Please respond to the following post in 200-300 words. Remember to proofread your responses and to include your full name to ensure you receive a timely grade.
The term "in media res" means in the middle of things. This term can be applied to the structure of The Odyssey. What is the deal with the structure of The Odyssey? What is the effect of Homer starting in media res? Why does Homer start the story in the middle rather than starting right at Odysseus's departure for Troy?
Use concrete details (examples) from the text to support your answer to these questions.
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Jauwan Thomas
ReplyDeleteThe structure is to make effect in the story so that readers can understand what is happening and it is shown that the middle part of the story which is what is supposed to be is shown at the beginning of the story to clear up further questions that might be led by the continuing adventure in the book. The effect is it adds clearing of thought so that the rest of the story can become clear as one progress through the book. And the effect is also that it makes one want to continue to read the story to figure out why this is happening and what is the resolution to come. Homer starts in the middle of the story so that one can understand what is happening for example it starts of with Odysseus is gone and there are men at the household trying to marry Odysseus's wife Penelopia and Telechamos is trying to find out whether his father is dead or alive. Also it tells that Odysseus is trapped on an island with a goddess held captive. And by starting hear it shows effect and by showing this effect it can foreshadow what is to happen in the future of the story and also it can make the story of Odysseus adventure much more clear throughout the book. And by starting at this point it can allow the story to be split in two somewhat parts for example Telechamos and Athena finding about Odysseus even though Athena knows the truth and also about Odysseus and his adventure back to Ithaca and the troubles he goes through also so thats why homer starts in the middle of the story. In conclusion, the structure is the middle part is in the beginning to add effect and that the effect is it clears up some questions about the adventure and adds suspense also and Homer would start in the middle to keep readers to keep reading to find out the outcome and find out what happened in the beginning since the middle part of the story was told first.
The structure of The Odyssey is different because it applies to the term " Media Res" Meaning in the middle of things. The deal with the structure is that it makes the reader interested in the book by telling right away about Odysseus's adventures rather than the history of his life before he is trapped on Calypso's Island away from his home in Ithaca. The effect Homer is going for is to start the book out with action rather than all of odysseus's history. For example, " Then the father of gods and men made them a speech: for his heart was angry against a man, Aigisthos and Agamemnon's son Orestes, as you know had just killed the man" (Book 1, Pg. 11).It already talks about who killed who on the first page, that would be an example of why Homer begins the story in the middle rather than the begining because there is too much information about Odyssers's departure for Troy. It helps the reader to be more interested.
ReplyDeleteJackie Cullen
The term “in media res” can be applied to the Odyssey because Homer starts the book right in the middle of the story. The beginning of The Odyssey starts out with Telemachos and his mother in the middle of a problem that’s only getting worse. Suitors keep invading his house and pestering his mother to marry one of them, while at the same time eating and drinking all of his food and wine. For Example, Homer writes “Telemachos saw the visitor long before the others. He was a fine-looking boy; and he sat there among the intruders in deep distress, with his heart full of his noble father. He wondered if his father would suddenly appear and make a clean sweep of them all, and take his own honourable place again, and manage his property” (Book 1, Page 6). Telemachos decides to set out to see if his father is, by any chance, still alive. “In media res” is a way of writing that Homer used to help the reader see the goals of Odysseus and his family, which makes Odysseus’ adventure home more relevant. It also shows the reader that he has something good to come home to, but he must get home quick to fix the problems in Ithaca.
ReplyDelete- Jason Schmitz
Homer starts The Odyssey in the middle of a long story that is told from many viewpoints. In the second paragraph of Book I, Homer begins, “At the time when I begin, all the others who had not been killed in the war were at home, safe from perils of battle and sea: but he (Odysseus) was alone, longing to get home to his wife.” The readers do not know about the war, or why he is still away and everyone else is already at home. Homer also speaks about ‘the others’ and ‘his wife’, without explaining these people to the readers. Homer continues, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband.” This part of the story is not mentioned again until Book V, page 62. Homer begins to summarize the tale, and then goes into more detail throughout the whole book, explaining each of the events listed here and in the Book I.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, Homer’s action of starting “in media res” is used to excite the reader and create suspense. When he begins to summarize an exciting or interesting event, the reader wants to know more, but only gets a taste of the adventure. Only after they read the books will the reader understand the brief summaries that Homer gives in the beginning of the long story.
The structure of The Odyssey is different from other books because The Odyssey emphasis "in media res" meaning in the middle of things. The book, for example, starts out with the explanation of Odysseus adventure throughout the islands, “He traveled far in the world, after the sack at Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw man cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes” (Book 1 page 11). Explaining what Odysseus had to go through in his travels makes the reader interested and want to read on to find a further justification of what actually happened. As time goes on, the first books will become clear as it is explained throughout the rest of the story. Another reason why The Odyssey starts out in the beginning is because it adds a narrative space for a long and similar flashback later in the text, books 9-12, in which Odysseus states a thorough explanation of his adventures. For example, Odysseus is on the island of Calypso, “He was keep prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1 page 11). Later in the story the same statement comes up again, “‘Now he lies wretched and miserable, Calypso’s prisoner in her island, and he cannot return to his native land…(Athena)’” (Book 5 page 62). In conclusion, “in media res” means that you start in the middle of the story but then work your way through it so that you can understand what is happening. Just like in the Odyssey, everything that occurred in Book 1 was later explained in the rest of the story. Homer started the book this way so that the reader would keep reading and also, to add flashbacks and foreshadowing to the story.
ReplyDelete-Bianca Ninneman
Paul Marler
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s The Odyssey translated by W.H.D. Rouse the structure is unique in the way it uses “Media Res” which means in the middle of things. The purpose of the structure is to tell a person of an aftermath of a war never told, that war being the War of Troy which everyone knows the Greeks defeat the Trojans through the deception of using the Trojan horse. The effect that Homer wants to bring out in other words is how all of the soldiers returning home from Troy were judged by the gods. For example, “The gods were all sorry for him, except Poseidon, god of the sea, who bore a lasting grudge against him all the time until he returned” (1, 11). Right here, Homer speaks of every god feeling sorry for Odysseus but Poseidon, and this is a great concrete example of why Homer starts in the middle of the life of Odysseus rather than the beginning. In other words, everyone knows of Odysseus as a champion of the war of Troy. Since, everyone knows of Odysseus as the champion of the war of Troy it is safe to skip to how each Greek soldier returning from Troy was judged by the gods.
The Odyssey, by Homer, consists of a different type of story layout in which the author begins the story as if the reader already knows what is going on but doesn’t. Homer immediately plunges into the story sharing about Odysseus, for example, “... he [Odysseus] saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes”(11). Homer begins sharing about his character and the situation which will later be described, but the reader does not know this. This can make or break the story by either drawing the reader in to continue reading or feel very confused. The reader uncovers who Odysseus is as the gods portray him in their eyes, “How could I forget that fine fellow Odysseus, after all! He is almost one of us [gods]. Wise beyond mortal men, ready beyond all to offer sacrifice to the lords of the broad heavens” (12).The author creates an advantage for the reader, presenting all the details in the beginning of the story permits the author to later fully expand the story to its full potential .This allows the reader to enjoy the story as they read on, enticed as the story unravels to find their unanswered questions being answered in full depth. Homer starts The Odyssey in the middle of the story (in media res) other than from the beginning slowly beguiling the reader into this great adventure story.
ReplyDelete-Annie Sust
Nina Gallo
ReplyDeleteThe structure of The Odyssey is different from most stories because it starts in the middle or "in media res" of Odysseus's journey back home from Troy to Ithaca. The author of The Odyssey, Homer, gives a brief background of the end of the war at Troy and then says "At the time where I begin, all the others who had not been killed in the war were at home" (Book I, 11). This passage is an example of Homer starting in the middle of the story. The story then goes on and soon Telemachos is on a journey to find out if his father, Odysseus, is still alive. This then brings us to the effect of "in media res". Telemachos going on his journey may cause the reader to ask questions about why Odysseus hasn't returned to Ithaca and if he is still alive. Another example of this is towards the beginning of The Odyssey, Homer explains "The Gods were all sorry for him (Odysseus) except Poseidon, god of the sea, who bore a lasting grudge against him all the time until he returned" (Book I,11). This may make the reader wonder why Poseidon is agry with Odysseus. These unanswered questions make the reader continue through the story in order to solve them. Homer may have started the story in the middle because he wanted to capture the reader's attention from the very beginning. Another possibility is that Homer did not think that the events of the war at Troy were relevant to the story because the book focuses on Odysseu's journey back home to Ithaca.
Nina Gallo
The term “media res” means in the middle of things. This can be applied to The Odyssey because the book begins with Odysseus captive on an island because of Calypso, rather than starting at the war with Troy. The meaning of Odyssey is an adventure or trip, which is why the story starts in the middle. The adventure begins in the middle of the story where Odysseus must get home. We also find out his son Telemachos goes on an adventure of his own to find out about his father. For example, Athena said to Telemachos him, “First go to Pylos, and ask that noble prince Nestor; then to Sparta and Menelaos (good old red-head!), for he was the last to come home of all the army” (Book 1 Page 17). If Homer would have started at the beginning with the battle of Troy there would be a whole nether story, but by starting in the middle, with a bit of background information, we get right to the adventure. In just a sentence we can find out why Odysseus has been gone for so long rather than read a whole nether story, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1 Page 11). The story is meant to be of an adventure, not a battle so Homer simply took out the battle.
ReplyDelete-Joe Pace
Gene Sendin E-mail: aznnerd94@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteHomer starts his novel The Odyssey ‘in media res’ or in the middle of things to bring about a certain structure to the story. He did not just start the story in the middle for fun. Homer’s novel, The Odyssey, would not have made a strong impact if it did not start ‘in media res’ because the story would have been lengthy and the main rising action and conflict takes place midway through the story. “But what about that clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow…”(Homer pg 12). If the entire first part of the story could be explained in a few sentences and the story still flows, rather than making the story longer with further explanation, would not that make a story more enjoyable and thus have a greater impact on the reader? Drowning a story in irrelevant details just does not make sense; which is why Homer started The Odyssey right in the middle of the action. “How could I forget that fine fellow Odysseus…” (Homer Pg 12). It took the gods a long while to finally come to their senses and help save Odysseus. From there they send Odysseus’ son to find his father. This part of the story would have taken much longer to find out which would have made the story too extensive to achieve the desired effect.
Nic Duggan-
ReplyDeleteIn The Odyssey by Homer, Homer uses the writing style of "Media Res" meaning in the middle, to explain what has happened because Odysseus has not return home from the Trojan war. It shows how bad it has gotten rather than playing out scene by scene how it progressively has gotten worse. The only scene that does matter is the final straw that makes Telemachos leave in search of his father because of the suffering and madness that is going on in his native land of Ithaca. "He (Odysseus) was kept prisoner by a witch Calypso, a radiant creature... who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband." (1,11) The effect of Homer using this writing style is to provide to the reader a mysterious beginning and making the reader want to read on to clarify what has happened to Odysseus and why he is a prisoner and what has made this creature fall in love with Odysseus. All in all the purpose of Homer using the writing style of “Media res" was to make the reader want to read on because of the cliff hanger of what has happened and what will become of Odysseus in Calypso's island cave somewhere in the Middle of the sea.
Gabrielle Wibbenmeyer
ReplyDeleteThe structure of The Odyssey is unique because it is in the term of “in media res” which means in the middle. There are many reasons why the author, Homer, chose to start the story in the middle rather than from the beginning. For example, it helps get the story going by already explaining some of Odysseus’s journey “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (book 1 page 3). When already explaining Odysseus’s journey and what hardships he falls upon locks in the reader right from the start in order to keep the story interesting. This also makes the reader want to read more in order to find out more details of this journey. Another reason why starting the story in the middle creates a better effect is because it makes the story more understandable. Odysseus endures many different tasks and meets many different people and with most of his journey already explained, it makes the story more enjoyable and easier to read. For example, Athena gives Telemachos advice on how he should seek his father and this helps to better understand the situation when it comes up later in the story, “Get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he is so long away” (book 1 page 10). Now that the reader already knows of Telemachos’s journey and why he is on one, the reader will recognize the situation later on. In conclusion Homer used “in media res” to aid the reader to better understand the journey and to help make the story interesting right from the first page. The events that are explained in the “in media res” section of the book are also brought back later on and this is helpful because the reader can recognize these events.
Personally, I believe that Homer used " in media res" to create a more complex structure to the story. In doing this, this made the reader wonder what happened and how did it lead to this part of the story. So I guess it is a tool that is used to intrigue the readers and also entertain them. When I first read the beginning of the story, I had to admit that I was lost. But the conversation between Telemachos and the suitors in his house made me want to read more. Homer’s use of “in media res” also cleared up any questions that might come up while reading the text. He also made the plot clear and I guess he basically just started from the middle and went around. Unlike other books the use of “ in media res” kept me intact to the story and it still kept me guessing but it never made me confused. Odysseus’s journey is laid out in front of us yet the one question that we are all trying to find out throughout the story is… “ Will Odysseus return from Calypso’s grasp and back to the lands of Ithaca. In the beginning of the story, there are worthless, unfaithful suitors in the house of Odysseus pursuing Penelopia in the hand of marriage. They are rude and ruthless in the house of Odysseus because they believe that Odysseus is dean and gone so now they see their chance and Penelopia is a sight for soar eyes. Now Telemachos is being disrespected in his own fathers house. Now the only thing to do now is continue the story and see what happens. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that Homer used a very good tool to create a promising effect to the story that would encourage the readers to continue and not stop in the middle of the story.
ReplyDeleteBlessing Kuebee
Homer, the author of the novel, "the Odyssey," begins his piece of literature in the middle of the journey, which is an unusual and distinctive structure compared to the formation that the majority of other books possess. The term that can be applied to this idea is "media res," which means in the middle of things. The element of “media res” creates many effects that further deepen the story and keep the reader interested. For example, Athena says “But what about that clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but the waves all around it, in the very middle of the sea!” (Book 1, Page 12). The reader has no idea who Odysseus is, what he did to get on this dreaded island, and why he is still there after all this time. Homer also mentions the “radiant creature” known as Calypso, who is not mentioned again until book 5. This makes the reader wonder who this immortal is, and Homer eventually fills in the holes of the story as Odysseus’ journey unfolds. These excerpts help to form a curious feeling in the reader, which makes the individual want to read more. Homer doesn’t start the story at the beginning because wants to mention little parts of the book, which can give away certain clues, and then can create a surprise factor to the reader. These hints ultimately make the story more fun to read. Starting in the middle of the story also creates the effect of suspense throughout the story, and the unexpected is now more likely to occur. As the journey continues, the brief remarks Homer revealed in book one will become more clear in detail, and the reader will be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together towards the resolution.
