Greek Epics VIII: Iliad Book 7, or High Noon Lasts Till Nightfall

We’re nearly a third of the way through the Iliad. I look forward to hearing your thoughts so far!

Discussion Prompts
  1. Should Paris return Helen?  Why or why not?  What do you think would have happened if he did?  What if she went of her own volition?
  2. Who do you think would have won the duel?  Why?
  3. In the episode, I talked about Hector’s sword.  Taking what we know from other sources about how Big Ajax dies, what are your thoughts about how he receives Hector’s sword and why he chooses it as the means of his death?
  4. Who is your current favorite character?  Why?
  5. Alternatively, who is your least favorite character?  Why?

Greek Comedy VIII: Aristophanes’s Birds, or Tippi Hedren, Eat Your Heart Out

Birds is a weird play. For Aristophanes, it is a long play. But it also isn’t as topical as several of Aristophanes’s other plays. It is unique in the oeuvre that is Old Comedy.

Discussion Prompts:
  1. Goodhope largely disappears as the play progresses. What does this make you think about the relationship between Makemedo and Goodhope?
  2. If you were directing this today, what would be your vision?  How would you want this play to look?  Why?
  3. How seriously should we take this play?  Why?
  4. The only “women” in this play are the nightingale (who is played by a musical instrument) and the Divine Princess.  How would you address these characters and this disparity in a modern productions?

Greek Epics VII: Iliad Book 6, or Doris Day Visits Troy

This is my favorite book of the Iliad. In the podcast episode, I focused on the final section of this book (because that’s my favorite part), but there’s a lot more that we can talk about.

Discussion Prompts
  1. What do you think about the interchange between Diomedes and Glaukos?  What does this tell us about honor and friendship in ancient Greece?
  2. I didn’t talk much about Helen in the podcast, but she has some choice words about herself and Paris during the brief exchange in Paris’s house.  What do you think about Helen’s self-image?  Do you think she’s right about herself?  About Paris?  Why or why not?
  3. What are your thoughts on Paris at this point?
  4. Who is your favorite character?  Why?
  5. What do you think Achilles is doing?  Isn’t this epic supposed to be about him and his anger?

Greek Tragedy X: Sophocles’s Ajax, or When Good Heroes Go Bad

We start Sophocles today with what we believe is his oldest surviving play. Ajax is a pretty heavy story and deals with his death by suicide.

Discussion Prompts:
  1. This play breaks from convention by including an on-stage death. Why do you think Ajax dies on stage? If you were directing this play today, how would you handle this scene?
  2. Who is the hero in this play? Is there one? Why or why not?
  3. What are your thoughts on Tecmessa? What does this play tell us about the status of women?
  4. We call the title character Ajax, but in Greek, his name was Aias. At one point in the play, Aias notes the similarity between the sound of his name and the sound of weeping (think “alas!” in English). What are your thoughts on this relationship? Is it a coincidence or did his name fate him to grieve?

Greek Myth I: Hesiod’s Works & Days, Or Meet Greece’s Grumpy Cat

In Works & Days, we get a little bit of mythology and a lot of Hesiod’s personality.

Discussion Prompts
  1. What do you think of Hesiod?
  2. What do you think about the races of man? Are we still in Hesiod’s Iron Age? If not, how would you describe the age today and how many other ages have there been between Hesiod and today?
  3. What do you think about Pandora?
  4. Why is Hope still in Pandora’s jar? What does that mean?
  5. Donald Wasson says Hesiod “disliked city people, the sea, women, gossip, and laziness.” What else do you think Hesiod dislikes? Is there anything he likes?

Greek Epics VI: Iliad Book 5, or Diomedes Steals the Spotlight

This book of the Iliad focuses on the aristeia of Diomedes. I look forward to your thoughts!

Discussion Prompts
  1. What do you think about Diomedes?  Do you like him?  Why or why not?
  2. What are your thoughts on the gods in this book?
  3. Who do you want to see get an aristeia?  Why?

Greek Comedy VII: Aristophanes’s Clouds, or Socrates is a Joke

According to Ian Storey, this is the most famous of Aristophanes’s plays. It’s not the first one I think of, but it does translate pretty well to today.

Discussion Prompts
  1. When you think of Aristophanes, what’s the first play you think of?  Why?
  2. What do you think about the conflict between science and religion in this play?
  3. We aren’t sure if this rewrite was finished.  What do you think?  Does it feel finished to you?  Why or why not?
  4. Are the clouds really gods or just gods to Strepsiades?  Why?
  5. And I got this prompt from SparkNotes, but I’d love to hear your thoughts:  Regarding Strepsiades, is he a hero? A tragic hero? An anti- hero? A tragic anti-hero?

Greek Epics V: Iliad Book 4, or Henry V Visits Troy

We are up to Book Four of the Iliad, and we finally will get to some fighting. Okay, there was technically fighting in Book Three, but this is a proper battle. We just need to hear some rousing (or not so rousing) speeches first.

Discussion Prompts
  1. What do you think of Agamemnon in this book? Why?
  2. What about how death is described? Or more specifically, the process of dying? Or, you know, being killed in battle?
  3. In the episode, I talk about honor and glory. Who is the most honorable in this book? Why?
  4. What do you think about the role the gods are playing? What is good and/or bad about it? Would the epic, as a story, be better if the gods weren’t active players?
  5. What other themes stand out to you? Why?

Greek Tragedy IX: Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound, or He Didn’t Start the Fire

I had completely forgotten I’d read Prometheus Bound until I went to reread it. After all, there isn’t much drama in this play. Nothing in particular happens. But it is an incredible source for Greek mythology. I look forward to your thoughts on this play.

Discussion Prompts
  1. Who is your favorite character? Why?
  2. If you were directing this play, how would you handle the fact that the title character is stationary for the majority of his time on stage?
  3. What are your thoughts on the way Zeus is described in this play? How does it align (or not) with what you know about Greek mythology?
  4. In the episode, I mentioned the themes of women and the gods. What are your thoughts on these themes?
  5. What else stood out to you in this play? What other themes did you notice?

Greek Epics IV: Iliad Book 3, or Helen Gets Her Groove Back

We finally see a bit of battle, until Aphrodite decides to intervene. But Helen finally gets a voice, and she definitely gives people (and Aphrodite) a piece of her mind.

Discussion Prompts
  1. Who is your favorite character in this book? Why?
  2. Who is your least favorite character? Why?
  3. What do you think is happening in the teichoskopia?
  4. What do you think of Aphrodite? Why?
  5. What about Priam? Or Paris? Or Hector? Or Menelaus? Or Helen?
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