my blog
Blog 1 of Aeschylus
THE FURIES
I just want to give my opinion on the Furies. I don’t blame the Furies for wanting to take revenge for Clytemnestra. On page 236 Clytemnestra expresses her feelings to the furies when her son killed her “deep in the righteous heart they prod like spurs.” She is clearly in pain and wants revenge but I’m not completely sure why Clytemnestra couldn’t get revenge for herself other than the fact that Orestes is her blood and deep down she wouldn’t be able to hurt her own child, so she is getting the Furies to do her biding. Obviously, the gods favor the patrilinear side of family’s and there’s nothing wrong with having a deity defend the matrilinear side. There needs to be some type of balance. On pages 239 and 240 when the furious were arguing with Apollo on how there trying to justify their mission Apollo say’s “what of the wife who strikes her husband down?” The Furies lead with the murder would not destroy one’s flesh and blood because Clytemnestra had no blood ties with Agamemnon. But what of Agamemnon taking part in killing his daughter who is flesh and blood. On page 264 Athena say’s “I honor the male in all things but marriage.” How she doesn’t understand Agamemnon was a terrible husband and father and deserved what he got instead she cannot set more store by the woman’s death. Yes, she killed her husband but only for revenge on her loss which Athena should consider it rightful just. After the trial when the Furies were furious, I was hoping they would stick to their vengeful ways preying on the male’s who’s hands bare red. I mean they even said they only choose revenge on bad men so I don’t see anything wrong with it.
I just want to give my opinion on the Furies. I don’t blame the Furies for wanting to take revenge for Clytemnestra. On page 236 Clytemnestra expresses her feelings to the furies when her son killed her “deep in the righteous heart they prod like spurs.” She is clearly in pain and wants revenge but I’m not completely sure why Clytemnestra couldn’t get revenge for herself other than the fact that Orestes is her blood and deep down she wouldn’t be able to hurt her own child, so she is getting the Furies to do her biding. Obviously, the gods favor the patrilinear side of family’s and there’s nothing wrong with having a deity defend the matrilinear side. There needs to be some type of balance. On pages 239 and 240 when the furious were arguing with Apollo on how there trying to justify their mission Apollo say’s “what of the wife who strikes her husband down?” The Furies lead with the murder would not destroy one’s flesh and blood because Clytemnestra had no blood ties with Agamemnon. But what of Agamemnon taking part in killing his daughter who is flesh and blood. On page 264 Athena say’s “I honor the male in all things but marriage.” How she doesn’t understand Agamemnon was a terrible husband and father and deserved what he got instead she cannot set more store by the woman’s death. Yes, she killed her husband but only for revenge on her loss which Athena should consider it rightful just. After the trial when the Furies were furious, I was hoping they would stick to their vengeful ways preying on the male’s who’s hands bare red. I mean they even said they only choose revenge on bad men so I don’t see anything wrong with it.
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https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Clytemnestra/clytemnestra.html
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https://classicalwisdom.com/mythology/monsters/worship-guilt-furies-justice/
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BLOG 2 CASSANDRA
I enjoyed reading this novel. It is definitely an eyeopener to the ways women were treated not only in Wolf's era but also way before then. It makes you thankful for being able to live in a time to have some of the rights we have now. No, it's not all perfect and things aren't totally equal but it's definitely progressing in the right direction. Instead of writing about some of the painful or political parts of Wolf's novel I want to focus my thoughts on the one piece of joy Cassandra experiences throughout the novel.
