MYTHOLOGY
Understanding The Odyssey
MYTH—GREEK WORD MYTHOS, WHICH MEANS
“STORY” OR “SPEECH”
• A Story that explains events or objects that occur in nature, such
as the creation of certain flowers or animals, the creation of
deserts or oceans, and even the origin and cycle of the
seasons.
• Myths may also be stories about the origins of customs or
traditions.
• These stories happen in a time and place that does not really
exist; therefore they should be read as stories and not like they
are history.
GREEK MYTHS
• Myths were created to explain what people did not understand.
• Myths were often part of ancient Greek’s religion (polytheistic).
• The characters in myths are usually gods, goddesses, and
heroes with unusual strengths and powers.
• Myths have a plot, setting, and characters.
• Myths are grouped according to the kind of story they tell.
ORAL TRADITION
• Passed down from generation to generation.
• Therefore, there will be variations to the same story.
• Told verbally or sung
HOMER, A BLIND POET
The Iliad
The Odyssey
• Recounts the adventures of
Odysseus, a legendary ruler from
Ithaca, a real island, located off
the west coast of the Greek
mainland.
• Recounts the tenth year of the
Trojan War, which may actually
have taken place around 1250
B.C. when the real city of Troy
was destroyed.
There’s some debate over authorship because Homer’s stories
were told for generations before they were ever written down.
ODYSSEUS SPENT 20 YEARS AWAY FROM HOME
Odysseus leaving Ithaca
Leaves with 12 ships, 720 men
Odysseus when he returns from Troy
Returns home alone, without his ships
or his men
The Odyssey is Odysseus’ ten year journey home from Troy.
THE ODYSSEY IS AN EPIC POEM, COMPOSED
AROUND 800 B.C.
• Long narrative poem
• Tells the adventures of a hero
• Reflects the past but the imaginary past
EPIC HERO
• Larger-than-life figure (yet human, so he makes mistakes)
• Usually male
• Embodies the ideas of a nation or race
• Take part in a long, dangerous adventures and accomplish great deeds that
require courage and superhuman strength.
ODYSSEUS
• Is our epic hero
• Penelope is his wife
• He is called off to fight in the Trojan war the day his son, Telemachus is born
• Athena favored Odysseus; therefore, she gave him the idea of the Trojan
horse, which ended the ten year war.
• Odysseus angered some of the gods and pleased others, but all of the gods
tested him throughout his journey.
• The Odyssey is his 10 year journey home after the Trojan war
• When he returns home, he has to prove himself
THE CRAFT OF AN EPIC POEM
Epic Simile
Epithet
• A comparison using like or as
that is extended over several
lines
• Brief, descriptive phrases that
helped to characterize a
particular person or thing
• A more elaborate, detailed simile
• Replaces the noun
• Used for emphasis
• Had the right meter or number of
syllables to fill out a line.
• Intensity of a battle
• Character’s thoughts or
feelings
Example: When the young dawn
with fingertips of rose came up in the
east… describes what?
LITERARY TERMS
Imagery—paints a picture with words, using the five senses
Allusion—reference to a famous person, piece of literature or historical event
Foreshadowing—hints or clues about what’s to come in a story
Irony—contrast between what the reader thinks and what actually is
• Situational Irony—an unexpected twist, the reader is surprised by an
action
• Dramatic—suspense, the reader knows something that a character
doesn’t
• Verbal—sarcasm, a character says something but means something else
MORE LITERARY TERMS
Conflict—struggle
• Internal conflict—man vs. self (struggle within, “should I or
shouldn’t I”)
• External conflict—man vs. man, society, nature, supernatural,
machine (struggle with an opposing force)
Characterization—how the reader learns about a character
• What a character says
• What a character does
• How a character thinks/feels
• What other characters say about him/her
• How the author describes a character
PLOT DIAGRAM
Rising Action—
conflicts along the way
Exposition—
• Characters
• Setting
• Background
Climax—
turning point
Falling action—
unraveling details
Resolution—
• Lessons learned
• Outcome