palace.

 

6. Who has an affair with Eurymachus?

 (A) Melantho(B) Penelope(C) Circe(D) Helen

 

Although he arranges for the death of Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, his plan fails

and he is later killed by Odysseus. He claims in his childhood Odysseus befriended

him often, and tells Penelope that makes Telemachus 'my dearest friend on Earth'

and he will protect him, though 'death for Telemachus was in his heart'. Penelope's

maid, Melantho, is also his lover.

 

20. Why does Poseidon despise Odysseus?

(A) Odysseus does not respect the sea.

(B) Odysseus and his men attacked him.

(C) Odysseus tricked him with a disguise.

(D)Odysseus blinded his son.

 

The Cyclop and Odysseus

Reference website:

Siren

https://www.google.com.tw/search?q=Siren&biw=1366&bih=651

&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI3

7yPyerdyAIVgTeUCh2ztQ8O#imgrc=RVNPADAvhzu8RM%3A

Prophetess

https://www.google.com.tw/search?biw=1366&bih=651&tbm=isch

&sa=1&q=Prophetess&oq=Prophetess&gs_l=img.3..0i19l10.1288903.1

288903.0.1289841.1.1.0.0.0.0.213.213.2-1.1.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.1.21

0.zQHTL86-gfc#imgrc=XtiAgAmA2a0PdM%3A