In the novel Cassandra experiences a lot of sadness, grief, trauma etc. However she does experience some joy with the love she feels towards Aeneas. I do feel like Cassandra and Aeneas have this love at first site thing going on. How he picks her out of the crowd of women like they were destined for each other. Throughout most of the book I felt genuinely sad for her and smiled at the thought of her finding love of all things in a time like this. Yes, even though she ultimately knows the fate which Aeneas will take. I still believe that experiencing love even though, it will lead to heartbreak is worth it. I thought the way Wolf brought in Aeneas to the story whenever Cassandra was feeling fearful or something devastating was going on. Like (page 104) many new troops were arriving in the citadel. When things were starting to go dark, she finds herself leaving the citadel and visiting the temple where she would meet Aeneas's father Anchises. Then the memories of Aeneas would come, the way they would converse and how he made her laugh gave her a brief feeling of light or enjoyment. On (page 24) when Panthous came to rape Cassandra she found herself having to think of Aeneas for enjoyment. I do have my bias as well and find it stressful that Aeneas keeps choosing to travel or deploy if you will rather than to stay with her knowing she is having a hard time. As a man Wolf portrays as a pretty decent human being he's lacking some emotion. I do give him credit for at least trying to get Cassandra to run away with him.
To wrap things up on my feelings of their relationship. I hate that she is against the idea of being with a hero which is the path that Aeneas is supposed to take. You find yourself questioning why she didn't end it all. I'm wondering why she wouldn't have left with Aeneas. I do somewhat understand, hero's are typically placed on a certain pedestal like Achilles. Whom Cassandra despised. Through the whole novel he was the only light in her life and living to see him fall is not something she could handle.
In the novel Cassandra experiences a lot of sadness, grief, trauma etc. However she does experience some joy with the love she feels towards Aeneas. I do feel like Cassandra and Aeneas have this love at first site thing going on. How he picks her out of the crowd of women like they were destined for each other. Throughout most of the book I felt genuinely sad for her and smiled at the thought of her finding love of all things in a time like this. Yes, even though she ultimately knows the fate which Aeneas will take. I still believe that experiencing love even though, it will lead to heartbreak is worth it. I thought the way Wolf brought in Aeneas to the story whenever Cassandra was feeling fearful or something devastating was going on. Like (page 104) many new troops were arriving in the citadel. When things were starting to go dark, she finds herself leaving the citadel and visiting the temple where she would meet Aeneas's father Anchises. Then the memories of Aeneas would come, the way they would converse and how he made her laugh gave her a brief feeling of light or enjoyment. On (page 24) when Panthous came to rape Cassandra she found herself having to think of Aeneas for enjoyment. I do have my bias as well and find it stressful that Aeneas keeps choosing to travel or deploy if you will rather than to stay with her knowing she is having a hard time. As a man Wolf portrays as a pretty decent human being he's lacking some emotion. I do give him credit for at least trying to get Cassandra to run away with him.
To wrap things up on my feelings of their relationship. I hate that she is against the idea of being with a hero which is the path that Aeneas is supposed to take. You find yourself questioning why she didn't end it all. I'm wondering why she wouldn't have left with Aeneas. I do somewhat understand, hero's are typically placed on a certain pedestal like Achilles. Whom Cassandra despised. Through the whole novel he was the only light in her life and living to see him fall is not something she could handle.
This just being a little overview of who Aeneas was in Greek Mythologywww.greekmythology.com/Myths/Heroes/Aeneas/aeneas.html
This actually has a description of the incident when Ajax raped Cassandra. I think in Wolf's novel she made up the character Panthous.
www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/cassandra.html
www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/cassandra.html
Blog 3 House Of Names
House of Names has so far been my favorite. It was easy to follow as it is set in first and third person narratives. There wasn't really any confusing flashbacks it was very straightforward. It had an ending that actually made me wanting more. So all in all very good novel I would definitely read this again. In my blog i'm wanting to describe the relationship between Orestes and Electra. As well as my favorite part of the book when I realized Orestes was my favorite character of this novel.
I normally feel for Clytemnestra but in this book I find myself feeling more for Orestes. He just seems like this young man you feel empathy for. And after everything he's went through want him to have a happy ending. Electra seems to be the typical character with the middle child syndrome, Which isn't bad. Electra keeps the novel very dramatic and interesting, she's like the manipulative villain every good story needs.
