Doctor 1

Natasha Doctor
ENGL 157
D. Shuger
9 October 2014
Week 1: Heso!" Works and Days
#hs s actua$$% the seco&! t'e ( ha)e rea! Heso!*s Works and Days. #he +rst t'e (
rea! the ,ork" ( ,as +ocuse! o& re$at&g the the'e o+ the c$ass to the ,ork. -or e.a'/$e" (
atte'/te! to 'ake se&se o+ 0ro'etheus* act o+ stea$&g +re as a re,ork&g o+ ,hat sacr+ce s.
Whe& ( rea! the ,ork ths t'e arou&!" ( ,as actua$$% ab$e to +ocus &stea! o& ho, Heso! cra+ts
a stor% & the '!!$e o+ g)&g hs rea!ers +ar'&g a!)ce. So'eth&g that co&+uses 'e" though"
about Works and Days s the cu$tura$ e'/hass o& ts agrcu$tura$ a!)ce. #hough '/orta&t to
the te.t" ( th&k t*s ,er! that ,he& /eo/$e th&k o+ Works and Days" the +rst th&g that the%
th&k o+ s about ,ork&g a&! +ar'&g. E)e& though ( rea! the ,ork the +rst t'e +ocus&g o&
0ro'ethesus* stor%" t ,as st$$ e&gra&e! & 'e that Works and Days ,as o&$% use+u$ as a
+ar'&g book. ( ho&est$% rerea! Works and Days a&tc/at&g t to !r% a&! !u$$ because a$$ (
see' to re'e'ber +ro' the +rst rea! ,ere the $o&g a&! grue$&g /assages out$&&g the
&trcaces o+ +ar'&g. ( tota$$% +orgot that Heso! a$so recou&ts ho, 'a& ca'e to be through hs
e./$a&ato& o+ the 1ges a&! the stor% o+ the &ght&ga$e a&! the ha,k" to a &a'e a +e,. (
su//ose '% bggest 2uesto& & co&te.t o+ ths c$ass s ,h% !o 'ost courses +ocus o& Works and
Days as gu!e to ho, a&ce&t Greeks $)e! rather tha& a ,ork that atte'/ts to e./$a& ho, the
,or$! ca'e to be" as sho,& through Heso!*s s!e stores. ( +ee$ $ke & 'o!er& t'es" t 'akes
'ore se&se to !scuss a&! tr% to u&!ersta&! Heso!*s thoughts o& $+e" the go!s" a&! re$ato&sh/s
,th others 'ore tha& ho, to 'ake a Greek /$o,. #hough the /assages o& Greek $+e are 'ore
/re)a$e&t" ( +ee$ $ke a co&te'/orar% rea!er gets $ost s&ce ,e are so re'o)e! +ro' that cu$ture.
3ecause o+ ths" ( +ee$ $ke there shou$! be a greater e'/hass o& ,hat ,e ca& take a,a% +ro' t.