• Dramatic Irony—occurs when the audience or reader of the text

LESSON 1
knows something that the characters do not.
FIGURES OF SPEECH • In horror movies, the audience is aware that there is a killer
in the house, but the characters in the story does not know.
Literal Figurative Litotes
The actual dictionary meaning of a Language that goes beyond the • A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative
word; language that means what it normal meaning of the words used. is expressed by negating its opposite.
appears to mean. • If a person is very intelligent, someone might say “He’s not dumb.”
or “He’s not unintelligent.”
• After someone hires you, you might say “Thank you Ma’am, you
FIGURES OF SPEECH won’t regret it.”
Alliteration Methaphor
• The repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more • Involves a comparison between two relatively unlike things without the
neighboring words or syllables use of “like” or “as”.
• You’ll never put a better bit of butter on your knife. • Time is a thief.
• I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop. Where she sits she shines, • He has a heart of stone.
and where she shines she sits. • John is a real pig when he eats.
Anaphora Metonomy
• The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive • Which a word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely
clauses to achieve an effect. associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly
• We shall go on to the end , we shall fight in France, we shall fight on by referring to things around it.
the seas and oceans, we shall fight growing confidence and • A pen is mightier than a sword.
strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost • Let me give you a hand.
may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing • Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.”
grounds, we shall fight in the fields, and in the streets, we shall fight Onomatopeia
in the hills; we shall never surrender. • The formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the
Antithesis objects or actions they refer to.
• An opposition or contrast of ideas. Two opposite ideas are put together to • Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.
achieve a contrasting effect. • The firecracker made a loud ka-boom!
• Speech is silver, but silence is gold. • The bird’s chirp filled the empty night air.
• Many are called, but few are chosen. Oxymoron
• Love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing. • A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear
Apostrophe side by side.
• When you speak up to an object, an idea, or someone who doesn’t exist as • A yawn may be defined as a silent yell.
if it is a living person • “Oh miserable abundance, Oh beggarly riches.”
• Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk to you again. • That building is a bit big but pretty ugly.
• Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder what you are. Paradox
• Oh pillow, thank you for being my shoulder when I’m alone. • Contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a
Assonance statement that appears to be self-contradictory.
• Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring • War is peace.
words. • You can save money buy spending it.
• It beats as it sweeps as it cleans. • A rich man is no richer than a poor man.
• Old age should burn and rave at close of the day; Rage, rage, Personification
against the dying of light. • A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is
• Lanie went here and there and everywhere. endowed with human qualities or abilities.
Chiasmus • The stars dance playfully in the moonlit sky.
• A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced • The run down house appeared to be depressed.
against the first but with the parts reversed. • She did not realize that opportunity was knocking at her door.
• I flee who chases me, and chase who flees me. Pun
• Fair is foul, and foul is fair. • A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and
• Never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you. sometimes o the similar sense or sound of different words.
Euphemism • A horse is a very stable animal.
• A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be • Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
too harsh or unpleasant. • The two pianists had a good marriage. They were always in a chord.
• Pre-loved > second hand Simile
• Passed-away > died. • A stated comparison (usually formed with “like” or “as”) between two
• Sanitation Engineer > garbage man. fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common.
Hyperbole • You were as brave as a lion.
• An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose • They always fight like cats and dogs.
of emphasis or heightened effect. • He is as skinny as a toothpick.
• I’m so hungry that I can eat an elephant. Synecdoche
• I have a million things to do before being successful. • A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, the
• I love you ‘till China and Africa meet. (ew) whole for a part, the specific for the general, the general for the specific, or
Irony the material for the thing made from it.
• The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. A • His parents bought him a set of wheels.
statement or situation where the meaning s contradicted by the appearance • Hey man, good threads.
or presentation of the idea. • Take your face out of here.
• Situational Irony—where actions or events have opposite result Understatement
from what is expected. • A figure of speech in which a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a
• A pilot in the story with a fear of heights. situation seem less important or serious that it is.
• Verbal Irony—where someone says the opposite of what they • “I have to do this operation. This isn’t that serious. I have this tiny
really mean or intend. little tumor in his brain.”
• Saying “Oh, you’re great!” after failing the exam. • “I know a little about running a company.”— comment by a company
CEO
 • Aphrodite also enjoyed a number of flings with mortal humans, and is
LESSON 2
perhaps best known for promising the beautiful, already married Queen
GREEK MYTHOLOGY Helen to the youth Paris and thus kicking off the legendary Trojan War.
Ares
MYTHOLOGY • God of Violent War
• It is an allegorical narrative that deals with gods, demigods and legendary • Ares was the god of war, but in direct contrast to his sister, Athena. Where
heroes of a particular group of people. Athena oversaw strategy, tactics, and defensive warfare, Ares reveled in
• In Ancient Greek Mythology, the 12 Olympian gods and goddess ruled over the violence and bloodshed that war produced.
human affairs — enjoyed parties, fights, and love affairs, from their place on • Despite his association with war, he is often described as a coward, running
Mount Olympus. back to Olympus in a sullen fury every time he received the slightest wound.
Hermes
• Messenger of the Gods
THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS • Hermes had a very diverse collection of skills, as the god of trade,
Zeus eloquence, wealth, luck, sleep, thieves, travel, and animal-raising. He is
• The King of Gods also always characterized as mischievous.
• After leading the battle against Cronus, Zeus became the chief god, and • As the messenger of the gods, Hermes ran many errands, including killing
ruled over the other divinities living on Mount Olympus. the monster Argos to release Io, rescuing Ares from his imprisonment by
• He held dominion over the earth and sky and was the ultimate arbitrator of giants, and talking Calypso into freeing Odysseus and his men from her
law and justice. He controlled the weather, using his ability to hurl thunder clutches. It was also his duty to escort souls into the underworld
and lightning to enforce his reign. Dionysus
Hera • God of Wine
• Hera ruled as Queen of the Gods. As the goddess of marriage and fidelity, • As the god of wine, wine-making, merriment, theater, and ritual madness,
she was one of the only Olympians to remain steadfastly faithful to her Dionysus was an easy favorite among Olympians and mortals alike.
spouse. • He was the only Olympian to be born of a mortal mother, and perhaps that
• Though faithful, she was also vengeful, and tormented many of Zeus’s was part of the reason why he spent so much time among mortal men,
extramarital partners. travelling widely and gifting them with wine.
Poseidon
• The God of the Sea EXTRA
• When Zeus became king, he divided the universe amongst himself and his
two brothers. Poseidon received dominion over the seas and waters of the Hestia
world. • Goddess of the Earth
• He also held the power to produce storms, floods, and earthquakes. He was • Hestia was the final sister of Zeus. She was the most gentle of all the
also the protector of seamen and the god of horses. goddesses, and protected the home and the hearth. According to the myths,
Demeter she was originally one of the twelve.
