Reading Notes: The Odyssey Part B

In this section of stories from The Odyssey, Odysseus meets various heroes, comrades, enemies, demigods, and so forth in the House of Hades. He summons the ghosts of many people so that he may get in touch with Teiresias who gives him the prophet about his journey back home to his wife and children. He also meets his mother, who died of sorrow, and asked of his family back home. In the end he returns back to Circe's island and she tells them to beware the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. She tells them that to avoid the sirens they must cover their ears with wax to avoid their call. They do so and succumb to the horrors of Scylla and the oceans swallow of Charybdis. In my rendition of this latter half I would put a twist on the ghosts that Odysseus sees. Instead of his mother he would see his wife instead. She would have died by the hands of a suitor. This suitor would have committed the murder in jealousy and revenge, leaving the child to be an orphan. Lastly I would change how Odysseus listens to the Sirens singing tied down to the raft. He would succumb to their song and escape from the ship. His comrades would have an adventure trying to save him from the Sirens, let alone Scylla and Charybdis.

The Odyssey by Homer, link to reading online

(Scylla and Charybdis, Source: TV Tropes)