CL217/EN084

Study Guide Revised

Part I: Short critical answers

 You will be given five questions out of which you will have to
answer briefly only three.
 Examples :
1. In your opinion is Achilles a hero? How would you compare him to a
hero of yours and why? Explain clearly either your positive or negative
answer.
No. Compare to real heroes. Modern heroes: fight for family and
country, not personal gain.
Or, compare to Jesus!

2. Explain why the lowest of the living creatures on earth is ‘the human
being’?
toys/ pawns – bronzo
puppets- pat
slaves to the gods (dumb) – megan
servants of the gods- brian
fate, divine will, no free will

3. From a societal point of view, how do you see male and female
relationships in the Homeric ‘polis’?
telemachus taking charge, authority over Penelope
hector is protector of the family
men in general superior, warriors, leaders
women – child care, mourning, sewing; or idea of women as seducers
(helen in iliad or calypso/ cercie in odyssey)

4. Do you feel that rage ought to be controlled and why or why not?
Give examples from our readings.
Controlled
Gilgy- kills stone ones,
Odysseus – kills possibly innocent suitors
Telemachus – hangs women
Achilles – rapes shit at troy, destroys hector, slaughters men at river

5. Why does Penelope place such great an importance on the bow

drawing? Why is this such an important condition for her choosing a
husband?
Setting up suitors for failure because only odysseus can string THE
bow; example of Odysseus’ skill, wants a husband like Odysseus 
bow as strategic and skillful as opposed to the brute simplicity of a
sword/ spear/ A CLUB!
6. In your opinion, are there in all three epics, an ideal husband or a
wife? Explain. Would you personally want to be any of them? Explain.
Penelope, stays faithful for 20 years, buys time with suitors, back of
her mind-Odysseus is coming back
Hector, defender of country, family. Says goodbye before battle, cares
for well being of everyone, especially family, cheating wouldn’t fit his
character, adores his son
Ishtar married many times – proof of her being a bitch and the dudes
being awesome

7. Explain why you would or would not like to be a citizen in the society
described in the works that we have read?
Would not, honor is too highly regarded, incorrectly prioritized, etc.
Pat’s answer: would not like to be a citizen. In Homeric epics the
citizens are classified as a single unit without individualization. The
base citizens in these epics are subject to cruel rule and lordly
command (eg, mass number of greeks killed at troy; droves of
nameless men die). In the Gilgamesh epic too, we see the citizens as
subject to a cruel King Gilgamesh. Furthermore we see them
decimated at the hands of the gods as a consequence of Gilgamesh, as
in the case of the bull of heaven. To be a “citizen” and not a “noble”
means no identity and a guaranteed death.

8. If you were ‘Ishtar’ would you ever propose to Gilgamesh? Explain

No, he sucks derb, if I were in her place. If I were taking on her
character, then yes, because shes a whore and wants the best dude
ever, aka gilgy and his favor from the gods.

9. Explain why you agree or disagree with the way friendship is

presented in all three works?
Achilles & Patroclus – disagree, strong bond, but Achilles is hostile to
everyone else
Gilgy & Enkidu – disagree, exclusive like A&P, leads to irrational
behavior, when Enkidu dies, Gilgy does not mourn as much for him as
for fear of his own death - selfish
Odyssey – xenia, hospitality, Trojan heroes friends with Odysseus,
Eumaeus faithful servant,

10. Are you sympathetic or angry at ‘Helen’s’ behavior as portrayed in

both epics?
Why?
Dislike
Iliad – genuine, captive, recognizes faults, questions desire to be with
paris, cant tell if she wants him, her will or gods will?
Odyssey – portrays herself as instrumental in the downfall of the
Trojans. She said she wanted to sail back home and helped Odysseus
into the citadel. She did choose to go but regretted the decision (her
heart had changed). Therefore, no sympathy for her because she
recognizes her own fault of her own actions (no questioning whether or
not the gods had a play in it, etc).

11. What are the three epics we studied? What do you know about
them? (time frame, etc)
Gilgamesh – around 2000BC Sumerian poems and around 1200 BC we
have the tablets that we read in class (ie, “He Who Saw The Deep”)
Iliad – 1200BC take place, composed 800-700BC – Trojan War; poem of
force; “Song of the Rage of Achilles, son of Peleus”
Odyssey – after Iliad written 800-700 – Odysseus’ journey home after
Trojan War; poem of a hero’s return journey (which is a quest in itself,
right Brian!); also concept of xenia and hospitality

Part II: Essay (critical & analytical)

 This will be the second part of the exam; you must write a clear
well-reasoned essay with a strong thesis, that is supported by a
careful analysis of the primary source.

BRONZO thinks it might be on comparing Achilles and Gilgamesh:

-both are raging fuckheads

-both kill a lot of people
-both are bound up in like exclusive relationships (A & P; G& E)
-both don’t control rage (Hector and the body)
-personal gain (Achilles with being remembered; Gilgy with
immortality)/ glory/ triumphs

Part III: One passage to identify; it will be very obvious, you can not
miss it!