ReplyDelete-Zach Elmore
"In media res," or "in the middle of things," can easily be applied to The Odyssey because it does indeed start in the middle of the story. This makes the story vastly different from other works of literature. Instead of The Odyssey taking place in the very beginning, it begins with Odysseus mdssing and the dilemma of Penelope and Telemachos. The dilemma is whether Penelope waits for Odysseus, who may never return, or give in to the suitore and marry one of them. This starts off Telemachos's journey to find why his father has been gone for so long. As described in the text "'Get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he is so long away.'(Book one, Page seventeen)" The story soon turns to Odysseus and his venture home from Calyoso's island.
ReplyDeleteHomer is giving the effect of feeding the reader's curiosityby starting The Odyssey in the middle of the story. As soon as the story beigns, the reader learns who Odydsseus is and whuy he is on Calypso's island and why Poseidon is furious with him. This makes the reader want to read more and figure out waht else caused Odysseus to be missing for twenty years.
Homer starts The Odyssey "in media res" because The Odyssey is a sequel to the Iliad, which takes place during the Trojan War and follows Odysseus through that story. Homer also starts The Odyssey in the middle of the story because he immediately brings up two plots, Odysseus's voyage back to Ithaca and Telemacho's own journey and helping his mother with the suitors.
--Robert Hiller
hillerrobert@hotmail.com
The term “in media res, or “in the middle of things” can be applied to the structure of Homer’s The Odyssey. The particular structure of the novel can be interpreted as an attention-grabber to draw readers into the story. Homer begins the account not with Odysseus’ departure for the Trojan War, but rather at the core of the journey with the perilous flight of finding his way home, which in effect leaves the readers wondering and yearning for more. Given subtle background of the events at Troy, readers first learn about Odysseus’ hostage at Calypso’s island, a beautiful goddess who keeps Odysseus in a seven-year confinement. Such information immediately locks the reader into the storyline, while the modest knowledge of the harsh war at Troy keeps the readers on edge for more details yet to come. In addition to drawing one’s interest, starting “in media res” benefits to the story through extensive foreshadowing throughout the novel. The delicate awareness of events during the Trojan War hints at various happenings later on in the narrative. For example, the reader gets a taste of the long-lasting Trojan War, which was carried out endlessly, leaving an extended period of time in which Odysseus was absent from his home in Ithaca. It is not until later in the story, however, that one discovers the suitors in attempt to steal Odysseus’ wealth and belongings, including his faithful wife Penelope. The diffident description of the Trojan War leads yet to later foreshadowing throughout the book and greatly ties the storyline together. Therefore, by applying a structure that begins “in media res”, Homer creates a feeling of suspense and excitement to pull the reader closer into the feel of the story and gradually hint at what is later to come.
ReplyDelete-Jackie Mattingly
Personally, I believe that Homer used " in media res" to create a more complex structure to the story. In doing this, this made the reader wonder what happened and how did it lead to this part of the story. So I guess it is a tool that is used to intrigue the readers and also entertain them. When I first read the beginning of the story, I had to admit that I was lost. But the conversation between Telemachos and the suitors in his house made me want to read more. Homer’s use of “in media res” also cleared up any questions that might come up while reading the text. He also made the plot clear and I guess he basically just started from the middle and went around. Unlike other books the use of “ in media res” kept me intact to the story and it still kept me guessing but it never made me confused. Odysseus’s journey is laid out in front of us yet the one question that we are all trying to find out throughout the story is… “ Will Odysseus return from Calypso’s grasp and back to the lands of Ithaca. In the beginning of the story, there are worthless, unfaithful suitors in the house of Odysseus pursuing Penelopia in the hand of marriage. They are rude and ruthless in the house of Odysseus because they believe that Odysseus is dead and gone so now they see their chance and Penelopia is a sight for soar eyes. Now Telemachos is being disrespected in his own fathers house. Now the only thing to do now is continue the story and see what happens. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that Homer used a very good tool to create a promising effect to the story that would encourage the readers to continue and not stop in the middle of the story.
ReplyDeleteBlessing Kuebee
The term “in media res”, meaning “in the middle of things”, can be applied to the structure of the Odyssey by Homer. The author begins the story in the middle of the action rather than starting at Odysseus’s departure for Troy among his warrior companions. The novel begins where Telemachos is searching for his father, who is Odysseus. Also, the gods and goddesses of ancient Greek mythology, especially Athena, are helping Telemachos find Odysseus, who is being held captive by the radiant goddess Calypso. The beginning consists of information of the past; the gods and goddesses speak of happenings of the previous times rather than events occurring at that exact moment. These occurrences include deaths and murders, marriages and other occasions. The effect of Homer starting in the middle of things is the increased interest level for the reader. More action is incorporated in the beginning of the story, with the previous adventures later told to the reader. As the story progresses, Odysseus tells the tale of his adventures and how he came to multiple different lands so far from home, meeting various people, such as Kings and Queens, gods and goddesses, and ghosts of the deceased, where he was not able to return home for many years.
ReplyDelete~Anna Otto~
"In media res" is Latin for in the middle of things. This can be applied to the structure of Homer's "The Odyssey". Rather than starting at Odysseus' departure for Troy, Homer begins at the end of the Trojan War. Instead or returning home to Ithaca, Odysseus "was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her care and be her husband" (Book 1, Page 4). The effect of starting "in media res" is that the reader can clearly see how Odysseus got on Calypso's island and why he wants to get off it. Starting in the middle of things bypasses the Trojan War and directly lets the reader know what the main conflict is. Also, details about the Trojan War helps the reader find out more about Odysseus and his relationship with Ithaca and the Trojan and gods and goddesses. "How could I (Zeus) forget that fine fellow Odysseus, after all! He is almost one of us"(Book 1, page 5). This shows that Odysseus is either in high favor, or in pity with the gods. Starting "in media res" sets the tone for the whole book. "In media res" shows how the Trojan War affected Odysseus' life without having to recap the whole war.
ReplyDelete-Jonathan Mueller
The term "in media res", which means in the middle of things, can be applied to the structure of The Odyssey by Homer because the book starts in the middle of the story. The structure of this book is different than most because right at the beginning there is a conflict between Telemachos and Penelopeia's (Telemachos' mother)suitors. The suitors keep insisting that Odysseus is dead, and therefore Penelopeia can marry again, all the while eating and drinking all of their food. Telemachos becomes tired of this and wants them banished from the estate. Most books begin with an introduction of the main characters and the plot before any major conflicts. The effect of Homer starting in media res is "an extremely compelling story" (xii). Readers of The Odyssey will believe that it is a suspenseful story that is unpredictable. Homer decided to start the story in the middle rather than starting right at Odysseus's departure because the plot is centered on Telemachos finding his father after the Trojan War and to get things back to how they were before the suitors arrived. Because the war lasted 10 years, to get to where the main plot begins, it would take a long time and the book would seem plotless and boring. Homer begins The Odyssey in the middle of the story to make it seem more suspenseful and exciting.
ReplyDelete-Kristen Gavenda
Homer's version of "The Odyssey" could be described as disparate compared to many other versions of "The Odyssey". This main difference is due to the use and prevelance of "in media res" in the novels structure. The term "in media res" means in the middle of things just like the time period of the beginning of the book. More specifically on page 12 in book one Athena says, “But what about that clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but the waves all around it, in the very middle of the sea!” At this point in the novel the reader does not know who Odysseus is. However, later on in the story tells of Odysseus's son going on a journey to figure out what happened to and where his father (Odysseus) is. The reason that Homer tells the reader the answer to the later asked question ahead of time is so that it is easier to understand. If it was not written this way the story would’ve started with Telmachos's journey to find his father and the reader would have to guess who his father was and why he was gone in the first place. There are more ways in which "media res" helps the reader to understand what is going on better, such as when Telmachos is traveling and listens to King Menelaos stories of the hardships Odysseus has faced. When he describes what Calypso has done(forced Odysseus to stay stranded on the island. The reader has already read background knowledge of this so they are in no way confused as to what is happening. All in all "in media res" is a structure of a book in which starts off in the middle of a story and Homer's "The Odyssey" is an example of this. "in media res" is used for many reasons but ultimately to make the story more clear and suspenseful to the reader.
ReplyDelete~Rachel Meyer~
The term “in media res”, also identified as “in the middle of things”, is relevant to The Odyssey by Homer because it exposes a different type of writing method where the author begins their story or epic in the middle. Homer makes The Odyssey interesting for the reader by starting it in the middle rather than right at Odysseus’s departure for Troy. This technique comes off as suspenseful, making the reader curious and wanting to progress on through the book to find out why. For example, Odysseus is being held captive on Calypso’s island. “…and let him announce forthwith to the nymph our unchangeable will, that Odysseus, after all he has patiently endured, shall return home” (13). The structure of The Odyssey, in media res, may come off confusing to most people. If the readers advance on through the story, all the pieces they were puzzled by will connect making the story easier to comprehend. Penelopeia, Telemachos, Athena and other gods and goddesses give clues through their conversations about why Odysseus is enslaved on Calypso’s island. With no answer to the mystery of why, the readers become motivated to figure it out for themselves. Homer’s was smart to begin his novel in the middle for the reader’s enjoyment and anticipation of the outcome of The Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteAnnie Blevins
Homer’s The Odyssey uses a unique story structure called “in media res”, or in the middle of things. Apposed to beginning at the logical point which would be during or right after the Trojan War, which was about the time all of Odysseus troubles began. Instead the start of the tale of Odysseus is begun with the expedited summary of his life’s events up to his imprisonment upon the island of the goddess and witch Calypso. This gives the reader many questions as to not only how the events unfolded but how Odysseus will escape the island or if he will. This technique helps to get the story started by making the reader interested in not just the book in general but with specific characters and events they don’t know about. It also gives the reader a chance to learn some background as to what is going on at Odysseus’ house while he is trapped and to why he has earned the favor of most of the gods. To further this point take the quote “Don’t you owe him something for all those sacrifices which he used to offer in their camp on the plain of Troy? (Athena, Book 1, page 12)”. If the story had been started back when Odysseus was doing the events of the quote at the battle of Troy there would be no telling how much more would have to be explained to get the reader brought up to enough working knowledge to understand what is going on. Finally beginning “in media res” helps to build tension for the reader as to knowing what has happened but not being able to know the specifics of his story until later on. Thus the choice of structure could not have added more if done any other way showing the true mastery of the writer, Homer.
ReplyDeleteDustin Myers
ReplyDeleteThe Odyssey, by Homer, does not start out in the beginning like most. Rather,it starts in the middle with the gods conversing about what to do with Odysseus, who at that time was stuck on the island of Ogygia where he was "kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso" (Homer 11). It then goes to Telemachos, Odysseus's son who has foreigners in his home who are trying to marry his mother. It starts out in media res to enhance the need for Odysseus at his home to drive away all those who wish to marry his wife. The need for Odysseus at his home is so great that the gods finally decide to bring him back to where his journey began. Also, if The Odyssey did not begin in the middle people would not enjoy the story any longer because they will already know how Odysseus got trapped on the island of Ogygia. Starting in the middle also adds a mysterious and somewhat suspenseful effect in the fact that nobody knows how Odysseus got stuck on the island of Ogygia and if he will ever return to his home.
The Odysessy starts its story in media res, or in the middle of things. This is effective to the overall story because immediately you are questioning what has happened to Odysesseus: Why did he leave his home? Who is Calypso and how did he end up on her island? Whats the story behind all his men dying? Starting in the middle of the story allows the reader to draw up conclusions of their own and then read on and see if their correct. It keeps a certain air of suspense as your always wondering what will happen next and what happened before to cause this. Because the story starts in the middle, there are not introductions to the characters. You are meeting them after Odysesseus does; therefore, it makes it a little confusing in the beginning to understand who everyone is. For example, he never introduces his wife in the story, you just immediately know her to be his wife that he is longing for and wants to return home to. Since the story does not start at the beginning, with Odysessus's departure for Troy, your not taking the journey with him, but rather, looking back on how far hes come and ultimately seeing it from a different perspective than that of a normal story. In conclusion, starting the story in media res made the journey more suspenseful, interesting and continues to keep the reader turning the pages with anticipation. It also makes it that much more exciting when the book comes to its final resolution.
ReplyDelete--Cassie Wilton
In Homer’s novel “The Odyssey” he starts the book off in mid-journey, which is rare compared to other novels written and their structures of a story. This type of writing is “media-res” which means the middle of things. This element of writing creates major effects on the reader by having the reader read into the depth of the story and keeps the audience aware of what is happening. For example, “This is the story of a man, one who was never at a loss. He had traveled far in the world, after the sack of troy, the virgin; fortress he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their home. He did the best, but he could not save his companions…”(Book 1 page 11). When the reader reads this they do not know who this impeccable man is after he led these men to victory in the fall of Troy. The reader does not have a clue where he is, how he has gotten there, and what the reason is for his troubles. The reader does not figure out who he is until the fifth book. This type of novel structure leaves the reader interested and wanting to read more. These clues help the reader out later in the book as the story starts to pull together piece by piece. Starting in the middle makes the reader more entertained in the reading and wanting to read more. Therefore using the element “media-res” Homer makes the ancient tale more suspenseful and fun to read.