• Goddess of the Harvest • However, when Dionysus was born, she graciously gave him her throne,
• Known as the “good goddess” to the people of the earth, Demeter oversaw insisting that she was happier sitting near and tending to the fire that
farming, agriculture, and the fertility of the earth. warmed Olympus.
• Not surprisingly, as she controlled the production of food, she was very Hades
highly worshipped in the ancient world. • King of the Underworld
Athena • The other brother of Zeus, Hades, is also not considered an Olympian, as
• Goddess of War and Wisdom he did not live in the divine palace. Hades was the god of the dead,
• Athena was the daughter of Zeus with his first wife, Metis. Fearing that a overseeing the underworld and the souls that came there.
son would usurp him as he had his father, Zeus swallowed Metis to prevent • Despite this, he caused less trouble than his brother Poseidon, who on one
this. occasion attempted a revolt against Zeus. Hades also had a soft spot for
• She took her place on Mount Olympus as the goddess of justice, strategic his wife, Persephone.
warfare, wisdom, rational thought, and arts and crafts.
• The owl was one of her most important symbols, and she planted the first THE TWELVE TITANS
olive tree as a gift to her favorite namesake city, Athens.
Artemis Oceanus
• Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt • Titan God of the Sea and Water
• Artemis was quiet, dark and solemn, the goddess of the moon, forests, • The eldest of the Titans, Oceanus was married to his sister Tethys.
archery, and the hunt. Like Athena, Artemis had no desire to marry. Together the two produced over 6000 spirits of the oceans and streams,
• She was the patron goddess of feminine fertility, chastity, and childbirth, known as the Oceanids.
and was also heavily associated with wild animals. The bear was sacred to • He gave over his realm to Poseidon after the rise of the Olympians, but
her Zeus allowed him to continue to live as a simple god of the ocean.
Apollo Tethys
• God of the Sun, Light and Music • Titan Goddess of Fresh Water
• Artemis’s twin brother Apollo was her exact opposite, the god of the sun, • Raised Hera as her daughter
light, music, prophecy, medicine, and knowledge. • Later, as a favor to Hera, Tethys punished Calisto and Arcas, a lover and
• His oracle at Delphi was the most famous of the ancient world. He was child of Zeus, by forbidding their constellations from touching the sea. They
cheerful and bright, enjoyed singing, dancing, and drinking, and was were forced to continuously circle the sky without rest. We know those
immensely popular among both gods and mortals constellations as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, or the big and little dippers.
Hephaestus Hyperion
• Accounts differ as to the birth of Hephaestus. Some name him the son of • Titan God of Light and Observation
Zeus and Hera, others say he was conceived by Hera alone in order to get • Hyperion was the Titan god of light, wisdom, and vigilance. He married his
back at Zeus for the birth of Athena. sister Thea, and they gave birth to Helios, the sun, Selene, the moon, and
• He learned the blacksmith’s trade, built himself a workshop, and became Eos, the dawn.
the god of fire, metallurgy, sculpture, and crafts, though to a lesser extent • Hyperion, Coeus, Crius, and Iapetus, formed the four pillars that
than his sister Athena. His forges produce the fire of volcanoes. separated and held the heavens above one another.
Aphrodite Thea
• Goddess of Love, Beauty and Sexuality • Titan Goddess of Sun and Light
• Aphrodite’s marriage to Hephaestus was not to her liking, although he • Thea, the goddess of light, was also a ravishing beauty, perhaps the
crafted intricate jewelry for her as an attempt to woo her affections. She loveliest of the six Titan daughters. She was the goddess of light, and
preferred the wild and rough Ares. therefore the perfect match for her brother, Hyperion.
• She also imbued gold, silver, and precious gems with their radiant shine,
LESSON 3
and spoke through an oracle at Phthiotis in Thessaly.
Coeus THE ILIAD
• Titan God of the Oracles, Wisdom and Foresight
• Coeus was the keeper of the pillar of the north. He was the Titan god of BACKGROUND
intellect, and married his sister Phoebe. Their children, Asteria and Leto, • The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem written in dactylic hexameter
were foundational figures in later mythology. • It narrates an episode of the Trojan war fought between the Achaeans
• Asteria turned into a quail and drowned herself in the Aegean Sea, but (Greek) against the Trojans.
Leto bore Zeus two children, the twins Apollo and Artemis who became • It centers on the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between
powerful Olympians. king Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles.
Phoebe • The story only covers a few weeks on the final year of the Trojan War.
• Titan Goddess of Prophecy and Intellect • The story is narrated in Medias Res.
• Since Phoebe was the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis, the twins’ were • The epic narrative takes up events prophesied for the future, such as
sometimes called Phoebus and Phoebe as alternative names. Achilles' looming death, the fall of Troy, and the capture of Trojan women.
Crius • It contains 15,693 lines written in Homeric verse.
• Titan God of Constellations • It comprises 24 books of varying length.
• Crius (or Krios) married his half-sister, Eurybia, who was not one of the • The events are usually dated to around the eighth century BC.
original twelve Titans but the daughter of Gaea from her second husband,
Pontus.
• Crius fought with the Olympians during the Titans’ overthrow, and as a CHARACTERS
result, he was imprisoned in Tartarus. GREEKS
Mnemosyne Agamemnon King of Mycenae, leader of the Greeks.
• Titan Goddess of Memory Achilles Leader of the Myrmidons, half-divine hero.
• The goddess of memory and the voice of the underground Oracle of King of Ithaca, the wiliest Greek commander and hero
Trophonios in Boetia, Mnemosyne did not marry one of her brothers but still Odysseus
of the Odyssey.
helped mother the next generation of deities. Ajax the son of Telamon, with Diomedes, he is second to
• She slept with Zeus for nine consecutive days, and as a result, gave birth to Greater Achilles in martial prowess.
the nine muses; Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomeni, Polymnia, Menelaus King of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon.
Ourania, Terpsichore and Thalia whose roles were to give artists and
Neoptolemus son of Achilles, killed King Priam of Troy.
philosophers inspiration for creation.
Diomedes son of Tydeus, King of Argos.
Iapetus
Ajax the Lesser son of Oileus, often partner of Ajax the Greater.
• Titan God of Mortal Life and/or God of Death
• The Titan Iapetus was the god of craftsmanship or mortality, varying Patroclus Achilles' closest companion.
between sources. He married one of his Oceanid nieces, Clymene, and Nestor King of Pylos, and trusted advisor to Agamemnon.
they produced four sons, Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. Antilochus son of Nestor.
• These four sons were the ancestors of the first humans, and each passed a Philoctetes arms bearer of Hercules.
certain detrimental quality onto humanity; brash courage, scheming, Calchas a prophet of Mycenae.
stupidity, and violence, respectively. Tiresias a blind prophet
Themis
• Titan Goddess of Law, Order and Justice TROJANS
• The Titan goddess Themis represented natural and moral order and law. Hector son of King Priam and the foremost Trojan warrior.
