BA #12 Juana Panza

1.) Juana Panza first appears in page 350 of the Don Quijote.

2.) Juana is the wife of Sancho Panza, who has to endure the loneliness at home with her children as her absent husband served as Don Quijote’s squire while a pair of them traveled on a knightly mission.

3.) There were a similar between Penelope in the Odyssey and Juana, they both missed there husband. As for Penelope, “she fell weeping for Odysseus, her beloved husband…(Odyssey.89). Juana main concern was a donkey after she saw her husband, “the first thing she asked when she saw her husband was whether the donkey was in good health…”(Don Quijote.350). But still, she loves her husband although the donkey happens to be the driving force to keep Sancho’s farm in operation.

4.) I think Juana is a hero for she is a loyal and patience wife to Sancho, which she stayed home to keep her children and farm together in one piece while Sancho went off on the adventure more than once with Don Quijote.

BA #12

The priest first appears in chapter forty five and he is a hero because he stands up for Don Quijote when the police want to arrest him. It takes a hero to stand up to authority and that is what the priest does. He convinces "argued so forcefully" (pg15) that the police did not want to arrest him. Then the priest goes on to tell them "that they'd have to be madder than he was not to see his madness" (pg15).

BA#12 Eugenio the Goatherd

1. The Goatherd's introduction is found in Volume 1, Chapter 50, Page 341.

2. The Goatherd is a peasant farmer who tends to his sheep. Eugenio is able to talk to his sheep "as if [they] had a brain" (341). The goatherd tells the men that he became a Shepard along side his friend Anselmo who started to tend sheep after the disappearance of the lovely Leandra. Eugenio tends Anselmo's sheep now (and his own as well), and they both still "sing duets praising, ordaining, our lovely Leandra" (345).

3. The gerdherder is similar to Don Quijote because at one point the men believe both to be a little crazy. The goatherd tells the men that he talks to his animals as if they "had a brain, don't think I'm an idiot , because, really there's a special mystery in the words I use" (341). It is interesting that the men believe every word that the goatherd says, and totally disregard Don's sanity.

4. I believe Eugenio the Goatherd is a hero in our sense of the definition because he sticks up for his own beliefs. The goatherd disregards Don's attempt at adding another man to the group. Eugenio looks disgusted at the way Don is dressed, and asks who the man speaking is, and "why he looks and talks the way he talks" (347). The goatherd is genuine in his depiction of the story of Leandra, and keeps all the men occupied and fascinated with the story. He is someone that the men look up to, even though he is a peasant herder.

BA # 12 Marcela the shepherdess

1)Marcela is first mentioned when Don Quijote and Sancho meet the band of goatherds in V. 1, Ch. 12 on page 63 of our text.

2)Marcela was daughter to Guillermo the Rich. Before her mother died, she was "the most respected woman anywhere around here" (64). Her father, "at the loss of such a good wife" (65), also died, leaving Marcela to be raised in a cloistered environment of the village priest, her uncle. "The little girl grew so beautiful [. . .] that, by the time she reached fourteen or fifteen, no one had ever seen her without blessing God for making her so lovely, and most of them were hopelessly in love with her" (65). The combination of her physical and fiscal endowments combined to make her incredibly desirable. In fact it is by the death of the "famous student-shepherd, Grisostomo, [who . . .] died of love" (63) unrequited for her, that we are first introduced to Marcela. She eventually tires of her cloistered life and becomes a shepherdess, denying the wishes of her uncle and making herself more available to the advances of the villages' lust filled men. In this way, says the goatherd, "she does more damage, here on this earth, than if she carried the plague" (66), because she does not return their overtures. She is vilified, through no fault of her own, though her "reputation for virtue" (76), remains in tact, "no matter how cruel she may be, and prouder than necessary, and a great deal disdainful" (76), too.

3)The figure of Marcela is interesting to compare to the archetype of the chivalric damsel that Don Quijote speaks of earlier in the novel. The assertive, confident and independent nature of Marcela is nearly antithetical to "the damsel." As Don Quijote says, even though we lock damsels away to protect them, "the amorous plague will make its way to them" and, "the order of knights errant was established, to defend damsels" (60). When viewed with Quijote's antiquated gender roles, Marcela reads as a feminist. She is on her own, in the wilds, without the protection of a male benefactor. She determines her own future.

4)It is for this reason that I find her a heroic figure. In a world that must have been severely patriarchal, she vows to remain outside of masculine determinations. "I was born free, and I chose the solitude of the fields so I could live free" (78) she says. "All my desires have their boundaries here in these mountains, and if they ever do go forth, it's only to contemplate the sky's beauty, and the steps the soul takes as it proceeds toward its primal home" (79). Marcela appears at Grisostomo's funeral to defend herself, with these and other words, from sexist accusations. As a hero, she stands up to not only an entire village of men, but an entire society's condescension. She is a heroic woman in her singular character, but she is an heroic person for remaining true to her beliefs in the face of crowded scrutiny.

BA # 12 Sancho Panzo

Sancho Panzo first appears on pg 42.



Sancho Panzo is a farmer that lives near Don Quijote. Sancho doesnt come from alot and is not the brightest person around. After hearing all the stories about Knights and chivalry, Sancho decides to accompany Don Quijote on his adventures. Not to mention that Don Quijote also promises Sancho that he will be the governer of his own island, and money aand gifts will be left to him in his will.

I think that Sancho and Don Quijote are very different. The only similarity that they have is that they are both not very smart. Don Quijote beleives magic is the reason why everything happens and Sancho although doubts him at times, he mostly believes it. "So now you'll finally see, Sancho my son, that what I've told you so many times is true, and everything that happens in this castle is caused by enchantment." (Don Quijote pg 318), "And I believe it." said Sancho, "except for the blanket tossing buisness, which really happened in the usual way."

I think the major reason that Sancho continues on with don Quijote even though he keeps getting hurt is because Sancho finally feels important and needed. Sancho has to in a way lead Don Quijote and take care of him. Without him don Quijote would probably be in a lot of trouble. I would consider Sancho more of sidekick or companion sort of character but he does have some heroic qualities. Sancho is very loyal to don Quijote and no matter what pain he goes through he sticks with him. I feel like he is also a little protective of Don Quijote, so that shows that he is a caring person. The novel also shows that Sancho is tough, even though he complains alot he has gone through alot. Hes been basically poisoned and beaten over and over again but he gets up and keeps going. If that was me I would have given up after the first accident.

Don Quijote first appears right in the beginning of the novel on page 13. The narrator describes Don Quijote as a man with many physical flaws. As we read the narrators point of view Don Quijote is a man that has respect of pervious knights. We also learn that Don Quijote is a hero because just like Odysseus he wants “eternal fame and glory” (15).

BA#11 Pedro Alonso

1) Pedro Alonso first appears on page 31.

2) Pedro is the neighboring farmer who found Don Quijote laying in the road. He is kind to Don Quijote and helped him up, and brought him home.

3) Pedro can be compared to the innkeeper. Both the innkeeper and Pedro helped Don Quijote. The difference between the two characters is the way in which they help him. The innkeeper helped Don Quijote to amuse himself: "To have some fun, he made up his mind to humor Don Quijote" (22). The innkeeper knighted Don Quijote, and feed into his imagination before setting him off on his adventure. He was nice enough not to hassle Don Quijote for the money that was owed. Pedro, on the other hand, aided Don Quijote out of the kindness of his heart. He found Don Quijote on the ground in the road from where a young mule driver had beat him. He helped Don Quijote up, picked up the pieces of his lance, and strapped his gear to Rocinante. Pedro then mounted Don Quijote onto his donkey and walked them home. During which he had to listen to then endless, mindless rantings of Don Quijote.Pedro's kindness to Don Quijote never faltered and continued when they reached the village, before entering "the farmer waited until night had fallen, so the half-dead gentleman might not be seen on so poor a mount" (32).

