Download Odyssey Epic Characteristics and Literary Terms

LITERARY ELEMENTS & LANGUAGE TERMS –
Odyssey Epic Characteristics and Literary Terms
Homer, Epics and Their Characteristics: Courtesy, in part, by Cliffs
Homer
 Homer was the composer of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the two oldest and most important works of
Greek literature. Most people suspect his epics were written down around 750 B.C.E. The events
Homer narrates have to do especially with the Trojan War and its aftermath, around the year 1250
B.C.E. at the end of the Bronze Age, a period named for the metal that was then chiefly in use.
Epics
 Long narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who embody the values of their civilization.
The Odyssey is a “primary epic” which evolved from a legend that was later developed into an oral
tradition of storytelling. The word “epic” comes from the Greek word “epos” which means “song.”
Epic Conventions
 The work begins in medias res (in the middle of things)
o Odysseus’s story begins in the middle of his journey. The Odyssey has several subplots: 1.
Odysseus’s journey back home; 2. Conversations amongst the gods; 3. Life back home at
Ithaca.
 The poem will often open with an invocation of the muse. The Muses are the daughters of Memory
(Mnemosyne and Zeus)
o “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns / driven time and again off course,
once he had / plundered the hallowed heights of Troy.”
 Main character is a physically impressive hero of national or historical importance.
o Odysseus fought for ten years in the Trojan War and devised the idea of the Trojan horse.
 Setting is vast in scope, including much of the physical world and, at times, the land of the dead.
o Odysseus’ travels take him throughout the Mediterranean World.
 The action consists of deeds of great valor or requiring superhuman courage.
o In The Odyssey, Odysseus must overcome many challenges.
 There is evidence of supernatural forces at work.
o In the Odyssey, the hero encounters gods, goddesses, sorceresses, monsters, giants, and the
list goes on.
 The author uses a style of sustained elevation.
o When the sun had left the splendid sea and risen up / into an all-bronze heaven, giving light to
gods / and mortal men and grain to farmers’ fields, / the ship and crew reached Pylos, a wellbuilt city / ruled by Nestor.
 Epics will be rooted in a specific culture and society.
o The Odyssey, for example, is heavily rooted in Greek society and culture.
Epic Heroes
 Embody the important morals, values, and virtues of the society of which they are a product.
Epic Hero Characteristics
 The epic hero embodies the highest ideals of his culture.
 The epic hero is superior in degree to other men and to his environment.
 The epic hero is especially skilled both with and without weapons.
 The epic hero is clever and wise, but capable of error.
 Epic hero experiences typical human emotions, yet is able to master and control these human traits to
a greater degree than a typical person
 Not a superman with magical powers but a regular human whose aspirations and accomplishments set
him/her apart
 The epic hero usually undertakes a quest/journey to achieve something of great value to themselves or
society.
 Epic heroes live on after death, meaning they are forever remembered by those who live after
them…achieving a type of immortality. As such, the epic hero strives for honor and fame.
Ithaca
 Ithaca has no coined money so wealth was measured by what a person owned: livestock, furniture,
servants, slaves, or various raw materials. All of these are viewed as symbols of wealth and power.
Social traditions like hospitality are very important and Ithacans were strong believers in fate.
Literary Terms and Style
Epithet
 A descriptive label/phrase (adjectives and adverbs) applied to a person or thing that emphasizes a
particular quality or attribute of what is being described; often repeated throughout the text.
 Ex. Sparkling-eyed Athena.
Greek epic poetry
 Written in dactylic hexameter
 Repetition is used because in the oral tradition, words were often lost the first time around.
 Point of view – Everything in this story is told by Homer, speaking as a mouthpiece for the Muse,
explaining legends of the past.
Myth
 A traditional story, usually concerning some superhuman being or unlikely event that was once widely
believed to be true. In most cases, myths present supernatural episodes as a means of interpreting
natural events. Ex. The myth of Hades, Persephone, and Demeter to explain seasons.
Epic Simile
 a long, elaborate simile that goes on for a number of lines; often compares heroic or epic events to
understandable and everyday things
 Ex. She brushed [the arrow] away from his skin as lightly as when a mother / Brushes a fly away from
her child who is lying in sweet sleep.