ReplyDelete-Chris Lepsky
The Odyssey written by Homer is a novel centered around the epic hero, Odysseus, and his journey to get back home to Ithaca. Yet Homer uses a special type of story structure known as "in media res" or known as in the middle. With "in media res", Homer does not expose Odysseus' tribulations to get back to his homeland, but only tells the reader of his imprisonment on Calypso's island. For example, Homer reveals on the first page of the novel, "He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband" (3). The reader is immediately given the location of Odysseus, but does not know how Odysseus arrived there until book two. Homer reveals only the location of Odysseus, not how Odysseus got there, therefore the reader will make assumption and will read on to figure out the real events. The effect of using the structure of "in media res" is to allow the reader to assume and ask questions about how Odysseus became imprisoned on Calypso's island. Rather than starting at Odysseus' depature of Troy, Homer begins the story in the middle. Homer begins the story in the middle to show the reader of Telemachos' problems with the suitors. For example, Penelope's suitors plan to kill Telemachos "Come along, get me a fast boat and twenty men, that I lie for him on his way back, and watch in the strait between Ithaca and the cliffs of Samos; then he shall finish his filial expedition in anything but ship-shape fashion" (57). If Homer did not use "in media res", the reader would not know of Telemachos' journey to find his father, or of the suitors plans to kill Telemachos until later on which may cause confusion with the reader. Homer cleverly uses "in media res" to create many questions for the reader to assume and keep reading to solve as the novel progresses.
ReplyDeleteSean Simpson
The Odyssey is very unique because of the start “in media res”, or in the middle of things. If The Odyssey had started with Odysseus leaving for Troy then Telemachus’ decision to find his father would have been a rising action. The effect of Homer starting in media res, is to skip the building of suspense, and just start off wondering what is going to happen to Odysseus. The Odyssey is told from many different points of view, including the Greek gods’ and Telemachus. This is done because you can see what the gods are planning to do in order for Odysseus to get home. For example, “I tell you he will no long be absent from his native land. He will find a way to get back, for he is not at lost(15)”. We learn some background information about Odysseus’ situation from the Greek gods’ conversation in book one, for example, why Odysseus is trapped and not returning home. Zeus states “How could I forget that fine fellow Odysseus. But Poseidon Earthholder bears him unrelenting hatred because of that Cyclops eye he put out (12)”. The word Odyssey means a long series of wanderings, or hardships. The Odyssey is all about one man’s 10 year journey in an effort to return home from the war, which is where Homer started the book. If Homer would have started the book with Odysseus’ leaving for Troy, it would be pointless information up until Odysseus’ departure from Troy to Ithaca.
ReplyDelete-Lauren Jamison
In the novel, The Odyssey, Homer (the author) practices a style of writing that is known as “in media res” or in the middle of things. This method of literature begins in the middle of a story rather than the beginning, and culminates at the end. The author has many purposes for using this method of writing. First of all, the use of “in media res” causes the reader to be compelled to continue. In the first few chapters (or books) of the novel, the reader is immediately dumbfounded with many compound questions, due to the fact that the book has started in the middle of a story. For example, as the reader reads the first page, “At the time when I begin, all the others who had not been killed in the war were at home, safe from the perils of battle and sea: but he was alone, longing to get home to his wife. He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Homer 11). As the reader digests this information, numerous questions pop up in their mind such as What war? Who is Calypso? Why is he kept prisoner? What happened before this occurred? All these questions rise up in the reader’s mind and now they have the pressing urge to keep reading on to find the answers to their questions. The reader already knows where he is but they want to know how exactly Odysseus got there, in that impasse. Secondly, the wide gap in time between the beginning and middle gives Homer the potential to place a long intriguing flashback later in the text for the reader. For example, “Now tell me about your travels, what countries you have visited, what cities of civilized men; tell us who are savages and lawless men, who are hospitable and godfearing. And tell us why you are so unhappy when you hear the fate of Argives and Danaans and the fall of Troy…Then Odysseus began his tale” (Homer 99, 100). While the reader comprehends the text, most if not all their questions are being answered. Thirdly, the use of “in media res” creates a sense of unity as the author brings the storyline together, beginning with confusion at the opening of the novel, followed by explanations given during flashback and finishing with the culmination of all events at the end of the novel. In The Odyssey it all seems to come back to Odysseu’s land of Ithaka, where at the end of the book Penelope and Odysseus finally reunite, “She was conquered, she could hold out no longer when Odysseus told her the secret she knew so well. She burst into tears and ran strait to him, throwing her arms about his neck. She kissed his head and cried” (Homer 257). Here, at that moment, there is peace all around them in the place where they meet again. The effect of Homer using “in media res” is to engage the reader and cause them to seek answers, then answer those questions using information given during Odysseu’s flashback, which compels the reader to continue the story to the very end. Homer was wise to use the “in media res” method of literature because it made The Odyssey enthralling.
ReplyDelete-Erika Scholle
Honors 10 L.A
ReplyDelete1st Blog Entry
Nikki Hacking
When it comes to writing a novel or an epic such as “The Odyssey”, some authors choose to start a book in the middle of all the action. This style of writing is referred to as "in media res" or in the middle of things and is an effective way of writing because it gets the readers attention from the very first anecdote. In Homers “The Odyssey” translated by W.H.D Rouse, the novel starts of in the middle of Odysseus’s journey, which begins with the events that have already taken place. The deal with the structure of the Odyssey is interesting because the reader begins the book with an introduction to the character Odysseus, who has already experienced half of his journey in the Battle of Troy. For example, the first page of the book starts by explaining “He had traveled far in the world, after the sack of Troy, the virgin fortress”… (Homer 11). The effect of Homer starting in Media Reis is the reader has many questions about Odysseus and are fascinated by all the events that have already occurred in past circumstances’. The ultimate effect that Media Reis has on the reader is they left wanting to know more about the character Odysseus and his fate on Calypso’s Island. Furthermore, Homer starts in the middle rather than starting right at Odysseus’s departure for Troy because he wanted to keep the true identity of Odysseus hidden so that the reader could base their own conclusions off of what other characters have to say about him. Also, by keeping his personality hidden the reader can get a chance to be a detective and try to piece together who knows what happened to Odysseus a mystery. In conclusion, “The Odyssey” is written "in media res" to excite the reader and get them interested in the book from the start, but also an important aspect that this type of writing does for Odysseus’s character in general is to keep the suspense and most importantly the readers’ attention.
Homer uses “media res” in The Odyssey by starting the book in the middle of the problem. Odysseus had already been missing for many years before the book even begins. The structure of The Odyssey is stating what the problem is and then going back and telling the readers what happened before that point. Since this structure is different than in most books it makes The Odyssey more interesting. Also, since Homer started in the middle of the situation the readers get more interested during the beginning of the book because we slowly get information on what has happened to Odysseus. For example, in chapter three Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, asks Nestor Neleiades what he knows about his father. Nestor tells him that not long after they had left Troy, Odysseus and a few of the other men turned around to go back to Agamemnon who did not agree with them on how to get home. Nestor said that he hadn’t seen him since they had separated. In addition, “media res” makes The Odyssey more interesting because we get chunks of Odysseus journey at different times. For example, in chapter five we find out that Odysseus was saved by Calypso during the storm, where the rest of the men with him died. This is when we finally find out how he was captured by Calypso which we are told on the very first page of the book. Homer starting The Odyssey in “media res” makes it more interesting for the readers.
ReplyDeleteMandy DeWitt
“In media res” applies to the structure of The Odyssey because Homer begins the book in the middle of Odysseus’s story, after he is already captured by the gods. Homer has structured the story this way to capture the reader’s attention immediately by starting with the most important journey of the book, taken by Telemachus to save his father. While Homer begins the book in media res, it seems later on that he actually began at the start of Telemachus’s adventure. By doing this, Homer can clear up the background of the story easier than starting where Odysseus ported at Troy and make main topics in the book less confusing. For example, the very beginning of the book is an explanation of what is happening on the god’s part of the story. It explains every alliance and every grudge, which formations are of lesser importance than the effect they have later on involving Odysseus’s case. It also explains and foreshadows early on what will be happening with Telemachus and Penelopeia throughout the book. Homer has started right when Telemachus has decided to take action to figure out his father’s fate, and his own, with a little help from Athena. By using in media res, Homer has given a solid plotline for the book without postponing it until later on, which is what would’ve had to happen if he had begun at Odysseus’s departure.
ReplyDeleteHomer’s story The Odyssey is written in media res. This means the book starts in the middle. The beginning of the story starts off by talking about Odysseus being held captive by a witch named Calypso on her island away from his home of Ithaca . It informs the reader that he was captured by the beautiful Calypso after getting lost at the end of the Trojan War. Later, Homer introduces Odysseus’ family. The goddess Athena comes along disguised as a family friend by the name of Mentes. She does this because she wants Odysseus’ son, Telemachos, to inquire about where his father is so that the people of Ithaca could learn that Odysseus really is not dead. Athena’s plan works and this begins Telemachos’s journey for his father. Homer choosing to write the story in media res changes a lot about the piece. For example, the first two paragraphs on page three detail where Odysseus is and why he is there. This gives the reader more background information on what is going on and gives hope to Telemachos’s journey. If the reader did not know that Odysseus was alive then Telemachos’s journey would seem pointless because not even the reader is sure that he would really be out there for him to find. If the story began with Odysseus’ departure for Troy at the beginning of the war the whole story would be different and the story would most likely follow Odysseus and his journeys through out the war instead of following a father and son’s journeys to find each other again. The reader also probably wouldn’t know anything about Telemachos because he was just a baby when Odysseus left for war. Choosing to write in media res really changed everything about The Odyssey
ReplyDeleteThe term, "In media res", or "in the middle of things" can be applied to the structure of the Odyssey written by Homer. The effect of Homer starting "in media res" eliminates the Trojan War. This is because the story being told is Odysseus journey back to Ithaca and Telemachos journey to find out about his father. Also Homer is able to eliminate the war, because the war is more of a detail rather than the main idea like the two journeys. Homer starts the story in media res rather than Odysseus departure from Troy because the events that happened in the Trojan war are the answers Telemachos is seeking to understand his father. For example, on his journey when he stops in Pylos to talk to Nestor. Nestor states, "We came to Tenedos, and offered sacrifice to the gods, longing to get home, Zeus...to put a quarrel among us again for the second time! There some turned back their ships...led by Prince Odysseus; for that deep and clever man wished to take the of Agamemnon once more" (book 3, page 31). This shows that as Telemachos travels from place to place to learn about his father, information of the war also is being shared little by little. In conclusion, Homer's structure of starting the novel, the Odyssey in " in media res" is a foreshadow because as the novel and journeys continue little by little key parts of the war and Odysseus are being discovered.
ReplyDeleteIn his story The Odyssey, Homer uses an unusual story structure by starting his book “in media res,” or “in the middle of things,” to make the story easier for the reader to understand. By starting off The Odyssey in the middle of Odysseus’s adventure, Homer is able to improve the story’s pace and introduce the majority of the main characters at the same time. Obviously, the storyline of The Odyssey takes place over a long period of time, from the beginning of the battle of Troy where Odysseus spent “nine years fight before Priam’s town… [and] it took [him] ten years to capture that city,” to his return to Ithaca to his family (Homer 64). However, the majority of the main characters are not even present during this part of Odysseus’s journey; if Homer had started The Odyssey with Odysseus’s departure for Troy, then the bulk of the story would have had to focus on the battle of Troy if Homer wanted to keep a steady pace in the story. A story beginning “in media res” would have split up the two individual journeys of Telemachos and Odysseus more evenly. In the same way, Homer started The Odyssey “in media res” in order to introduce the main characters at a similar time. The very beginning of the story reveals two very different plots: Odysseus is trapped far from home, and “kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso… who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband,” while Telemachos is trying to ward off his mother’s many suitors who are physically eating him out of house and home (Homer 11). Homer chose to start his book “in media res” to clearly reveal Odysseus at the same time as Athena, Telemachos and his mother, Penelope, who were irrelevant at the time of Troy. Homer’s choice of story structure makes it much easier for the reader to understand the different plots and characters that make up The Odyssey. -Nikki Meuser
ReplyDeleteThe term “media res” in English means ‘in the middle of things’, which applies to the story of “The Odyssey” very well, because Homer wrote the epic poem starting in the middle of the story. The main character, Odysseus, tells what happens before the story started as a poem. The “deal” with the structure of the Odyssey is that it was originally written as an epic poem. I believe Homer wrote like this because he wanted to make the readers get the story from Odysseus’ perspective, not just saying what happened matter-of-factly. I also believe Homer wrote this way because he wanted to hook the audiences reading it quickly with action, then go back and explain things, so more people would like the story. The story’s flashbacks also help make Odysseus’ travels and many efforts to get home more rewarding to the reader, because they can see first person what really happened to him. Lastly, I believe Homer wrote the epic poem “The Odyssey” in medias res because he wanted to create a sense of urgency, because if the story started with the Greeks beating the Trojans, then they would not be expecting any more action, which would create a less exciting story for the reader.
ReplyDeleteKyle Krueger
ReplyDeleteEmail at: cueball29@charter.net
Homer starts “The Odyssey” in media res or in the middle of things rather than at the beginning of the story. He does this to peak the reader’s interest by starting with a brief summary of Odysseus’s life and moving directly into a conversation of the gods. By introducing the gods early on, the reader understands the era, the religious beliefs of the story and the personalities of the gods. For example, when Athena said, “…Odysseus, after all he has patiently endured, shall return home.” (13), Homer is showing that Athena is compassionate and caring. Homer also starts in the middle to hold the readers interest by slowly shaving away at Odysseus’s past and personality through stories that he tells others and that others tell his son, Telemachos. This creates an effect of mystery that is slowly revealed and allows the interest peaking fights to be spread out. In addition, if the story were to take place along a normal timeline Telemachos’s journey would have revealed nothing to the reader and would have been redundant in the information it relayed.