4) Pedro Alonso is a hero because he is compassionate to Don Quijote. He helps Don Quijote purely out of the kindness of his heart. Pedro's patience and compassion towards Don Quijote are characteristics of a hero.

BA #11 Sancho Panzo

Sancho Panza first appears in page 42.

Sancho Panza was a farmer and a neighbor of Don Quijote. He agreed to be Don’s squire after receiving an earful of delightful but yet delusional story about the knight’s chivalry. He also provided Don’s companionship as well as a role of a person with much clearer vision: “ what you see over there aren’t giants, but windmills…” (43).

There are some similarities between Sancho Panza and Don Quijote as they were enthusiastic about traveling to whereabouts unknowns. Don had his armor, shield, helmet and a slightly lamed horse. Sancho was “advised to bring along saddlebags… and …a very fine donkey” (42) which Don “had a doubt about the donkey, trying to remember…whose squire rode on an ass, but couldn’t recall a single one” (42). Sancho had a doubt about Don Quijote’s clear vision: “Didn’t I tell your grace to be careful…these were just windmills…had to have windmills in the head?” (44).

I think Sancho is a hero for providing patience companionship, sympathetic ears and much clearer vision ahead for Don Quijote’s misadventure.

BA #11 Senor Pero Perez- The Preist

1. The priest is first introduced on page 32 of the text. Volume 1 Chapter 5.



2. The priest is a faithful man, who is "great friends with Don Quijote" (32). The priest has concerns that Don Quijote's book's are the cause of his madness. At face value the priest goes along with Don Quijote's story about the 10 giants who attacked him (34) and vows to "burn them all before nightfall tomorrow" (34). The priest is a genuine friend of Don Quijote, who has many concerns over Don's sanity.



3. The priest compares most to the barber, who just like the priest, criticize most of the books that Don Quijote reads. Both being "good Christians" (36), they hope to rid Don Quijote's stakes of idol books which contain blasphimous adventures. The priest, like the barber, are willing to burn all of Don Quijote's books in an attempt to reconcile Don's sanity. While both begin to throw books off the balcony, The priest and the barber find books to their liking and decide that they are not along the same lines as the "chivalrous" ones, on the only basis that they had both read them before.



4. The priest is a powerful character who should be characterised in a heroistic way. He believes deep in his christian heart that the books that Don Quijote has read are truly poison. Why else has Don lost his mind, all he does is read books, night and day. It seems as thought e priest has every true intention of stirring Don in a good direction, even though his christian motive seems a little trival to the average reader.

BA#11

1. Don Quijote first appears on page 13.

2. Don Quijote is a simple man who is “close to fifty, but strong, lean, his face sharp” (13). He spends as much as “two consecutive days and nights” reading tales of chivalry (33). Very early in the novel we are shown that Quijote is delusional. He envisions an inn as a castle, he christens horses and people with mystical names, and he is willing to single handedly engage in battle with “a great crowd” (29). He is loveable, as shown by the support of the townspeople when he arrives home “beaten”, but he is also a prone to making bad decisions that cause more of those endless wrongs he has set out to somehow end.

3. This one is a bit tough. He has a great appreciation for a time long passed, so I’m going to stretch that a bit here and compare him to a griot, Djeli Mamoudou Kouyate, in Sundiata. Quixote can quote (or misquote) numerous characters from the multitude of chivalrous novels he has obsessively read. This part of history is important to him, so this is what he shares with others. Since chivalry is considered nothing more than words on a page that hold no real action in life, Quijote is trying to keep the past alive. A griot claims to be the “memory of mankind” and without them “the names of kings would vanish” (1). A griot must know much more history than our dear Quijote, but both characters keep elements of the past alive.

4. As much as my sympathetic side wants me to call Quijote a hero, my conscience says otherwise. His bumbling errors cause more harm to the precise people he is trying to help. The best example is the poor boy who is being unmercifully whipped by his master. Quijote quickly believes that the master will give in to his demands of paying the boy, and threatens that he will “hunt you down and punish you” (28). As soon as Quijote is outside of hearing range, the master whips the boy to within inches of his life. Quijote’s inability to see the short range of his powers cause much more harm than good. He is not a hero yet, but he deserves some credit for believing so firmly in something and acting upon that belief, no matter how short sighted he is.

BA # 11

Don Quijote first appears right in the beggining of the novel on page 13. The narrator begins the story with describing Don Quijote. "In the village of La Mancha their lived, not very long ago, one of those gentleman who keep a lance in the lance-rack, an ancient shield, a skinny old horse, and a fast grey hound." (page 13). After he is described his name is mentioned.Don Quijote is a very odd character. He is an old man who seems to have gone crazy. He was known to always have his nose in one of those old romance novels and knight tales. Eventually he decided he wanted to become a knight. He realized he needed to do all the things that typical knights he read about do. He needed a horse (which his was not very strong), a woman to fall in love with, armor,he needed to be dubbed a knight, and most importantly he wanted to "set right endless injustices" (Pg17).I don't think that Don Quijote is like any character we have seen. If Don Quijote was actually born a knight then maybe we could compare him to Odysseus or another hero, but he seems like just a ordinary old man who has gone crazy. although he is acting like a hero some could say, he is only acting this way because he wants to be a knight. He was not born for greatness, the sky did not thunder the day he was born. There were no prophecies stating that he was born for greatness. Don Quijote is just trying to act like a knight so he is doing everything that he thinks a knight does. In the other books we have read, the main characters were hero's, and in this book, Don quijote is just trying to immitate one

BA 10 - Oulamba the Hunter

Oulamba the hunter has an important role in the story despite how little we actually see of him. In a scant few pages he is gone and never seen again, but seems to display qualities of heroism. If it were not for his actions this story would not have taken place.

He was initially seen with his brother Oulani wandering into the kingdom of Mali with a maiden in tow, a young Songlon. "Two young hunters, handsome and of fine carriage, were walking along preceded by a young maid." (6). He then recalls a story to the royal court of his travels and adventures.

Oulamba and Oulani were on a journey, wandering and hunting. The idea of a trek, an adventure has been a theme that has run rampant throughout all the heroic epic literature that we have read. While in the land of Do, they learn of a red bull that has been terrorizing the citizens; "We met two hunters, one of whom was wounded and we learnt from them that an amazing buffalo was ravaging the countryside of Do....The king, Do Mansa-Gnemo-Diarra, had promised the finest rewards to the hunter who killed the buffalo." (7). They decide to try their luck where so many others had failed. This is similar to just about every other story we've read; a quest to defeat an unbeatable mythic creature. It's a very heroic trait.

As the quest continued they came upon an old, battered, hungry woman who everyone else ignored. "Touched by her tears, I approached and took some pieces of dried meat from my hunter's bag. When she had eaten well she said 'Hunter, may God requite you with the charity you have given me.'" (7). This is reminiscent of The Ramayana and its ideas about karma. The hero Rama had good things happen to him in response to his good actions, and the same with the bad.

However, it turns out that the old woman actually is the buffalo in question, but decides to help the hunter in return for his kindness. She gives very explicit directions as to how to defeat her when he finds her, and also how to accept the king's rewards, directing him to, when the king allows him to choose of any maiden to marry, to pick out Sogolon, the ugliest one of the crowd. He follows these instructions precisely as told, obedient like Dante the hero of The Inferno.

As he offers Sogolon to the king of Mali, he is the one ultimately responsible for all the events of the book, setting up the birth of Sundiata.

