The Odyssey
By Homer
Epic
• Epic: a long narrative poem that tells of
the adventures of a hero who in some way
embodies the values of his civilization
• Epic hero: the hero’s primary goal is to
save his nation or its people during a time
of crisis
Myth & Archetype
• Myth: a traditional story of anonymous origin
• Symbol: an object, person, place or event that
•
has a literal meaning and a figurative meaning
Archetype: a thing, person, or pattern of
circumstances that appears repeatedly in
literature
– Ex. The evil villain, the lovesick suitor, and the fool or
themes such as the hidden treasure or the rite of
passage
Epic
• Intertwines myths, legends, and history
reflecting the values of the societies in
which it originates
• The purpose of an epic is
– To entertain, to teach, and to inspire with
examples of how people can succeed against
great odds
Epic characteristics
• The speaker is a narrator
• Setting is expansive
• There is an epic hero
• The action includes extraordinary or
superhuman deeds
• Gods or supernatural beings may take part
in the action, sometimes intervening to
affect the course of events
Purpose of an Epic Poem
• Not only to entertain, but also to teach
and inspire the listener or reader w/
examples so how people can strive and
succeed against great odds
Epic narration
• An invocation
– The poet-narrator begins by stating the tale's
subject and asking for poetic inspiration from
a guiding spirit
Epic narration
• Includes speeches by principal characters
• Narrative’s tone and style are formal
rather than conversational
• The use of figurative language makes the
narrative vivid and exciting
Structure: The way an author organizes images,
ideas, words and lines
• The Odyssey begins with an invocation
– Invocation: a request to a muse to provide
inspiration
– Muses: nine goddesses who preside over the
arts and sciences and inspire those who show
talents in these areas
• In medias res
– The narrator begins telling the tale in the
“middle of things” describing what is
happening after certain important events that
have already occurred
Homer
• Composed his works orally and recited or sang
•
•
them aloud
He could probably neither read nor write
He composed and recited his poems over 2,700
years ago
– Sometime before 700 B.C.
• Homer is believed to have been a blind bard
– Bard: someone who recited poems about heroes
Homer’s style
• Composed the Iliad and the Odyssey
• Repetition: used “formulas” for describing
people or things
– Ex. “gray-eyed Athena” to refer to the
goddess Athena
• Homeric simile (aka an epic simile)
– Extends a comparison w/ a lot of description
over several lines of verse
Trojan War/ Helen
• Began when a prince of Troy eloped with
the wife of a Greek king
• The Greeks sailed to Troy and fought with
the Trojans for 9 years
Helen of Troy
• The woman’s name was Helen
• She became infamous as Helen of Troy
• Hers was “the face that launched a
thousand ships,” according to playwright
Marlowe because all the kings of Greece
rallied to get her back
Iliad
• This epic concerns the siege and the many
individual battles that were fought by the
heroes on both sides
Trojan Horse
• 10th year of the Trojan War, the Greeks
•
•
•
tricked the enemy into bringing a colossal
wooden horse within the walls of Troy
The Trojans had no idea that Greek soldiers
were hidden inside under the command of
Odysseus
That night the Greeks emerged and opened
the city gates to a Greek army
Troy was destroyed
Odyssey
• Odysseus and the other Greeks set to
return to their kingdoms across the sea
• Here begins the tale of the Odyssey, as
sung by the blind bard, Homer
Tantulus
• Sent to the
•
•
Underworld’s region
of eternal
punishment
He stood in a pool of
water under
delicious fruit, yet
could not satisfy
hunger or thirst
Tantalize: entails
holding something
desirable just out of
reach
Sysyphus
• “Sysphean task”
• Paid eternally by
•
•
rolling a boulder uphill
Every time it reached
the top, it rolled back
down again
Sysyphus was
compelled to start
again
Midas
• “The Midas touch”:
(a gift of profiting
from whatever one
undertakes)
Named for legendary
king Midas
Granted the power to
transmute whatever
he touched to gold
Atlas
• Book of maps
• Its name was forced
from Atlas, the Titan
who supported the
heavens on his
shoulders
Titans
• Something colossal in
•
size or power (such
as a supposedly
unsinkable ship) is
said to be titanic
Comes for the Titans,
the gargantuan first
born sons of the
goddess Earth
Achilles
• A point of
•
vulnerability is an
Achilles’ heel
Mythological warrior
Achilles had been
magically protected
except for this part of
his body
Pan
• Panic: Sudden cause
•
of fear or death
Comes for the goatgod pan
Greek gods and goddesses
• Mount Olympus