She became the second wife of Zeus, helped him hold power over the Aeneas son of Anchises and Aphrodite.
other gods and all the earth. Paris Helen's lover-abductor
• Themis was the main Titan goddess of the oracle at Delphi, but she was so Deiphobus brother of Hector and Paris.
fond of Apollo that she eventually offered the Oracle to him. Priam the aged King of Troy.
Cronus a prudent commander whose advice is ignored; he is
• Titan ruler of the Universe Polydamas
Hector's foil.
• Although he was the youngest son of Gaea and Uranus, Cronus was also a Trojan warrior, son of Antenor, who attempts to fight
the strongest of the Greek Titans. For a brief time, earth enjoyed a Golden Agenor
Achilles.
Age under his rule. Sarpedon son of Zeus killed by Patroclus.
• Cronus learned of a prophecy which stated that, as Cronus had dethroned Glaucus friend of Sarpedon and co-leader of the Lycians.
his father, so one of his children would dethrone him. He therefore took all Euphorbus first Trojan warrior to wound Patroclus.
of his children from his sister and wife, Rhea, as soon as they were born,
Dolon a spy upon the Greek camp.
and swallowed them.
King Priam's advisor, who argues for returning Helen to
Rhea Antenor
end the war.
• Titan Goddess of Fertility
Polydorus son of Priam and Laothoe
• As the goddess responsible for the flow of Cronus’s kingdom, she was well-
placed to interrupt that flow. When she learned she was expecting again, Pandarus famous archer and son of Lycaon
she asked her mother for advice.
• Gaea helped Rhea conceal her newborn baby, and Rhea swaddled a stone TROJAN WOMEN
in baby clothes and gave the stone to Cronus to swallow. Cronus was Priam's wife, mother of Hector, Cassandra, Paris, and
Hecuba
fooled, but Gaea and Rhea carefully concealed little Zeus in a small cave others.
on the island of Crete. Helen abducted by Paris, the cause of war
Andromache Hector's wife, mother of Astyanax
Priam's daughter; courted by Apollo, who bestows the
Cassandra
gift of prophecy to her
a Trojan woman captured by the Greeks; she was
Briseis
Achilles' prize of the Trojan war.
Chryseis daughter of Chryses, a Trojan priest of Apollo

DEITIES
Zeus the King of the gods/goddesses
Neutral Hades the god of the underworld
Hermes the messenger/herald of the gods
 Hephaestus the divine forge and armorer • The result will determine the outcome of war.
Artemis the goddess of the hunt and the moon • Everyone will respect the outcome of the duel.
Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite intervenes (Book 3)
Trojans • Menelaus is the clear winner of the duel.
Ares the god of war
Apollo the god of truth, prophecy and healing • Menelaus is about to finish Paris when Aphrodite snatches Paris and
Hera the queen of the gods, wife of Zeus whisks him to Helen's bedroom.
Poseidon the god of the sea Athena intervenes (Book 4)
Achaeans • Athena and Hera was determined that Troy be destroyed.
Athena the goddess of wisdom
Iris the messenger of Zeus • She persuaded Pandarus to break the truce and shoot an arrow to
Menelaus.
• The fighting rages anew and many men died that day.
SETTING The gods fight (Book 5)
• Diomedes and Athena vs. Pandarus and Aeneas and Aphrodite and Apollo.
• Takes place in the tenth year of the Trojan War
• Ares and Hector vs. Diomedes and Athena.
• Various territories in Greece.
• Ares vs Athena
• Trojan plains, Trojan gates and walls.
• Diomedes vs Ares
The divine rumble follows...
PLOT SUMMARY • Aristeia - an episode/day glorious bravery and gallantry in battle
• Book 5 is the aristeia of Diomedes. Book 5 is also entitled Diomedia
The wedding banquet of Peleus and Thetis (the parents of Achilles)
• Other heroes have their own aristeia too.
• All the Olympian gods were invited except Eris, the goddess of discord.
• Ichor - the ethereal fluid flowing in the veins of the gods
• She vowed revenge and strife for the insult.
Diomedes and Glaucus (Book 6)
• Eris (the goddess of discord) threw a golden apple with the inscription "For
• Glaucus and Diomedes challenged each other to a combat.
the fairest"
• After learning their common lineage, they became friends and exchanged
The judgment of Paris.
armors.
• Hera: I promise to make you the Lord of Europe and Asia!
Hector and Paris (Book 6)
• Athena: You will lead the Trojans to victory against the Greeks and lay
• Hector chastises Paris for his cowardly acts after finding him in bed with
Greece in ruins!
Helen.
• Aphrodite: The fairest woman in the world should be yours!
• Hector visits his wife Andromache with his son Astyanax, to whom he said,
• The golden apple went to Aphrodite.
"Greater is he than his father."
• The most beautiful woman in the world is Helen, wife of Menelaus, rulers of
Hector vs Ajax (Book 7)
Sparta.
• Hector and Ajax fought a duel with no clear winner.
• Paris left the nymph Oenone his wife at Mt. Ida
• They call for a truce to let each side bury their dead.
The cause of war - Helen's abduction.
• Antenor suggests to return Helen and end the war but Paris resents.
• Paris went to Sparta as a visiting ally.
• Zeus forbids the gods from intervening this
• Menelaus and Helen welcomed him as their guest.
Hector's aristeia (Book 8)
• Paris broke this trust and snatched Helen with the help of Aphrodite.
• Zeus watches the battle from Mt. Ida and decides to give Troy victory for the
• "Paris who coming Entered a friend's kind dwelling, Shamed the hand there
day.
that gave him food, Stealing away a woman. Homers,
• Hector is everywhere, slaying hundreds of men.
The gathering of the hosts
Greeks convene (Book 9)
• The army assembled at Aulis, a seaport in Euboea.
• Greeks were demoralized with the onslaught of Hector.
• Odysseus and Achilles are summoned, the war will not be won without
• Nestor rebukes Agamemnon for Achilles's refusal to fight.
them.
• Agamemnon convinces Achilles but he still refused to fight.
• Aulis is a place of dangerous winds and tides.
Game of spies (Book 10)
• Calchas the prophet declared that Artemis was angry.
• Greeks sent Diomedes and Odysseus to spy on Trojan lines by night.
• Agamemnon killed her sacred deer.
• Trojans sent Dolon to counterspy the Greeks too.
• Iphigenia must be sacrificed.
• Diomedes and Odysseus capture Dolon and kill him after getting
The landing at Troy
information.
• Protesilaus was a suitor of Helen fulfilling his vow.
Aristeia of Agamemnon (Book 11)
• He was the first casualty of the war, killed by Hector.
