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Reading Comprehension of Ulysses Returns
I. Introduction
1. Author
Homer is a renowned poet who pioneered ancient Greek literature, often referred to as the 'father of Greek poetry'. In terms of biography, according to many Greek scholars, he was a folk artist who curated and refined folk songs about the 'Trojan War legend' to create two monumental epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey. It is speculated that Homer lived in the 9th or 8th century BCE.
2. Work
The epic poem Odyssey (The Ballad of the Heroic Odysseus) consists of 12,110 lines divided into 24 chapters, drawing its themes from Greek mythology. The work narrates one of the journeys back home of Greek warriors after the victory of Troy, particularly the arduous journey of the hero Odysseus to return to his homeland Ithaca.
The Greek forces, after ten years of battle, emerged victorious and captured Troy with the cunning 'wooden horse' stratagem devised by Ulysses. Ulysses embarked on a journey back home where his wife and son awaited him eagerly. However, while all other Greek heroes had returned to their homelands, Ulysses remained missing. Meanwhile, his wife, Penelope, faced incessant harassment from suitors, forcing her to devise a plan to delay choosing a suitor and maintain her fidelity to Ulysses. As Ulysses and his companions journeyed back, they encountered numerous trials, including encounters with lotus eaters, the man-eating giant Polyphemus, the sorceress Circe, and the enchanting sirens. Despite the temptations, Ulysses displayed remarkable intelligence and navigated through these challenges. Eventually, he reached the land of the hospitable Phaeacians before finally returning home. Upon his return, Ulysses and his son slew the suitors, and after enduring Penelope's test of fidelity, the family reunited in joyous harmony.
The excerpt depicting Ulysses' return, found in the twenty-third song of the epic, recounts the poignant reunion between Ulysses and his faithful and beautiful wife, Penelope, after twenty years of separation. Their intellectual duel showcased the wit and sagacity of these representatives of the Ithacan community. In this passage, the beauty of both characters, Ulysses and Penelope, shines through. Penelope's wisdom and loyalty complement Ulysses' cunning and grandeur, reminiscent of a deity. The excerpt exemplifies the storytelling art of the epic, rich in poetic essence and musicality, employing various artistic devices and narrative techniques to captivate the audience. Through praising the intelligence of the hero Ulysses, the Greek populace showcased their own wisdom and the flourishing of Greek civilization.
3. Summary
Penelope receives news of Ulysses' return but remains skeptical. She descends to the hall, torn with anticipation and doubt. Seeing Ulysses in tattered garments, she sits silently, astonished. Despite her disbelief, Ulysses patiently waits. After bathing, Ulysses appears as divine as ever, yet Penelope remains unconvinced. Ulysses reproaches his wife for her 'iron heart' and requests a separate bed. Penelope instructs the maid to carry the bed crafted by Ulysses himself in the past to test her husband. Upon hearing this, Ulysses is taken aback. He proceeds to describe the bed and the secret behind its creation. Penelope, overwhelmed with emotion, tearfully explains and reconciles with her husband. Ulysses is overcome with emotion in their blissful reunion.
4. Reading and Narration Techniques
Read and narrate using the character's and storyteller's voices. For character voices, match the tone to the narrative cues. For example, after 'Penelope cautiously spoke,' read slowly and clearly; after 'Nurse Eurycleia kindly replied,' speak softly and sweetly; after 'Telemachus replied slowly,' read slowly and emphasize the tone,...
II. Fundamental Knowledge
Odysseus was written by Homer during a period when the Greeks were transitioning into a slave-owning society, where the concepts of family, marriage, and familial relationships emerged and became social advancements. Through the excerpt, the author vividly portrays the inner beauty and intelligence of Odysseus and Penelope.
Initially, the character Penelope is portrayed as a woman of remarkable character. Despite her burning desire for the news of Ulysses' return and the punishment of the suitors, Penelope still says: 'Old man, old man, hold your joy, your laughter. You know, if he returns, everyone in the house, especially me and our son, will rejoice! But what you say may not entirely be true.' It can be said that reason placed her before two major doubts: one, how could Ulysses alone defeat the 108 suitors; two, Ulysses had been absent for twenty weary years, and she thought he might be dead, not expecting his return. So, is Ulysses an imposter? The doubt swells painfully, yet Penelope cannot resolve it on her own. It is because of this that Penelope does not believe the words of the nurse and, when she meets Ulysses directly, still does not accept him as her husband even though she is 'so very perplexed'. Even when Telemachus reproaches her sharply, Penelope is deeply moved but still cannot overcome the surrounding doubt. Only when Ulysses meticulously explains the secret about the bed does she become certain that her husband has returned and 'runs straight to him, tears streaming down, embraces her husband's neck, and kisses his forehead...'
