How are characters presented and developed in Homer?
These are some of the commonest techniques:
F stock adjectives
F similes
F actions
F speech
F emotions
F what others say about them
F sometimes: which god or goddess
protects them
F In the Iliad: what
they fight for
(you
can contrast Agamemnon, Achilles, and Patroclus)
With the stock adjectives
look for agreement or contrast between the adjective and what the character is about to do. Look,
too, for a contrast between two characters (e.g. at Iliad 1:7)
You can find for yourselves the main events, speeches and similes which
show characterisation. The following, though, might save you some tedious labour.
It is a list of almost all the adjectives and descriptions in Books
1-2 of the Odyssey, followed by a few ideas for the Iliad.
Remember this is only a resource – you must :
(a) use it to
answer the question, by manipulating the information;
(b) acknowledge it in your
bibliography.
The Odyssey
Telemachus
god-like
(theoeides) Od 1:113; god-like (isotheos) Od 1:324
sad Od 1:114
(pepnumenos)
wise Od 1:213, 345, 367, 388 Od 2:129 208, 371
Aegyptius
says of him “a good man he seems to me, a blessed man.” Od 2:33
Telemachus
immediately welcomes “mentes” Od 1:119
He
is tall with beautiful eyes Od 1:208
“good-looking
and tall” Od 1:301
Od
1:296-7 “don’t act like a child – you are no longer of a childish age.”
Od
2:270 Athena says “you won’t be bad or witless any more”
He
speaks boldly Od 1:382
calls
himself a weakling and not knowing valour, powerless Od 2:61f
“Mighty
strength” or “royal strength” Od 2:409 (meaning unclear)
Penelope
godly
(dia) Od 1:332
called “crafty above
all” by Antinoos Od 2:88
deceived
the suitors Od 2:89ff (two forms of deceit)
Suitors (esp Antinoos & Eurymachos, who can be contrasted)
haughty Od 1:106, 144 Od 2:235, 29; 9 proud youths Od 2:331
shameless
Od 1:254
Athena
calls them neither wise nor just Od 2:282
“Mentes”
describes what the suitors are doing as an outrage and feels anger Od 1:227-229
Telemachus calls
them overbearing and insolent Od 1:368
They
mock Telemachus Od 2:325ff
Antinoos
when
Telemachus speaks boldly, he calls him a man of proud tongue Od 1:385
alone
“has the heart” to answer Telemachus in the assembly Od 2:85ff
calls
Telemachus a braggard, unrestrained in daring Od 2:85, 303
laughs
at Telemachus Od 2:303
(You might also consider ways in which he
shown as boastful, crude, bullying)
Eurymachos
sneaky; cf
his speech Od 1:400ff
gives
a counter-interpretation to an oracle Od 2:177ff
Odysseus
godlike
(antitheos) Od 1:21,
(theios) Od 1:65 Od
2:233, 259, 394
(dios)
196, 396 Od 2:27, 96
wise
Od 1:48, 83
beyond
all mortals in wisdom Od 1:66
ill-fated 1:49
Telemachus calls Odysseus
the most ill-fated of mortal men Od 1:219
cunning
Od 1:1
noble Od
225
of
the constant heart Od 1:87
beyond
all has paid homage to the gods Od 1:67
tall
with beautiful eyes Od 1:208
famous
throughout Greece Od
1:344
ruled
as gently as a father Od 2:47, 234
good Od
2: 71
“filled
with longing for return and for his wife” Od 1:13 cf Od
1:59
Menelaus “ginger”
(or is it “fair” ? or “blond” ?) Od 1:285
Eurycleia true-hearted
Od 1:428 Od 1:438 wise, old; cf Od 2:345
of
all servants loves Telemachus the most Od 1:434f
Aegyptius Hero Od 2:15 “bowed
with age, and very wise” Od 2:16 old 2:40
Nestor godly
(dios) Od 1: 284
Helen is not described in Books 1-2. You will find some ideas in Book
4, where there are two opposing views of her.
The Iliad
Here are some ideas for some characters in the Iliad.
I
have included descriptions from modern books, but I have not justified them from the text. If you
claim the characters are like this, you will have to justify it!
Agamemnon
boastful,
greedy
stubborn and proud (cf
his treatment of Achilles)
cruel and ruthless (cf
his treatment of Iphigenia)
He
fights for power
Iliad
1:7 “Agamemnon, king of men” is contrasted with “godly Achilles”
Achilles
swift-footed,
brave, cunning
independent, arrogant (He
calls Agamemnon “dog-face” Il 1:159)
fiery,
angry, driven, jealous, sulky, unforgiving
Iliad
1:7 “godly Achilles” contrasted with the power of Agamemnon
lion similes are
frequently used of Achilles (but prove it! Or give an example)
He wants honour above everything
He fights for glory
Iliad 11:654 Patroclus says Achilles is “terrible” and apt to blame the guiltless
Patroclus
kind,
good-natured, self-effacing, care-giver
puts
others’ needs before his own
He fights
not for his own honour, but for Achilles’ honour
Hector
brave,
kind, noble; he respects the gods
He fights for his city, wife, and child
Menelaus
fearless
powerful; a magnificent warrior
He is a favourite of Ares
Paris
vain and cowardly
He is a favourite of Aphrodite
These minor characters are also interesting:
Andromache shows courage dignity honour
Odysseus an old fox
Priam noble
and fearless
Thersites the
only commoner to speak; a slimy man.
Helen complex,
as in the Odyssey book 4
Remember that a speech or action may reveal more than one character at a time.
e.g. (a) Od 1:163 “If Odysseus
returned, the suitors would all rather be swift-footed than rich” This tells both that
Odysseus is a man to fear, and that Telemachus is powerless.
(b)
Od 2:85 and 303 Antinoos calls Telemachus “a braggard, unrestrained in daring” Does
this tell us more about Telemachus or Antinoos?
Development
Look for changes in attitude or changes
in behaviour.
Sometimes these changes are obviously marked:
Od
1:320-1 “She put strength and courage in his heart”
Not all people change – e.g. Eurycleia remains faithful.
