- In concerning mortals, does Homer have a certain message about disguises?
- Is Homer trying to say that only the Greek gods should toy with disguises?
- Does the armor of the heroic Achilles lead Patrolcus to his death?
Taking another look at and rereading Book 16 will give more insight.
When thinking of Homer and the idea of using disguises, I can't help but instantly think of Odysseus from The Odyssey. Odysseus cleverly utilized disguises in different ways. He disguised his identity when he gave a false name to the cyclops, Polyphemus. Upon returning to Ithaca and gaining the help of Athena, Odysseus disguised his appearance as an old beggar in order rid the disrespectful suitors from his home.
- Did Odysseus become a master of disguises from the successful Trojan Horse incident; afterall it was a plan that involved concealment and hiding in order to win.
- What characteristics does Odysseus portray when he decides to disguise himself?
- Again, does Homer offer a message here?
On the suggestion of my professor, Dr. Pollack, I will also look to find scholarly information about disguises in ancient times.
- Can I find beliefs and customs to the idea and use of disguises?
- Are there any possible remnants of disguises that help scientists come to conclusions about the use of disguises?
This is the organiztion that I am taking. I intend to take an even closer look at Homer's words in order to gain clues and hints. As I give this insight to my research, so many more questions fill my head about these two characters and what their disguises reveal.
3 comments:
I have been trying to formulate a way to ask the question - what does disguise do, culturally, psychically, anthropologically? I'm not saying that this is the way you should go necessarily in your discussions, but I wonder if anyone has theorized the mask, the disguise as a concept. . . I will ask around and let you know if I find out anything.
I like the direction you are going. The idea of desguise was also a big deal in Victorian Literature. I have always seen the Idea of disquise a an attempt to hide truth or to deceive. It seems that the gods in both The Illiad and The Aeneid used it to decieve or manipulate the mortals. Looking forward to more information on your topic.
It may be a cliche, but disguise to me is always at some level about what is revealed, rather than what is hidden. When we don a mask, aren't we attempting to be something that is deeply desired, to some extent or other? This gets to the very heart of identity. And, then, remembering what Derrida has said about faking it - there is a fine line between pretending to be someone, and becoming that thing. Think about all the movies you've seen where the cop or spy or whoever goes under cover, and "loses" his previous identity. The mask or disguise calls into question the very notion of identity as being something stable and static.
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