Reading Notes: Homer's Odyssey, Part A

Right from the beginning of the story there is a lot of description. This is a nice touch as it allows the reader to see exactly what the character is seeing. In this case, we are able to be there and see what Odysseus is seeing. I could use the story of the Cyclops and change it up a bit. The idea of using giants in a story seems like fun. I do not think that I would make the Cyclops as vicious. Using the idea of being frightened of a giant off of mere sight but once the characters begin to have a real discussion, then it is shown that the Cyclops is nice and that a person should not be judged for their size. Another idea would be to tell the story from the Cyclops point of view. It is always interesting to take a story but tell it differently. This would be very different as the "villain" would be able to tell exactly why they are doing what they are doing. An additional angle that I can take the story is to have the men blinding the Cyclops fail. This way the Cyclops would still be able to see and would still have the men captured. I could either tell how the Cyclops would handle it or I could write up another scheme for the men to blind or harm the Cyclops. 

cyclops

There are a lot of characters introduced in Part A of the Odyssey. I could use a more modern take on one of these smaller characters point of view. This would make the story more easily understand if it used language that is common today. I could make up another character and include him into the story as well. Maybe he is an enemy on the boat or he is the best friend of Odysseus. This would create some tension or trust on the ship. If I use this plot, then either Odysseus could tell the Cyclops to eat his enemy or he would beg the Cyclops to not eat his best friend. It would be a little more personal for Odysseus. 

Circe provides a new storyline in Part A. The fact that she was able to get so many men under her trap is quite impressive. I could see myself writing a story about what she was thinking when the men came in and how she was able to convince them to drink her wine. Odysseus seems to be a not well-liked guy. This will definitely lead to interesting stories later in the Odyssey. 

Bibliography: 

Homer's Odyssey by Tony Kline, online source