FRS 001P - Sec. 001 - (2 units) - CRN 83059 - T 1:10-3:00 PM - 25 Wellman
Homer’s Odyssey

Instructor: Seth Schein, Department of Comparative Literature, College of Letters and Science

Description: We’ll read Homer’s Odyssey in the translation by Stanley Lombardo, focusing on such topics as the poem’s programmatic representation of social and religious institutions and values; its transformation of folktales and traditional stories into epic adventures; its representation of gender roles and, in particular, of male and female heroism; its narrative strategies and form; its relation to the Iliad. The main aim of the seminar is to help the students develop skills of reading and interpretation that will enhance their pleasure and understanding not only of the Odyssey but of literature generally.

Format: The seminar will meet two hours each week for eight weeks. During each session several students will make brief oral presentations. Two short papers (400-500 words each) on approved topics are required. Grading: Grades will be based on participation in seminar discussions (c. 60%), the two papers (c. 30%), and the oral presentations (c. 10%).

About the Instructor: Seth Schein is a professor of Comparative Literature with training in Classics. His writings on Homeric epic include The Mortal Hero: An Introduction to Homer's Iliad; Reading the Odyssey: Selected Interpretive Essays (edited with an introduction, etc.). He has been teaching the Iliad and Odyssey in translation and in the original for thirty-five years.