• Agamemnon sweeps the battlefield with strength and vigor.
• His name means "first to be slain."
• But the Greeks were slowly defeated due to Achilles's absence.
• Hermes brought him up from the dead to see once again his deeply,
Greeks retreat (Book 12)
mourning wife, Laodamia.
• The onslaught of Trojans were supported by Zeus as promised to Thetis.
• But Laodamia killed herself.
• The Greeks retreat in their ships.
• So Protesilaus begged Hermes to die again to join his wife
Aristeia of Idomeneus (Book 13)
The stalemate war
• Idomeneus, the Cretan king, has his aristeia as he holds off the Trojan
• The war lasted for nine years with no clear victor.
attackers.
• Troy still intact, army undefeated.
• The Trojans were not used to fight near ships, they use to fight on plains.
• Achilles attacked the allies in the south and Ajax the allies in the north.
Poseidon intervenes (Book 14)
The Plague (Book 1)
• Poseidon disguised as the prophet Calchas.
• Apollo's priest Chryses, whose daughters (Chryseis and Briseis) were
• He stirred the Greek to defend their ships and fight till the end.
kidnapped prayed for revenge.
Hera seduces Zeus (Book 15)
• Apollo shoots deadly arrows of plague to Greek camp.
• Zeus was seduced by Hera using Aphrodite's girdle.
Achilles vs Agamemnon (Book 1)
• After their act, Morpheus, god of sleep, lulls Zeus to sleep.
• Agamemnon returns Chryseis but got Briseis.
Death of Patroclus (Book 16)
• Feeling dishonored, Achilles refused to fight.
• Patroclus got permission to wear Achilles's armor.
• He recalled his troops, the Myrmidons who are the best warriors, back to
• The aristeia of Patroclus, kills many Trojans including Sarpedon, Zeus's son.
camp.
• Achilles warned him to just defend the ships, but he stormed the Trojan
Zeus intervenes (Book 2)
walls.
• Achilles asks his mother, Thetis, to ask Zeus for punishment to Greek army.
Aristeia of Menelaus (Book 17)
• Zeus sent a dream to Agamemnon, urging him to attack Troy but they lost a
• With aid of Apollo, Hector kills Patroclus, stripped Achilles's armor and dons
lot of men due to Achilles's absence.
it.
Menalaus vs Paris (Book 3)
• Menelaus protected the corpse of Patroclus and killed many Trojans
• A duel was set between Menelaus, the wronged husband; and Paris, the
attempting to mutilate it.
abductor.
• It was finally brought to camp. • After this episode, Odysseus is haunted by the wrath of Poseidon, who then
Achilles mourns (Book 18) curses Odysseus to wander the sea for ten years, during which he would
• Achilles mourns, vows revenge for Patroclus. lose all his crew and return home through the aid of others.
• Thetis comforts Achilles, reminding him of his fate. to Island of Aiolia...
• Achilles decides to go back to battle, Thetis asks Hephaestus to forge new • Aeolus gave them hospitality for a month and provided for a west wind to
arms for Achilles. carry them home.
Achilles returns to war (Book 19) • Aeolus gave Odysseus a leather bag containing all the winds, except the
• Achilles wants the Greek to attack right away but Odysseus urged them to west wind, a gift that should have ensured a safe return home.
eat and rest first. • However, the sailors foolishly opened the bag while Odysseus slept,
• Achilles said he will not eat nor rest until he avenged Patroclus. thinking that it contained gold. All of the winds flew out and the resulting
Aristeia of Achilles (Book 20) storm drove the ships back the way they had come, just as Ithaca came into
• Achilles slew thousands of men in his onslaught. sight.
• Aeneas was nearly killed but saved by Poseidon upon order of Zeus. • They were blown back to Aiolia, where Aeolus refused to provide any
• Aeneas is destined to be the sole survivor among the Trojans and will be further help because he thought Odysseus was unlucky.
the founder of Rome. to Island of Telepylos...
Achilles and the gods (Book 21) • They came to Telepylos, the stronghold of Lamos, king of the
• Achilles kills Scamander, the god of the river in Troy and Lycaon, son of Laestrygonians, a cannibalistic tribe.
Priam. • These people attacked the fleet with boulders, sinking all but one of the
• He nearly killed Agenor but Apollo saved him. ships and killing/eating hundreds of Odysseus's men.
• Athena defeated Ares and Aphrodite, Hera braided Artemis to Island of Aeaea...
• Poseidon and Apollo squared off. • Odysseus sailed on and visited the witch-goddess Circe, who turned all of
Death of Hector (Book 22) Odysseus's men into pigs after feeding them cheese and wine.
• All Trojans hide behind the walls except Hector. • Hermes warned Odysseus about Circe and gave Odysseus a grass called
• Zeus and the gods watch as destiny unfolded. moly which gave him resistance to Circe's magic.
• Athena disguised as Deiphobus fakely assisted Hector. • Circe, being attracted to Odysseus' resistance, agreed to bargain with him.
• Achilles stabs Hector in the throat. She agreed to change his men back to their human form in exchange for
Funeral of Patroclus (Book 23) Odysseus' love. They remained with her on the island for one year, while
• 12 Trojans were sacrificed to be burned along with Patroclus's corpse. they feasted and drank
• Funeral games were conducted. to the Underworld...
• Hector's corpse was protected by Apollo and Aphrodite • Finally, guided by Circe's instructions, Odysseus and his crew crossed the
Funeral of Hector (Book 24) ocean and reached a harbor at the western edge of the world, where
• Achilles drags Hectors body around Patroclus's bier for 11days. Odysseus sacrificed to the dead and summoned the spirit of the old prophet
• Priam, escorted by Hermes, ransoms Hector's body from Achilles. Tiresias to advise him of how to appease the gods upon his return home.
• Achilles grants 12 days of truce for Hector's funeral. • He saw the multitude of souls including Achilles', Ajax, etc., killed in the
Funeral of Hector (Book 24) Trojan War.
• All Trojans lamented Hector's death. to the Land of the Sirens...
• Trojans gather wood in the mountains and burn Hektor's body. • Odysseus escaped the Sirens by having all his sailors plug their ears with
• His bones are then placed in a golden chest. beeswax and tie him to the mast.
• Afterward, a great funeral banquet is served in Priam's palace. • He was curious as to what the Sirens sounded like. When he heard their
• Iliad ends. beautiful song, he ordered the sailors to untie him but they ignored him.
• When they had passed out of earshot, Odysseus stopped thrashing about
and calmed down, and was released.
to Scylla and Charybdis...
• Odysseus was given advice by Circe to sail closer to the six-headed
LESSON 4
monster Scylla, for the whirlpool Charybdis could drown his whole ship.
THE ODYSSEY • Odysseus successfully navigates his ship past Scylla and Charybdis, but
• "Odyssey" means a long and perilous journey Scylla manages to catch six of his men, devouring them alive.