In Homer's The Odyssey, Homer uses a literary technique known as "in media res". This means that the story begins not in the very beginning, but at the end. Homer uses this literary technique for a number of reasons. First, Homer wants us to actually feel sympathetic towards Odysseus. If the book had simply started with him going to the Trojan War, then the need to return home seems less urgent. But, by telling us that he "has been kept from his friends and family all this while" (12), we immediatly know that he has been away for much longer than expected, and that he must be very sad and lonely. Later in the story, Homer switches the setting to talk about Odysseus' son and his wife back in Ithaca. The reader learns that there are rude men trying to woo Odysseus' wife in his absence, and that his son Telemachos cannot stop them on his own. Desperate for help, he prays to the gods for help in stopping them. The goddess Athena answers his prayers and appears before him in the form of an old family friend named Mentor. She assures Telemachos that his father is alive and encourages him to look for him by going on a journey. Meanwhile, Odysseus' wife Penelopeia grieves for him day in and day out while her wooers squander Odysseus' wealth and food. By showing that there is a greater plight at home, and that his grieving wife and son are still holding out hope that he is alive and will return, Homer makes the reader feel much more sympathetic towards Odysseus' plight. Second, Homer wants to give the reader hope that Odysseus will succeed in his quest to return home. In the first chapter of the story, Homer tells the reader that Odysseus is imprisoned on the island of Ogygia, being held there by the nymph Calypso because she wants him for a husband. Seeing his sadness at this fact, the gods decide that "Odysseus, after all that he has patiently suffered, shall return home"(13). This guarantee comforts the reader and ensures that Odysseus will see his home again. This guarantee couldn't have happened at the beginning of the story because Odysseus wouldn't have suffered yet and so the gods wouldn't feel sorry for him.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are multiple reasons Homer choose “in media res” as the structure for the Odyssey. For example in order to explain the background information of the Odyssey enough to lead up to the opening scene could of taken another entire book. So instead of including all of the background information and risking many readers to loose interest in the book Homer choose to skip the beginning conflict and jump straight into the aftermath of everything that has already happened. He starts the book off writing about the characters as if we already knew of them and slowly begins to explain pieces of their lives as it goes on. This quote shows us a little bit more of, what we assume to be our main character, by letting us start to understand his personality. “How could I forget that fine fellow Odysseus, after all! He is almost on of us [gods]. Wise beyond mortal men, ready beyond all to sacrifice to the lords of the broad heavens.” (Book 1, P. 5) Another example, “…sent our special messenger Hermes, and told him not to kill the man or make love to his wife; their song Orestes, would punish him when he grew up and wanted his own dominions.” (Book 1, P. 4) This quote shows us another reason Homer may choose this structure is to hook the readers into wanting to know what is going to happen next. He does this by giving us a taste of knowing something big just happens, but what we don’t know is how exactly it all happened which will cause us to want to continue reading so that we can find more out about the lives of the characters mentioned. These are the main reasons I believe that Homer choose to translate the book “The Odyssey” in media res structure.
ReplyDeleteKendall Siems
The structure for the book The Odyssey by Homer and translated by W.H.D. Rouse is different in the sense that it doesn’t start in the beginning. Instead, it begins in “Media Res” or the middle of things. Homer does this because of the suspense of the reader seeing the story unfold. First, the story begins when “all the others who had not been killed in the war were home, safe from the perils of battle and sea: but he was alone, longing to get home to his wife” (book 1 page 11). This makes the reader think about what had happened to Odysseus and as they read more, it becomes clearer and clearer. Even in the sentence after it explains that Calypso was holding him prisoner on her island. If Homer were to start at the actual beginning, it would have had multiple repetitions of the same story. Therefore, by starting in the middle, Homer creates suspense and a story that captivates its reader. As the story progresses more information is shared with the reader. For example, in book 3, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, learns of what Nestor Neleiades knows of his father in his search to find the truth. If Homer were to compose the story at the very beginning, it would have been proven boring to readers. In addition, it gives the reader the ability to create their own opinions of the characters and put pieces of the story together on their own. This makes the story of Odysseus a mystery that the reader wants to uncover. Therefore, starting in the middle of things, Homer creates an epic filled with adventure, mystery, and suspense that readers enjoy.
ReplyDelete-Caitlyn Washington
The Odyssey starts in "media res" for many reasons. For one thing, the fact that the true story of Odysseus is still somehow unknown, because all Homer, the author gives us is "He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (book 1 page 3). This leaves plenty of room for question and mystery and gives the reader time to ponder and think about the real situation. Using the middle first, also gives you a better understanding of the beginning. If the reader knows what happens in the middle of the story then the results of the beginning become more apparent. Another reason for Homer starting the Odyssey in "media res" was to grab the reader's attention. By showing the reader the middle of the journey, Homer is grabbing the reader's interest. In a creative way the author is telling us Odysseus' story and about him through his son and family. So not only is the author describing Odysseus but he is doing so through the eyes of the people who know and love him best. Through the many reasons for Homer to start the Odyssey in "media res", two things are clear. Homer started the Odyssey in the middle to give a better background on Odysseus, and at the same time keep the reader guessing as to the real story and the story that lies just ahead. -Rachel Dutton
ReplyDeleteWithin Homer’s book The Odyssey translated by W.H.D. Rouse the format of “media res” is used to structure the writing. This means the author (Homer) begins the adventure in the middle rather than at the true beginning. By using an unusual writing style Homer makes his book The Odyssey very unique and interesting when compared to other books. Also, using the media res format builds suspense and keeps the reader interested. For example, on page 11 in Book 1, it say “He had travelled far in the word, after the sac of Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes” which proves that after the battle of Troy Odysseus did not return home like others.
ReplyDeleteAgain “media res” is used on page 12 in Book 1, when the goddess of Athena concern is shown for Odysseus by saying “What about the clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees and nothing but the waves all round it, in the very middle of the sea!” explaining that Odysseus is incapable in taking action in returning home the extended period of time. By using the structure of “media res” Homer creates a suspenseful epic that is both intriguing and thrilling.
-Brian Quasebarth
The term “in media res” meaning in the middle of things, can be applied to the structure of The Odyssey because the story begins when most of Odysseus’s journey home has already been completed. The story begins with the readers learning on the first page that Odysseus is being held captive by Calypso on an island. For example, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book I pg 11). Homer starts the story in the middle of the story rather than starting right at Odysseus’s departure for Troy because by writing the story “in media res” it allows the reader to jump right into the action of the story, and prior events are later explained in flashbacks or storytelling. Later in The Odyssey, Odysseus’s full journey home is explained through story telling, “Ah well, but you are waiting to hear of my journey home, and all the sorrows which Zeus laid upon me after I left Troy” (Book IX pg 100). Odysseus tells the story of his journey home later in the story, when in Phaiacia, while he is still on his way home. The effect of the structure gives the reader a better understanding of The Odyssey because it involves characters not involved with Odysseus’s journey home, and it explains to the readers why it is so urgent for Odysseus to return home to Ithaca. This is stressed when Athena, in disguise, says to Telemachos “It’s clear you do need Odysseus to lay hands on these heartless men who pester his wife!” (Book I pg 17). Homer effectively used the “in media res” to keep the readers interested by putting them right into the action, for the use of flashbacks and storytelling, and to stress the urgency of Odysseus’s return home to Ithaca.
ReplyDelete- Christina Phillips
In Homer's The Odyssey, Homer uses a literary technique known as "in media res". This means that the story begins not in the very beginning, but at the end. Homer uses this literary technique for a number of reasons. First, Homer wants us to actually feel sympathetic towards Odysseus. If the book had simply started with him going to the Trojan War, then the need to return home seems less urgent. But, by telling us that he "has been kept from his friends and family all this while" (12), we immediatly know that he has been away for much longer than expected, and that he must be very sad and lonely. Later in the story, Homer switches the setting to talk about Odysseus' son and his wife back in Ithaca. The reader learns that there are rude men trying to woo Odysseus' wife in his absence, and that his son Telemachos cannot stop them on his own. Desperate for help, he prays to the gods for help in stopping them. The goddess Athena answers his prayers and appears before him in the form of an old family friend named Mentor. She assures Telemachos that his father is alive and encourages him to look for him by going on a journey. Meanwhile, Odysseus' wife Penelopeia grieves for him day in and day out while her wooers squander Odysseus' wealth and food. By showing that there is a greater plight at home, and that his grieving wife and son are still holding out hope that he is alive and will return, Homer makes the reader feel much more sympathetic towards Odysseus' plight. Second, Homer wants to give the reader hope that Odysseus will succeed in his quest to return home. In the first chapter of the story, Homer tells the reader that Odysseus is imprisoned on the island of Ogygia, being held there by the nymph Calypso because she wants him for a husband. Seeing his sadness at this fact, the gods decide that "Odysseus, after all that he has patiently suffered, shall return home"(13). This guarantee comforts the reader and ensures that Odysseus will see his home again. This guarantee couldn't have happened at the beginning of the story because Odysseus wouldn't have suffered yet and so the gods wouldn't feel sorry for him.
ReplyDelete-Alex Pitterle
The structure of The Odyssey is very interesting in the way that it uses “in media res” (the middle) to show a quick overview of Odysseus’s situation. Homer did this because it leads the reader into the story and has the reader asking questions. This technique is used to help the reader better understand the book and build suspense. Starting from the departure of Troy would have made the story more drawn out and possibly less interesting. For example, “He [Odysseus] was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature…the gods were sorry for him, except Poseidon” (Book 1, p. 11, Paragraph 2). Right away you know about the character Odysseus and a broad description of what he is facing, but the reader still doesn’t know completely of the war and adventure. Homer also shows what the gods are feeling. In this text Athena speaks, “But what about clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow…” (Book 1, p. 12, paragraph 2). In a way, starting in the middle of the story is an advantage for the reader. As the story develops questions in the beginning, the holes are later filled in. Another way Homer uses structure is that he separates the story into books with short titles showing the reader what he/she is about to read. Two plots are laid out in the story, one of Telemacho’s journey and the other of Odysseus’s adventure to Ithaca. These two plots are separate from each other, but come together throughout the adventure. Foreshadowing is used throughout the book and brings an element of surprise and answers unanswered questions. Structure of a story can really change a book and Homer’s style is really making it fun to read.
ReplyDeleteThe way that Homer wrote his book, “The Odyssey”, is very unusual compared to most other books. Its uniqueness is that Homer used “in media res.” This term means to approach the story in a different way by starting in the middle of the events. Homer begins in the middle of the story instead of the beginning at Odysseus’s journey to Troy and back as an attention getter. For example, there are exciting parts of the book like the murder of King Agamemnon by Aigisthos who was later avenged by his son Orestes and the meeting of the Gods in the beginning of “The Odyssey.” Another way that Homer uses this as an attention getter is that he told the reader many of the problems of Odysseus in the beginning of the book. As the reader reads on he slowly understands what the problems were and how those problems came to Odysseus. For an example, the narrator says in the beginning of the story that, “He (Odysseus) was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband. Later in the story the reader finds out that Odysseus ended up trapper in her cave by going through many troubles sent to him by the sea god Poseidon and other gods. The main reason why Homer uses “in media res” or starts in the middle of all the events in “The Odyssey,” is to supply a sense of mystery or interest into the story.
ReplyDelete--Daniel Hanks
Allie Staffen
ReplyDeleteThe Structure of the Odyssey molds perfectly to fit into the term of "in media res", meaning in the middle of things; though, in present time authors do not write with such a tense. During the time of Homer it was often common to start later on in the story from where the starting point truly was. Every well-written piece of literature ever written, no matter what time period, has had some shape or form of pizzazz that enables the composer to catch the readers’ attention and hold it without losing it. In order to create that effect that Homer knew he would need to paint the perfect words on his pages of his epic poem, Homer used the technique of “in media res”. Although this technique can often cause confusion among readers, it can also unlock the mind of a true and experienced reader. Unfortunately, Homer’s wonderful pizzazz and secret weapon is his greatest downfall as well. To the inexperienced eye the technique of beginning in the middle of things seems pointless, thus creating confusion and losing their attention. Homer did not allow for the weak though, for he was striving to create a masterpiece, not a children’s’ picture book. Although his literature is fairly long, Homer did give the less experienced readers a small break by shortening the piece. The composer of words began his story of, “ the storm-tossed man, O Muse, who wandered long after he sacked the sacred citadel of Troy,” (Book I 1, Homer) known only as Odysseus, after the fall of Troy, thus shortening the ever long tale. Homer also began after Troy in order to tell of the hardships Odysseus faced after he sacked Troy as well as his son’s in his search for his long absent father.
The Odyssey by Homer follows a structure that’s “in media res”, meaning in the middle of things. For example, The Odyssey starts with the story of how Aigisthos, who killed Agamemnon, was killed by Orestes, which all took place after the Trojan War. It doesn’t start with the Trojan War and what Odysseus did in the war, but directly goes to after the war and to Telemachos, Odysseus’s son. The effect of Homer starting “in media res” is that it makes the reader want to find out why and how Odysseus got lost. For example, Pallas Athena comes to Telemachos and makes him go on a quest to find out what happened to Odysseus. This supports the fact that starting the story in the middle of things is good because we can find out what happens to Odysseus on Telemachos’s quest. Telemachos’s quest intrigues the readers to find out about Odysseus and read on. This is the effect of Homer starting in the middle of things. Therefore, Homer starts the story in the middle rather than starting right at Odysseus’s departure for Troy because otherwise the reader wouldn’t be able to find out new things about Odysseus as the story goes. The approach that Homer took by starting in the middle makes the story all the more intriguing to the reader and makes the Odyssey a really interesting adventure.
ReplyDeleteLalitha Kesetty
Most stories do not begin with the main character stranded on an island trying to get back to their family, but is unable to because of a god named Calypso. Usually you are introduced to a story by reading about the characters, their background, and what is currently going on in their life. However this is not the case in the story The Odyssey. The story begins in “media res”, or in the middle of things. Right away the reader has many questions about Odysseus and his story. By beginning this way the reader is inclined to keep reading to find the answers to their questions about Odysseus and his son Telemachos. The first character you are fully introduced to in the story is Telemachos, when the god Athena visits him in disguise “…as the son of a clever father” (8) Mentês to try to convince him to go out and look for his father. The story really isn't starting with Odysseus' adventure at all, but rather Telemachos, and his journey to find his long lost father. Homer's decision to write his story The Odyssey in “media res” immediately grabs the readers’ attention to read on further into the story to find answers to their questions about Odysseus. Beginning a story in this structure is effective because once the reader has started the story their minds are intrigued to read on.
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s book the Odyssey, he starts off in the middle of an already ongoing story. Starting off this way is known as “in media res” or in the middle of things. Using this style of writing tends to draw in the reader. He begins to wonder what has happed to Odysseus after he left Troy. As the reader continues he is drawn further and further in as some of his questions begin to be answered. Homer starts the story at the house of Odysseus rather than starting off by showing what has happened to Odysseus because it shows you the condition of his house now that he has been gone for so long. Odysseus’s house has been overrun with suitors trying to marry his wife and eat his food. Telemachos, Odysseus’s son explains, “My mother is besieged by those who would marry her against her will… they visit every, kill our cattle and sheep and fat goats , hold high revel and drink my sparkling wine, quite reckless…”(2,17). By showing the situation at Odysseus’s home it makes it important for him to return and more momentous when he finally does return home. Homer uses this style superbly and it catches the reader with questions needed to be answered.