BA#10 Manding Bory/Manding Boukari

1. Manding Boukari aka (Manding Bory) first appears on page 16 of Sundiata when he is born and named.
2. Manding Bory is the third son of King Naré Maghan (Sundiata’s father) and his third wife, Namandjé. He is Sundiata’s youngest brother and best friend. Although he was to be instructed in sorcery, he “had no gift of sorcery” (27).
3. Manding Bory is similar to several sidekicks we have seen. He is like Gilgamesh’s Enkidu, Rama’s Lakshmana and Telemachus’ Pisistratus. He, like the other side kicks of our main heroes, is always with Sundiata to offer support, encouragement, loyalty and friendship.
4. Manding Bory is a hero because he is Sundiata’s “right hand” (16). He is to Sundiata “like a man and his shadow” (23). He stands up for Sundiata when he is too “angry” to speak (27) just like Lakshmana stands up for Rama when he is removed from the throne.

BA #10 Balla Fesseke

1) Balla Fesseke, son of Gnankouman Doua, first appears on page 17. He is the inheritor of the griot position to the protagonist Sundiata; his grandfather and father having filled the role to the previous generations of kings in lineal descent to Sundiata (17).

2) Though it is still early in the epic's development Fesseke has already begun to demonstrate, with heroic devotion, a fulfillment of his role as griot to the prince Sundiata, unveiling a character of principled discipline that embraces his responsibilities. When Sundiata requests an iron rod it is Fesseke that quickly obliges, speaking prophetically in a manner suited to a griot when asked by the smith if Sundiata's time has come: "[t]oday is a day like any other, but it will see what no other day has seen" (20). Subsequently, upon each of Sundiata's supernatural feats of turning the iron rod into a bow and stepping the length of a giant's pace, Fesseke records the moments in song (21). By versifying the accomplishments of the leader he has pledged himself to, and being instrumental in carrying out his commands, he has displayed the characteristics of an effective griot. That his fidelity was begun during the time of Sundiata's lame disfavor adds a heroic honesty to his service.

3) Bella Fesseke reminds me of Lakshmana from the Ramayana. When compared, they share a childhood kinship with their centrally heroic protagonists. Additionally, they are royal characters that are cast out of a kingdom and must continue in their leader's service until fortune allots their return.

4) In the Preface, D. T. Niane briefly describes the historically central role the griot played within ancient African Society: "the griot appears as one of the most important of this [pre-colonial] society, because it is he who, for want of archives , records the customs, traditions and governmental principles of kings" (xxiii). In this setting the griot operates as an embodiment of the culture's conscience, so that as a character within the work his heroic proportions are judged on more of a moral scale of the effectiveness of his confidences with Sundiata. The more physical acts which have been the basis by which we have generally applied to the central heroes of the previous works do not apply as readily for Fesseke. It is as an advisor and intellectual compass that the developement of his heroism will (probably?) take place, even-though his devotion, reminiscent of Enkidu, is already evident. In this way he is not the classic hero wrought from the mold of Gilgamesh, Ramayana and Ulysses. If we assess his heroism it will have to be in terms of heroic support along the lines of Enkidu, Lakshmana and Athena.

BA# 10 Sogolon Djata/Sundiata

1. Sundiata possesses many names, such as Sogolon Djata, Nare Maghan Djata, etc. and he appears at birth on page 13.

2. Sundiata is described as one with a difficult childhood, as he could not walk on his legs until seven and did not possess the beauty of his father. Sundiata, however, was unlike his peers in other ways as well: his intelligence surpassed his age and his father was able to speak to him like an adult, he found things that a child would be amused with boring and did not lash out against the ridicule towards himself or his mother.

3. Sundiata is much different than the current antagonist of the story, Sassouma Berete, the first wife of the king and the queen-wife after he dies. Sassouma shows incredible jealousy and malice towards Sundiata and Sologon with her "fierce laughter which cut through your flesh and penetrates right to the bone" (p19) and with her desire to "put an end to this popularity (Sundiata's) by killing Sundiata." (p24)

4. Sundiata is clearly portrayed as a hero even this early in the book and his life. When he was born "Thunder began to rumble and swift lightning rent the clouds ... A flash of lightning accompanied by a dull rattle of thunder burst out..." (p13), which is indicative of someone of great importance being born. Sundiata possesses both physical strength, "his arms had the strength of ten" (p23) and also a sound grasp of moral justice, which is evident in his response to the test of the old witches, "Each time that you run short of condiments come to stock up here without fear." (p25) Thus far, Sundiata is portrayed as an incredibly gifted child in many ways.

BA#8 - Post 2

1.) An anti-hero that emerges in Canto XIII are the Harpies. "They have broad wings, a human neck and face, clawed feet, and swollen, feathered bellies" (13.11-12).

2.) The Harpies are one of the scariest demons readers have encountered so far in Dante's Inferno. "They caw their lamentations in the eerie trees" (13.12-13). "Eager as greyhounds off the leash, Black bitches filled the woods, avid and quick. They set their teeth on the one who stopped to crouch, and tore his limbs apart" (13.118-121). The Harpies are violent creatures, who's eerie caws fill the 2nd ring of the 7th circle. They deliver pain to all souls which reside there with a vicious eagerness, acting as a machine to serve punishment to those who have sinned.

3.) Like other demons such as the centaurs which keep souls from escaping the boiling blood they are sentenced to spend eternity in and Minos, the demon who judges and assigns the souls their proper place, the Harpies serve a purpose in Hell. "Feeding on the foliage [souls], [they] create Pain, and an outlet for the pain as well" (13.94-95). Every ring in Hell has its respective entity to carry out that ring's punishment. In the 2nd ring of the 7th circle of Hell, we see that the Harpies are that entity.

4.) The Harpies are truly not heroes. Residing as a deliverer of punishment in Hell, they do not fulfill any defining traits which make a hero. They are not humble, self-sacrificing, noble, brave, or any other hero like quality. The Harpies are anti-heroes because they are truly evil entities, which exist for the sole purpose of delivering Pain.

Capaneus; BA#8

Capeneus was first introduced in Canto 14, page 113 on line 38.

Capeneus is a spirit in the third ring in the seventh circle who is being punished for blaspheming against a god. He is an example of someone who is not a hero. Those who committ blasphemy are self righteous and full of pride. They dont see fault in themselves and think they are superior to everyone, even divine powers. While on earth, Capeneus was a successful king who "besieged"(Notes: Canto 13-14; 326) a city called Thebes. The victory was a reason to celebrate but he went as far as to claim that he was undefeatable even against the "great god" (Notes: Canto 14-15; 327) Jove. For his haughty attitude, he was proven wrong and struck to death. Even after he was put to death and sent to hell, his "distainful"(Canto 14.39) demeanour and "scowling"(Canto 14.39) expression showed that his attitude didn't change. Virgil describes him as a spirit with "unquenched pride" (Canto 14.52). This shows that he did not learn from punishment and adopt a humble attitude.

BA 8

1. Dante, appears first page.
2. Dante is the main character and narrator of Dante's Inferno. He, along with his new companion, Virgil, are making their way through the levels of hell. Dante encounters many spirits that he interacts with and observes the torments which they undergo all day, everyday.
3. Dante can be compared to Gilgamesh in the sense that each under went trials to learn about the morals of life and the effects of poor choices. "Speak to me with the answers that I crave about these souls and the sepulchers they fill:"(X.5).
4. Dante it is arguable that Dante is or is not a hero in the poem, but as an author and narrator of hell his is a hero. Dante is a hero for showing and telling others about hell. He tells of the sins that will place sinners in specific levels of hell and what torments the sinner will be faced with. Dante is a hero.