• Odysseus's journey was caused by the anger of Athena, Poseidon and his to the Island of Thrinacia...
own hubris as well "Hubris" is flaw of character of the hero • Finally, Odysseus and his surviving crew landed on an island, Thrinacia,
From Troy... sacred to Helios, where he kept sacred cattle.
• Odysseus fought in the Trojan War for 10 years. After the fall of Troy, he left • Though Odysseus warned his men not to (as Tiresias had told him), they
for his home in Ithaca, a journey which should have take only a few weeks. killed and ate some of the cattle.
It was to take ten years… • As guardians of the island, Helios's daughters told their father. Helios
to Ismaros Island... destroyed the ship and all the men except Odysseus.
• The crew made for Ismaros in the land of the Cicones. The city was not at to the Island of Ogygia...
all protected and all of the inhabitants fled without a fight into the nearby • Odysseus was washed ashore on Ogygia, where the nymph Kalypso
mountains. (Calypso) lived.
• Odysseus and his men looted the city and robbed it of all its goods. • She made him her lover for seven years and would not let him leave,
• The next morning, the Cicones returned with their fierce kinsmen from the promising him immortality if he stayed.
mountains. • On pleadings of Athena, Zeus intervened and sent Hermes to tell Calypso
• On leaving Ismaros, Odysseus and his twelve ships were driven off course to let Odysseus go.
by fierce storms. to the Land of the Phaecians...
to Island of Lotus-eaters... • Odysseus left Ogygia on a small raft furnished with provisions of water,
• When Odysseus and his men landed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters, wine and food by Calypso, only to be hit by a storm and washed up on the
Odysseus sent out a scouting party who ate lotus fruits with the natives. island of Scheria.
• This caused them to fall sleep and stop caring about ever going home. • He was found by Nausicaa, daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of
• Odysseus went after the scouting party and dragged them back against the Phaeacians
their will to the ship and set sail. • They escorted him to Ithaca. On the twentieth day of sailing he arrived at
to Island of Polyphemus... his home in Ithaca.
• Polyphemus catches Odysseus and his men, and devours two of them each Back to Ithaca
day. • 10 years after he left Troy, Odysseus arrives home in Ithaca.
• Odysseus tricks Polyphemus by giving him intoxicating wine and then blinds • He disguised as a beggar and planned to rid of the suitors.
him with a wooden stake. • Euracleia, his old maid, spots his old scar and was advised to remain silent.
The contest
• With Athena's help, Odysseus and Telemachus met near the piggery. • So. II The Spear-Danes in days gone by II And the kings who ruled
• They set a plan to rid the suitors. them had courage and greatness. II We have heard of those
• Penelope's scheme (to finish the shawl embroidery for Laertes) was princes’ heroic campaigns. II
discovered by Antinous, leader of the suitors. • There was Shield Sheafson, II scourge of many tribes. II A wrecker
• Penelope asked for a contest among the suitors and whoever wins will of mead-benches, II rampaging among foes. II This terror of the
become her husband. hall-troops had come far. II
The murder in the hall
• With the help of Athena, Telemachus removed all weapons of the suitors.
CHARACTERS
• He stacked weapons for Odysseus and armed himself.
• All suitors were killed except a poet who pleaded in the name of Apollo. Geatish ”Perfect“ Hero; Strongest and ablest
Beowulf
Odyssey has ended... warrior; Wise and effective ruler
• Penelope tested Odysseus by asking about their bed. King of Danes. Wise and Aged Ruler; A Father
• Odysseus was reunited with Penelope. King Hrothgar
Figure; Static Character
• The relatives of the suitors want to avenge but Athena intervenes. Demon; Ruthless and Miserable; Full with
• Peace was restored and the odyssey has ended. Grendel
resentment and malice
Dragon The guard of treasures; Ancient and powerful
Unnamed swamp-hag; Full of vengeance in her
Grendel’s Mother
heart
LESSON 5
BEOWULF THE DANES
• The Danes were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting southern Scandinavia,
Type of Work Poem including the area now of comprising Denmark proper, and the Scanian
Genre Alliterative verse, Elegy provinces of modern-day southern Sweden, during the Nordic Iron Age and
Date of First Around 1000 AD the Viking
Publication Legendary Danish King. Mythical founder who
Narrator A Christian telling a story of pagan times inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies
Shield Sheafson
Language Anglo-Saxon the Danish Tribe’s highest value of heroism and
Time and Place Estimated date of composition ranges between 700 to leadership
written 1000 AD in England The Second King. Son of Shield Sheafson; Father of
Point of View Third Person Beow Halfdane. A gift of God to the people in in need of a
The poet is generally enthusiastic about Beowulf’s leader.
Tone Wealtheow Hrothgar’s wife. Gracious Queen of Danes
feats, which is often surrounded by doom.
The main action of the story is set around 500 A.D. Unfearth Jealous of Beowulf; Unwilling to fight Grendel
Setting (Time) Some narratives recounts historical events that Hrothgar’s eldest son. Stands to inherit the Danish
happened much earlier. Hrethric throne, but Hrethric’s eldest cousin Hrothulf will
Setting (Place) Denmark and Greatland (now is Southern Sweden) prevent him from doing so.
Protagonist Beowulf Hrothgar’s nephew; betrays and usurps his cousin,
Hrothulf
Hrethic, the rightful heir of the Danish throne.
LITERARY DEVICES THE GEATS
• Anglo-Saxon scops relied on certain poetic devices to aid their memory and • In the epic poem Beowulf there are several groups of people mentioned, but
give their poems structure and impact. Three of these devices can be found the Geats stand above the rest as the most beautiful, the bravest, the
in Beowulf boldest, and the most loyal. The land of the Geats is in southern Sweden.
Alliteration Beowulf’s uncle; King of the Geats.; Husband of Hygd.
• The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or Hygelac Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from
closely connected words. Denmark.
• “Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.” Hygelac’s Wife; A young, intelligent and beautiful
• “miserable, mighty men tormented” Hygd queen of the Geats. Hygd is contrasted with Queen
Kenning Modthryth
• A concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps
especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse and Old English poetry. Wiglaf him in the fight against the dragon while other soldier
• Compound Words ran away.
• “hell-forged” A figure from Norse Mythology, famous for slaying a
• “banquet-rich” Sigemund dragon. It foreshadows Beowulf encounter with the
• “ring-giver” dragon.
• “mead-cup”
• Prepositional Phrases
• “shelter of warriors” PLOT SUMMARY
• “shapes of darkness” Part 1
• “shepherd of evil” • The story begins in the kingdom of the Danes on a land called Denmark. It
• “tormentor of their days” was full of peace and prosperity until the Grendel, the great demon arose.
• “journey into darkness This caused great fear, death and despair to the Danish people.