Orestes in the novel is a very gullible person. Maybe it was because he was kidnapped as a child and didn't receive the same treatment most royal boys would have. The whole relationship he has with Electra is genuine, because he was so young when he was taken you really seem to hold on to the good memories with your family to get you through tough times. Electra on the other hand, I honestly feel like she feels nothing for him other than needing him for her big revenge plan. The way she acts when he returns home very distant and when Orestes comes to her for information on something he heard about his mother, she makes him feel guilty for being around his mom and not her. Electra is very good at playing the jealousy card and leaving a lot of his questions and concerns unanswered, making him even more curious as to what really happened to his father. I just got really aggravated with Orestes when he knew Electra didn't witness their mother killing their father but made it out like she knows everything. When he originally just wanted to banish his mother he never thought that what she's done was enough for murder he witnessed his eldest sister being killed whilst his father watched. But Electra was hell bent on her being dead. Up until the day he was to kill Clytemnestra he was trying to justify why it was ok to kill her. After Orestes killed his mother Electra never consolidated him at all, she only cared about taking control of the palace. Then finally when Leander returned he was upset with Orestes for doing what he done to his mother. You really feel bad for Orestes during the end everything that made himself justify killing his mother seemed to vanish in an instant . In the end he felt at peace when he was with Ianthe. You realize what a good guy Orestes is when he finds out the baby isn't his but still wants to take responsibility for it.
I normally feel for Clytemnestra but in this book I find myself feeling more for Orestes. He just seems like this young man you feel empathy for. And after everything he's went through want him to have a happy ending. Electra seems to be the typical character with the middle child syndrome, Which isn't bad. Electra keeps the novel very dramatic and interesting, she's like the manipulative villain every good story needs.
Orestes in the novel is a very gullible person. Maybe it was because he was kidnapped as a child and didn't receive the same treatment most royal boys would have. The whole relationship he has with Electra is genuine, because he was so young when he was taken you really seem to hold on to the good memories with your family to get you through tough times. Electra on the other hand, I honestly feel like she feels nothing for him other than needing him for her big revenge plan. The way she acts when he returns home very distant and when Orestes comes to her for information on something he heard about his mother, she makes him feel guilty for being around his mom and not her. Electra is very good at playing the jealousy card and leaving a lot of his questions and concerns unanswered, making him even more curious as to what really happened to his father. I just got really aggravated with Orestes when he knew Electra didn't witness their mother killing their father but made it out like she knows everything. When he originally just wanted to banish his mother he never thought that what she's done was enough for murder he witnessed his eldest sister being killed whilst his father watched. But Electra was hell bent on her being dead. Up until the day he was to kill Clytemnestra he was trying to justify why it was ok to kill her. After Orestes killed his mother Electra never consolidated him at all, she only cared about taking control of the palace. Then finally when Leander returned he was upset with Orestes for doing what he done to his mother. You really feel bad for Orestes during the end everything that made himself justify killing his mother seemed to vanish in an instant . In the end he felt at peace when he was with Ianthe. You realize what a good guy Orestes is when he finds out the baby isn't his but still wants to take responsibility for it.
Blog 4 The Lost Books of The Odyssey
The Lost Books of The Odyssey was a good change from the prior three books we've read. It has mini stories within the actual book. Mason gives you an exciting adventure on what it was like living through Odysseus's life through many different narrative points of view. All the obstacles he has to overcome after the battle of Troy to finally be able to return home. One of the drawbacks is I feel you have to read prior books to understand some of the characters and their stories.
I do however like how Mason seemed to keep Odysseus character the same as in Homer's version. Odysseus is still the same smart, cunning, arrogant mortal hero you hate to love. I can't say i'm a huge Odysseus fan however, I enjoyed a lot of the stories where he seemed to be shown as a mortal with weaknesses rather than a hero that seems like a god that nobody can hurt.
I enjoyed all of the stories but the one's I liked the most had to do with mythical creatures, witch's and cyclops. My favorite would have to be the Sirens. I did enjoy the creatures that gave Odysseus a run for his money. Odysseus may have out smarted them by filling his mens ears with beeswax and tying him up to the mass. Typically the Sirens would sing to release men from their displacement but with Odysseus it was the longing for more knowledge of understanding his fate and helplessness. Not realizing he fell under the Sirens charm (he is a mere mortal) by making his men turn around and go back to them. Only for the Sirens to turn a blind eye on him when he wanted them the most. Not only did the Siren's not give Odysseus what he wanted but his own men took a stand as well by not turning back a second time even though Odysseus demanded it.
