By Homer
(not Simpson)
* Notes to make your life significantly better.
Background
 The Odyssey is a sequel (the ________book in a series).
 It is the second of Homer’s two great __________.
 Part one is called _______________.
An Ancient _____ poet
The “_____” who
composed the Iliad and the
Odyssey between ___ and
___ B.C.
Homer did not compose each
epic all at once: he told them
___________________ that
could be recited in an
evening.
_______, not Homer himself,
organized the epics in __
books.
The Iliad
 The Iliad is the story of ______________which might
actually have taken place around _______B.C.
 This poem is a tale of myth and magic, not_______.
 The gods and goddesses of ______________ are
important characters.
 They take sides in the war and
_____________________________characters.
 According to the myth, the war started this way: _____
was a prince in the city of Troy.
 ______ goddesses asked him to judge who among
them was the most________.
 Aphrodite, the___________, offered Paris a reward if
he chose__________.
 She said he could have_____, the most beautiful
woman in the world.
 However, Helen was married to__________, the King
of______, a city in Greece.
 When Paris visited Sparta, Aphrodite made Helen fall
in love with ______.
 Helen ran away with________.
 _________and his brother,_____________, led a Greek
army against Troy to bring her back.
 The war that followed is called the Trojan War after the
name______.
 The Iliad takes place during ____________ of the
Trojan War.
 Its hero is __________, a mighty Greek warrior.
 The Iliad ends with the funeral of _______, a Trojan
hero who is killed by Achilles.
 The story tells of many _________on both sides.
 One of the Greek heroes is named__________.
The Odyssey
 The Odyssey is named for____________.
 Odysseus is the King of _______, an island off the
coast of Greece.
 According to the myth, Odysseus did not want to
_______ at Troy.
 He did not want to leave his wife, _________, and his
baby son, _________________.
 Odysseus had to be _______ into joining the Greek
army.
 Once he was involved in the fighting, however, he
proved to be ________________.
 In fact, Odysseus thought of the trick that finally
________________________________ for the Greeks.
 The Odyssey is mostly about Odysseus’ adventures
_______ the Trojan War.
 In one adventure he makes an enemy of ____________,
the Sea God.
 Poseidon punishes him by ______________________
__________________________, never allowing him to
reach home.
Invocation to the Muse
 An INVOCATION is a___________________________.
 In ancient times, poets or artists would call upon a
MUSE to help them __________________________.
 A MUSE is a person or thing that inspires you to
create.
 Ancient poets, like Homer, would start their poems
with an ______________________, or a call to help
them create a great poem.
Epic Poem or Story
 An Epic Poem or story is a ______________________
_______________________________________or a long
journey.
Characteristics of an epic
 The setting is ________________________________the
world or the universe.
 The action consists of __________________________or
requiring superhuman courage.
 Supernatural forces—gods, angels, demons — interest
themselves in_________________________________.
Characteristics of the Epic Hero
 EPIC HERO - a larger-than-life hero who embodies the
values___________________________________________.
Characteristics:
 1. An epic hero is________________. He is braver,
stronger, smarter, and cleverer than an ordinary
person is.
 2. The epic hero is on a ___________________________
______________________to him or his people.
 3. The villains that try to keep the hero from his quest
are usually uglier, more evil, and more cunning than
________________________________in ordinary life.
 4. The epic hero is often of
_______________________and so possesses human
weaknesses.
 5. The ______________________________(the gods)
interferes with the human world.
Epithet
 _______________________________________________
_______________. Often seen in Homer’s Epic Poems.
 Epithets describe_________________, lineage, or
personality traits.
 Example:


Odysseus, son of Laertes
Sparkling-eyed Athena
Terms used to talk about Epics
 Poet opens by stating the_______, invokes the Muse,
and opens the narrative__________________________,
giving necessary exposition later.
 Poet includes catalogs of_________________________.
 Extended formal speeches by the main characters.
 Poet makes frequent use of___________________.
 Epic simile: an elaborate comparison, involved and
ornate. Also called the _________________________
simile.
The Greek Virtues
 All ___________were challenged to live by the virtues
set by their culture. Breaking one of the Greek virtues
meant_________________. The virtues are:
 Loyalty
 ____________________
 Respect for the gods and goddesses
 Respect for _______________________________
 Courage
Themes
 ______________________________________________________________
Respect for the gods is shown through the numerous descriptions of sacrifices
and offerings. Disrespect for the Gods inevitably leads to disaster; the Gods do
not forget disrespect and are not easily appeased. (Poseidon, Athena, Helios.)
 The Importance of __________________________
Almost every time we met someone significant the narration pauses and
we learn of the lineage.
Many "things" we see also have a lineage or history that we are given - note
Odysseus___________________________.
 Fate
Fate is preordained by a power beyond that of even the gods.
Paradoxically, it does not seem "random." A character's fate is tied up with his
“________________________“.