• Possessives Part 2
• “ocean’s furrows” • Then a man came from a far away land. A man depicted as a warrior. He
• “God’s bright beacon” was tall, muscular, confident and handsome. It was Beowulf. He accepted
• “Heaven’s high arch” the plea of the Dane king to defeat the demon, Grendel, to prove he is an
• “Geats’ brave prince” unbeatable warrior.
• “hell’s captives” Part 3
Caesura • The Danish king decided to celebrate with Beowulf before facing Grendel
• In Old English poetry, it is a pause in a line that exists where a person for they foreshadows victory, talking about Beowulf’s tales of victory from
would naturally pause while speaking. It can be at the beginning of a line previous journeys. The celebration continues until Grendel has awakened.
(initial), in the middle of the line (medial) or at the end of the line (terminal). Part 4
• Grendel came to Beowulf to face him. Beowulf accepted the challenge.
FORESHADOWING
They both displayed great strength as Beowulf fought Grendel with bare
hands. Grendel carrier within him the fear of Beowulf. This caused Grendel • The funeral of Shield Sheafson, with which the poem opens, foreshadows
to be weak before Beowulf. Beowulf’s funeral at the end of the poem.
Part 5 • The story of Sigemund told by the scop, or bard, foreshadows Beowulf’s
• Beowulf became victorious in his battle against Grendel. Although Grendel fight with the dragon.
was not yet dead and Beowulf is not yet finished. He rips Grendel’s arms, • The story of King Heremod foreshadows Beowulf’s eventual ascendancy to
held it up high for all to see. Grendel manages to escape mortally wounded kingship.
and returns to his swamp and spends his last moments in the comfort of his
mother. And a young prince must be prudent like that, giving freely while his father
Part 6 lives so that afterwards in age when fighting starts steadfast companions will
• Few knew that Grendel had a mother and those that did were most likely stand by him and hold the line. Behavior that’s admired is the path to power
dead. The story shifts from Beowulf’s heroic victory to the great revenge of among people everywhere.
Grendel’s mother. Grendel’s mother killed Aeschere, one of the King’s best
men/personal aid out of revenge and returns to her swamp soon after.
Beowulf and his men grouped for revenge.
Part 7
LESSON 6
• Beowulf found the swamp where Grendel’s mother lies waiting for them. He
dives down to the swamp to look for the angry mother of Grendel. After CANTERBURY TALES
seducing Beowulf, Grendel’s mother charges to Beowulf which started their
GEOFFREY CHAUCER
battle. Beowulf stands victorious by cutting down Grendel’s mother by a
sword forged by giants. • He was born in London in the early 1340s
Part 8 • He came from a merchant family, but due to his father’s wealth he became
• The battle is now over. Beowulf cuts off the head of Grendel’s mother as a a page in the household of Prince Lionel.
trophy to the Danish King. The people of Dane celebrated with great joy as • He served in the Hundred Years’ War both as a soldier and a diplomat.
peace was restored in their lands all thanks to the heroic acts of Beowulf. • He was sent several times on important diplomatic missions to France and
He sails back to the land of the Geats. Italy.
Part 9 • He held many important positions as a government official such as
• Upon returning to Geats, Beowulf was appointed as King and ruled for fifty Controller of Customs, Justice of Peace, Clerk of the Works, etc. Which
years. One day, a thief disturb a tomb of treasure guarded by a ferocious mean that he could learn a lot about how things worked in their country at
dragon. It launched series of killings to the people of Geats. This was a that time.
chance to once again prove Beowulf’s skills • He died on October 25, 1400 and was buried at the Westminster Abbey
Part 10 (where Queen Elizabeth I of England, Isaac Newton, and other notable
• Beowulf is no longer have the young blood and skills he possessed fifty people are also buried.)
years ago in Danes. Still, his courage was flaming within his heart to defeat
the ferocious dragon. Wiglaf companioned him to begin the journey and THE CANTERBURY TALES
bring back peace to their lands
Part 11 • The Canterbury Tales documents the various social tensions in the manner
• Beowulf and Wiglaf confronted the dragon in what is considered to be the of popular genre of states satire. However, the narrator refrains from
most difficult and rigorous battle of their lifetime. Beowulf manages to cut making overt political statements, and what he does say is in no way
deep in the skin of the dragon but he was beaten by the dragon. The venom thought to represent Chaucer’s own sentiments.
begins to spread in his body. • Estate Satire is a genre of writing from 14th Century, Medieval literary
Part 12 works. The three Medieval estates were the Church (those who prayed),
• Beowulf begun to feel the poison crawling to his body. He sits down by the the Nobility (those who fought) and the Peasantry (those who labored).
river with Wiglaf with his dying words—”You are the last of our family, These were the major social classes of the time and were gender specific to
Wiglaf. All the others fell when fate decided they must. Now I must follow men.
them...”. He ask to remember him as a great warrior • Chaucer presents the world as he sees it.
• The Canterbury Tales is incomplete. Chaucer died in 1400, the “General
Prologue” has only 24 tales completed. The supposed total tales should be
MAJOR CONFLICT 120.
• The poem’s overarching conflict is between close-knit warrior societies and • It shows the cross section of Medieval society.
the various menaces that threaten their lands and boundaries. • It has a frame story of the pilgrimage to Canterbury (80 miles from London)
to visit the tomb of the martyr Thomas Beckett (killed in Canterbury
Cathedral in 1170).
THEMES • Pilgrimages to shrines were mass activities in the Middle Ages, partly
• The importance of establishing identity. because they were as likely to be vacations as religious observance.
• Tensions between the heroic code and other value systems. • The Canterbury Tales is actually a story about stories, twenty- four different
• The difference between a good warrior and a good king. tales set within the overarching tale of the pilgrimage.
Frame Story—a story within a story.
• The Outer Frame Story is about the pilgrims meeting at the Tabard Inn
SYMBOLS preparing for the journey to Canterbury.
The Golden Torque The Banquet • The Inner Frame Story would be all the stories told by the assembled
pilgrims along their journey to and from Canterbury.
The Tales begin with...
• It begins with a prologue. The narrator, presumable Chaucer himself, meet
29 other pilgrims at the Tabard Inn located in the suburbs of London.
• The host of the Inn, Harry Bailey, set a challenge. Each pilgrim will tell two
stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the return trip. The
person who tells the best tale will be treated to a feast hosted by other
pilgrims. Harry is the judge.
Medieval Era
• In the Prologue, Chaucer sketches a brief but vivid portrait of each pilgrim,
creating a lively sense of medieval life during that time.
• The description may literally describe an article of clothing, but figuratively (Military) to chivalry, dress in modest and far from overdone, A
symbolical that implies something about the character. Man of Action and does what is expected of him.