Ii've already left links to Sirens in a previous blog so here is a couple on Circe a witch Odysseus meets and bears a child with on the way back home and the cyclops he escapes using his wits.
http://swwclassicalassociation.weebly.com/secretarys-blog/witches-in-greek-and-welsh-myth-circe-and-medea-ceridwen-and-morgana
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/cyclopes/
I do however like how Mason seemed to keep Odysseus character the same as in Homer's version. Odysseus is still the same smart, cunning, arrogant mortal hero you hate to love. I can't say i'm a huge Odysseus fan however, I enjoyed a lot of the stories where he seemed to be shown as a mortal with weaknesses rather than a hero that seems like a god that nobody can hurt.
I enjoyed all of the stories but the one's I liked the most had to do with mythical creatures, witch's and cyclops. My favorite would have to be the Sirens. I did enjoy the creatures that gave Odysseus a run for his money. Odysseus may have out smarted them by filling his mens ears with beeswax and tying him up to the mass. Typically the Sirens would sing to release men from their displacement but with Odysseus it was the longing for more knowledge of understanding his fate and helplessness. Not realizing he fell under the Sirens charm (he is a mere mortal) by making his men turn around and go back to them. Only for the Sirens to turn a blind eye on him when he wanted them the most. Not only did the Siren's not give Odysseus what he wanted but his own men took a stand as well by not turning back a second time even though Odysseus demanded it.
Ii've already left links to Sirens in a previous blog so here is a couple on Circe a witch Odysseus meets and bears a child with on the way back home and the cyclops he escapes using his wits.
http://swwclassicalassociation.weebly.com/secretarys-blog/witches-in-greek-and-welsh-myth-circe-and-medea-ceridwen-and-morgana
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/cyclopes/
BLOG 5 CIRCE
This by far has been my favorite book. It was so easy to follow as it only was in Circe's first person narrative, and through a feminist point of view. It was told in chronological order which is always a plus when you get into a long novel like this one. occasionally there was flashback scenes but if you read it thoroughly you wouldn't be lost and would understand what she was telling. I think what I like most was the ending as it can seem like you have closure or open type ending.
I had a few favorite parts of this novel, but with my favorite I enjoyed how Miller projected the relationship between Circe and Penelope. In typical situations like this you would think their relationship would be based on jealousy and rivalry. But Miller gives them a mutual understanding of one another. That they have more in common emotionally and that helps them come together. I think that Penelope and Telecomous coming to the Island is what helps Circe grow as a character. They helped Circe let go of her tight leash on Telegonous to give him his own happiness.
I will say I'm a little biased on this book and this particular event in the novel as I have a son with an ex and it reminds me of how my relationship with my sons stepmom started. Both Circe and Penelope's relationship didn't happen overnight but took time, trust and understanding . They both cared for Odysseus and Odysseus cared for both of them. They both realize how important their sons are to one another and would do anything for them.
Another part I took from this novel is that no matter what your born into you still have control over how you want to live your life. Like how Circe has always felt a deeper connection with the mortal world vs the world among the gods. Miller explains multiple times throughout the whole novel as Circe doesn't have the voice of a god. Also she's never liked any of them except for Prometheous and Trygon. Prometheous being like a mentor to her that lead her curiosity to the mortal aspect and Trygon not caring about anyone even the gods but admiring Circe's courage when it came to enduring the pain to save her son when no other god would dare.
This link I found gives another good possibly even better written opinion of Circe and Penelope's relationship as I'm not a professional writer and don't have a way with expressing my ideas with the written word.
www.thebookishfiles.com/single-post/2019/04/14/penelope-and-circe-a-feminist-friendship
I had a few favorite parts of this novel, but with my favorite I enjoyed how Miller projected the relationship between Circe and Penelope. In typical situations like this you would think their relationship would be based on jealousy and rivalry. But Miller gives them a mutual understanding of one another. That they have more in common emotionally and that helps them come together. I think that Penelope and Telecomous coming to the Island is what helps Circe grow as a character. They helped Circe let go of her tight leash on Telegonous to give him his own happiness.
