Odysseus, The Odyssey or The Illiad

Please choose one topic to write for your discussion response.
Topic 1
Odysseus is a very different kind of hero than the ones we focused on in The Iliad. Compare him to at least two other heroic characters from The Iliad. You can choose any Greek and/or Trojan hero for your comparison. Finally, consider which one of these heroes you think is the most heroic, and explain why. Be sure to use specific examples and/or quotations from the text.
Topic 2
While The Odyssey details the trials and tribulations Odysseus faces on his journey to return home to Ithaca, he is not the only character who undertakes a journey. For this essay prompt, consider the role that journeys play for the other members of Odysseus’ immediate family, Telemachus and Penelope. Think beyond the traditionally accepted definition of a journey—travel from one place to a new destination—and explain what we learn about his son and wife throughout the epic. Think about the journeys each of them make, and explain which one you think has the most difficult journey. Be sure to use specific examples and/or quotations from the text.
Topic 3
When we are first introduced to Menelaus and Helen in The Iliad, Helen’s betrayal of her husband causes a war between the Greeks and Trojans. To this day, Helen continues to be remembered as a harlot and a temptress, but when we meet her in The Odyssey, she has returned to Menelaus. Compare and contrast the Helen you meet in The Iliad with the Helen you meet in The Odyssey, being careful to consider your opinion of her last week with what you think of her now. Has Helen changed, and if so, how? Do you think authors have been fair or unfair with their representation of her? Why/why not? Be sure to use specific examples and/or quotations from the text.