In an examination of Homer’s Odyssey we unravel questions about the flawed hero Odysseus, the epic’s “author” and the cultural contexts and modes of the story’s telling and transmission over the millennia. We consider the effects and impacts of Christopher Nolan’s new film and his choice to use Emily Wilson’s new translation, the first translation into English by a woman, and how these new media might contribute to our enjoyment of the epic.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• Homer: The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson, New York and London, 2018

COURSE OUTLINE

• The Odyssey will be studied in its entirety
• Consideration of the myth
• Consideration of the epic’s transmission and translations
• Historical and cultural contexts of the Odyssey’s composition
• Exploration of heroic values

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, student should be able to:

1. Discuss questions about the Odyssey’s “author”
2. Have a thorough knowledge of the story of the Odyssey
3. Discuss aspects of the epic’s transmission
4. Discuss our 21st century reception of the epic.