Blogger #26, Antonio Ramirez, Period 2, 10/27/21

Blogger #26, Antonio Ramirez,  Period 2, 10/27/21

6 Odyssey: Books 1-8 & Cyclops Summary

Aim: How can foundational knowledge of The Odyssey, Books I-VIII enhance our experience for the remaining work?

Do Now:  WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION

Based on our reading of “The Cyclops” and video presented here, how are they similar/different?  

Was this what you imagined while reading? Explain

A odisseia - Cíclope ( The odyssey - cyclops) [8:41]

We discussed that the Cyclops only ate one man rather than it sounding like he ate multiple men of Odysseus’. Only one used the sheep's fleece to escape the cave. There also is no real curse the Cyclops used in the movie.

This is slightly different than what I imagined. Most parts between the movie and reading were aligned, but there were certain details that differed such as the size of the Cyclops and his overall presence.

A PLOT SUMMARY is a brief description of the events in a story which advance the narrative thrust of the story or significantly add to the knowledge of main characters in direct relation to the story.  

The Odyssey Plot Sum I-VIII

Tragic Flaw (Previously Learned): A trait in a character that often leads to their downfall. In Greek Mythology, the trait of  Hubris is often used.

Cyclops Group Discussion (Discussion to be continued)

1. Describe Odysseus’ actions in lines 430-435?

1. How does Odysseus reveal weakness in his behavior?

2. Are his actions supported by his men?

I think Odysseus reveals weakness in his behavior because he’s showing arrogance as he’s mocking the Cyclops. I think his actions are not supported by his men because they state afterwards that they just want to leave safely and don’t want to aggravate the Cyclops even more.

2. What curse does Polyphemus enact on Odysseus and his men?

Polyphemus enacts a curse on Odysseus and his men saying that he won’t reach his home again, but if he does, it shall be in a long time from now.

3. Is Odysseus’ epic character supported or refuted, based on his actions, in “The Cyclops”?

This is an opinionated question, and there is no correct answer. Based on my own thoughts, I believe Odysseus’ epic character is refuted based on his actions. He leads his men into danger, does not keep them all safe, and even though he resolved his issue it leads to lives being lost. I think a leader is responsible for all his men, and he didn’t fulfill that role. He let his own selfishness and curiosity get in the way of the safety of his own men.

Reflection

What did I learn?

Today I learned what a plot summary is and what it is used for. A plot summary is specifically a description of events that occurred in the story. It is used to add more thoughts to these events, and further advance them in detail. I also saw the movie which matched the text of “The Cyclops” for the first time. We also briefly went over tragic flaw which we had previously discussed about a week ago.

Why did I learn it?

I learned plot summary and tragic flaw because they are important aspects to not only Greek mythology, but writing in general. Plot summary can help with understatement of the passage, and tragic flaw is an aspect of writing that is in all types of genres. An example we went over one time was superheroes, and how they usually have that one thing that stays in their way.

How will I use what I learned?

I will use what I learned in future readings. Now I’m aware of plot summaries in case I’m ever confused about a story, as sometimes Greek mythology can be hard to follow. A lot of times I’m missing a key piece or am just generally confused on events going on during these types of stories, but plot summaries can go into detail and give almost like an explanation of what’s going on.