It is no coincidence that four times the character Penelope is accompanied by the cautious epithet ('Penelope cautiously spoke,' 'Penelope cautiously replied,' 'Penelope cautiously replied,' 'Penelope cautiously replied'). This is a deliberate artistic repetition, aimed at depicting Penelope as profoundly faithful and simultaneously as exceedingly wise, patient, and mature.
Regarding the character Ulysses, in the excerpt, all three characters—Eurycleia, Telemachus, and Penelope—praise his intellectual qualities. (Nurse Eurycleia, upon suddenly noticing the scar while bathing Ulysses, tries to signal Penelope but is silenced by Ulysses, thinking 'he had a very clever idea'; Telemachus is convinced: '... your father has always been famous for his wisdom, unmatched by any mortal; while Penelope: '... your father has always been famous for his wisdom'. The elevation of these qualities is due to the fact that the work Odysseus was written at a time when the war ended, and the Greeks turned their activities towards building peace. They yearned to expand their territory towards the western Mediterranean. In the pursuit of exploration, conquering the vast and mysterious world of the seas, besides courage, humans needed intellectual qualities: intelligence, alertness, cunning, wisdom,... The character image of Ulysses is the idealization of the inner strength, the marvel of human intelligence. It is not only necessary for the era of Homer but also for every era, especially when humans constantly strive to explore, conquer the peaks of science and technology, and create advanced products to serve human life.
To vividly portray the character image, Homer used a unique psychological description technique. In the excerpt, the technique of describing the psychological state of the epic character is clearly demonstrated in the passage, from 'After speaking, she descended the stairs' to 'underneath the tattered garments.' If in modern novels, the characters' psychology is often described directly, with an internal perspective, here, the epic's writing style describes the characters' psychology through external expressions, with an external perspective. Penelope's state of perplexity, full of doubt, is depicted through typical details: '... she didn't know whether to stand far away and inquire about her beloved husband or to come closer, embrace his head, hold his hand, and kiss him?,' 'when she entered the house, stepping over the stone threshold, she sat in front of Ulysses, under the rosy firelight, leaning against the opposite wall,' '... she sat silently on the chair for a long time, stunned, sometimes tenderly looking at her husband, sometimes not recognizing her husband under the tattered garments.' It is a state of mind that is extremely complex, half-believing and half-doubting, impossible to determine clearly.
Furthermore, to demonstrate the profound intellectual qualities of the epic character, Homer crafted subtle situations for the characters to reveal themselves. Sitting before Ulysses, 'she remained silent,' and in response to Telemachus's harsh rebuke, Penelope said: 'If this is indeed Ulysses returned, then I can assure you, my child, that your father and I will recognize each other easily, for we have our own signs, known only to us, not to others.' This was not just speaking to Telemachus but directly conveying to Ulysses through words spoken to her son. At this moment, Ulysses is still a stranger to Penelope, she must maintain a polite distance, a courteous attitude, so she cannot speak directly to Ulysses. Surely, when speaking these words, Penelope must have thought of using the secret about the bed to test Ulysses. After hearing Penelope speak to Telemachus, Ulysses patiently smiled and said to his son: 'Telemachus, my son! Don't upset your mother, she still wants to test me here at home. Eventually, she will recognize me, that's for sure...', which is also speaking to Penelope herself. Thus, when saying these words, Ulysses recognized Penelope's intention to test him, and although he did not know what that test was, he was ready to accept it. It can be said that Penelope and Ulysses had an implicit dialogue with each other. Ulysses' 'smile' shows that he is extremely courageous, able to control emotions to achieve clarity. It is the 'smile' of someone who understands their own abilities, believes in themselves, and is also a smile of understanding and generosity towards his wife and son.
Moreover, one of the artistic techniques Homer used very effectively is the technique of comparison. The value of this technique can be seen in the passage 'Gently replaced the earth [...] unwilling to let go.' Ulysses is like the 'earth'; Penelope is like a sailor drowning in stormy seas, escaping from the vast ocean waves to reach the shore, joyfully stepping onto land hoping. This comparison vividly depicts Penelope's deep feelings of longing, desire, and boundless happiness when finally reunited with her husband after twenty long and bitter years of separation.
In summary, through the two central characters, Ulysses and Penelope, in the excerpt of Ulysses' return, Homer has profoundly demonstrated two noble qualities that humans always aspire to: intelligence - wisdom, cunning, alertness, sagacity; and love - love for homeland, country, family affection, unwavering marital love, loyalty.