BA 7

In this reading we are presented with a new kind of hero. Although I strongly believed after the first three canto's that Dante was not a hero and was a coward, I am seeing a growth as a person in him. I do believe that the new mold of a hero to note is Virgil. We can also consider the people who have died for love to be heroic. Most notably is the love of Francesca. She is able to tell her story although it hurts her to do so. She can admit the wrongs of their relationship and the greatness of their love. "But one particular moment alone it was defeated us: the longed-for smile, it said, was kissed by that most noble lover: at this, this one, who now will never leave my side, kissed my mouth trembling." (118, 43). The lovers believed in their love and were willing to commit a sin to have it. In the previous books we have read we were presented with hero's that stood up for what they believed in, here the lovers did the same.

Dante

Dante seems to be a hero in the making who gains faith and courage as he continues on his journey. In the first line of Canto I, he says, “I found myself” right after saying he was on “our life’s journey” (I.1). This tells us that he will be relating his own personal experiences to those of everyone in general. Like other heroes, Dante sets forth on a journey – but we don’t get a detailed character description, reasons why he is going, or what sin he has committed. This adds to the point that he is embarking on a journey which everyone can relate to- it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done or haven’t done. Although he tries, we see that he cannot go on this journey alone, and must have someone to literally guide him. Dante first doubts himself, saying “I am no Aeneas or Paul: Not I nor others think me of such worth” (II.26). Then, while on the journey, he is terrified. After crossing the river in Canto III, he fainted after there was an earthquake and says, “I shudder and sweat recalling it now” (III.109-10). However, we still see a change in Dante throughout this time. For example, the “old” Dante (that is described to us in the beginning of Canto I, would have ran in the opposite direction after reading the words at the gates of hell and hearing the cries of suffering. Since Dante’s character is still growing at this time, some of his characteristics are unlike our usual heroes who are brave and courageous. However, we see Dante growing and becoming braver within just the first few cantos.

BA#7

I believe that Dante is a hero, who is introduced from the start (the first person narrative). He is a character that has his own sins (his fear), and enters Hell with an attempt to overcome this. With Virgil as a guide to his overcoming of this, he is taken on a journey off of life's normal path. Because of his bravery to enter, he demonstrates heroic abilities, and can be seen as one. He is the third person ever to enter Hell and leave it alive. This is why I think that he is a hero, his bravery and strength.

BA #7

Dante first appears on 1.1

Dante takes spiritual journey through Hell after being fearful from the three beasts, he recieved a guide, Virgil.

Dante is similar to Odysseus in a way, because he has a guide to help him get through the difficult things he must go through.

I believe Dante is a hero because although he has a guide to help him through Hell, he is being brave to go along with Virgil to learn of the different circles of Hell. Virgil teaches him not to be fearful and with that, Dante has been able to journey through Hell and even talk with some of the souls within the circles, "I would willingly speak with those who move along together..." (5.65-66). He was willing to speak to the souls instead of being timid and afraid. He has learned to overcome his fear of the journey to learn of the sins and of the souls who are there.

BA # 7

1.Vigil first appears in Canto I line 47

2. Virgil is described as a wise poet and Dante’s guide through hell pg 7.

3. Virgil and Viswamithra are similar because they bring guidance and wisdom to guide the main characters. They also encourage them to overcome fear.

4. Virgil is a hero because he is honest, doesn't like punishment, and is very brave.

Virgil

Virgil first appears on page 5, Canto I, line 51. He is known for writing the Aeneid and is greatly admired by Dante. In this story Virgil is a soul that lives in the outer layer of hell, and acts as Dante's guide as they travel through the layers of hell. Virgil makes sure that Dante is able to travel through these layers without conflicts from hells inhabitance. Virgil is closly related to Lakshmana. They both accompany the main character on a journey and are vital to the main characters completion of there journey. I would say that Virgil is a hero because he can be depended on and he is admired by Dante. In the reading Dante expresses his likeing for Vigil by saying, "Your book in patient study avail me, Master! You are my guide and author, whose verses teach, the graceful style whose model has done me honor"(7.65). Not only is Virgil admired, but he is also dependable. He is always there at Dantes side.

BA# 6 Indra

1) The god Indra is frist introduced on page 19.

2) Indra is described as the "great Indra" who's body is "studded with a thousand eyes" (19). He also described as "the highest god among gods" (19).

3) Indra can be compared to both Gilgamesh and Odysseus, they all have brought hardships upon themsevels due to beautiful women. Gilgamesh rejected a goddess's courtship and in sulted her, and Odysseus let the nymphs delay his journey home. Indra, on the other hand, fell for the beauty of another man's wife, Ahalya. He "was convinced that he alone was worthy of claiming her hand" (19). Indra failed to get over Ahalya after she was wed and tricked her into bed; he "assumed the sage's form... and made love to Ahalya" (20). It was when he was caught that he was crused to be covered with "a thousand female marks" (20). His sexual desire for what wasn't his ended up causing him a great many years of hardships.

4) Indra is the opposite of a hero. He is arrogant and unable to control himself. He puts his own desires before others and uses his power to trick innocent Ahalya into bed. A hero wouldn't have assumed he was the only one worthy of such a beauty, he would have left Ahalya to be happy with her husband, and wouldn't have tricked her into sex.

BA #6 Post #2

The King can be characterized as a hero. Although he has a very small role in the beginning of this story, he should be acknowledged. Many people look upon family members as hero's for how they were raised and all that was done for them. Here we are presented with a king who is loved and has ruled his land fairly. "The King was always accessible, and fulfilled his duties as the ruler of Kosala without grudging the hours spent in public service" (pg 1). He can be admired for having the strength to let go of both his sons Rama and Lakshmana. Knowing that they were in for a long journey with Viswamithra he still allowed them to go. As most people know it takes a lot out of a parent to let their children grow up and leave the nest. "Every human being, when the time comes, has to depart and seek his fulfillment in his own way."

BA #6 Viswamithra

Since the obvious Rama has been taken...

1) Viswamithra (5)

2) This character is profoundly wise and well respected by the people of Kosala, including King Dasaratha. Viswamithra's astuteness can be derived by the conversation he has with the king about how Rama must leave to become matured. In anticipation for Dasaratha to impart Rama, Viswamithra says "A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parent tree remains stunted until it is transplanted." (9). Not only does he show great wisdom, but he posesses the ability to meditate so that he could become impervious to heat, cold, hunger, fatigue, and decrepitude (1, 13)

3) I believe that Viswamithra is similar in character to Mentor in The Odyssey because that is the role he plays for Rama. Viswamithra encourages and trains Rama because it is his duty to do so, just as it is Rama's duty to protect Viswamithra. Before V. and R. defeat Thataka, V. told the king, "Yes, I will look after both, though their mission will be to look after me" (10).

4) Viswamithra is not a hero because in the context of "Ramayana", his duty is to be the seeker of Rama. His purpose is to create an environment for Rama to grow as a character until he reaches fulfillment.

BA #6 Thataka

1) Thataka first seen on page 11

2) Thataka was born a demigod with two sons named Mareecha and Subahu, who after trying to avenge their husband/father’s death buy killing a saint are cursed and turned into demons. Thataka presides over a barren land and kills those who tread on it.

3) This character reminds me of Humbaba from Gilgamesh. Though Humbaba is a guardian of a forest and was not once a god he still is watching over a lot of land and kills those who come into the forest just like Thataka does with those who enter her desert, “…this my kingdom, I have crushed out the minutest womb of life and you have been sent down so that I may not remain hungry.” (12). Also, surprisingly they are both killed by the hero(es) in the epic.

4) This character is defiantly NOT a hero. First, she is a god turned demon who eats people who walk through her land and second, she is killed by page 13 by Rama the main character and hero of this Epic as it would seem.