Greek Concepts
Hubris: excessive pride
 Look for how this affects the characters in our story!
Xenia: Greek cultural custom of hospitality (generosity and courtesy to those far from home
 Examine how Guests treat their Hosts.
Arête: Greek word meaning “possessing an excellent ability at something” or moral virtue of men and women.
 Named for the Greek goddess of virtue, excellence, goodness and valor.
Nemesis: source of harm or ruin; unbeatable foe.
 Named after the goddess of indignation against, and retribution for, evil deeds and undeserved good
fortune.
 Individual’s feeling of moral repugnance (disgust).
 Ex. Telemachus feels nemesis when Athena might be kept waiting at the gate.
Metis: Craftiness
Kleos: Glory
Nostos: Journey/Homecoming and Memory of lost home (nostalgia/yearning).
Dolos: Trickery or deception (weaving)
Penthos: Grief/Suffering
The Role of Females: How do they help or hinder Odysseus? Mortals (Penelope and Nausicaa); Goddesses
(Athena, Circe, and Calypso); and Monsters (Scylla, Charybdis, Sirens, Harpies, etc.)
MLA Format for Epic Poetry:
Indicate line divisions with backslash (Roses are red / Violets are blue).
The Odyssey has a specific MLA Format which is the abbreviation for The Odyssey (Od.) followed by the book
and line number(s) separated by periods: (Od. 5.299-301)
The Odyssey Synopsis
Courtesty: Cliffs
Books 1-4
The first four books deal with Telemachus' struggle (in fact, Odysseus does not appear in the epic until Book 5).
A secondary plot in The Odyssey is Telemachus' coming of age, his own quest, which scholars sometimes refer
to as the "Telemacheia."
The goddess Athena appears to the young prince in disguise and advises him to gather an assembly of the
island's leaders to protest the invasion of the suitors. Soon after, he is to visit King Nestor of Pylos and King
Menelaus of Sparta, old comrades of his father's, to gather from them any new of Odysseus.
At the assembly, the two leading suitors — the aggressive Antinous and the smooth-talking Eurymachus —
confront the prince. They accuse Penelope of delaying too long in her choice of a new husband. Telemachus
speaks well but accomplishes little at the assembly because the suitors are from some of the strongest families
in the area and are impatient with Penelope's delays.
As Telemachus secretly sets off for Pylos and Sparta, the suitors plot to assassinate him. At Pylos, Telemachus
learns little of his father but is encouraged to visit Sparta where King Menelaus reports that Odysseus is alive
but held captive by the goddess nymph Calypso.
Books 5-8
Homer leaves the story of Telemachus as the suitors are about to ambush his ship on its return to Ithaca. At
Athena's urging, the gods have decided to free Odysseus from Calypso. Hermes, the messenger god, delivers
the order to Odysseus' captor. Odysseus has spent seven years with the goddess, sleeping with her at night and
pining for his home and family during the day. Calypso is a beautiful, lustful nymph who wants to marry
Odysseus and grant him immortality, but he longs for Penelope and Ithaca. Reluctantly, Calypso sends
Odysseus on his way.
Poseidon, the sea god, spots the wayfarer and, seeking revenge because Odysseus blinded Poseidon's son
Cyclops, shipwrecks Odysseus on Phaeacia, which is ruled by King Alcinous. The Phaeacians, civilized and
hospitable people, welcome the stranger and encourage him to tell of his adventures. Through Odysseus'
narration, the reader goes back 10 years and hears his tale.
Books 9-12
Known as "The Wanderings of Odysseus," this section is the most famous of the epic. At the end of the Trojan
War, Odysseus and his men sail first to the land of the Cicones. The Greeks succeed in raiding the central city
but linger too long and are routed by a reserve force. Hoping to sail directly home, the flotilla instead
encounters a severe storm, brought on by Athena, that blows them far off course to the land of the Lotus-eaters.
These are not hostile people, but eating the lotus plant removes memory and ambition; Odysseus is barely able
to pull his men away and resume the journey.
