Download The Odyssey - Background - English9th-2012

The Odyssey - Background
Odysseus
•
•
•
•
King of Ithaca
Cleverest man alive
Favorite of Athena
Married to Penelope, but was a suitor to
Helen
• Fought with the Greeks in the Trojan War
The Trojan War
• Greeks against Troy
• Started because Paris, prince of Troy, ran away
with Helen of Sparta
For this to make sense, we need to know 2
stories…
Story 1: Helen and her suitors
• Helen was the most beautiful woman in the
world. Many kings and princes came as
suitors, asking to marry her.
• Her step-father, King Tyndareus, was afraid to
make a decision because he was afraid that
the suitors who were not chosen as Helen’s
husband would start a fight.
Story 1: The oath of TSyndareus
• Before Tyndareus made a decision, he made
the suitors swear an oath that to protect
anyone who tried to harm Helen or her
husband. The suitors agreed, and Tyndareus
chose Menelaus as Helen’s husband.
• Now most of the Greek kings and princes were
sworn to defend Helen and Menelaus. This
becomes important later!
Odysseus & Penelope
• Even though Odysseus was a suitor to Helen,
he apparently fell in love with Penelope,
Helen’s cousin. He advised Tyndareus to make
the suitors swear the oath. In return,
Tyndareus helped Odysseus win Penelope’s
hand in marriage – though we don’t have any
details of their courtship.
Quickwrite
• Quickwrite about the story of Helen and her
suitors.
Story 2: Eris and the Golden Apple
• Eris, goddess of discord (or argument), had a
golden apple inscribed with the words “To the
most beautiful goddess.”
• Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera each claimed the
apple.
• Zeus appointed Paris, prince of Troy, to judge
who the most beautiful goddess was.
Story 2: The judgment of Paris
• Before the judgment, the goddesses all
promised different rewards to Paris.
• Athena = wisdom
• Hera = power
• Aphrodite = marry the most beautiful woman
in the world
• Whom do you think Paris chose?
Story 2: Paris chooses Aphrodite
• Paris chose Aphrodite. So now he was
promised the most beautiful woman in the
world as his wife. Except…
Story 2: Paris & Helen
• Helen was already married! But Paris, with a
love potion that Aphrodite gave him, went to
Sparta and ran away with Helen back to Troy.
• So…what do you think Helen’s husband,
Menelaus, did next? (Hint: remember the
oath of Tyndareus?)
The Greeks sail to Troy
• That’s right! Menelaus went to all of Helen’s
suitors and told them of what had happened.
Bound by their oath, the suitors all agreed to
sail with Menelaus to fight against Troy.
• Odysseus, remember, was one of Helen’s
suitors. So even though his son, Telemachus,
had just been born, he had to leave Ithaca and
sail with the other Greeks to Troy.
Quickwrite
• Quickwrite: What does the story of Eris & the
Golden Apple/Paris & Helen tell us about the
Greeks and their beliefs?
The Trojan War
• The story of the Trojan War is told in The Iliad.
It lasted for 10 years and only ended when
Odysseus thought of the trick of the Trojan
Horse. The Greeks destroyed Troy, Helen was
reunited with Menelaus, and everyone sailed
for home.
• Except…
The Odyssey
• Odysseus and his crew were lost on the way
home to Ithaca, and wandered for another 10
years! This tale is told in the Odyssey.
• Half of the Odyssey deals with Odysseus’ 10year journey home.
• The other half deals with how Odysseus had
to defeat men who had taken over his home
and had tried to marry his wife, Penelope.
Odysseus and the Cyclops
• We are going to watch a clip of a film version
of the Odyssey. In this clip, Odysseus and his
men have landed on the island of the Cyclops,
monsters who live in caves. They try to
exchange gifts in return for food and water but it doesn’t quite work out the way they had
planned, and Odysseus has to use his wits to
save himself and his men.
Focus
• As you watch the clip, pay attention to how
Odysseus solves his problem. What does this
tell us about Odysseus?
Quickwrite
• What do we learn about Odysseus from the
clip of his meeting with the Cyclops?