ReplyDeleteCole Greenwald
Homer started in the middle for the sole purpose of getting you interested in the story. He grabs hold of your attention by feeding it with your emotions. He first feeds on your emotion of love. He does so by telling the reader Odysseus has been captured and kept away from his wife. "He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of the gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband" (Homer, 11). Homer then takes grip of your sense of religion by saying people blame God or gods in this case for everything that goes wrong. "Upon my word, just see how mortal men always put the blame on us gods! We are the source of all evil, so they say- when they have only their own madness to thank if their miseries are worse than they ought to be." (Homer, 12). He then uses your sense of family by introducing Odysseus' son Telemachos and saying how much he was hoping his father would come back. "He wondered if his father would suddenly appear and make a clean sweep of them all, and take his own honourable place again, and manage his property." Homer started in the midst of the story to get the reader hooked on the emotions that the characters were feeling in order to get the reader hooked.
ReplyDelete- Adam Castle.
By using media res in The Odyssey, it keeps the reader guessing about Odysseus’s life. The story starts in the middle of Odysseus’s journey. Odysseus was already away and missing from home before the book began. Homer's structure immediately grasped the reader’s attention by telling the problem right away. By stating the problem, there is a sense of a climax starting at the beginning of the book. The structure is effective because it helps the reader become more intrigued and ask more questions. Since there are not any introductions to the characters or in depth explanations of Odysseus, the reader must read on in order to learn about each individual and events in The Odyssey. For example, the reader does not find out that Odysseus left his son Telemachus when he was just and infant to go to Troy until later in the book. Also, when all of Odysseus’s men died, he was rescued and held as a prisoner by the beautiful nymph Calypso for years and was kept on her island. By starting The Odyssey in media res it makes the story more suspenseful rather than introducing the story with exposition. The structure is also effective because it helps the reader become more intrigued and ask more questions about Odysseus’s journey.
ReplyDeleteElaine Niemeyer
ReplyDeleteIn literature the normal story structure would be beginning, middle, and end. Although in The Odyssey written by Homer, has chosen to start "in media res" or in the middle of a story about a man named Odysseus. For example, Athena feels pity for Odysseus, “I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but the waves all around it, in the very middle of the sea!” (12). Homer reveals to the reader of Odysseus’ location and troubles but from starting in the middle, the reader doesn’t know how his troubles began. Therefore, the reader will have questions and want to read on to find out the answers. Homer began the novel “in media res” because it will cause the reader to make inferences and ask questions that can only be answered by reading on. For instance, Telemachos confronts his obnoxious guest, “Then to-morrow let us hold session in the market-place, for I wish to tell you in plain words that you must go from my house” (19). Homer begins The Odyssey in the middle instead of the beginning where Odysseus leaves for Troy because he wants to show the reader there is more conflict going on in the story other then just Odysseus being gone and the family worrying but now there are suitors trying to get his wife to marry them and this is another problem that would not be as important if they thought he was still alive. When Odysseus is set free from Calypso and returns home, he will have to deal with the suitors who want to take his wife and kill his son. Homer used the structure of “in media res” to keep the readers interested and wanting to continue to read.
In the novel The Odyssey Homer, the author, uses the structure “in media res”, or in the middle of things, to compel the reader to learn more about the tragic tale of Odysseus. For example, “He was kept prisoner by a witch Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband. Well the seasons went rolling by, and when the year came, in which by the thread of Ithaca, he had not yet free if his troubles and come back to his own people. The gods were all sorry for him, except Poseidon, god of the sea, who bore a lasting grudge against him all the time until he returned.” (Homer 11) The reader is left with an abundance of questions to why was he imprisoned by Calypso? Why had the gods felt sorry for him? How had he arrived to Calypso’s home? Why did Poseidon have a grudge against him? The reader is then only left with to read further into the book for the explanations to what had caused Odysseus to be stranded on Calypso’s island. Also by using “in media res” Homer is allowed to use flashbacks in order to tell the story. He is then able to place the story from present tense into past tense. For instance, “From Ilion the wind carried me to Ismaros of Ciconians. Then I destroyed the city and killed the men. We spared the women and plenty of cattle and goods, which we divided to give each man a fair share. I told the men we must show a light heel and be off, but the poor fools would not listen.” (Homer100) In allowing Odysseus to tell his story in the middle of the book the reader then has to wait to know how he gets home if he gets revenge. By using the structure of “in media res” Homer captivates the reader into further explore the story of Odysseus.
ReplyDeleteSavannah Lynch
Cole Greenwald
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s book the Odyssey, he starts off in the middle of an already ongoing story. Starting off this way is known as “in media res” or in the middle of things. Using this style of writing tends to draw in the reader. He begins to wonder what has happed to Odysseus after he left Troy. As the reader continues he is drawn further and further in as some of his questions begin to be answered. Homer starts the story at the house of Odysseus rather than starting off by showing what has happened to Odysseus because it shows you the condition of his house now that he has been gone for so long. Odysseus’s house has been overrun with suitors trying to marry his wife and eat his food. Telemachos, Odysseus’s son explains, “My mother is besieged by those who would marry her against her will… they visit every, kill our cattle and sheep and fat goats , hold high revel and drink my sparkling wine, quite reckless…”(2,17). By showing the situation at Odysseus’s home it makes it important for him to return and more momentous when he finally does return home. Homer uses this style superbly and it catches the reader with questions needed to be answered.
The effect of using “in media res” is that the story has more depth. For example, when Odysseus is in Phaiacia, he tells his story to Alcinoös. While he is telling his story to Alcinoös, he is also trying to get home, so there are two stories that the reader is digesting at once. Also it makes the reader more mentally involved in the story, because they have to sort out all of the stories going on at once. Homer starts in the middle of the story because it makes a mysterious element. The reader doesn’t know exactly what happens, or happened to Odysseus. When Odysseus tells people his story, the reader is also finding out new things about him. “In media res” also makes it seem like lots of things are happening in the story, when actually there isn’t, Odysseus is just having a flashback to that time when he had his men and was trying to save them and get home. It also makes readers more interested, because they don’t know Odysseus’s past, and they have to read to find it out. If Homer started at Odysseus leaving with his men from Troy, then the story would be much longer, and less interesting because there would be no mystery, it would just be a story, and you would know everything that happened as soon as it happened, instead of slowly finding out things in the past as the story progresses.
ReplyDeletePaige Holgate
10 Honors Lang
ReplyDeleteThe Odyssey
Jacob Manier
The term “in media res”, which means “in the middle of things”, can be applied to Homer’s, The Odyssey, simply because it starts in the middle of the story. Although this is different from most novels, Homer did it with a purpose. One can only assume Homer’s reason for this unique structure, for Homer has long been dead and he is the only person who truly knows. One reason Homer started in the middle, may be to keep the reader interested. Starting in the middle poses many unexplained characters, ideas, and events that the beginning would normally introduce. This makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what is going on. For example, “He did his best, but he could not save his companions. For they perished by their own madness, because they killed and ate the cattle of Hyperion the Sun-god, and the good took care that they should never see home again.”(11). This quote from the beginning of the novel puts many questions into the reader mind. Who is “he”? Who are his companions? They couldn’t go home because they ate a cow? With these questions, the reader keeps their interest throughout the story. Another reason may be that Homer knew students in the future would have to read it. So he mentioned this big adventure in the very beginning, which the reader wants to know more about, so they read until they find it. This gets them through the dull, but necessary beginning, then they get to the good part. Reading the dull part to get to the good part lets the reader have all the necessary pieces to put the puzzle together in the end.
In Homer's The Odyssey, Homer uses a unique structure called "in media res." This translates to be in the middle of things. Homer starts the story "in media res", to grab the readers attention early in the story so that the reader is eager to read more. Homer skips Odysseus's epic journey phase one, which is departure/seperation and goes straight to phase two which is initiation. An example of this in the story is "He travelled far in in the world, after the sack of Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, learntbtheir to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes." Starting "in media res" makes the story fun and adventurous and not a book that just talks about a mans travel to have war with a city.
ReplyDelete-Larry"The Legend"Miller
Homer's The Odyssey begins "in media res" to grab the reader's attention and focus it on the journey of Telemachos. For example, Penelopeia states, "...but make an end to this piteous song, which tears the heart-strings in my breast, since I beyond all have had to suffer grief intolerable. So dear is he that I long for and never forget-my husband, whose fame is known over the length and breadth of the land" (Book 1, Pg 12). Thus statement leaves the audience guessing where Odysseus is, if he is alive, and if he is alive when or if he will return to his family longing for his arrival. Homer has begun the story of The Odyssey when Odysseus is being held captive by a witch named Calypso. At this point Odysseus' son Telemachus has grown old enough to start to hear rumors about his father and the opinions people have debating weather Odysseus is dead or alive. If the story would have been started from Odysseus' departure for Troy, Telemachos' journey to find his father would not be a great part of the story and instead Odysseus' journey in the great Trojan War would have played a major factor in the story of The Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteThe story, The Odyssey, was rewritten by W.H.D. Rouse and translated from its original Greek to English. The original author of The Odyssey was a man named Homer. Homer uses a technique called “in media res”, which, in simple words, means that Homer begins his story in the middle. If Homer had begun his story at the beginning, as is customary, the story would have most likely begun by detailing the events in the Trojan War; a war which one of the main characters, Odysseus, helped win. There are many possible reasons why Homer did this. One possibility is that Homer, by using this technique, could more freely practice the use of flashbacks. Instead of having to detail the war in Troy, Homer could simply flashback to the war when it applies to the current part in the story. Simply being able to mention the battle in Troy also helps when understanding parts of the story. For example, in book four on page forty-four, a King Menelaos is holding a feast. This feast is taking place partially due to the fact that King Menelaos “was giving his daughter to the son of Achilles the invincible; he had promised to give her first in Troy, and now the gods were bringing off the match.” If Homer had begun his tale in the Trojan War, by the time a reader got to the section about King Menelaos’s daughter finally being married, the reader most likely would have forgotten that King Menelaos had promised his daughter to Achilles’s son in the war. Then Homer would have had to write a part to remind the readers about the king’s daughter and Achilles’s son’s engagement. Using the “in media res” technique lets Homer simply tell the reader that while in Troy, the hand of King Menelaos’s daughter was promised to Achilles’s son. It is much simpler and easier to understand The Odyssey because Homer chose to use this technique.
ReplyDeleteAnother probable reason Homer used this unique technique is to get the reader interested in the story. The story begins in book one on page eleven, by telling how strong and brave and selfless Odysseus was in the Trojan War. Despite his bravery and kindness, the book tells, Odysseus was kept prisoner by a witch named Calypso and has been kept there ever since. Now, upon reading this, a reader will think, “Well, what happened? Why did Calypso choose to capture Odysseus? Does Odysseus ever escape the clutches of Calypso?” And those are only a few of the questions running through the readers’ mind. After hearing about this mysterious and courageous man, a reader is instantly compelled to find out what becomes of this interesting character. Reading about a war, such as the Trojan War, would not always attract many readers. Wars, though mostly exciting, may become dull after time, especially when reading about them. If Homer had begun his tale at the beginning or during the Trojan War, he would not have gained many of the readers he has from beginning the story with vague details about Odysseus and his brave loyalty.
Therefore, Homer begins his story, The Odyssey in the style of writing called “in media res” because it allows him to practice flashback, engages interest into the readers, and it is somewhat easier to understand in this format.
~Meagan Tucker
Homer wrote the Odyssey “in media res” or in the middle of things to get the story moving, to make the story feel more realistic, and to keep reader’s attention. By starting the story of Odysseus’s adventures when he is already being held captive by Calypso, Odysseus can be introduced through other people in the story. It’s far more realistic for friends and family to talk about their hero’s accomplishments than for the hero to brag about himself in the first chapters; which would basically negate the golden image of a hero; rather, the hero of this epic is introduced modestly. Not to mention that this opening to the story can wipe out a haphazard time lapse that might have been necessary if the book was in chronological order to avoid waiting through the seven years Odysseus was held captive. That both side steps boring the reader, by starting with the action, but also makes the story flow forward.
ReplyDeleteIf you absolutely need another reason why the book starts in the middle than look no further because Homer simply wanted to show just how long Odysseus had been kept away from home. By including the suitors begging for his wife’s hand (Penelope‘ia’) in marriage and the fact that she had been tricking them into waiting for three years, to buy Odysseus time to return home, shows that she is still loyal to him and his return will be celebrated. Furthermore, his son (Telemachos) believes him to be dead because he’s been gone without a word for such an extended period of time. This beginning makes you feel Odysseus’s sorrows but through Athena’s and Telemachos’s knowledge instead of his own.
– Emma Walser
The structure of the odyssey is different in that it uses the term “in media res” meaning in the middle of things. This tells the middle of the story before the beginning of the story. Homer does this to provide the reader with background information about the plot. One example of Homer providing such information is, “…after the sack of Troy, the virgin fortress; he [Odysseus] saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes.” (Book 1, page 3) This background information lets the reader get right into the story and be able to understand what is going on. Homer excludes details about the battle of Troy because he is focusing on Telemachos’s journey and Odysseus returning home. The structure also tells of Odysseus’s current state “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband.” (Book1, page 3) Without this information the story of Telemachos leaving Ithaca in search of his father would be reasonless.
