Download Introduction to the Odyssey

Introduction to the Odyssey
Who is Homer
 No one knows for sure who Homer was
 Greek storyteller credited with putting together the
Illiad and the Odyssey.
 Iliad: story of the 10 year Trojan War caused Paris and
Helen.
 Odyssey: story of Odysseus’ long and wayward return
from the Trojan War.
Rhapsodes
 Homer was a model of
class of storytellers of
rhapsodes
 Known as “singers of
tales,” they were the
historians and
entertainers as well as
mythmakers.
Rhapsodes Continued…
 None these stories were written down. Each
storyteller would have had to memorize the entire
work and told it in such a way that it would be part
performance.
 They did not memorize the story word for word but
knew the basic story and improvised on the spot,
following a basic rhythm of the words.
 There is a great deal of repetition in the stories, which
makes it a bit simpler to tell.
Epics and Values
 Epics: a long narrative poem that tells of the adventures of
heroes across great spans of time and place.
 The epic contains the ideas, morals, themes and values of a
culture from which it is created.
 Iliad:
 An archetype of the war epic.
 Contains the morals and values of the Greek society in war.
 Odyssey:
 An archetype of the adventure epic.
 Seen as a metaphor for living one’s life
 Contains the morals, themes and values of the Greek society
about adventure, hardship, and life.
How Epics Were Told
 They were originally told
aloud by people who could
not read or write
 They were composed
according to a basic story line
 They were made up on the
spot
Characteristics of an Epic
 A physically impressive hero of national importance
 vast setting involving much of the known world as well
as lands of the dead
 a journey is taken in search of something
 evidence of supernatural forces at work
 glorification of the hero at the end
Characteristics of an Epic cont.
 Contains more than 1000
lines
 Involves a hero and a villain
 Starts in the middle (en
medias res)
 Involves the Gods
Epic Hero Characteristics
 Possess admirable qualities




(trust, respect)
Skillful warrior who possess a
special weapon (BOW)
Capable of fear
Has allies and followers
Takes a journey to battle evil
Iliad Continued
 Set in the Trojan War, the ten-
year siege of Ilium by a coalition
of Greek states
 it tells of the battles and events
during the weeks of a quarrel
between King Agamemnon and
the warrior Achilles.
 Only covers a few weeks of the
war.
 Odysseus helped win the war
with the idea of the Trojan Horse.
Background on “The Odyssey”
 Set in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War
 The Greeks attacked Troy to avenge an insult suffered
by Menelaus, King of Sparta
 Helen, his wife, ran off with Paris, the young prince of
Troy
The Wooden Horse Trick
 Odysseus thought of the trick
which led to the downfall of
Troy
 They fought 10 years outside
the walls of Troy
 Build an enormous wooden
horse and hide Greeks in the
belly
 Push through the walls of
Troy and attack
Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble
 Hero of war who has difficulty finding his way back to
Ithaca (home).
 Married Penelope before leaving for war
 Had one son, Telemachus, who was 3 when Odysseus
went to war.
The Odyssey Continued
 Odysseus is favored by the
 However, Odysseus’ wife is
goddess Athena
 Occurs difficulty in
returning home when he
angers the god Poseidon
struggling at home due to
the fact that many men are
trying to pursue her (or her
money and crown)
 These men have just about
eaten everything in the
house and disregarded
hospitality rules (which
the gods do not tolerate)
 Blinded his son
 So, Poseidon refuses to let
him go home
Characteristics of an Epic
 Involves an epic question
 The opening lines of the poem that state the
theme
 A physically impressive hero of national or
historical importance
 A vast setting involving not only of the known
world but also the underworld
 Action such as a quest or journey requiring
superhuman ability and courage
 Evidence of supernatural forces
Review over the muses
 The Muses preside over the
arts and sciences, inspire
all artists, especially poets,
philosophers, and
musicians.
 Their name denotes
“memory” or “a reminder,”
since in the poets relied on
their memories when
telling these stories
 The nine Muses are the
daughters of the Zeus and
of Mnemosyne, the
goddess of memory
The Nine Muses
 Calliope
 The muse of epic poetry
 Clio
 The muse of history
 Euterpe
 The muse of music
 Melpomene
 The muse of tragedy
 Terpsichore
 The muse of dancing
 Erato
 The muse of love poetry
 Polyhymnia
 The muse of sacred
 Urania
 The muse of astronomy
 Thalia
 The muse of comedy
Literary Terms
 Homeric Simile-- Long comparison (extended
metaphor)
 Remember that a metaphor is a comparison of 2 unlike
things
Literary Elements cont.
 Epithet- An adjective or descriptive phrase that is used
to characterize a person, place, or thing
 Simile--Compares two unlike things using like / as
Words to be Familiar with
 Alienation--The feeling of separation
 Fate-- Something that unavoidably happens to a
person
 Hero-- Someone who demonstrates courage or ability
 Quest-- A search or pursuit made in order to find
something