Odysseus and Athena

Rhetorical AnalysisThe Odyssey of HomerBook 13, Lines 482-99

Odysseus and Athena

1. So hard beset! An end like Agamemnon’s2. might very likely have been mine, a bad end,3. bleeding to death in my own hall. You forestalled it, 4. goddess, by telling me how the land lies.5. Weave me a way to pay them back! And you, too,6. take your place with me, breathe valor in me7. the way you did that night when we Akhaians8. Unbound the bright veil from the brow of Troy!9. O grey-eyed one, fire my heart and brace me!10.I’ll take on fighting men three hundred strong 11.if you fight at my back immortal lady!”

12.The grey-eyed goddess Athena answered him:13.“No fear but I shall be there; you’ll go forward14.under my arms when the crux comes at last.15.And I foresee your vast floor stained with blood,16.spattered with brains of this or that tall suitor17.who fed upon your cattle.

Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike thingAn implied metaphor implies the literal and/or figurative term So hard beset! An end like Agamemnon’smight very likely have been mine, a bad end,bleeding to death in my own hall. You forestalled it, goddess, by telling me how the land lies.Weave me a way to pay them back! And you, too,take your place with me, breathe valor in methe way you did that night when we AkhaiansUnbound the bright veil from the brow of Troy!O grey-eyed one, fire my heart and brace me!I’ll take on fighting men three hundred strong if you fight at my back immortal lady!”The grey-eyed goddess Athena answered him:“No fear but I shall be there; you’ll go forwardunder my arms when the crux comes at last.And I foresee your vast floor stained with blood,spattered with brains of this or that tall suitorwho fed upon your cattle.

Metaphor: a comparison of two unlike thing An implied metaphor implies the literal and/or figurative term So hard beset! An end like

Agamemnon’s might very likely have been mine, a bad end, bleeding to death in my own hall. You forestalled it, goddess, by telling me how the land lies. Weave me a way to pay them back! And you, too, take your place with me, breathe valor in me the way you did that night when we Akhaians Unbound the bright veil from the brow of Troy! O grey-eyed one, fire my heart and brace me! I’ll take on fighting men three hundred strong if you fight at my back immortal lady!” The grey-eyed goddess Athena answered him: “No fear but I shall be there; you’ll go forward under my arms when the crux comes at last. And I foresee your vast floor stained with blood, spattered with brains of this or that tall suitor who fed upon your cattle.

So hard beset! An end like Agamemnon’smight very likely have been mine, a bad end,bleeding to death in my own hall. You forestalled it, goddess, by telling me how the land lies.Weave me a way to pay them back! And you, too,take your place with me, breathe valor in methe way you did that night when we AkhaiansUnbound the bright veil from the brow of Troy!O grey-eyed one, fire my heart and brace me!I’ll take on fighting men three hundred strong if you fight at my back immortal lady!”

The grey-eyed goddess Athena answered him:“No fear but I shall be there; you’ll go forwardunder my arms when the crux comes at last.And I foresee your vast floor stained with blood,spattered with brains of this or that tall suitorwho fed upon your cattle.

Hyperbole