ReplyDelete-Austin Whaley
Homer uses the structure known as "media res", defined as, "in the middle of things" in his novel The Odyssey. Homer utilizes this element as an attention grabber; by doing so, he not only captures the readers' interest, but also causes them to want to find out what happened. Homer begins The Odyssey with Odysseus held prisoner by Calypso. He was kept on an island far away from his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, back in Ithaca. The story tells little of the battle of Troy, except that many died and that post battle Calypso captured Odysseus. If the story were to have begun at the initial battle, the battle Odysseus faced to reach his family would have seemed insignificant. One might also say that if the story had begun with Odysseus at the battle of Troy, the author would not have had to give any background information. Consequently, the first sentence would not have been "This is the story of a man, one who was never at a loss" (3), but becuase this is the first sentence, followed by him held prisoner, the reader is left in wonder as to why, if he is never at a loss, is he being held against his will. Curiosity is a major contributor to the need to finish a book and learn about the characters and their adventures. Thus, the structural method of "media res" is most effective in Homer's novel, The Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteCole Greenwald
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s book the Odyssey, he starts off in the middle of an already ongoing story. Starting off this way is known as “in media res” or in the middle of things. Using this style of writing tends to draw in the reader. He begins to wonder what has happed to Odysseus after he left Troy. As the reader continues he is drawn further and further in as some of his questions begin to be answered. Homer starts the story at the house of Odysseus rather than starting off by showing what has happened to Odysseus because it shows you the condition of his house now that he has been gone for so long. Odysseus’s house has been overrun with suitors trying to marry his wife and eat his food. Telemachos, Odysseus’s son explains, “My mother is besieged by those who would marry her against her will… they visit every, kill our cattle and sheep and fat goats , hold high revel and drink my sparkling wine, quite reckless…”(2,17). By showing the situation at Odysseus’s home it makes it important for him to return and more momentous when he finally does return home. Homer uses this style superbly and it catches the reader with questions needed to be answered.
Nathan Wulfmeyer
ReplyDeleteThe story of The Odyssey, written by Homer; portraits a vast amount of writing techniques. One technique that is most prominent and draws much attention to the story is the “in media res” which simply means “in the middle of things”. How it is shown in the story is in primarily the beginning where Odysseus is trapped on Calypso’s Island, rather than at the fall of Troy, where the “meat and potatoes” part of the story truly begins. The “in media res” also draws a sort of suspense before Odysseus starts speaking of his hardships, the suspense being that you want to hear what happened to him on his adventures. Using this structure also opens up the story for another story that runs as an epilogue to the “in media res” story, more specifically, how Telemachus’s search for his father [Odysseus] is connected to the end of Odysseus’s main set of adventures. It also allows for a more extensive cast of characters and locations to be introduced in a shorter over all story. This gives a sense of depth and more complexity to the over all story, the inclusion of more characters and locations makes it feel more broad and interesting. In addition to the structure making the story feel more complex, it also set the standard for which other adventure stories have been based off of. Essentially what was a leap of faith in story telling back in Homer’s days has become a media icon. One can see that the way that the Odyssey is constructed brings more attention and scope to the story.
“In media res” is a term that can be closely associated with Homer’s The Odyssey. Homer begins the book with the middle of the story. There are many reasons in which Homer decided to do so. Starting with the middle of the story allows Homer to provide background of Odysseus’ voyage. In the first few pages the reader already finds out, “(Odyssues) was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1, 3). Providing such background prevents any confusion later in the book. Another reason to start “in media res” is to keep the readers interest. By starting in the middle of the story readers learn of Telemachus’ journey to find what became of his father, Odysseus. Athena advises Telemachus to, “get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he is so long away” (Book 1, 17). Discovering his journey, questions of whether Odysseus is still alive and if Telemachus will survive arose. Such questions will gain the readers interest and give them motivation to keep reading. The unique structure of The Odyssey provides background and motivation for anyone reading the novel.
ReplyDeleteMeagan Banta-Lewis
The term “In Media Res” which means “In the Middle of Things” could accurately describe the structure of Homer’s “The Odyssey”. The reason for this is that the story does not start at the beginning when Odysseus first leaves Ithaca for Troy, but when the gods of Olympus are discussing the situation of Odysseus being held prisoner on an island by the radiant creature Calypso, who hoped to make Odysseus her husband. At the beginning of the story, Athena decides to go to Ithaca to try to convince Odysseus’ son Telemachos to go an a journey to set Odysseus free from Calypso’s island. The structure of the story was set up this way due to the fact that this part of the story is much closer to the climax than the real beginning of it is. Since the Trojan War lasted for such a long time, there were many events that led up to the starting point of “The Odyssey” that would be dull and boring for the reader to start the story with. Therefore, instead of boring the reader with the little details of how Odysseus ended up on Calypso’s island, Homer started “The Odyssey” in the middle of all of the action and only added in just enough information about the events that led up to that point to catch the readers attention and spark their interest while still telling them enough about the past to understand the opening conversation. The effect of “In Media Res” works very well in “The Odyssey” making the reader want to continue reading so they can find out more about what led up to these events and what will happen next.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Eversman
Mark Fraser
ReplyDelete“In media res” meaning in the middle of things, is the structure used by Homer to write the story of The Odyssey. The purpose of using “in media res” is to allow the reader to have their own conclusions about what happened at the beginning of the story and little by little the book will mold those conclusions into what they should be. This strategy helps the reader to understand more clearly the qualities of each character and the situations that they find themselves in throughout the book. Another effect of “in media res” is to give you enough information about what is going to happen in the current story without spilling too much into previous adventures which could be boring and pointless to read if there is not a connection to the current story a good example of this is “he (Odysseus) endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring his men safe to their homes. He did his best but he could not save his companions” (Homer 3). This example clearly states that Odysseus did what he could to save his companions but failed and has overcome many troubles in his life. "In media res" helps to prevent going into a long unnecessary tale which is not connected to the current adventure which could have bored the reader. The Odyssey did not start when Odysseus embarked on his mission to Troy because the tale of the Odyssey focuses on the journey of Telemachos and the ideal of a quest to reunite a father and a son.
In The Odyssey, it starts off very confusing in many ways. The structure of The Odyssey is set up differently than most books. For example, the author, Homer, starts the book in the middle of things. He starts Odysseus’ journey to visit Troy in the middle of it, which is interesting, considering usually an author would start at the beginning of a journey. There are many reasons behind Homer starting “in media res”. The structure is unusual for a book. The Odyssey is broken up to smaller sections referred to as books and that are labeled in Roman Numerals. There are For example, Homer labels the first smaller section “Book I; What Went on in the House of Odysseus” (Homer 3). Second, there is a main reasoning behind the author starting Odysseus’ journey in the middle. Homer starts The Odyssey in the middle of things for dramatic effect. It is a technique some authors use to provide emphasis for the reader. The journey starts with Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. It starts off with telling about Odysseus’ son having problems. I think the author started the reader out in confusion and in the middle of Odysseus’ journey because it would hopefully lead the reader to better understand the journey and have background of the journey that Odysseus is going through to defeat Troy.
ReplyDeleteScott Nettesheim-
ReplyDeleteIn the middle of things or "in media res" applies to The Odyssey in many ways. The structure of having the beginning in the middle of the story is for the reader. It gives the reader motivation to keep reading to figure out of what happens at the beginning at the story. It allows the reader read thoroughly to make sense of the entire story. Also it gives the reader some background and details at the start but leaves chunks for the reader to figure out while reading.” He had traveled far in the world, after the sack of Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes" (Book 1, pg. 11) By Homer starting in the middle of the story it effects the reader in many ways. It makes the reader have to follow attentivly to make sure they find the "missing pieces of the puzzle" or the details of the journey. It also gives the reader a new style of writing for the reader to comprehend compared to the usually starting a book at the beginning of the story. If Homer would have started the story at the beginning many of the characters wouldn’t have such a large impact and more characters would be added. Also the whole structure of the novel would be changed such as the climax and other points. Lastly you would learn of some characters to early and would be constantly flipping back and forth through pages to remember who was who. For example if the novel was started at the beginning characters from the war of troy and who fought with Odysseus would be forgotten about during Telemachos' journey and then reentered towards the end of the novel. It would have confused the reader and would have taken away the flow of the novel. Homer used "in media res" which differed from many other writing styles and gave the novel its own unique style.
The structure of The Odyssey, by Homer, is referred to as “in media res” or in the middle of things. Homer starts in the middle of the story to help give more background information and so things will all make sense in the by the end of the novel. This writing technique allows Homer to make many references to one event to emphasis the importance of it. “Then the Father of gods and men made them a speech; for his heart was angry against a man, Aigisthos and Agamemnon’s son Orestês, as you know, had just killed a man.” (Homer, 11) This is an example of how the author mentions an event, and then refers to the same thing in more depth later. “…that was the time when Aigisthos was making his murderous plans at home; and after he killed Agamemnon he reigned seven years in all the wealth of Mycenê… Prince Orestês came back from Athens, and killed his father’s murderer, the traitor Aigisthos, because he had killed his famous father.” (Homer, 38-39) By mentioning this event at the start of the book, it makes the reader go back and think to where they had read this before. Homer begins this story as if the reader already knows what is happening or even going to happen, but in fact does not. This is the idea of “in media res”. It gives the reader clues and hints as to what will be happening, and then it actually happens. Homer does not start from Odysseus’s departure from Troy to give the book more depth and meaning, and so the reader can understand where Odysseus is at now, and then refer to flashbacks to fill in the rest of the adventure story.
ReplyDelete-Brandon Ponder
ReplyDeleteIn the book, The Odyssey the introduction has a writing style structure of the term of “in media res” used to express how it is written. "In media res" means "in the middle of things." This style of writing is shown through Telemachos saying, "If he were dead, it would not hurt me so much; if he had fallen before Troy among his comrades or in the arms of his friends, after he had wound up in war," (16). This is Telemachos giving some essential background information, like Odysseus traveling through Troy and being taken captive on an island. It would give the reader a harder time to make a prediction, because if this information was not given, the story would be hard to follow later on. With Homer giving the reader the middle of the story, this allows for more action, because the reader doesn't have to read through the entire war and trips with Odysseus. This is given though Athena meeting with Telemachos and sending him on his trip to find his father (17). Using in media res, this is like making a cliffhanger in a movie or other book. It keeps the reader interested so they read another chapter or buy the next book. If Homer would have began the story at Troy, Homer would have written a 500 page book and most readers would have gotten bored and forgot themes and foreshadowing from the beginning of the war. Also, the story would have focused with Odysseus and we would have learned all about this island giving the reader nothing to look forward to. Then when it came to Telemachos' point of view, the reader may have became confused and some would have just put the book down already. So writing in media res in this book helps the reader out and if written any other way, the story would have began entirely different.
In Homers story, the Odyssey, the term "in media res" meaning in the middle of things, applies to the structure of the novel. Because Homer uses this style of writing, he is so set apart from the others. By starting in the middle of everything, it keeps the reader asking questions and looking for more explanations. For example, "But what about that clever Odysseus? I am anxious about him, poor fellow, kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but the waves all around it, in the very middle of the sea!” (Book 1, Page 12). The reader at this point has no idea who Odysseus is and is starting to ask questions such as why he is on the island, how he got there, what he did to get there, etc. However, you later find out that Odysseus' son, Telemachos, goes on a journey to find his father and figure out what happened to him. Homer answers the questions that would have been later asked to help the reader have a clear understanding of what is going on. However, at this point in his story, Odysseus has already completed half of the journey in the Battle of Troy. Earlier in the story, we are introduced to Calypso who is said to be this ravishingly beautiful witch who is keeping Odysseus for herself and her needs and not letting him return to his own family. At this point in the story, the reader has no choice but to crave further detail. Homer gives you more in a style that is tantalizing to the reader and gives you an urge to seek more.
ReplyDelete--Morgan Kuepfert
In The Odyssey, Homer uniquely structures the novel using the term “in media res” or in the middle of things. Home distinctively uses this structure to emphasize effect by beginning the story with Odysseus already in the middle of action. With Homer starting in the middle of things, it builds suspense to the reader about what is going to happen to Odysseus. To add to the building suspense of what is going to happen to Odysseus, Athena tells us that Odysseus is being, “kept from his friends all this while, in trouble and sorrow, in that island covered with trees, and nothing but waves all round it, in the very middle of the sea!” (Book I, 12) If Homer would have started the novel with Odysseus departing for Troy it would not have had an interesting beginning to intrigue the reader. Instead of having The Odyssey begin with Odysseus departing for Troy, it begins with Odysseus being held captive by Calypso and Odysseus’ son, Telemachos, receiving the information that his father may be dead. Telemachos sets on an adventure to try to find his father with the advice Athena gives to Telemachos to help find his father by telling him to “Get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he so long away.” (Book I, 17) Beginning with Odysseus trying to find his way home and Telemachos trying to find his father gets the reader into the book right away. Homer uses “in media res” as a unique structure to add effect and gain interest to the reader by adding a tremendous amount of suspense in the very beginning of the novel.
ReplyDeleteBrad Gardner
Homer started in the middle of Odysseus’s adventure for several reasons. First of all, Homer was a storyteller. He would want to show that he knew Greek mythology. He begins with the gods gathered in a counsel. This counsel not only introduces the idea that Odysseus is being plagued by hardships, but it also shows that he knows all the gods and their respective positions. It shows which gods are supportive of Odysseus, most notably Athena, and which gods are causing his plight, Poseidon.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, if you don’t know the story of the Odyssey when you read it you are forced to wonder what did happen to Odysseus until he begins to recount his tale in Book IX. Homer really focuses on dialogue, so by starting after the fact he is able to make Odysseus narrate, which adds a more personal feel to his troubles.
One more reason for starting “in media res” is that it is important for the overall story to introduce Odysseus’s household. If the reader hadn’t been introduced to the family and the problems there then you would expect the story to end when Odysseus arrives home. However the last a hundred and twenty pages are spent describing what Odysseus did when he arrived home to Ithaca.
Homer started “in media res” because he was a storyteller; he wanted to create suspense about Odysseus’s overall well being; and it was the best way to introduce the troubles that were occurring at Ithaca.
In The Odyssey by Homer, the book begins “in media res”, meaning in the middle. This strategic introduction in the middle instantly grabs a reader’s attention. Readers become interested because of curiosity of why Odysseus did not return to his home Ithaca. This could eliminate the need to fill the reader in on the history of Odysseus and the war unless it becomes important further on through the story. Odysseus being held by Calypso gives a sense of urgency, to the reader, for him to return home to his family and son, Telemachos. Telemachos sent out on his own journey to find his father, which shows that the family believes Odysseus is still alive and miss him greatly. Even though he did not return home from the war which usually would have meant he was dead. For example,” What a shame! It’s clear you do need Odysseus to lay hands on these heartless men who pester his wife! If only he would come at this moment, and stand right in the doorway of this hall, with helmet and shield and a couple of spears; looking as he did when I first set eyes upon him in our house,” (Homer, 17) If Homer had began at the departure for Troy Odysseus’s journey would have already began and that would be an entirely different story. The entire journey and adventure would have become its own story.