Curiosity compels Odysseus to explore the land of the Cyclops, a race of uncivilized, cannibalistic, one-eyed
giants. One of them, Polyphemus (also known simply as "Cyclops"), traps Odysseus' scouting party in his cave.
To escape, Odysseus blinds the one-eyed monster, incurring the wrath of the giant's father, Poseidon.
Aeolus, the wind god, is initially a friendly host. He captures all adverse winds and bags them for Odysseus,
who is thus able to sail within sight of Ithaca. Unfortunately, his men suspect that the bag holds treasure and
open it while Odysseus sleeps. The troublesome winds blow the party back to Aeolus, who wants no more to do
with them, speculating that they must be cursed by the gods.
The next hosts, the cannibalistic Laestrygonians, sink all the ships but Odysseus' in a surprise attack. The
remaining Greeks reach Aeaea, home of the beautiful enchantress Circe, who turns several of them into pigs.
With advice from Hermes, Odysseus cleverly defeats Circe and becomes her lover. She lifts the spell from his
men and aids in the group's eventual departure a year later, advising Odysseus that he must sail to the Land of
the Dead. There, he receives various Greek heroes, a visit from his own mother, and an important prophecy
from the seer Tiresias. Odysseus resumes his journey.
Barely surviving the temptations of the Sirens' songs and an attack by a six-headed monster named Scylla,
Odysseus and his crew arrive at the island of the Sungod Helios. Despite severe warnings not to, the men feast
on the cattle of the Sungod during Odysseus' brief absence. Zeus is outraged and destroys the ship as the Greeks
depart, killing all but Odysseus, who is washed ashore at Calypso's island, where he stays until released seven
years later.
Books 13-24
The story of his adventures finished, Odysseus receives the admiration and gifts of the Phaeacians who follow
their tradition of returning wayfaring strangers to their homelands by sailing him to Ithaca. Meanwhile, Athena
helps Telemachus avoid the suitors' ambush and arranges for him to meet his father at their pig farm not far
from the palace.
Reunited with his son and with the assistance of Athena and his faithful swineherd Eumaeus, Odysseus returns
to his home palace disguised as a beggar. For the time, he resists striking back at the suitors who insult and
assault him. Penelope seems at least suspicious that he is her husband, but it is Eurycleia, a loyal nurse who
cared for Odysseus when he was a child, who has no doubt of his identity as she discovers an old scar on his leg
when she bathes him.
Penelope arranges a contest, vowing to wed any man who can string the great bow of Odysseus and shoot an
arrow through a dozen axes as he used to do. The suitors all fail; only Odysseus himself can perform the feat.
With deft planning and more help from Athena, he and Telemachus and two faithful herdsmen slaughter the
suitors. Odysseus and Penelope are reunited, as are Odysseus and his aging father, Laertes. Athena makes peace
with the suitors' vengeful friends and families, avoiding civil war. Odysseus is home at last.
Character Chart (www.cliffsnotes.com)
The Odyssey Vocabulary
Study the parts of speech and the definitions which will appear on you test:
1. formidable adj. inspiring admiration, awe, or fear
2. guile n. skillful slyness; craftiness
3. indifferent adj. having no interest in or concern for
4. entreat v. to ask earnestly; beg
5. avenge v. to take revenge on behalf of
6. whim n. a sudden impulse or notion; fancy
7. appalled adj. filled with dismay; horrified
8. ponderous adj. heavy in a clumsy way; bulky
9. adversary n. an opponent; enemy
10. disdain v. to refuse or reject scornfully
11. beguiling adj. charming; pleasing
12. stealth n. quiet, secret, or sneaky behavior
13. snare n. a trap
14. vile adj. evil; disgusting
15. succumb v. to be overpowered; surrender
16. contender n. a fighter
17. enticing adj. luring; tempting
18. disconsolate adj. extremely sad
19. chide v. to scold mildly
20. regaled adj. entertained or amused
21. abominably adv. in a hateful way; horrible
22. lurk v. to lie hidden, ready to ambush
23. chaos n. great disorder or confusion
24. scourge n. a cause of great suffering or destruction
25. dwindle v. to become gradually less; diminish