Homer's Odyssey - Reading Diary B

I continued reading Homer's Odyssey for my reading diary, and it was superb. There are so many rich characters that Odysseus meets on his treacherous journey back to Ithaca. Something that I really enjoy about the Odyssey is how some of the very significant characters from the Iliad resurface in these stories. It is also very unique since I expect them to be completely done as characters since they are dead. They are also able to bestow a lot of wisdom upon our hero since they have lived life and met their fate.

A great story from this was The Ghost of Agamemnon. I always had a little bit of admiration for Agamemnon since he was a powerful king, and he was able to command a rebellious Achilles better than I think anyone else could have. What I love most about this story is how his wife turns out to be more powerful. She is such a strong, intimidating character that feared no one. It is really is such an interesting fate for the king of men to face.

 
(Clytemnestra donning her bloody ax, by John Collier)

Another great encounter story from the Odyssey is The Spirit of Achilles. What I liked most about this story is how different of a light you get to see Achilles in. I have always perceived his character as being arrogant and whiney after reading the Iliad and seeing the movie.  I really like how Achilles starts this story as hating being dead and how just in a bad mood all together. His change of pace after hearing great news about his son opens his character up a lot. He shows that even though he is dead, he is actually human. He loves and cares about his son so much that hearing good news about him made being dead not as much as a burden. I saw traits in Achilles that I did not think he was possible of.