ReplyDelete-Trevor Brewer
In Homer's novel, The Odyssey, he uses the writing structure of "in media res." This term means in the middle of things. It is used to describe how Homer begins his story in the middle of Odysseus' adventure as opposed to when he first departs from his native land of Ithaca. The author uses this particular writing structure to make the story more exciting and mysterious for the reader. He adds in only important clues that the reader needs to know to continue to be interested in the story. For example, at first he only informs the reader of how Odysseus "was kept prisoner by a witch, calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband" (book 1, page 3). Soon after, when the gods have called a meeting, the reader learns of the conditions of the island that Odysseus is forced to stay on, "covered with trees, and nothing but waves all round it, in the very middle of the sea!" (book 1, page 4). The reader later discovers that Odysseus has a wife and son at home in Ithaca who miss him dearly and that Odysseus departed from his family a very long time ago to help fight in the trojan war. With Homer starting the novel in this way, he builds suspense about the adventure that Odysseus has experienced and what he is still going through so far away from his native land. It makes the reader curious about why Calypso wants Odysseus for her husband and why no one in Ithaca knows what has become of him, if he is dead or on his way back home. This is the effect that starting "in media res," or in the middle of things has on the novel, The Odyssey.
ReplyDelete-Katie Haberberger
The structure of "The Odyssey" is set up assuming that the reader had read "The Illiad". "The Illiad" is the story that Homer had wrote before "The Odyssey" which tells the stories of Odyssues and his crew, who all perished travelling with Odyssues. "The Odyssey" picks up ten years after the Trojan War and Odyssues's imprisonment by the goddess Calypso. The effect that this has is to make the transition from one novel to the next smooth so that it eliminates confusion for the reader. Homer starts with Telemachus's struggles with the loss of his father, not knowing if his father had died or was still alive. He also tells of Penelopia's clever plan to keep herself from having to remarry. Due to the fact that he had already explained what Odyssues had done in "The Illiad" so repeating what had happened from his departure from Troy would be redundant and confusing to the reader. Furthermore it contributes to keeping the readers interest in the novel by creating a sense of suspense and mystery as to how all of Odyssues and Telemachus's problems will be solved.Which also adds on to the uniqueness of the novel, making it an intriguing read. All of this contributed to Homer's choice to use the literary device of "media res".
ReplyDeleteAustin LaPlante
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ReplyDeleteIn the book The Odysseus, Homer uses a plot structure known called "in media res" which means the story starts out in the middle of the plot. By starting from the middle of the story, the reader becomes more interested because they are immediatly thrown in the middle of the conflict. This forces the reader to ask questions and think rather then slowly being walked through a plot where everything is spelled out for them. For example, the reader is informed of Odysseus's conflict on the first page, "He was kept prisoner by the witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband" (Book 1, Pg. 11). It makes the reader wonder how he went from fighting the Trojan War to being stuck on an island with a goddess and motivates them to continue reading the story. In conclusion, it is an effective plot structure because it almost adds an element of mystery to the story and challenges the reader to pay attention to detail.
ReplyDeleteJessica Berger
Homer’s epic novel, The Odyssey, takes place in between many plot lines and events. In media res, meaning in the middle of things, describes The Odyssey well. The novel begins at the end of the Trojan War and the first few pages tell in detail what has happened over the past few years. The structure shows many years of the past and then allows you to know what will happen next. Rather than beginning with the Trojan War, Homer takes us right into the action. Odysseus is being held captive by the powerful Calypso and we can follow his long journey home where he met and conquered many adventures and adversaries. Another plot we find in the middle of events is a council of the Gods. They are talking and discussing methods to save and aid Odysseus. They decide to send Athena to Ithaca and help Odysseus’s family. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus,is busy taking care of many suitors who have flocked to her home in hopes of marrying her and taking over Odysseus’s fine estates. Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, is visited by Athena and is advised to banish his mother’s suitors and search for his father. Within The Odyssey we find many plots and characters and are thrown into the middle of the action. Homer told his story in media res to enhance the action and presentation of his classic work of literature.
ReplyDeleteShelby Roberts
In The Odyssey written by Homer is different from many other books because of his beginning point which is the usage of media res. The Odyssey starts off in the middle of things instead of The Odysseus’s departure for Troy. Media Res gives the effect of anticipation and anxiousness For example, “Well then, the seasons went rolling by, and when the year came, in which by the thread that fate spins for every man he was to return home to Ithaca, he had not yet got free of his troubles and come back to his own people” (Book 1, Page 11). This shows that Odysseus is going to have to figure how to escape as a prisoner. The Odysseus is getting homesick from Ithaca. The radiant creature known as Calypso will not let Odysseus go. Homer uses the method of foreshadowing. This keeps the reader guessing and curious. The reader stays interested and wanting to read more. Using media res allows the reader to ask questions. Media res gives the effect of suspense. Media res also catches the reader’s attention and makes the story more interesting. Homer using media res in a good way to let the reader guess the outcome.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the structure of most books where the beginning, middle, and end are in chronological order, The Odyssey, by Homer, possesses a unique layout that starts in the middle of the storyline before escalating. This format is referred to as “in media res”, or in the middle of things.
ReplyDeleteAs the story begins, Odysseus is being held “prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods” who wants him to be her husband (Homer 11). Around the same time, Telemachus is introduced as Odysseus’s son and the reader learns of the situation at home regarding Penelope and the suitors.
Beginning in media res allows the reader to skip directly to the important and exciting aspects of the story and dodges the irrelevant facts that occur before the book when Odysseus departed for Troy. This way, the reader avoids becoming confused with too much information, and the book is shortened to include only the necessary facts for the story of Odysseus’s adventure home.
Homer starts in the middle of things to grasp the reader’s attention right off the bat. The reader is only told bits of information at a time, which forces him or her to read on in hopes of eventually piecing all of the bits together in the final resolution. For example, the reader is informed of how Aigisthos murdered Agamemnon for his wife early on in the story. But the reader does not know of the details until page 37 in book 3. Here, the reader also realizes the similarities between that incident and what could possibly occur in Telemachus’s family if he does nothing to stop it.
The term “in media res” is used in The Odyssey. This distinctive layout is one factor that makes Homer’s book a success.
--Sarah Crudden
Homer writes the Odyssey in the form "in media res", meaning in the middle of things. This style starts the story in the middle instead of the beginning. Starting in the middle of the story accomplishes many things such as creating mystery, keeping the reader guessing, and keeping the reader's attention. The style keeps Odysseus and his personality a mystery by not telling of anything but that he may be alive. The goddess Athena takes the form of one of Odysseus' old friends, Mentês, and says that Odysseus is still alive, "I tell you he is not dead yet, that grand man Odysseus, but he is still alive... and dangerous men hold him fast, savages, who are keeping him no doubt against his will". This statement also introduces the idea of Odysseus being held prisoner. The reader does not know why he cannot escape if he is such a great warrior. This keeps the reader's attention because they want answers to their questions that can only be found later in the book. While all of these techniques are going on, Homer also uses "in media res" to make the reader feel like part of the story. The reader only knows what is told by the characters, to other characters. "In media res" makes the story more mysterious and interesting than a story which starts at the beginning.
ReplyDelete-Will Adams
I believe that the reason that Homer has started out the novel, The Odyssey "in media res", which means in the middle, and not before Odysseus left for Troy to fight in the war, is because the outcome of the Trojan war is well known, and not needed to add to the effect of the story line. Also, after Athena "took the form of a family friend, Mentes, the chief man of the Taphians"(5), and gave Telemachos the advice to "get the best ship you can find, put twenty oarsmen aboard, go and find out about your father and why he is so long away"(10), Telemachos listened. As he arrives at the first two destinations, which were the house of Nestor, and the house of Menelaos, these two friends of Odysseus tell Telemachos the story of what happened when they were with Odysseus. For example, Nestor tells Telemachos, "There some turned back their ships-a fine trim-built lot they were, led by Prince Odysseus; for that deep and more"(31).
ReplyDeleteThe effect that Homer creates in The Odyssey when he writes "in media res" is he is showing how things have progressed, and gotten worse since Odysseus left for Troy. An example of how things have changed since the departure is when Athena, who was disguised as Mentes, told Telemachos that, "It seems to me they (the intruders into the of Odysseus) are making themselves very much at home"(9).
Jacob Palazzolo
Michael Kube
ReplyDeleteThe Odyssey is written in the structure of media res. Media res means that The Odyssey starts in the middle of a story. By starting in the middle of the story, Homer doesn’t have to take the time to write about the beginning of the Trojan War. Most readers know Troy lost the war, but no story is told about what happened after the war. The effect of starting in the middle of the story is that Homer doesn’t have to talk about the whole Trojan War to write about what happened after the war. In the first two paragraphs Homer summarizes what has happened so the reader understands what has occurred. If Homer started with Odysseus's departure for Troy then the whole first half of the book would be boring and wouldn’t be needed.
I also think that starting after the war helps the reader to not get depressed over what has happened to Odysseus. Odysseus is kept prisoner by Calypso, set off course by Poseidon, and crashes on the island Pylos. If the story began with the glory of the Greeks winning the war and then moved onto the unfortunate events that next happened, it would be a let down to the reader that these bad things happened to their hero. Most readers want to see their hero be successful.
Homer starts the story of the Odyssey in the middle, to provide information that will hook the reader. The "in media res" effect makes the reader show interest or sorrow for Odysseus when his journey begins. It also provides clarification of Odysseus' past that could be confusing later in the story. Giving background on what he's done, and what kind of man he is when his journey back home to Ithaca does begin. Telechamos being the first part of the story, provides the reader with details that Odysseus has been away from home many years, and his house overrun run by men who wish to marry his wife Penelopia. Disgusted by this Telechamos goes to find information about his father's whereabouts. With the help of Athena Telechamos speaks with King Nestor and King Menelaos about his father. Each King tells the story of what Odysseus had been through and where he is now. Trappe don the island Ogygia, held prisoner by the godedss Calypso. This gives the background of Odysseus and where he will start his journey home from. The effect also allows the reader to know, that Telechamos is searching for his father, while Odysseus is searching fo rhis home. With the middle being told first allows the reader to know who Odysseus is, because if Telechamos starts in the middle, the reader may find Odysseus different than they thought, and the storyline confusing. Homer uses "in media res" to keep the reader qwanting to read and to find out what trials Odyssus will face to return home, and what Telechaoms will also face in the search for his father.
ReplyDeleteTyler Smith
Homer's book, The Odyssey, is in the structure "in media res" or in the middle of things. By starting the book with this type of unique format, Homer automatically grasps onto the readers attention, and keeps it throughout the book. For example, when Homer begins his story with Telemachu's adventure to travel to Troy to find his father Odysseus the reader can already get into the story and be excited to read. "I beg you to lend me a swift ship and twenty men to carry me there and back, for I am going to Sparta and Sandy Pylos, to find my father and why he is so long away." Not to mention, by Homer using "in media res" as his structure of the book it allows the reader to see viewpoints from both the gods and the people. "Upon my word, just see how mortal men always put the blame on us gods! We are the source of evil so they say- miseries are worse than they ought to be." As you can see, this books' rare structure affects the readers’ interest in the book, and keeps their full attention throughout reading.
ReplyDelete-Jaime Castile
The structure of The Odyssey, by Homer, is referred to as “in media res” or in the middle of things. Homer starts in the middle of the story to help give more background information and so things will all make sense in the by the end of the novel. This writing technique allows Homer to make many references to one event to emphasis the importance of it. “Then the Father of gods and men made them a speech; for his heart was angry against a man, Aigisthos and Agamemnon’s son Orestês, as you know, had just killed a man.” (Homer, 11) This is an example of how the author mentions an event, and then refers to the same thing in more depth later. “…that was the time when Aigisthos was making his murderous plans at home; and after he killed Agamemnon he reigned seven years in all the wealth of Mycenê… Prince Orestês came back from Athens, and killed his father’s murderer, the traitor Aigisthos, because he had killed his famous father.” (Homer, 38-39) By mentioning this event at the start of the book, it makes the reader go back and think to where they had read this before. Homer begins this story as if the reader already knows what is happening or even going to happen, but in fact does not. This is the idea of “in media res”. It gives the reader clues and hints as to what will be happening, and then it actually happens. Homer does not start from Odysseus’s departure from Troy to give the book more depth and meaning, and so the reader can understand where Odysseus is at now, and then refer to flashbacks to fill in the rest of the adventure story.
ReplyDeleteThe Odyssey, written by Homer, begins “in media res” or in the middle of things. The effect of the book starting in the middle is that the reader already gets information before the story actually begins. On the first page, the reader already knows that Odysseus is trapped on the island of Calypso. The reader knows that Odysseus is still alive which gives Penelope, his wife, a good reason not to marry anyone else. This way she doesn’t seem as crazy for not marrying someone else because Odysseus is not really dead. Since the book does not start with Odysseus’s departure for Troy, it leaves out any inessential details from the Trojan War. The story backtracks to tell us the details that are important to know, like the fact that Odysseus’s ship got turned around while the others continued forward. This happened because Poseidon, the god of sea, was upset that Odysseus shot out the eye of a god while at war. Poseidon’s anger toward Odysseus will cause him more trouble in the future on his way back to Ithaca. Starting in the middle is not typically done by most authors, but Homer utilized this writing structure to his advantage to make The Odyssey a more challenging novel.
ReplyDeleteThe structure of The Odyssey is unique because it starts “in media res,” or in the middle. Instead of beginning with the actual story, Homer starts the book by giving important information that provides readers with an understanding of characters and prepares them for future events in the book. By providing background knowledge, Homer creates a feeling of suspense which adds quality to the book. At first, Homer writes about Odysseus’s adventures throughout the islands, “He traveled far in the world, after the sack at Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes” (Book 1 page 11). He also tells of Odysseus’s misfortune of being “kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (Book 1 page 11). Another reason that The Odyssey starts in the middle is because it provides space for flashbacks later in the book, where Odysseus tells of all his adventures. Just as book one foreshadows, in book five, Odysseus journeys home after he lived with Calypso, missing home more and more as the days passed on. In conclusion, The Odyssey started “in media res” so readers would stay interested and to also foreshadow and add flashbacks throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Rector
The novel The Odyssey by Homer is written as what is known as "in media res" which means the middle of things. This means that the book begins in the middle of the story, instead of the traditional begining. Homer might use this technique for many reasons. One reason might be that he wanted to introduce the main characters first, and then later introduce the more minor characters later. For example, Homer introduces the main character, Odysseus, then later he introduces his family. Also, while introducing Odysseus, he sets up the setting and plot. Odysseus is introduced as being held captive by the beautiful Goddess named Calypso, after having being shipwrecked by Zeus himself. Before introducing Odysseus, however, Homer introduces his son, Telemachos. Telemachos was asked by the Goddess Athena to find out if his father is dead or alive, and if he is alive, to bring him back to Ithaca, for the towns people wonder if he is dead or alive. Athena, disgused as a family friend, cooks up a plan which succeeds and sends Telemachos on a journey to find his father. Homer uses "media res" to tie all the parts of his story together.
