Revisioning Homer Revisioning Homer in the in the

Modern WorldModern World

What in Homer appeals to What in Homer appeals to contemporary authors?contemporary authors?

The Iliad The Iliad and and The OdysseyThe Odyssey are cornerstones of are cornerstones of Western literary traditionsWestern literary traditions

""The IliadThe Iliad and and The OdysseyThe Odyssey have been read by have been read by such a vast diversity of men because they are such a vast diversity of men because they are unitary works of art and deal with universal unitary works of art and deal with universal experience with unsurpassed depth, breadth, experience with unsurpassed depth, breadth, and intensity." (Kenneth Rexroth) and intensity." (Kenneth Rexroth)

The Iliad: The Iliad: the horrors of war and dangers of the horrors of war and dangers of ragerage

The Odyssey: The Odyssey: the longing for home and the longing for home and necessity for resocializationnecessity for resocialization

A War among 3 CulturesA War among 3 Cultures

The Achaeans: The GreeksThe Achaeans: The Greeks

The TrojansThe Trojans

The Olympian GodsThe Olympian Gods

The IliadThe Iliad Reveals how making Reveals how making

heroic valor a culture’s heroic valor a culture’s prime value is prime value is fundamentally destructive fundamentally destructive to social order and to social order and humane communityhumane community

The first word in the The first word in the poem is poem is menin: rage The rage of Achilles Rage as the hero and

subject of the poem Rage that transforms

Achilles into a killing machine and Hector into a corpse

OlympiansOlympians

Portrayed by Homer as an imperial courtPortrayed by Homer as an imperial courtMeddle in the affairs of humanityMeddle in the affairs of humanityFunction as conceptual forces of nature and the Function as conceptual forces of nature and the

psychepsycheAphrodite – lustAphrodite – lustAres – war rageAres – war rageAthena – cunning strategyAthena – cunning strategy

The TrojansThe Trojans Bronze Age, pre-Greek Bronze Age, pre-Greek city state, conceive of city state, conceive of themselves as members themselves as members of the family of Troyof the family of Troy

Although they Although they disapprove of Paris, disapprove of Paris, they unite in familial they unite in familial responsibility and responsibility and assume his guilt in an assume his guilt in an act of collective family act of collective family responsibility -- "our lot responsibility -- "our lot is best, to fight for our is best, to fight for our country” -- doomed country” -- doomed

David, Helen and Paris, 1788

The Trojan The Trojan FamilyFamily

King Priam and King Priam and Queen HecubaQueen Hecuba

Hector and Hector and AndromacheAndromache

Paris and Paris and HelenHelen

Cassandra Cassandra

Priam and Hecuba plead with Achilles for the body of Hector

Giorgio de Chirico. Hector and Andromache. 1917. Oil on canvas. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy

Hector and Hector and AndromacheAndromache Hector is the

greatest hero in and primary protector of Troy

With their son Astyanax, Hector and Andromache represent Troy’s future

Hector and Andromache by Douglas C. Eichenberg

Rubens, Leda and the Swan, 1601-02

Helen – born of a rapeHelen – born of a rape

Leonardo da Vinci, Leda

Leda and the Swan

A sudden blow: The great wings beating still Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed By the dark webs, her nape caught in the bill, He holds her helpless breast upon his breast. How can those terrified vague fingers pushThe feathered glory from her loosening thighs? And how can body, laid in that white rush, But feel the strange heart beating where it lies? A shudder in the loins engenders there The broken wall, the burning roof and tower And Agamemnon dead. Being so caught up, So mastered by the brute blood of the air, Did she put on his knowledge with his power Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?

-- William Butler Yeats

H. D. [Hilda Doolittle] Helen  All Greece hatesthe still eyes in the white face,the lustre as of oliveswhere she stands,and the white hands.  All Greece revilesthe wan face when she smiles,hating it deeper stillwhen it grows wan and white,remembering past enchantmentsand past ills.  Greece sees unmoved,God's daughter, born of love,the beauty of cool feetand slenderest knees,could love indeed the maid,only if she were laid,white ash amid funereal cypresses.

H.D., H.D., Helen in Egypt, Helen in Egypt, 19541954

Is there another stronger than Love’s Is there another stronger than Love’s mother?mother?is there one other, Discordia, Strife?is there one other, Discordia, Strife?Eris is sister of Ares,Eris is sister of Ares,

His unconquerable child is Eros;His unconquerable child is Eros;did Ares bequeath his arrowsdid Ares bequeath his arrowsalike to Eros, to Eris?alike to Eros, to Eris?