BA # 6

From the Ramayana, in the text we read, I chose Rama as Hero thus far. Rama, in the encounter with Thataka in the desert wasteland. Once hearing about this evil that has desolated once fertile land with her hatred from Viswamithra, he prepares himself to go and slay the beast. Without hesitation Rama prepares himself for battle "Touching the bow on his shoulder, Rama asked Where can she be found" (12), and before he knew it he was thrust into battle with the beast, not before showing the moral capacity to question weather it be right. So unlike Gilgamesh who would slaughter first, ask questions later, Rama shows a bit of compassion as well as showing that he is a great warrior in this episode with Thataka. After the beast is slain, we are told of Rama's life mission, "destroying evil and demonry"(13) What we have seen so far from Rama, is that he is a multi-dimensional character and there will be much growth and development on his part, under the guidance of Viswamithra he shall blossom into an even greater hero.

BA#5 Melanthius

1. Melanthius first appears in book 17 when Eumaeus is escorting Odysseus to the palace(17.231).



2.Melanthius is a goatherd who worked for Odysseus. He has been in service of the suitors since Odysseus left and the suitors favor him, especially "Eurymachus, who favored him the most" (17.282) He probably is favored because he gives the suitors "the pick of his flocks" (17.233, 20. 192) The two times he encounters Odysseus he insults him for being a beggar.(17.239, 20.219)

3. Melanthius does not have the same heroic qualities as (Pamela H. pointed out were "the class' evolving definition of a hero") as Eumaeus which are, loyalty, bravery, humility, selflessness, courage, "admirable" and someone who is "true to task". Melanthius has not been loyal and has betrayed his master Odysseus by serving the suitors in his master's home, being their informant and by helping them do away with Telemachus' inheritance. He is not an admirable, humble or selfless person since he treated Odysseus badly just because he is a beggar. He considers himself to be part of the suitors, "your begging makes us sick"(20.200).Unlike Eumaeus, Melanthius is not"true to task" and hires "worthless fieldhands" (17.270) to work for him.

4. Melanthius is not a hero because he does have the qualities to be considered a hero. He acts only on selfinterest, easily betrays his master and is not humble, loyal or admirable.

BA#3

Princess Nausicaa; Book 6: The Princess and the Stranger, line 20

Princess Nausicaa is a hero because she is courageous and clever. When she finds Odysseus naked in the open, she does not shy away or show weakness. Neither does she view him as lowly and ignore him as though he's not worth her time. When he begs her for pitty she doesnt baby him. Rather, she is understanding yet stern. She acknowledges his troubles and tells him he must "bear" his pain.(6.210)

Princess Nausicaa can be compared to Calypso. Both women have power and beauty, but they use stregnths differently. When Odysseus came across Calypso, she used position to mystify him and kept him with her by "force."(5.16) Nausicaa was unwed and looking for a husband. She could have used Odysseus' weak state as an opportunity to take advantage of him. When Odysseus tries to flatter her by commenting on her "build, bearing, and lithec flowing grace" she doesn't become gitty and forget about her respectable position.(6.167)

Princess Nausicaa shows she is a hero not only because of her character, but because she assisted Odysseus using compassion and common sense. She was selfless and smart when making decisions. She may not have defeated a cyclops or endured Poseidon's wrath, but she has proved herself to be a hero.

BA #5 Post 1

How Eurykleia kept Odysseus's a secret is a very hard thing that should be acknowledged. Here is Eurykleia, Odysseus's old nurse who has remained faithful to the family, who is trusted with the secret of Odysseus's identity. Eurykleia has seen everything that has been going on in the palace by the suitors and all of the mistreatment on her peers and more than likely herself. Most people in her shoes would want to go charging in at the suitors with this great warrior behind you and take the palace back. But instead she does as she is told and shows where her loyalty and trust is.

BA #5-Post 1

1.) A hero that emerges in Book 20 is Philoetius, the good cowherd (20.203).

2.) The character is loyal to his king and kind to strangers. He greets Odysseus with a warm welcome saying "Cheers, old friend, old father, here's to your luck, great days from this day on..." (20.219-20). Philoetius also proves his loyalty to his "lost" king while speaking to Odysseus by saying "Odysseus, my great lord and master...set me in charge of his herds...I could have fled, ages ago...but I still dream of my old master" (20. 230-49). Lastly, Philoetius is a brave character, willing to fight for the king he is loyal to by saying that if Odysseus were to come home, "you'd see my power, my fighting arms in action [against the suitors]" (20.263-64).

3.) Philoetius is very similar to Eumaues. Besides both being herders for their king's livestock, both men are extremely loyal to their king and pine for the day Odysseus is to return so that they may take their vengeance against the suitors. They are also both loyal to Telemachus with Philoetius stating "What a traitor I'd be, with the prince still alive, if I'd run off to some other country" (20.242-43).

4.) What make Philoetius a hero is that he exemplifies characteristics the class found to define a hero. He is brave, loyal, noble in the the way he treats Odysseus in the guise of a beggar and in how he talks and enduring, staying on Odysseus's estate to tend the cattle even though the conditions there are unkind.

BA #5

Odysseus shows again his heroic attributes when he returns home to Ithica, because of how he hides his identity to Telemachus when they are finally reunited. This is because he restrained himself from revealing his identity until he heard the condition of his house. That way, he wouldn't need to worry about the distractions of their rejoicing or catching up, once he finally did. This kept their task important, because he could think up a plan in advance, and stay coordinated with his son, rather than sloppy because details were left out in their celebration (catching up). The way he chose to reveal himself to Ithica proved that he is a true hero, because of the cleverness. He used his disguise to his advantage.

BA #5

Telemachus shows to be a true hero in chapter twenty by standing up for everyone in Odysseus's house. There are endless times in this chapter he is standing up for people. He also stands up for himself and makes a change that everyone can see from being a boy to becoming a man. Telemachus also stood up against the suitors telling them "This is no public place, this is Odysseus' house my father won it for me, so it 's mine" (book 20 line292-294). Telemachus was was making a statment that "No insults now, no brawling, no or it's war between us all" (book 20, line 295-296).

It is agreeable that anyone can be a hero depending on what they consider a hero. Throughout this book there has been many heroes’ because everyone shows a heroic trait. This is shown throughout the book and the line that reads “Here I sit, my heart aching, broken for him, my master, my great king fattening up his own hogs for other men to eat, while he, starving for food, I wager, wanders the earth" (Book 14, line. 44). Shows how at this point or time Eumaeus was being heroic by his loyalty.

Eumaeus

1.) Eumaeus first appears in the Odyssey on page 301- line 7.

2.) Book Fourteen's title is The Loyal Swineherd and the entire chapter proves Eumaeus's loyalty to Odysseus. He takes care of the animals in Odysseus' kingdom. He tells the beggar (Odysseus) how mad it makes him that he has to serve the suitors in his "great king's" home. He doesn't think that Odysseus will come home but he is so miserable without him. "Here I sit, my heart aching, broken for him, my master, my great king fattening up his own hogs for other men to eat, while he, starving for food, i wager, wanders the earth" (Book 14, ln. 44).


3.) Eumaeus's loyalty reminds me of Penelope's. Odysseus must be a wonderful person and a very hard man to forget, because it seems that everyone in his kingdom is dying without him. Before Odysseus, dressed as a beggar, goes to bed he notices that the swineheard doesn't go to bed indoors and it makes him very happy, "not his style to go to bed indoors, apart from his pigs. He geared up to go outside and it warmed Odysseus' heart, Eumaeus cared so much for his absent master's goods" (Book 14, ln. 592). Penelope is a woman and therefore her reaction to her husband's absence is different, she cries and mourns, her loyalty is the same. Athena tells Odysseus of the pain she is enduring, "But she, she waits in your halls, as always, her life an endless hardship...wasting away the nights, weeping away the days" (Book 13, ln. 383).

4.) I believe that Eumaeus is a hero. He has never left his master's home even though his master did and has not returned for twenty years. He takes care of Odysseus' belongings and doesn't approve of people coming in and trying to take it. He mourns for Odysseus like a best friend would. He is more of a quiet hero because he hasn't taken any action, but he still is a hero because of his undoubted loyalty.