ReplyDelete-Caitlyn Warren
Homer’s epic novel, The Odyssey, takes place in between many plot lines and events. In media res, meaning in the middle of things, describes The Odyssey well. The novel begins at the end of the Trojan War and the first few pages tell in detail what has happened over the past few years. The structure shows many years of the past and then allows you to know what will happen next. Rather than beginning with the Trojan War, Homer takes us right into the action. Odysseus is being held captive by the witch Calypso and we can follow his long journey home where he met and conquered many adventures and adversaries. Another plot we find in the middle of events is a council from the Gods. They are talking and discussing methods to save and aid Odysseus. They decide to send Athena to Ithaca and help Odysseus’s family. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, is busy taking care of many suitors who have flocked to her home in hopes of marrying her and taking over Odysseus’s fine estates. Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, is visited by Athena and is advised to banish his mother’s suitors and search for his father. Within The Odyssey we find many plots and characters and are thrown into the middle of the action. Homer told his story in media res to enhance the action and presentation of his classic work of literature.
ReplyDeleteShelby Roberts
The structure of The Odyssey by Homer starts "in media res" meaning in the middle of things. The Odyssey, known as "...the best story ever written..."(vii), begins after the end of the Trojan War and all the men, except for Odysseus, are safe at home. The way Homer sets up the beggining of the tale is by previewing affairs, such as the imprisonment of Odysseus, that are to come futher into the text.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Homer began the adventurous tale after a major war is because the real adventure is Telemachos' quest in search for his father, Odysseus. No mortal knows if his father is alive, but the gods like Athena, however, know that Odysseus is alive. Therefore, if the author were to start his book at the Trojan War, it would ruin the suspense that the readers endure.
Finally, Homer activates The Odyssey in the middle because it emphasizes on the two main focas'. The focas' being; Telemachos' journey searching for his captive father that could possibly be dead, and also Odysseus' actions that led him into his captivity. However if Homer were to begin at Odysseus' departure for Troy, he would have put the focas more on the battle at Troy rather the expeditions of Telemachos and his father. Therefore, in order to start "in media res", the author foreshadows events like how Odysseus "...was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso..."(11). Also why Poseidon "...god of the sea, who bore a lasting grudge against him[Odysseus]..."(11). Ergo, Homer created a heavier impact by foreshadowing major events in the very beggining.
-Emily Quinlivan
Megan Bedenikovic
ReplyDeleteThe author, Homer, of the novel, "The Odyssey," begins his story “in media res” or the middle of things because it makes the reader interested from the start.
There are many reasons why Homer decided to begin the story in the middle instead of from the beginning. For example, it captures the readers interest by already explaining some of Odysseus’s journey, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (book 1 p.13).
Already knowing about Odysseus’s journey gives the reader more knowledge and helps them understand the character better, which makes the story more interesting. Knowing just a little of the character makes the reader want more information. The reader learns about Odysseus’s adventure through the islands they make up predictions, “He traveled far in the world, after the sack at Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes” (Book 1 page 11). Starting in the middle of the story allows the reader to make up their own conclusions and makes them want to read on to make sure their predictions are right. This makes it more suspenseful because the reader is curious to not only what will happen next in the story, but what events caused the “middle things”. Homer writing, “The Odyssey,” is a different way to capture the reader’s attention by starting in the middle.
-Megan Bedenikovic
Ali Knight
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, “The Odyssey,” written by, Homer, he starts his story “in media res” or the middle of things. This causes the reader to be more intrigued to begin with. One of the reasons the author, Homer, decided to start from the middle was in the quote, “He was kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso, a radiant creature, and herself one of the great family of gods, who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband” (book 1 p.13). Knowing the journey of Odysseus helps the reader and gives them more understanding of the character. When Homer gives the reader just a bit of information makes the reader begging for more. Another example is, “He traveled far in the world, after the sack at Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes.” Starting in the middle lets the reader make up their own guesses and the urge to read on. The reader is now more curious to the past stories and what will happen in the future. Homer started the book “in media res” so that the reader would want to keep reading.
-Ali Knight
In the middle of things, or “in media res” is the type of structure that is used by Homer to write The Odyssey. The point of Homer beginning the story in the middle, is so that the reader can get interested before technically even starting the book. This would also help the reader understand what the plot will be about and what the events before it will lead up to. By using successful attention getters throughout page, Homer talks about how “all the others who had not been killed in the war were at home, safe from the perils of battle and sea: but he was alone, longing to get home to his wife” (Book 1, page 11). Homer uses in media res, and successfully grabs the reader’s attention while also explaining the plot of the story. Homer starts the story in the middle, to help show the other characters view on what really happened to Odysseus, such as his son, Telemachos, who thinks that his father has just left, or disappeared all together. An example of this, would be when Telemachos tells Athena how his father “is gone from sight, gone from hearing…” (Book 1, page 16). This strategy, gives the reader more imput from the other characters in real time, other than having the other characters recall their feelings at the end if Odysseus returns.
ReplyDelete-Abby Davis
Blog #1
ReplyDeleteHomer’s The Odyssey, a story that begins “media res” which means in the middle of things, is about a man named Odysseus and his tribulations. This style of storytelling has the particular advantages of producing intrigue and a sense of mystery. By starting in the middle Homer establishes questions that originally would have been answered through the introduction of characters and events at the beginning of the book. These questions form into a reader’s interest of the plot such as: How did Odysseus end up on Calypso’s island? As well, you begin to get a sense of who Odysseus is, not through the eyes of the man but through other men’s eyes. This difference in understanding the characters provides their influence and importance. Also, Homer relives the events that occur as Odysseus struggles against tribulations to come home and as Telemachos (Odysseus’s son) struggles to find word or rumor of his father’s return. These intertwining stories start separate, climax in sync and culminate together. Odysseus’s beginning, full of his hardest tribulations, is therefore placed later on in the book in order to climax with Telemachos’s story. Finally, by starting in the middle of Odysseus’s journey the reader has the chance to see the cause and effect of Odysseus’s absence. The cause of Odysseus’s absence is due to Poisedon’s vengeance and the effect being the assumption of Odysseus’s death resulting in the consumption of Telemachos’s inheritance by greedy suitors looking for Penelope’s hand in marriage. Therefore, Homer’s use of “media res” helps The Odyssey achieve a sense of intrigue and the unknown, propelling the reader through Odysseus’s magnificent journey.
~Kelly Danahy
The term, "In media res", or "in the middle of things" can be applied to the structure of the Odyssey written by Homer. The effect of Homer starting "in media res" eliminates the Trojan War. This is because the story being told is Odysseus journey back to Ithaca and Telemachos journey to find out about his father. Also Homer is able to eliminate the war, because the war is more of a detail rather than the main idea like the two journeys. Homer starts the story in media res rather than Odysseus departure from Troy because the events that happened in the Trojan war are the answers Telemachos is seeking to understand his father. For example, on his journey when he stops in Pylos to talk to Nestor. Nestor states, "We came to Tenedos, and offered sacrifice to the gods, longing to get home, Zeus...to put a quarrel among us again for the second time! There some turned back their ships...led by Prince Odysseus; for that deep and clever man wished to take the of Agamemnon once more" (book 3, page 31). This shows that as Telemachos travels from place to place to learn about his father, information of the war also is being shared little by little. In conclusion, Homer's structure of starting the novel, the Odyssey in " in media res" is a foreshadow because as the novel and journeys continue little by little key parts of the war and Odysseus are being discovered.
ReplyDeleteJessica Nguyen
ReplyDeleteIn Homer’s The Odyssey, the term “in media res” is used to give the story an element of chaos. Because of the fact that the book begins in the middle of things, it shows that there are more “stories” that are playing out besides the story of Odysseus. For example, there is the main story- Odysseus and his journey home; but also, there are other things going on during Odysseus’ trip, such as his son’s attempts to find out the fate of his father with the help of Athena: “First go to Pylos, and ask that noble prince Nestor; then to Sparta and Menelaos (Good old red-head!), for he was the last to come home of all the army” (Book 1, pg 17), and the trials of Odysseus’ wife who is beginning to lose faith in her husband’s return. The gods are also involved in their own issues, as Athena persuades Zeus to allow Odysseus to return home after years of struggling. Homer starts the story in the midst of things in order to make the story more interesting: telling the reader what’s going on and then referring back to it periodically so that eventually things can be pieced together.
Homer’s story The Oddysey is written in media res, which means that Homer skips the first part of Odysseus’s life, and goes right to the middle of it. He does this to capture the reader’s attention early because he doesn’t want to bore them with the unimportant events of Odysseus’s early life. He starts off with Odysseus being captured by the witch Calypso, and this is on the very first page. He cuts right to the chase. He also gives the readers an idea of how the book will unfold early on. He sends Athena to tell Telemachus that his father, Odysseus, is still alive, which prompts Telemachus to begin a journey to find Odysseus, so the reader figures out early on the Odysseus and Telemachus will in fact one day meet each other. Another reason he starts at the middle of Odysseus’s life is so that he can talk about the Gods and how they feel about Odysseus. If he had started at the beginning of the story, the reader would have no idea how the Gods feel about Odysseus because he would not have done anything yet, but since he starts in the middle, the readers grasp and idea of what the Gods think of Odysseus. A good majority of the Gods appreciate and respect Odysseus. Zeus even gives Odysseus a large compliment by saying “He is almost one of us. Wise beyond mortal men, ready beyond all to offer sacrifice to the lords of the broad heavens.” Poseidon, however, holds a grudge on Odysseus, and the other Gods want to persuade Poseidon so that he will not hate Odysseus so much. If Homer hadn’t started in the middle, the reader wouldn’t have known about Athena pretending to be a family friend and telling Telemachus that Odysseus is still alive, which in turn prompts Telemachus to search for Odysseus, which is the beginning of a large Odyssey.
ReplyDeleteZach Blumm
In the Odyssey, Homer uses "in media res". The definition of this phrase is in the middle of things. The story begins in the middle of a situation. Homer begins telling the story when Odysseus has already been missing for years instead of when he first goes missing. Homer may have chose to write the book this way to give it a more complex structure and a deeper thought process for the reader. By writing in this style, the reader becomes more hooked and wants to read more. In the beginning the reader learns that Odysseus was captured by Calypso, "...who wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband." (Homer 11) Later, the reader goes on to read about Odysseus's family. Instead of building a slow beginning to the book, Homer uses "in media res" to jump right in and start the story without wasting time. The structure of the story makes the reader aware of the problem and then later recaps what events led to the problem. This style makes the story more intriguing and captivating. All in all, the structure of "in media res" mainly gets the reader asking questions about Odysseus's fate. It pulls the reader in and excites them, making them want more.
ReplyDeleteHomer used the “in media res” structure while writing The Odyssey. I think Homer used this technique to keep the book suspenseful. Rather than starting the story at the beginning, he chose to begin in the middle with “This is the story of a man, one who was never at a loss. He had traveled far in the world, after the sack of Troy, the virgin fortress; he saw many cities of men, and learnt their mind; he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes. He did his best, but he could not save his companions.” (1,1) This makes the reader want to know more about Odysseus’s journey. Then, Homer writes that he has been “kept prisoner by a witch, Calypso” (1,1). Instead of introducing characters and backgrounds, he jumps straight into the plot by stating that Odysseus has been missing and held captive. This hooks the reader to want to know more about what happened to Odysseus after he left Troy and how he went missing. I believe that if Homer had started the story from the beginning, many people would become uninterested and stop reading. Since it is written in media res, he begins with many unanswered questions in hope that people will want to read further to figure them out.
ReplyDeleteKatie McDonough
Homer, author of The Odyssey uses the term "media res" which also means "in the middle". "Media res" is a specific writing method which is designed to catch the readers attention. By starting in the middle of Odysseus' journey to Troy, Homer hooks the reader when he briefly refers to situations such as, "he endured many troubles and hardships in the struggle to save his own life and to bring back his men safe to their homes. He did his best, but he could not save his companions” (1). By introducing the issue, but not going into detail, the reader thrives for more of the story and a prompt explantion of who, what, when, where, and why. As the story continues, the reader discovers that Odysseus is being held captive by Calypso, a temptress. Beginning The Odyssey in "media res" easily enables Homer to skip the backround information, which many readers find boring, and cut to the action of the book. Although backround information is left out at the beginning of the story, Homer skillfully interprets important minor details into the story, such as Odysseus' wife and family. Homer is places trust in his readers to look for answers.
ReplyDeleteKatie Stapleton
Women hold an essential responsibility throughout Homer's novel, "The Odyssey"; they are what make the story even possible. For example, if Calypso had not held Odysseus hostage, there would not have been a story to begin with. Her actions lead to his escape in a way because instead of letting him depart to be with his family,"she wanted him to stay in her cave and be her husband" (4). Athena, the goddess of war and craft, also plays a vital role in Odysseus' journey. She also acts as an advice-giver while in disguise to those acutely inn need of i or is in search for Odysseus. For example, she was the one to convince Telemachos to leace Ithaca and go to Pylos to search for evidence that his father was alive. Because of Athena's persuasion, Zeus had Odsseus return home by saying, "If all the gods now agree that Odysseys shall return to his own home, then let us dispatch our messenger Hermes Argeiphontes to the Island of Ogygia" (13). Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is a critical character as well. Although she may not be a goddess, she is strong and determined. Because of her husbands's disappearance, she was left with the task of watching over Ithaca for twenty years. During those twenty years of solitude,she stayed faithful to her husband although multiple suitors would have been more than happy to take her hand in marriage, the only one to help and stay with her was her son. "The Odyssey" was greatly affected by women and their decisions, because of this; women play an essential role throughout the novel.
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