I will say I'm a little biased on this book and this particular event in the novel as I have a son with an ex and it reminds me of how my relationship with my sons stepmom started. Both Circe and Penelope's relationship didn't happen overnight but took time, trust and understanding . They both cared for Odysseus and Odysseus cared for both of them. They both realize how important their sons are to one another and would do anything for them.
Another part I took from this novel is that no matter what your born into you still have control over how you want to live your life. Like how Circe has always felt a deeper connection with the mortal world vs the world among the gods. Miller explains multiple times throughout the whole novel as Circe doesn't have the voice of a god. Also she's never liked any of them except for Prometheous and Trygon. Prometheous being like a mentor to her that lead her curiosity to the mortal aspect and Trygon not caring about anyone even the gods but admiring Circe's courage when it came to enduring the pain to save her son when no other god would dare.
This link I found gives another good possibly even better written opinion of Circe and Penelope's relationship as I'm not a professional writer and don't have a way with expressing my ideas with the written word.
www.thebookishfiles.com/single-post/2019/04/14/penelope-and-circe-a-feminist-friendship
Blog 6 The Penelopiad
This book was enjoyable. I can't say I liked it better than Circe but it comes in close second. Now don't get me wrong the ending of this book did keep me frustrated. The unjust the Maids got in the court room during the 21st century stressed me out. However I knew the point that Atwood was trying to make that even in this time things turn out like this and it's unfair. At times I was a bit confused on why she decided to write the novel in present times but after reading the novel I understand.
I typically write about my favorite part of the book but with a good book I want to change it up and write about the most stressful part of it. Which in my mind is what keeps me intrigued in a book. I was upset how Penelope and Telemachus treated the maids. She raised them from babies like they were her own. Telemachus thought them as siblings playing with them. I understand Penelope didn't know what was going on when the maids were murdered, but she should have done more to justify their deaths. I didn't really like how Telemachus was portrayed as a not so loving and self absorbed like his father. How he could be raised with the twelve maids they were like sisters to him and just execute them like that, so heartless. Yes, I understand his father told him to chop them up and he hanged them instead without so much as trying to change his fathers mind. I did like how Margaret made Penelope have guilt which she should, she was powerful enough to do anything. Even in death she could of ask Eurycleia why she picked her twelve maids instead of others but never went through with it she would come up with an excuse not to talk to Penelope and Penelope just left.
I did however enjoy the bickering between Penelope and Helen. I thought their relationship gave the book a little bit of humor which was a nice touch. The jealousy aspect of women has always been humorous to me.
This link gives a rundown of the relationship between Penelope and Helen.
www.litcharts.com/lit/the-penelopiad/characters/helen
I typically write about my favorite part of the book but with a good book I want to change it up and write about the most stressful part of it. Which in my mind is what keeps me intrigued in a book. I was upset how Penelope and Telemachus treated the maids. She raised them from babies like they were her own. Telemachus thought them as siblings playing with them. I understand Penelope didn't know what was going on when the maids were murdered, but she should have done more to justify their deaths. I didn't really like how Telemachus was portrayed as a not so loving and self absorbed like his father. How he could be raised with the twelve maids they were like sisters to him and just execute them like that, so heartless. Yes, I understand his father told him to chop them up and he hanged them instead without so much as trying to change his fathers mind. I did like how Margaret made Penelope have guilt which she should, she was powerful enough to do anything. Even in death she could of ask Eurycleia why she picked her twelve maids instead of others but never went through with it she would come up with an excuse not to talk to Penelope and Penelope just left.
I did however enjoy the bickering between Penelope and Helen. I thought their relationship gave the book a little bit of humor which was a nice touch. The jealousy aspect of women has always been humorous to me.
This link gives a rundown of the relationship between Penelope and Helen.
www.litcharts.com/lit/the-penelopiad/characters/helen
Photo used under Creative Commons from Jackie ...
