Examine the three speeches of Aias (Ajax), Odysseus, and Phoinix in Book Nine.

All I want is to do your best and I appreciate that.

There is a reading below in order you can answer the questions.

Please please follow the instructions below.

 

Please write a paragraph response to TWO of the THREE questions below. You MUST answer QUESTION #2 and then EITHER question #1 OR question #3.  Each paragraph needs to be at least six to seven full, developed sentences. Specific reference to the text–ie. evidence for claims–will strengthen your responses. You will need to upload your written responses in TWO places:  to the Vericite upload link AND to the reading response upload link.  You will also need to hand in a hard copy of your written responses in class, tomorrow, to your GTF, at the end of lecture.  PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST USE EITHER A PDF FILE OR DOC FILE EXTENSION FOR YOUR UPLOADED DOCUMENTS.

The grading of these responses will be as follows:  each question is worth 2 points and a full, thoughtful effort will receive 2 points; a halfhearted effort will receive 1 point; and no effort will receive no points.

 

 

1. Consider the conflict that Achilleus suffers between, on the one hand, his own integrity and the sense of violation to the social code that has defined his existence, and, on the other, his responsibility to his “community”—the Greek army. Is Achilles’ continued withdrawal from the army justified? Does his reaction to the violation of the heroic code give him heroic stature? What is the relationship between vengeance and honor that Achilles seems to pursue? Is this problematic at all?

 

 

1. Examine the three speeches of Aias (Ajax), Odysseus, and Phoinix in Book Nine. How are they different? What are the unique ways that each attempts to persuade Achilleus (Achilles) to relinquish his wrath? Do you find one speech more effective than the others?

 

 

1. Identify the speaker, circumstances, and significance of the following quote for the themes of the epic:

 

Of possessions

Cattle and fat sheep are things to be had for the lifting,

And tripods can be won, and the tawny high heads of horses,

But a man’s life cannot come back again, it cannot be lifted

Nor captured again by force, once it has crossed the teeth’s barrier…

I carry two sorts of destiny toward the day of my death. Either,

If I stay here and fight beside the city of the Trojans,

My return home is gone, but my glory shall be everlasting;

But if I return home to the beloved land of my fathers,

The excellence of my glory is gone, but there will be a long life

Left for me, and my end in death will not come to me quickly.