‘In answer spoke…’: unlocking a narratological approach to Homer’s speeches through GenAI

Abstract The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the pedagogical application of Generative AI (GenAI) to a particularly fruitful area of Homer, the speeches, drawing on narratology as a theoretical framework to contextualise the use of the technology. The teaching methodology, students interrogating a chatbot to explore a speech from Homer, comprises dialogic learning as students craft questions, reflect and respond to the chatbot’s responses. This reiterative process is demonstrated through dialogue with Microsoft Copilot on one speech from the Iliad , book 16, where Achilles chides a tearful Patroclus ( Il . 16.7–19), and one from the Odyssey , book 19, where Odysseus rebukes the treacherous maid Melantho ( Od . 19.71–88). Two different strategies were deployed to highlight the response patterns of GenAI. With the Iliad , the strategy was to ask Copilot questions directly about the speech; with the Odyssey , Copilot was asked to assume the role of a character from the exchange. It was found that Copilot supported a narratological interpretation of the text by offering students an informed, and largely accurate, window on the speech for them to explore key considerations such as focalisation, the viewpoint on the unfolding narrative. Furthermore, while Copilot provided a rich layered response, there was still space for students to negotiate the meaning of the text further, retaining their own responsibility as active learners. The conclusion is that GenAI is in line with an inquiry-based approach to the study of Homer that promises to engage students and keep the discipline fresh.