O flame-tipped, O searing, O tearingO flame-tipped, O searing, O tearingburning, destructible furyburning, destructible furyof the challenge to the fairest;of the challenge to the fairest;

O flame-tipped, O searing, O flame-tipped, O searing, destroying arrow of Eros;destroying arrow of Eros;O bliss of the end,O bliss of the end,

Lethe, Death and forgetfulness,Lethe, Death and forgetfulness,O bliss of the finalO bliss of the finalunquestioned nuptial kiss. unquestioned nuptial kiss.

H.D. picks up on the H.D. picks up on the alternate story that Helen alternate story that Helen spent the Trojan War in spent the Trojan War in Egypt and took Achilles as Egypt and took Achilles as her lover -- or did she?her lover -- or did she?

Tercets with echoes of Tercets with echoes of terza rimaterza rima

H.D.'s response to the H.D.'s response to the horrors of WWI and WWII.horrors of WWI and WWII.

The Achaeans -- GreeksThe Achaeans -- Greeks

Historically piratical Historically piratical Barbaric chieftains whose prized values of Barbaric chieftains whose prized values of

nobility, pride, power, glamour, and strength nobility, pride, power, glamour, and strength thrive only among violence thrive only among violence

Each hero is out for himself -- failure provokes Each hero is out for himself -- failure provokes shame rather than assumption of responsibility -- shame rather than assumption of responsibility -- leads to disorder and tragedyleads to disorder and tragedy

Allied together against Trojans only because of Allied together against Trojans only because of pact made with the wooing of Helenpact made with the wooing of Helen

AAGGAAMMEEMMNNOONN

ClytemnestraClytemnestra

Image by John Collier(1850-1934)

Clytemnestra’s RevengeClytemnestra’s Revenge

Orestes and Electra at DelphiOrestes and Electra at Delphi

TheTheVengeance Vengeance of of OrestesOrestes

The The ErinyesErinyes

Orestes Pursued by the Furies by William Bouguereau (c.1862)

The The Judgement Judgement of of Athena: Athena: the substitution the substitution of trial by jury of trial by jury for vengeance for vengeance in Athenian in Athenian lawlaw

AeschylusAeschylus525-456 bce525-456 bceTHE ORESTAEIATHE ORESTAEIAAgamemnonAgamemnonThe Libation BearersThe Libation BearersThe EumenidesThe Eumenides

Eugene O’NeillEugene O’NeillMourning Becomes Electra Mourning Becomes Electra 19311931

Nobel Prize for LiteratureNobel Prize for LiteratureTrilogy of plays based on Trilogy of plays based on The The

OresteiaOresteiaReset into the American Civil War: Reset into the American Civil War:

A Union General returns to his A Union General returns to his home in New Englandhome in New England

Filmed in 1947 by Dudley NicholsFilmed in 1947 by Dudley NicholsOpera by Martin David Levy and Opera by Martin David Levy and

Henry Butler performed by Henry Butler performed by Metropolitan Opera in 1967.Metropolitan Opera in 1967.

Mourning Mourning Becomes ElectraBecomes Electra

1978 Made for PBS

TelevisionDirected by

Nick Havinga

THE THE ODYSSEYODYSSEY

OdysseusOdysseus

King of IthacaKing of Ithaca

Major StrategistMajor Strategist

Conceived the Trojan Conceived the Trojan HorseHorse

Husband to PenelopeHusband to Penelope

A hero, drunk on A hero, drunk on hubris, hubris, cannot cannot find his way home until he find his way home until he confronts his mortality and confronts his mortality and acknowledges the feminine.acknowledges the feminine.