• Chaucer used a lot of satiric statements. Satire is a literary composition in He appears conscious, having the qualities of an artist,
verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, The Squire seems to have a passionate quality associated with the
or ridicule. Used to evoke change. (Military) youth. His father is a fighter but he is in a romantic
• In the Prologue, Chaucer examines the three segments of Medieval figure.
England: He is the attendant of the esquire. Dressed in green;
• Old Feudal Order The Yeoman carries peacock arrows and a bow and wears a
• These are all of the pilgrims associated with the feudal (Middle Class) bracelet to protect his arm; a sword, a shield and a
class system like Knights, Squire, Yeoman, and Plowman. dagger. He is a hunter, outdoorsman, a wood worker.
• The Merchant Class She is the “appearance of culture” in masked sarcasm.
• This was the rising middle class of the time; towns and The Prioress Cares about animals, not people. Loves worldly
cities were emerging and therefore necessitated the need (Clergy) possessions of God. Perfect table manners. A vehicle
for skilled services like Merchants, Man of Law, Guildsmen to demonstrate the gluttony of a nun.
and Cook. Nearly all about the monks contradicts moral values of
• The Ecclesiastical (Church) Class The Monk his position. He defies the single task of his job— to
• These were all the members of the church. Chaucer is (Clergy) serve St. Augustine. He breaks monastic rules having
most critical of this segment of society. This includes no guilt. Pervert and selfish.
Prioress, Monks, Friars and Pardoners Possesses corruption in the clergy (bribery), having
The Friar such charm does not make one a good person. He
LITERARY ANALYSIS (Clergy) have manipulative and selfish attitude, a drinker and
womanizer and opportunistic.
Characterization A well-dressed person (appearance vs. reality). He tries
• Direct Characterization
The Merchant to come off as prosperous, but really owes money
• It presents direct statements about a character, such as Chaucer’s (Middle Class) (fraud). He is Cleverish. They are known for ingenuity
statement that the Knight “followed chivalry, Truth and Honor..” and work ethics
• Indirect Characterization
A student-nod to the writer; keeper of books; pure
• It uses actions, thoughts and dialogue to reveal a character’s
The Clerk intellectuality. He is formal and extremely respectful—
personality. By saying “he was not gaily dressed” for instance,
(Middle Class) glad to learn and teach. He is a “starving artist”
Chaucer suggests that the Knight is not vain and perhaps takes the
spending all his money to books
pilgrimage seriously enough to rush to join it straight from battle.
He is fond to falsity and posturing. Pretending is part of
Irony The Lawyer
human nature— believes himself to be much more
• A meaningful contrast between what is said and what it actually meant. (Middle Class)
important than he is. He is also discreet and cautious.
• Saying, “The best Monk” when really the monk does not really
adhere to the ideals od a monastic life. He always have food and drink ready at his house
Physiognomy (hospitality, expert in “living well”). A Parliamentary
The Franklin
• It is the use of physical appearance to suggest attributes of a person’s representative for the country. A Social climber —styles
(Middle Class)
character or personality. himself as important; projects himself as an image of
• Think of evil stepmother figures in Disney movies. Their harsh, success.
angular appearance always hint at their malevolent motives. A carpenter, haberdasher, dyer, weaver and tapestry
The Craftsmen
maker. A dressed more mightily than their rank
(Working Class)
suggests wealth and success.
THE TYPES OF TALES Described as perhaps the most qualified of all the
• The Canterbury Tales showcase the different views of the world portraying The Cook characters. Chaucer’s pursuit to elevate the states of
different truths. (Working Class) the common man. Every man’s work is equally
Allegory important for society to function.
• a story with purpose of teaching a moral lesson. Sarcasm—”And certainly he was a good fellow”
• Characters and events represents abstract qualities and ideas. The writer The Shipman followed by perfect example of his dishonesty
intends a secondary meaning. Characters are often personifications of (Middle Class) (thieving). This man was hardened by the world, a
abstractions like greed, envy, etc. cynic. He is experienced, but made cruel by it.
Romance Physically healthy but not spiritual, rarely reads the
The Doctor
• It is a story focusing on the episodic adventures of knights and the Bible; loves money. He manipulates the facts about
(Middle Class)
challenges they face. profit.
Fabliau The Wife of The “Professional Wife”. Wears fancy clothes that are
• It deals with the basic human needs of sex, food and money. Bath (Middle bit ridiculous. She had been all over (worldly and
Class) promiscuous). She “knew the remedies of love”.
CHARACTERS An unselfish, charitable, a good example. “If gold rusts,
The Parson
what shall you do?” He gives money to the poor, lives
Direct Characterization (Explicit Details) (Clergy)
in poverty but is rich in holy thought and deeds.
• What the character looks like. The parson’s brother and ideal worker; known for being
• How the character acts or behaves. The Plowman
industrious. He lives in peace and helps out neighbors.
• Personality or character traits (e.g. charming, confident, dependable, (Working Class)
He loves God and pays his tithes.
arrogant, greedy, etc.) A strong, big- mouthed person. Warts are evident all
• How other characters react to the character. The Miller around his face. He is uncivilized and interrupts
• Things the character likes. (Working Class) civilized behaviors, disrupts order and eventually tells
Indirect Characterization (Inferences) his tale out of of turn.
• What the character values. He is smart though uneducated, gets provisions for
• What the character believes in. The Manciple
college or court. Know for being illiterate but was able
• Character’s personality traits or character flaws. (Working Class)
to cheat even the smartest of lawyers.
• Determining if the author likes a character and considers them positive or A steward of manor. He steals from his master. Though
normal. The Reeve
shrewd, he knows all his master’s secrets plots and
• Determining if the author dislikes a character and considers them immoral. (Working Class)
rules whom to fear. The foil to Miller, a Reeve is small.
The Summoner He brings those accused of breaking the law to court.
The Knight He is an ideal, tried and true, proven in battle, adherent (Middle Class) He has a scarred face that children fear of, which
 reflects his soul. He is always drunk, irritable and eats Andrew
smelly food. • A young apprentice whom Quixote attempts to help, in the process causing
A personification of evil; he sells fake holy relics. He more trouble.
The Pardoner Antonia
extorts money by preaching about sin of greed. A
(Clergy) • Quixote's loving niece, who is conflicted by her desire to keep her uncle
clean- shaved man but have a unmanly attitude.
safely at home and her wish for the old gentleman to enjoy himself at his
new preoccupation.
CHAUCER’S PROLOGUE
Muñaton
• Chaucer believes that falsity can be found in most people. • A scholar whom Antonia accuses of stealing Quixote's library.
• Chaucer has no problem with religion himself, but has contempt for Samson Carrasco
hypocrisy that is found in religious figures. • A young student from Quixote's village. He believes that by providing
• Chaucer has an admiration for anyone who does a good job. Quixote with adventures, he will make the "knight" tire of chivalric pursuits.
