Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Thesis Findings

Several things become apparent when examining Homer's mortal characters, Patroclus and Odysseus and their use of a disguise.

Background
  1. The ancient Greeks were knowledgeable about myths and listened to Homer's epics.
  2. The Ancient Greeks believed that gods would enter into the mortal world, in disguise, and check on human hospitality.
  3. It was social custom to be hospitable to guests, so if the gods caught anyone not following this rule, horrible consequences could fall upon them.
  4. This is most likely the reason to how Homer came up with the idea to have his mortal characters use disguises in his epics- The gods systematically disguise themselves to fulfill a personal desire, so certain mortals decide to use a disguise for the same reason. This is seen in The Iliad and The Odyssey.
  5. It is even more interesting to see that when a mortal character uses a disguise, depending on their status of heroism, determines if they can handle the power of a disguise or not.

Patroclus

  1. Even though Nestor made the suggestion, Patroclus convinced Achilles to let him wear Achilles' armor in battle against the Trojans. Patroclus disguised himself to appear as Achilles, which allowed him to rally the Myrmidons, fight with voraciousness, and give the Greeks the advantage.
  2. Patroclus became entranced by the power of his disguise. So much so that he failed to follow Achilles' warning about not going into the Trojan area. The disguise overtook him and convincingly made him be Achilles. This made him feel capable of battling anyone.
  3. Homer is showing that a mere mortal like Patroclus cannot handle the power of a disguise. Especially since the overpowering of the disguise causes Patroclus to neglect orders and subsequently be killed. Only a man of superiority can partake upon this level of deceit, one who exemplifies heroic qualities.

Odysseus

  1. Odysseus invented the Trojan Horse. This militaristic disguise allowed the Greeks to win over the Trojans and ultimately destroyed the Trojan empire.
  2. Odysseus is clever to implement a verbal disguise to the man-eating cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus suavely tells Polyphemus his name is "Noman", gets him drunk, and then stabs him in the eye to try and escape out of the blocked cave. This verbal deceit works to his advantage in a most vengeful way. When the other cyclopes ask Polyphemus who caused him to yell and scream (because of his dreadful stab wound), Polyphemus responds, "Noman"! The joke is on Polyphemus and Odysseus escapes with six of his twelve crew members.
  3. In order to strategically devise a plan to rid the suitors from his home, Odysseus becomes disguised as a beggar (with the help of Athena). This enables him to be the least likely suspect and he cleverly assesses the dangerous and tense situation inside his home. Odysseus devises a successful plan, slaughters the suitors, and regains his position back on Ithaca.
  4. Homer shows in The Odyssey that Odysseus has outstanding qualities of a hero which are above the common man and therefore, he can handle the power of a disguise.
  5. Not only does Odysseus have continuous help from Athena, but he acts very much like a god by using a disguise. When he is disguised as a beggar he is truly checking on the hospitable conduct (or lack there of) the suitors are showing.
  6. For Odysseus, using a disguise allows him to fulfill his own personal desire of returning home to his position as king, husband, and father.

These are the key factors that are discussed in my research paper. It was very interesting to do intricate, close reading on Patroclus. I was able to really examine Homer's lines and find the support for my thesis. With Odysseus it was difficult to narrow down which events to focus on. I thought it was productive to show the different types of and ways Odysseus used a disguise. All in all, my biggest desire was to get enough of my voice and opinion in my research without repeating too much. I hope I have succeeded in this.

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