Circe was met by the men when they reached the Aeaean island (10. 148). Circe is yet another beautiful "nymth with lovely braids" (10.149). She is the daughter of Perse, but she can "speak with human voice" (10.150). Circe is an enchantress and a weaver who is described as "enthralling" (10.249) by Odysseus's "most devoted' (10.247) man. Circe is spellbinding, literally and figuretively, so much so that she turned Odysseus's men into pigs. Odysseus also became a pig, but only metaphaorically, as for one year he cheated on his wife, staying with Circe. Circe is very enticing, cunning, and directive, as she sets the situation in her palace up, enticing Odysseus, as his plans are set off course.Both Circe and Calypso used allure in the same fashion, as they wove and sung seductively, setting Odysseus off course. Alike in appearance, both nymths use their gentle kindness and intriguing beauty to thwart Odysseus, in order for them to selfishly attain what they desire...him. Circe is much more complient than Calypso, who was not eager to let Odysseus go, so she resorted to more psychological tactics. When Zeus ordered Odysseus's release, Calypso "shuddered at those words and burst into a flight of indignation" (5.129). It took her a little while to release her selfish hold on Odysseus and comply to the prophetic gods' wishes, but she issued him a warning, "But if you knew what pains are fated to you before you reach that shore, you'd stay right here..." (5.228-230). She resorted to this psychological headgame because deep down, even though Odysseus has been depressed staying with her, she wanted him to remain there as her lover. Circe, on the other hand, was seemingly more interseted in Odysseus desires over her own. Odyssues wouldn't eat until his crew was turned back into men, and Circe complyed. Circe's use of kind complience and enticement, instead of using heady warnings, prompted Odysseus to remain on her island for a year willingly, and when he finally decided to leave, as his crew was getting restless, Circe urged him on with directives, as she was seemingly satisfied that she got what she could, emotionally and physically, from Odysseus.I believe that Circe is a hero. She sheltered Odysseus physically and emotionally, and when he was ready to leave, she promoted the journey by giving him directions to get home. She, for the most part, put Odysseus's needs ahead of her own, as heros do. She did use her enticing allure to seduce Odysseus, but it was his weak will that kept him there. When he was ready, she selflessly took pride in aiding his journey home. Circe is definately strong-minded, genuine, and caring. It was she who helped Odysseus gain the assurance and confidence to go forth with his journey when he was nervious about who would pilot his ship with her easing words, "Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, born for exploits, let no lack of a pilot at the helm concern you..." (10.554-555).

BA #3

The hero in chapter 12 was Odysseus because he showed that not even he is indestructible. The way he shows this is when he asks the men to “bind me with tight chafing ropes” (79. 276). So than he would not want to go to the Sirens which would kill him in the end. It takes a willing man to admit that he will have a weakness that he cannot control and seeking help is a huge thing for Odysseus, because of how smart, and wise he says he is.

BA # 3 - Neoptolemus

1. Neoptolemus is described through Odysseus' memory in Book 11 (p. 266, line 576). At this point in the book, Odysseus is in the House of Death...the underworld. He is talking to the "ghosts" or spirits of many men who have died in war. Although Neoptolemus never actually appears in the book, memories of him are recalled at this time.

2. Neoptolemus is Achilles' son who fought at Troy with Odysseus. Odysseus has met with Achilles in the underworld, who has asked him for news about his "gallant" son (559). Achilles wants to know if his "boy" became a champion, and from Odysseus's description, it is clear that he has. Neoptolemus was a leader who never gave up. He was a strong and loyal soldier, always ready and willing to put himself in the line of fire. This description of Neoptolemus makes Achilles happy and proud of his son. Since coming to the underworld, he has always wondered about his son, and Odysseus now put all his questions and worries at ease.

3. Neoptolemus can be compared to Telemachus because they are both described, in one way or another, as transforming from a boy to a man. In Books 1 and 2, Telemachus is a boy, whereas in Books 3 and 4, we see that he has grown to be a powerful man. This is similar to the information we get about Neoptolemus. Achilles asked Odysseus about the status of his son because he wanted to know if the young boy he once knew turned into a strong man. This is proved to be true when we read about all of his triumphant battles, his committment, and his leadership as a soldier. Along with this, both Neoptolemus and Telemachus have powerful, heroic fathers that they are compared to (Odysseus and Achilles). Knowing this makes us think about the pressure they both had in combat since they were the sons of strong and powerful men. In many ways, they had to be courageous to keep the fame and prove themselves.

4. Neoptolemus is a hero because he is not only powerful and brave, but he is also someone who "saved the day." He is shown to be brave when Odysseus said he was a soldier who would "always charge ahead" (585). Also, when the other men were scared and crying during tough times, Neoptolemus remained strong and eager to win. His courage made him stand above the rest and overcome the obstacles that the men faced. Odysseus described how he "never flicked a tear" and always "begged" to go out and fight (602,603). Then, once he had saved the day and "sacked King Priam's craggy city" (607), he left on his ship without any war wounds. This young boy that Achilles once knew certainly turned into a powerful hero that remains in the memory of Odysseus.

World Literature I: Barrington

1) Zeus: Book I: Athena Inspires the Prince, Page 78 ln 31. It is immediately apparent that Zeus has all the power. It tells how, "the father of men and gods was first to speak" (34). 2) Zeus is king of the gods and father of the Olympians and mortals. He expresses his heroic power through his impressive spheres of influence which include the sky and the weather, with his lightening bolts, hospitality and the rights og guests and suppliants, the punishment of injustice, the sending of omens, and the governance of the universe, controlled to some extent by Fate as well. 3) Zeus here is much like a previous character - Unapishtim. In the epic Gilgamesh, Unapishtim is a God among men. He was turned immortal by the gods. Both act as a paternal figure in their stories. Both are very hands off and try not to interfere too much. While Zeus makes observations and sends other people to carry out his will, such as his daughter, Athena, and his son, Hermes, Unapishtim takes a hands off stance. Gilgamesh reached him to ask him questions and the calloused but still parental character offered the wisdom of the plant. Zeus acts more and gets better results.4) Zeus is definately a hero. While he is a god, he does have selfish pride, but on the other hand, he also has godly strength and power. The physique is not discussed because in the story, we see more about his characteristic attributes. He sent his daughter down to Earth to help Odysseus way back when he was fighting the Trojan war, and in the story of the Odyssey as it is being told, he told her to go back and motivate and lead Telemachus, the shy and meak, to save his father and reunite a family, though it be insiginficant to immortals. Later her tells his son to venture to Earth and free Odysseus from the nymph and give him possible salvation off the island and captivity.

Odysseus

There are many characters in which to choose from Homer's epic The Odyssey, but I chose Odysseus. Not untill book 5 do we now see Odysseus in action, up until now do we hear second hand of Odysseus and his heroics, held in such high regard and admiration by King Menelaus and King Nestor. However in book 5 on the island we do not see him as the herioc figure he is touted as by others, no, we see him as a broken man, consumed by grief and tormented by the gods. He seems to be resigned to his captive fate on the island with Calypso, a man who spends his days in sorrow and his nights in a bed that is not his own, no way to escape. Not until Hermes brings word to Calypso that Zeus decrees that Odysseus must be allowed to leave. On his travels across the ocean do we start to see Odysseus begin to shine as a hero.
We see Odysseus overcome Posiedon's wrath. His ship now destroyed Odysseus must swim for landfall. He has lost sight of land and lost his way but Odysseus never surrenders to the ocean and heroicaly overcomes a myriad of obsticles to finally reach shore, tiring but never giving up, showing great determination and fortitude in the face of death.