J.M.W. Turner, Odysseus Deriding Polyphemus

The females of The females of The OdysseyThe Odyssey AthenaAthena, goddess of wisdom, Odysseus’ protector, goddess of wisdom, Odysseus’ protector CalypsoCalypso, sea nymph who captivated him for 7 years, sea nymph who captivated him for 7 years NausicaaNausicaa, Phaecian princess, daughter of King , Phaecian princess, daughter of King

Alcinous and Queen AreteAlcinous and Queen Arete CirceCirce, sorceress , sorceress The SirensThe Sirens,, fatal allurefatal allureAnticleiaAnticleia, Odysseus’ mother whom he visits in the , Odysseus’ mother whom he visits in the

UnderworldUnderworld EurycleiaEurycleia, Odysseus’ nurse, Odysseus’ nurse PenelopePenelope, Odysseus’ wife, Odysseus’ wife

Atwood’s earlier interest in HomerAtwood’s earlier interest in Homer

““Helen of Troy Does Countertop Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing”Dancing”

My mother was raped by a holy swan.You believe that? You can take me out to dinner. That's what we tell all the husbands.There sure are a lot of dangerous birds around.

““Circe: Mud Poems”Circe: Mud Poems”

One day you simply appeared in One day you simply appeared in your stupid boat,your stupid boat,

your killer’s hand, your your killer’s hand, your disjointed body, jagged as a disjointed body, jagged as a shipwreck,shipwreck,

skinny-ribbed, blue-eyed, skinny-ribbed, blue-eyed, scorched, thirsty, the usual,scorched, thirsty, the usual,

pretending to be – what? a pretending to be – what? a survivor?survivor?

19741974

Penelope brooding over her loom by Max Klinger. 1895 Colour etching and aquatint. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The PenelopiadThe Penelopiad (2005) (2005) “ “Now that Now that

I’m dead, I I’m dead, I know know everything”everything”

“ “Don’t Don’t follow my follow my example!”example!”

Is she a Is she a reliable reliable narrator?narrator?

The Return of Odysseus, The Return of Odysseus, 1913 by William Roberts (1895 - 1980)1913 by William Roberts (1895 - 1980)Tate GalleryTate Gallery

The Fate of The Fate of Penelope’s 12 maidsPenelope’s 12 maids

Voices act as a chorus to punctuate Penelope’s narration

Variety of formats nursery rhyme popular song sea shanty ballad drama lecture trial love song

Telemachos executes the maidservants, 1973, Dame Elizabeth Frink (1930 - 1993), Tate Gallery

we are the maidsthe ones you killedthe ones you failed

we danced in airour bare feet twitchedit was not fair

with every goddess, queen and bitchfrom there to hereyou scratched your itch we did much lessthan what you didyou judged us bad ….

we danced on airthe ones you failedthe ones you killed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:UlyssesCover.jpg

James Joyce, James Joyce, Ulysses, Ulysses, 19221922Chronicles the passage Chronicles the passage

through Dublin of its through Dublin of its main character, main character, Leopold Bloom, on a Leopold Bloom, on a single day: June 16, single day: June 16, 19041904

Plot parallels chapter-Plot parallels chapter-by-chapter, by-chapter, The The OdysseyOdyssey

Perhaps THE Perhaps THE masterpiece of masterpiece of Modernist fictionModernist fiction

Bloom by Joyce

Dublin on the Liffey River, home to

James Joyce

Nikos Kazantzakis, Nikos Kazantzakis, The Odyssey: A The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, Modern Sequel, 1938193824 poetic rhapsodies24 poetic rhapsodies33,333 17-syllable verses33,333 17-syllable verses Odysseus’s adventures Odysseus’s adventures

after he becomes bored after he becomes bored with life in Ithakawith life in Ithaka

Adventures take him Adventures take him from Sparta to Crete to from Sparta to Crete to Egypt through Africa and Egypt through Africa and finally to Antartica where finally to Antartica where he dies. he dies.

1958 review from TIME magazine

Nikos Kazantzakis, Nikos Kazantzakis, The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, 19381938

I'm not pure, I'm not strong, I cannot love, I'm afraid! I'm choked with mud and shame, I fight but fight in vain with cries and gaudy wings, with voyages and wiles to choke that quivering mouth within me that cries 'Help!' A thin, thin crust of laughter, mockery, voices, tears, a lying false façade—all this is called Odysseus!"