Carrasco is a key character; he appears in many guises, especially as
knights-at-arms, and finally is the cause of Quixote's return home.
The Duke and Duchess
• A pair of decadent, high-ranking nobles who become amused by Quixote
LESSON 7
and Panza, orchestrating lavish and complex pranks as a source of
DON QUIXOTE
amusement. They are frequent causes of pain and humiliation for the pair
from La Mancha.
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA (1547-1616) Cid Hamet Benegali
• The Arab translator of Don Quixote. Appearing as a satiric character, he is
• Spanish writer who created one of the world's greatest literary constantly being accused of dishonesty by Cervantes in authorial asides.
masterpieces, 'Don Quixote,' in the early 1600s. Cardenio
• Born near Madrid in 1547. Became a soldier in 1570, joining a Spanish • ("The Ragged Knight of the Story Countenance")
military unit in Italy and was badly wounded in the Battle of Lepanto in • A young man whose heart is broken when his lover, Lucinda, marries Don
15871, suffering two chest wounds and the complete maiming of his left Fernando. He and Dorothea apprehend Don Fernando at the inn, late in
hand. Book I. Cardenio ends up with Lucinda in the end.
• Captured by the Turks in 1575, Cervantes spent five years in prison and
made several failed attempts to escape during his imprisonment.. before he
was ransomed and returned home. PLOT
• His father, Rodrigo, deaf from birth, worked as a surgeon, a lowly trade at • Alonzo Quijano (Don Quixote) goes crazy from reading too many chivalry
the time, and the family moved around often in Cervantes youth as his books. This madness makes him to try imitate the adventures which he has
father searched for better prospects. read. He leaves his hometown and embark himself in a series of
• Whatever his family's financial conditions, Cervantes was an avid reader as adventures and returns defeated.
a child—a skill he was reportedly taught by a relative. There is still much First Part (1605)
debate if he undergone formal education. Don Quixote’s First Journey
• Cervantes's first known published writing dates to 1569, when he • Don Quixote prepares his old, rusty weapons which belongs to his great-
contributed some poetry to a memorial collection after the death of grandfathers. He puts them on and sets out through La Mancha with the
Elizabeth of Valois, the wife of Spain's King Philip II. hope of doing justice, just as it happened in the stories he read.
• In 1605, Cervantes published the first part of Don Quixote, a novel that • He arrives in an Inn in which he believes is a castle, where he is knighted in
tells the story of an elderly man who becomes so enamored by the old a ridiculous ceremony. He then seeks adventures and returns home
stories of brave knights that he seeks out his own adventures. wounded and in failure.
• The title character soon gets lost in his own fantasy world, believing he is Don Quixote’s Second Journey
one of these knights, and convinces a poor peasant, Sancho Panza, to • The second journey makes up the rest of the book. Don Quixote escapes
serve as his squire. from his house again, but this time he is accompanied by a humble
• In one scene, the deluded Don Quixote even fights a windmill, mistaking it neighbor who acted as his squire.
for a giant. Quixote finally regains his senses before the novel ends. • The appearance of Sancho Panza enriches the possibilities of the novel
• In 1612, the first translation of Don Quixote into a foreign language appears since Sancho Panza is going to be Don Quixote’s confidant, opening the
four years after the death of Cervantes and seven years after it was first doors to dialogues which is important for their journey ahead.
published. Thomas Shelton entitled the translation, The History of the • Besides, Sancho Panza and Don Quixote are two opposite characters well-
Valorous and Wittie Knight Errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha. matched by their differences. On this journey, we can read about a lot of
different adventures and how Don Quixote was tricked into going home.
MAIN CHARACTERS Second Part (1615)
• It covers the third and last journey. New adventures on the way to
Don Quixote Barcelona. Most of them take place in the court of some Dukes that have
• A fifty-year-old hidalgo, the lowest level of gentry, of La Mancha in rural read the first part of the book. They know Don Quixote and for a bit of
Spain, he has long since given up running his modest estate and has begun entertainment they pretend that they live in a chivalrous court.
selling off some of his property in order to buy books. • At the end of the second part, another character from Don Quixote’s village,
• These books all relate to chivalry, a subject that is about to drive Quixano dressed also as a knight-errant, challenges Don Quixote and wins. This
over the edge of reason, where he will take on the name of Don Quixote de forces Don Quixote to go back home. There he regains his sanity and dies
la Mancha. A spavined dray and hack horse, Rosinante, becomes his steed. at peace.
Sancho Panza
• A local laborer who is enlisted to serve the newly dubbed knight, lured
principally by the promise of his own island to govern. His primary means of
transportation is an ornery mule, Dapple.
Teresa
• Sancho Panza's wife, who runs the household and cares for the couple's
two children while Sancho is off in his chivalric pursuits with Quixote.
Dulcinea El Taboso
• A young country girl who barely knows Don Quixote, she nevertheless
becomes the newly dubbed knight's womanly ideal.
John Haldudo
• The rich man who, in Quixote's first knightly adventure, is castigated by
Quixote for beating his servant-boy.
 ANALYSIS
• Don Quixote is the model of the ideal aesthetic and ethical life. He becomes
a knight-errant so that he can defend justice in the world, do good and live
the life as if it was a work of art.
• Don Quixote is a synthesis of life and literature, a life that has been lived
and a life that has been dreamed. It is a fabulous integration of reality and
Fantasy
• Miguel de Cervantes displayed an extraordinary example of the difficulties
of writing about complex human relationships.

THEMES
Idealism VS Realism
• Don Quixote is the ultimate idealist. He constructs a moral code built around
unrealistic expectations and outdated beliefs, then he fully immerses
himself in a fantasy world that soon becomes his reality.
Honor VS Virtue
• The ideas of honor and virtue go hand in hand in Don Quixote. The best
men are honorable; the most desirable women are virtuous. Chivalric
romance stories are the ultimate example of honor and virtue, which is
why Don Quixote has dedicated himself to the protection of both.
Love
• Love is a common thread in Don Quixote, particularly in how it relates to
marriage. In the various stories told throughout Part 1, love is presented as
immediate and allencompassing and as an excuse for bad
behavior. Cervantes blames this perversion of what it means to be in love
on the idea that chivalric romances were accepted as fact.
Insanity
• Is Don Quixote actually insane? Cervantes explores this question
throughout Don Quixote without ever coming to a formal conclusion.
Insanity, it seems, is in the eye of the beholder. While most people find Don
Quixote's dedication to knight-errantry a symptom of madness, Sancho
Panza initially takes it as a matter of fact.
Social Class
• Don Quixote is, among other things, a commentary on class in 17th-century
Spain. The upper class is depicted as idle, lazy, and not altogether nice, as
evidenced by the Duke and the Duchess. They view those socially beneath
them as nothing more than play things for their amusement.