The Ring Structure of Odysseus' Tale (Books IX-XII)

from Glenn W. Most, "The Structure and Function of Odysseus' Apologoi," Transactions of the American Philological Association 119 (1989): 15-30.

Troy (Book IX)
Cicones (Book IX)

2-day storm, followed by drifting (Book IX)
Lotus-Eaters (Book IX)
Cyclops (Book IX)
Aeolus and a storm (Book X)

Laestrygonians (Book X)

Circe (Book X)

Elpenor's death (departure from Circe) (Book X)

Nekuia (Book XI)

Elpenor's burial (return to Circe) (Book XI)

Sirens (Book XII)
Scylla and Charybdis (Book XII)
Helios and another storm (Book XII)

Charybdis and Scylla (Book XII)

Calypso (Book XII)

2-day storm followed by drifting (Book VII, V)

Phaiacians
Ithaka

KEY

SEDUCTIVE DETOURS

Hosts that are too friendly or seductive and prevent Odysseus' departure either by drugs (Lotus-Eaters), death (Sirens), or seductive detention (Calypso, Circe).

DANGEROUS HOSTS


Hosts that are not friendly at all and eat their guests, sometimes, as with Polyphemus and Charybdis, vomiting the guests back up again.

WIND, STORM, AND DISOBEDIENCE


These scenes have the wind in common, first too little and then excess wind. These are also the scenes in which Odysseus' crew most clearly disobeys his orders, first by opening the bag of wind given to Odysseus by Aeolus, then by eating "the oxen of the Sun" on Helios' island.

DEATH


At the structural center of Odysseus' tales, one finds the nekuia or the descent into the underworld. We also have here Elpenor's death and later burial, which is significant since Elpenor is also one of the characters Odysseus meets in Hades.

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