Study Guide Odyssey
Concept
Epic
Explanation
Visual
An epic
is a
LONG
Narrative
POEM
long
narrative poem
that traces
the adventures of a hero.
Hero’s Adventures
Epic
Hero
An epic hero
is
a legendary person
who represents
the goals and virtues
of an
entire nation or culture.
Odesseus = legendary person
fights for the
Goals and Virtues
of
Greek Nation
Male of Noble Birth
Characteristics
of an
Epic Hero
 The hero is a male of noble birth
 The hero is an important and
legendary person.
Important Person
has
 The hero performs courageous acts
that require superhuman strengths.
 The hero's actions determine the
fate of his people
His Actions determine FATE of his people
Epic Hero represents Values
Values
of an
Epic Hero
Odysseus represents the values of the
Greek culture such as:

Loyalty = he is faithful to his people

Courage = he faces difficult problems

Bravery = he is fearless

Determination = he has a strong will to
achieve his goals

= Determination
Persistence = he never gives up
= Persistence
Epic poems
Epic Poem
Settings
have settings
that are
huge or vast.
Land Areas around the Mediterranean Sea
Epic poems
Epic
Language
are written
using
formal tone
and
language
Sing in me Muse, and through
me tell the story of that man
skilled in all ways
contending…
Epic Poems
have a
Hero
who is on a
Quest
or
Journey
Epic poems
involve
a hero
who is on a
quest or a journey
Odysseus is a hero
who embarks on a
long journey or quest
to return to his beloved wife
and
his homeland of Ithaca.
in search
of
something of value
Quest or Journey
for
something of VALUE
Epic Hero
WINS
and
reaches
GOAL
Greek
Minstrels
The Epic Hero Wins
and
reaches his goal in the end
The epic was passed down orally
through
Greek minstrels
(traveling poets & singers)
I WIN!!!
I beat all the obstacles and made it back to
my home and my family.
Greek Minstrels – poets and singers shared
the epic poems orally.
who wandered from town to town.
The
Invocation
of the
Muse
The Invocation of the Muse
The Muses are daughters of Zeus.
They are goddesses of the fine arts who
provide creative inspiration.
Most epic poems open by stating the
theme and invoking a Muse to inspire
and instruct the poet.
Daughters of Zeus
goddesses inspire poets,
musicians, artists.
Homer
Homer was a Greek minstrel given
credit
for
orally sharing
The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Homer was blind.
Homer lived around 800 B.C.
Epic Poem tells a story about
Paris kidnapping Helen from Sparta
(a prominent city-state in ancient Greece).
The Illiad
The Greeks waged war against the Trojans.
(Troy was a city in what is now Turkey.)
The Greeks used a Trojan Horse to enter
the city of Troy and to deceive or trick
the Trojan army.
The Gods fought on both sides
at the same time.
The Greeks used a Trojan Horse to trick the
Trojans and they were successful.
CONNECTION
The Illiad
and
The Odyssey
Odysseus or Ulysses (Latin form of the
name Odysseus) was a main character in
the Illiad and the Odyssey.
The Illiad
In the Illiad, Odysseus fought the
Trojans and tricked them by using the
Trojan Horse filled with soldiers.
The Odyssey, is the epic poem about
Odysseus trying to get home to his
family. The gods told him that he would
return home for 10 years.
The Odyssey
Examples of Epithets
Epithet
Epic poems contain epithets.
An epithet
is
a descriptive word
or
phrase
attached
to the name of a person
or
thing.
Odysseus
dawn
Circe
Scylla
Poseidon
Helios
Zeus
 hot headed master
 man skilled in all was
contending
 the wanderer
 famous spearman
 sacker of cities
 master of many exploits
 man of twists and turns
 rosy-fingered dawn
 witch-goddess
 six- headed sea monster
 water god
 earth shaker
 sun god
 father of gods and men
 son of Kronos
 summoner of the clouds
Medias Res
In Medias Res
In Medias Res
(a Latin phrase which means
“into the middle of things”)
The story starts….
is a
Literary technique
used when a story
begins in the middle
rather than
the beginning.
The narrative story begins in the
middle at some crucial point in the
action.
Allusion
An allusion
is
a reference
to a
person, place, or event.
Middle
Beginning
End
Crucial Point
in the action
Allusion
Examples in the Odyssey
siren
song
narcissis
m
Achille’s
heel
 a refernce to the sirens
who tempted sailors by
signing songs. Sirens
lured sailors to wreck their
ships onto their island.
 a reference to a story
about a person named
Narcissus obsessed with
one’s looks
 a reference to a person
being vulnerable or
unprotected
 a reference to being
Tantulus
tantalized or being like
King Tantalus, who offers
something desirable then
withholds it from you.
Example of Epic Simile
Epic Simile
Epic simile
(Homeric Simile)
lengthy
Odysseus and his men blind the
Cyclops:
is a
descriptive comparison
of
two things.
"as a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or
adze / in an ice-cold bath and the metal
screeches steam / and its temper hardens
— that's the iron's strength — / so the eye
of the Cyclops sizzled round that stake!"
(9.438-41)
Homer compares the blinding the Cyclops
to a blacksmith plunging a glowing ax into
an ice-cold bath and it steams and sizzles.
Universal Themes
Man vs. Gods and Goddesses
Epic
has
Epic poems tell stories that
include universal themes.
Examples of the universal
themes in the Odyssey are:
Heroes are Formidable Leaders
of Men
Universal
Themes
 Man vs. Gods and Goddesses
 Heroes who are Formidable
Leaders of Men
 The Importance of Family
Relationships
 Fate – an event that is destined to
happen
 Justice – fairness with everyone
The Importance of
Family Relationships
Odysseus loves wife
and strives to make it
home.
Fate
an event that is destined to happen
Justice
fairness with everyone