B.A. #2 (Penelope)

I feel that Penelope is a hero because she exudes the highest form of emotional perseverance in the book. She, unlike her husband Odysseus, can withhold the temptation to satisfy her intimate needs and the company of a suitor. After Troy was beseiged in 10 years and 3-4 more years had passed, Penelope says to her bard and the suitors, "How I long for my husband - alive in memory, always, that great man..." (88) Not only is she forced to deal with the loss of her husband, but later, when Telemachus leaves without telling her, Penelope experiences an emotional burden that most characters don't often face, leaving her psychologically exhausted.

The most profound example of her perseverance is illustrated in the creation of her wedding dress. As the "matchless queen of cunning", Penelope tells the suitors she will be ready to marry following the completion of her dress, but does not intend to finish it. The narrator says, "By day she'd weave at her great and growing web - by night, by the light of torches set beside her, she would unravel all she'd done." (96) This is a very bold action because after 3 years of working on the dress, it would be naiive of her to think the suitors would believe she was trying to complete it. For four years of tolerating the suitors to gorge themselves on Ithaca's finest wine, food, and pleasantries, she has managed to overcome many hardships through her determination and undying faith.

B.A.#2 (Athena)

1.) Athena first appears in Homer's The Odyssey in Book 1 line 11 by reference from the narrator. She first appears by name in Book 1 line 53.

2.) Athena is a goddess, the daughter of the powerful Zeus. She is a character with great sympathy for immortals, such as Odysseus, whose struggles propel her to action. She feels the anguish of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, as he grapples with the questions surrounding his ambigious lineage. She speaks wisely and convincingly, but I feel her greatest character trait thus far is her ability to be empathetic.

3.) Athena can be compared to the goddess Ninsun from the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ninsun is the mother of Gilgamesh. Both characters "adopt" a motherly position for an immortal that they did not birth. When Gilgamesh seeks her blessing to enter the Forest to destroy Humbaba, Ninsun is wise to acknowledge that this feat will take both Gigamesh and Enkidu acting as brothers to be successful. Enkidu, born of the earth and without a mother, is adopted by Ninsun and told to "be a brother for Gilgamesh" (102). Telemachus, who stands alone against the tormenting suitors, lacks the direction to bring about change. Athena's advice and guidance can be viewed as motherly, as it offers protection and a promise of a brighter future. She inspires him by saying that "You must not cling to your boyhood any longer--it's time you were a man" (1.341-42). This sounds to me like something a mother would say to her child.

4.) I believe Athena is a hero because she takes action to save Telemachus from his path towards an unheroic death, which is paved by his own inaction. She first dares to challenge the almighty Zeus that he does nothing to save Odysseus because he has "no care for him" in his "lofty heart" (1.73). A hero has to be brazen in their communications if they are to be respected and listened to. She instills this quality in Telemachus when she advises him to call an assembly and challenge the "suitors to scatter" (1.315). Nothing Telemachus has accomplished through the first few books of The Odyssey would be possible without the heroic Athena guiding him towards his own emergence as a hero.

B.A # 2 (Telemachus)

1.) Telemachus first appears in the text on page 81, canto 2, line 132.
2.) A brief decription of Telemachus is a young man around twenty years old. In books one and two of the text the audience is given the image or idea that Telemachus is a young weak boy. In books three and four the audience is given the image of Telemachus as a strong powerful man. Books one through four show a transformation of Telemachus from a weak innocent boy into a strong courages man.
3.) Telemachus can be compared to his father Odysseus because Telemachus has inherited some of his fathers traits such as his courage and not to mention his good looks. Both Telemachus and Odysseus have traveled to Sparta but for two different reasons. While Odysseus traveled to Sparta for war, Telemachus travels to Sparta in peace in order to learn about his fathers long journey and to earn a name for himself. "Next I will send him off to Sparta and sandy Pylos, there to learn of his dear father's journey home. Perhaps he will hear some news and make his name thought the mortal world " (1.109-112). The most important aspect that Odysseus and Telemachus have in common is that they both get help from the goddess Athena through difficult situations.
4.) I would consider Telemachus as a hero because he grows and matures from being weak and innocent to becoming brave and courages. He is courages during his journey to Pylos and Sparta where he finds that his father is in fact still alive. Telemachus is also courages because he spoke his mind to all of the suitors that have invaded his fathers palace and have been harassing his mother to remarry even though he is out numbered by them. Telemachus is brave because he is has taken on the responsibility to protect his mother and his home. Telemachus is also a selfless character because he has gone through mental and emotional changes in order to secure the well being of his mother as well as his fathers kingdom.

BA #1 Utnapishtim's wife

1. Utnapishtim's wife first appears in Book 11, Page 195.

2. Utnapishtim's wife has no other name but her position, wife to "The Distant One". After the great flood, she and he became immortal but were not born Gods. She is caring, thoughtful, and obidient, but seems to be a bad cook as she makes bad loaves of bread.

3. Utnapishtim's wife is like the Goddess Ninsun. They both exibit caring qualities. While Ninsun shows her caring by taking in Enkidu as her son and giving him the pendant, Utnapishtim's wife makes her husband think twice about being a hasty judge of Gigamesh. "Wait," she says, "this man came a ery log way, he endured/ many hardships to get here. Won't you/ give him something for his journey home" (Pg 195)? They both use their wisdom to make a situation better.

4. Utnapishtim's wife is a hero. She is a woman which is not our definition of a hero, but she also follows her moral compass and shows compassion for Gilgamesh when he is tired, overworked, and morose. She may not be brave, risking life, but she is noble and smart because she has learned lessons of life and death herself and tells her husband to tell Gilgamesh, while she civilizes her husband. She is selfless to make the bread for Gilgamesh.

Ninsun

1.) Ninsun first appears in the text on page 83 in Book 1
2.) Ninsun is a goddess and the mother of Gilgamesh. She knows everything and is always right there with a smart answer to assist Gilgamesh on his journeys. She knows not to upset the Gods and instead she prays to them whenever there is trouble. "'Lord of heaven, you have granted my son beauty, strength and courage-why have you burdened him with a restless heart'" (99).She dresses in beautiful robes and bathes in the finest soaps because she is a God and she is beautiful.
3.) Ninsun could be compared with Ishtar who is also a goddess, though they do not have fitting personalities. Ninsun is gentle, kind, giving and very smart, "The mother of Gilgamesh, Lady Ninsun, the wise, the all-knowing" (83). Ishtar is some what giving as well (she keeps the priestesses in her temple for all men to enjoy), but mostly she's greedy. She wants to have and destroy as many lives as possible. "' Come here Gilgamesh,' Ishtar said, 'marry me, give me your luscious fruits, be my husband, be my sweet man'" (130).
4.) I would argue that Ninsun is definitely a hero. She helps Gilgamesh on his journeys. She prays to the Gods for strength. She helps interpret Gilgamesh's dreams. And though the story doesn't go into much detail about Ninsun's intelligence, I'm sure she uses it for good purposes and for other lost souls, not just Giglamesh. And let's face it, anyone who can be the mother of the most intolerable man in Uruk has to be a hero.

Hero Assignment

Although I wasn't here on the first day of class, I have managed to pick up the developing definition of here: the classic "Superman" version, who does right and stops those who do wrong. In Gilgamesh, the morals of the culture are often contrasted with those of ours, such as the meaning of sex and how women are treated. This, of course, changes how the people would view a hero. A hero must "do right and stop those who do wrong" according to the people who live and are affected by it. My response to that is that Enkidu (page 74) is a hero. He was created to be Giglamesh's double, and balance his cruel tyranny. He develops as a different person because of his intent. Both of them are strong rulers, and good friends, however Enkidu does not do things for self honor, or for any sort of acclamation. Before the two depart to kill Humbaba, Enkidu argues, "Humbaba is the forest's guardian, Enlil put him there to terrify men. (page 93)." He then goes to kill him anyway to prove his friendship, not to escape shame. Gilgmesh, however, leaves to kill Humbaba for glory and to instill fear in others. The difference in the two motives states who of them is a hero. That is why I believe that Enkidu is a real hero.

