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THE ODYSSEY BY HOMER GUIDED NOTES AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON GREEK MYTHOLOGY SECTION 1: EPIC The Odyssey, an epic, began thousands of years ago in the oral tradition of ancient Greece. 1.) What is an epic? A long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of an epic hero. SECTION 1: EPIC 2.) Elements of the Epic: Epic Hero, Archetypes, Epic Plot, Epic Themes, and Epic Setting a.) Epic Hero Contains extraordinary abilities, but also human frailties. *possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence *helped or harmed by gods or fate *embodies qualities valued by the culture *overcomes perilous situations SECTION 1: EPIC b.) Archetypes Characters and situations recognizable across times and cultures. *brave hero *sea monster *evil temptress *suitor’s (or suitors’) contest *loyal servant *buried treasure SECTION 1: EPIC c.) Epic Plot Depicts a long, strange journey filled with such complications as *strange *divine creatures intervention *treacherous weather *large-scale events SECTION 1: EPIC d.) Epic Themes Reflect universal concerns, such as *courage *loyalty *beauty *life and death *a homecoming *the fate of a nation SECTION 1: EPIC e.) Epic Setting *includes fantastic or exotic lands *involves more than one nation or culture SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.) epic simile: a comparison using “like” or “as” developed at great length over several lines. Example The following lines compares an angry Odysseus to a roasting sausage: “His rage held hard in leash, submitted to his mind, while he himself rocked, rolling from side to side, as a cook turns a sausage, big with blood and fat, at a scorching blaze, without a pause, to broil it quick: so he rolled left and right,…” SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 2.) epithet: renames a person or thing with a descriptive phrase. *To maintain the meter of the poem or complete the line of verse, the poet would often use an epithet containing the necessary number of syllables. Examples Homer often refers to Odysseus by such epithets as “son of Laertes” and “raider of cities.” SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3.) allusion: a reference to a literary or historical person, place, event, or composition. 3 most common types of allusions in stories and movies: 1) Bible 2) History 3) Greek Mythology Example: “This is the way the court of Zeus must be.” Every listener in Greece immediately understood the allusion to Zeus, the ruler of the gods. SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 4.) The Trojan War: The legendary conflict between Greece and Troy began around 1200 B.C. Paris, a Trojan prince, kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Menelaus recruited armies of allied kingdoms to attack Troy and recover his wife. For ten years, the Greek forces held Troy under siege, but they could not penetrate the walls of the city. Finally, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, came up with a plan to break the stalemate. He ordered his men to build a giant wooden horse. One morning, the people of Troy awoke to find that horse outside the city gates – and no Greeks in sight. Assuming the Greeks had retreated and had left the horse as a peace offering, they brought the horse inside the gates. They soon discovered, too late, that the horse was filled with Greek soldiers, and that their city was doomed. SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 5.) Heroism: Great heroes play key roles in Homer’s epics. The Iliad tells the story of Achilles, the mightiest Greek warrior, and of his bitter quarrel with Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus and commander of the Greek forces at Troy. The tale climaxes in a fierce battle between Achilles and Hector, Paris’s brother, and Hector’s subsequent funeral. The Odyssey recounts Odysseus’s adventures as he struggles to make his way home from post-war Troy, along with the conflicts that arise in Ithaca just before and after his return. He prevails against gruesome monsters, enchanting women, and greedy rivals intent on preventing him from reaching his objective. Although Odysseus lacks the superhuman martial abilities of Achilles, he employs great cleverness and guile to get out of difficult situations. SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 6.) The Intervention of Gods: Adding to the heroes’ struggles are the residents of Mount Olympus, bickering gods who like nothing better than influencing and manipulating human affairs. For example, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, supports the Greeks in the Trojan War. Aphrodite, goddess of love, sides with Troy. Further, the heroes often displease other gods who place additional obstacles in their paths. The Olympians display human shortcomings and petty jealousies, and people become pawns as the gods pursue advantages in their internal quarrels. SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS & BACKGROUND INFORMATION 7.) Homer (the alleged author): *May have lived somewhere between 900 and 800 B.C. – if he ever lived at all. *The Iliad and The Odyssey both contain 24 books of verse. The verses were originally sung. *Homer’s poems influenced Greek culture, and as a result, contributed to the development of literature, ideas, and values. Dozens of movies have retold the saga of The Trojan War and the long journey home, both directly and symbolically. SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 1: 1.) Helios the sun god, who raises his cattle on the island of Thrinacia SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 1: 2.) Zeus the ruler of the Greek gods and goddesses; father of Athena and Apollo SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 1: 3.) Telemachus son of Odysseus SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 1: 4.) Penelope wife of Odysseus SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 1: 5.) Athena goddess of wisdom SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 9: 6.) Alcinous the king of the Phaeacians SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 9: 7.) Circe a goddess and enchantress who lives on the island of Aeaea SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 9: 8.) Cicones allies of the Trojans, who live in Ismarus SECTION 3: Book 9: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 9.) Lotus Eaters inhabitants of a land Odysseus visits SECTION 3: Book 9: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 10.) Cyclopes a race of one-eyed giants; an individual member of the race is Cyclops. SECTION 3: Book 9: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 11.) Apollo the god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine SECTION 3: Book 9: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 12.) Poseidon the god of the seas, earthquakes, and horses; father of the Cyclops who battles Odysseus (he stirs up powerful storms that cause problems for Odysseus and his crew) SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 10: 13.) Aeolus the guardian of the winds SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 10: 14.) Laestrygones cannibal inhabitants of a distant land SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 10: 15.) Eurylochus a trusted officer of Odysseus SECTION 3: Book 10: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 16.) Persephone the wife of Hades, ruler of the underworld SECTION 3: Book 10: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 17.) Tiresias a blind prophet whose spirit Odysseus visits in the underworld SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 11: 18.) Elpenor one of Odysseus’s crew; killed in an accident SECTION 3: Book 12: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 19.) Sirens creatures whose songs lure sailors to their death *Scylla and Charybdis SECTION 3: Book 12: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 20.) Scylla a six-headed sea monster who devours sailors SECTION 3: Book 12: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 21.) Charybdis a dangerous whirlpool personified as a female sea monster SECTION 3: Book 17: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY 22.) Argos Odysseus’s dog SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 23.) Antinous a suitor of Penelope’s SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 24.) Eurymachus a suitor of Penelope’s SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 25.) Philoetius a servant in Odysseus’s household SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 26.) Amphinomus a suitor of Penelope’s SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 27.) Eurynome a female servant in Odysseus’s household SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY Book 21-23: 28.) Eurycleia an old female servant, still loyal to Odysseus Essential Question While We Read: Do you think Odysseus deserves to be called an epic hero? *Go back through the characters. Draw a star next to the ones who are gods and goddesses. Draw a square around “other divine.” Draw a circle around the humans.