Cold Mountain Cold Mountain (1997)(1997)The last days of the Civil WarThe last days of the Civil War

The Union The Union – emerging industrialists– emerging industrialists

The Confederacy The Confederacy – plantation slave-holders– plantation slave-holders

Scots descendants Scots descendants – independent farmers– independent farmers

Cold Mountain: Cold Mountain: the filmthe film (1997)(1997)adapted and directed by Anthony Minghella. Starred Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger

Joel and Ethan Coen

George Clooney as Ulysses Everett McGill, Tim Blake Nelson as Delmar O'Donnel, and John Turturro as Pete in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

The SirensThe Sirens

Omeros Omeros by Derek Walcott (1990)by Derek Walcott (1990) Nobel Prize for Literature 1992Nobel Prize for Literature 1992 The first post-colonial epicThe first post-colonial epicWritten in 3 line stanzas of iambic hexameter – Written in 3 line stanzas of iambic hexameter –

reminiscent of both Homer and Dantereminiscent of both Homer and DanteOmerosOmeros is both is both The Iliad The Iliad and and The Odyssey The Odyssey of the of the

West Indies, but also of the Americas.West Indies, but also of the Americas.It is a book of memoryIt is a book of memory – – the Odysseus-like the Odysseus-like

narrator seeks to come home to the West narrator seeks to come home to the West Indian/American culture bred from a history of Indian/American culture bred from a history of conquest and empireconquest and empirefreedom and slaveryfreedom and slaveryemigration and forced removal (the Trail of Tears)emigration and forced removal (the Trail of Tears)imagination and passionimagination and passionbirth and deathbirth and death

St. LuciaSt. LuciaThe Antilles The Antilles

Cove at Sunsrise, 1998

O-MER-OSO-MER-OSO – O – the sound blown through a conchthe sound blown through a conchmer mer – the sea– the seamere -- mothermere -- mother

Conflict and Negotiation among Conflict and Negotiation among 3 cultures3 cultures

Indigenous tribesIndigenous tribes

EuropeansEuropeans

St. Lucians -- Afro-CaribbeanSt. Lucians -- Afro-Caribbean

Indigenous TribesIndigenous TribesArawaks:Arawaks: the gods and tribes of the trees – the gods and tribes of the trees –

language of the Taino people who first language of the Taino people who first encountered Columbusencountered Columbus

Caribs:Caribs: reputed to be the fierce and reputed to be the fierce and aggressive tribes – raided the Tainosaggressive tribes – raided the Tainosskilled boatbuilders and sailorsskilled boatbuilders and sailorssurvived colonialism in Dominica, St. Vincent, survived colonialism in Dominica, St. Vincent,

St. Lucia and TrinidadSt. Lucia and Trinidadsource of the word for cannibal source of the word for cannibal

Plains Indians: Plains Indians: Ghost Dance Ghost Dance

The EuropeansThe Europeans

Dennis PlunkettDennis Plunkett, retired English Major, , retired English Major, WWII veteran, pig farmer, history buffWWII veteran, pig farmer, history buff

Maud PlunkettMaud Plunkett, his wife, stitcher of a quilt , his wife, stitcher of a quilt with the birds of the islandwith the birds of the island

Midshipman PlunkettMidshipman Plunkett, participant in the , participant in the “Battle of the Saints” between France in “Battle of the Saints” between France in England in the 18England in the 18thth c. c.

James JoyceJames Joyce, author of , author of UlyssesUlyssesCatherine WeldonCatherine Weldon, witness to the Ghost , witness to the Ghost

Dance at Wounded KneeDance at Wounded Knee

St. LuciansSt. Lucians

HectorHector AchilleAchille HelenHelen Ma KilmanMa Kilman Seven SeasSeven Seas

The NarratorThe Narrator

Derek Walcott, 1998Ideal Head: Helen/Omeros

HelenHelen

(under French (under French control, St. control, St. Lucia was Lucia was Known as Known as Helena)Helena)

Achille, Achille, the fisherman the fisherman abandoned by Helen, abandoned by Helen, sails far out to sea and sails far out to sea and undergoes a visionary undergoes a visionary odyssey to his odyssey to his ancestral African ancestral African homelandhomeland

Hector,Hector,gives up fishing gives up fishing to drive a taxito drive a taxi

Derek WalcottSeascapes with Figures

Walcott, The Domino Players

T.S. Eliot: “what happens when a T.S. Eliot: “what happens when a new work of art is created is new work of art is created is something that happens something that happens simltaneously to all the works of art simltaneously to all the works of art which preceded it. The existing which preceded it. The existing monuments form an ideal order monuments form an ideal order among themselves, which modified among themselves, which modified by the introduction of the new (the by the introduction of the new (the really new) work of art among really new) work of art among them.”them.”