BA #1 Ishtar

1) Ishtar. She is first mentioned on page 77 in book 1.
2) Ishtar is a goddess, daughter to Anu and Anutu. She plays a significant role in the fate of Gilgamesh and Enkidu at the end of the book.
3) A simple comparison to Ishtar would be that to Shamhat. Shamhat, being a priestess of Ishtar gives her body willing to men in honor of the goddess. At the beginning, Shamhat is seen as a civilizing force for when after Enkidu and her made love he was more cultured and in a sense became a man. Ishtar, however, is more of a destroyer than a civilizer. At one point she offered herself to Gilgamesh, pleading that he be her husband. However, Gilgamesh refuses because every man that she has ever loved has come to a certain misfortune due to her. He responds to her, “If I too became your lover, you would treat me as cruelly as you treated them” (135).
4) Ishtar is not a hero. When she does not get her way she seeks revenge and is selfish. Nothing she does or plans is a benefit to the human race but only to her. All she feels is a need to pleasure herself and not help others. A hero seeks to serve his people fearlessly with their wellbeing in mind and not his own, with that Ishtar is not a hero.

BA#1 Shamhat

1. Shamhat Page #77
2. Shamhat is a priestess who gives her body to any man in honor of Ishtar, the goddess.
3. Shamhat and Ishtar are two completely different people. Shamhat gives her body to a man, whereas Ishtar expects the man to give to her and not give a man anything in return. An example of this is shown in the passage on page 130-132, where she says "Come here, GIlgamesh," Ishtar said, "marry me, give me your luscious fruits, be my husband, be my sweet man..."
4. I believe that Shamhat is a hero because she civilized Enkidu and brought Gilgamesh a friend that he will never forget and in a way helped civilize Gilgamesh in the end.

Hero

On the first day of class we stated that a hero was someone who saved the day, has upstanding moral character, brave, noble, honest, etc...After reading this book it is very clear that Gilgamesh does not stand out to be a hero. For one a hero does not terrify their people, control, and rule in fear.(Book 1 pg 73) Also a hero puts people first instead of being sulfish. They do good deeds without wanting to be honored and glorified. Everything he does he wants people to recognize him for it and praise him. A really hero doesnt look for that and do things out of the goodness of their heart.Another reason why i dont think that Gilgamesh is a hero is because he is afraid of death and also because he questions his faith as a man. As a gero you must understand your purpose and accept it.

BA#1(Gilgamesh)

1.) The first time Gilgamesh is written about in the text in the prologue, page 69, canto 1, lines 1-22.

2.) Gilgamesh is the king of all mighty Uruk. He is the tallest, most handsome, strongest mortal man in the world. He was "Surpassing all kings... violent...two-thirds divine and one third human"(71). He has been a successful king (excluding the endless sexual encounters with any woman he chooses), in keeping his people safe, providing for them, and being a brave solider and leader.

3.) Gilgamesh can be related to Enkidu's character in many ways. Both men were the tallest and strongest men in the world. They completed journey's in days, where it would have taken normal men multiple weeks to achieve. Both men go to fight Humbaba but for different reasons. Gilgamesh seems as if he only wants to defeat Humbaba for the fame and approval of his citizens, where Enkidu does not want to go, since his best friend is going, he will go to accompany and help defeat Humbaba.

4.) Again, I might be the only person in the class who thinks that Gilgamesh is a great leader and a hero. I believe that if I was a young boy and lived in Uruk under Gilgamesh, I would want to be him and he would be my hero. How could someone so accomplished not be admired by anyone else in the class as a hero.

BA#1 (Utnapishtim)

1. Utnapishtim first appears on page 175 in book 10 on lines 15-16.
2. Utnapishtim was king of the ancient city of Shuruppak. He was told by the god Ea to build a large ship to survive a flood that was to be sent by the gods. He built the ship, gathered humans and animals to fill the ship and survived the flood. For this the gods granted him eternal life.
3. Utnapishtim can be compared to Enkidu for the way each interacts with Gilgamesh. Both of them try to stop Gilgamesh from doing things that would harm him and both of them tried to convince Gilgamesh that the gods favored him. Utnapishtim said, "You are made from the flesh of both gods and humans, the gods have lavished you with their gifts..."(176-177) Enkidu said, "He stands for the very god who has helped us, bright Shamesh, our protector, load of the sky, who in every danger will come to our aid".(115)
4. I believe that Utnapishtim is a hero because of his actions during the flood. He was able to save mankind and many animals with the arch that he had made. One thing in our class discussion that made a hero a hero was the fact that they "saved the day" and that exactly what Utnapishtim did

BA # 1 (Enkidu)

1.) Enkidu first appers in the text in book one, page 74, canto 2, lines 1-6.
2.) A brief physical description of Enkidu's chraracter, he was created by clay, extreemly tall almost as tall as Gilgamesh, strong with hard rock like muscles, and hairy. Enkidu had a kind hearted personalty he seemed to be the type of person that wanted to make everyone happy no matter what.
3.) Enkidu's character can be compared to Gilgamesh's character because they both face the same trails but they are differnent because Enkidu is a character that is more likely to think things through before taking action. Gilgamesh is a charcter that is more likley to take action without any contemplation. "Enkidu said, "But how can any man dare to enter the Cedar Forest?
It is sacred to Enlil. Hasn't he declared it's entrance forbidden, hasn't he put Humbaba there to terrify men?..."(92).
4.) I would consider Enkidu a hero because he is brave and faces death with Gilgamesh even after he said he didn't think that it was a good idea to go against Humbaba he still stood by his friends side. He is also very selfless because he put his life on the line for Gilgamesh durring the fight against Humbaba and the fight against the bull of heaven. The main reason why I consider Enkidu as a hero is because I think of him as Gilgamesh's side kick like Batman and Robin. Enkidu is Gilgamesh's hero,without Enkidu Gilgamesh would not have been able to win the battle with Humbaba or the bull.

Welcome to our class blog: World Literature I: Barrington

You'll be using this blog to "post" (create a text entry on the front page) or "comment" (respond to another student's post). Over the course of the semester, each student will create at least 2 posts and at least 8 comments. Number each post or comment as BA #x (according to the one due that week).

For your posts, you should use the class’s evolving definition of a hero to argue why one of the characters from the current text is OR is not a hero. (So for BA #1, you’d choose a character from Gilgamesh; for BA #8, you’d choose a character from Dante’s Inferno.) If someone has already written on a character, you should find another character to write about. You'll need to do the following, in the order given, including the numerals to designate the separate parts of the assignment:
1. Provide the name of the character and where the character first appears in the text. For prose, provide page number; for verse, provide book/canto and line number.
2. Provide a short (no more than 50 words) summary or description of the character’s character.
3. Compare this character to another character, either from the same text or from a text we’ve already read in class. (Again, no more than 50 words.) This should not be a simple observation of how your character is "just like" another: they're both men, they both wander for many years, they’re enemies who try to kill the hero, or they both compromise their aspirations. Such statements are invariably trite overgeneralizations. Maybe the characters you're comparing face similar trials but find different ways to solve them; maybe both try to thwart the hero but for different reasons; maybe two female characters view of a common problem differently. Note that each of these examples presents differences within apparent or surface similarities, an approach which generally isn't a bad way to go. You MUST support your answer with evidence that you quote and cite from the text(s).
4. Argue (no more than 50 words) whether your character is OR is not a hero.

For your responses, you should agree or disagree with a post’s conclusions about a character’s heroic qualities by providing and explaining NEW evidence that either supports or questions the post.