Introduction to
the Odyssey
Key Ideas: The Odyssey
 The
Odyssey is an epic.
 An
epic is a long narrative poem about the
deeds of a hero.
 The
epic hero often portrays the goals and
values of the society – in this case, the
Greeks!
 Epics
are based in part on historical fact,
blending legend with truth.
Epics at a
Glance
The Epic and Epic Hero
 In
literature, the epic is a long narrative poem
about the deeds of a hero.
 The
epic hero is a larger-than-life figure who
undertakes great journeys and performs deed
requiring remarkable strength and cunning.
Epic Hero: Characteristics
 Possesses
superhuman strength, craftiness,
and confidence.
 Is
helped and harmed by interfering gods.
 Embodies
ideals and values that a culture
considers admirable.
 Emerges
victorious from perilous situations.
Common Elements of an
Epic’s Plot:
 Involves
as:




a long journey, full of complications, such
Encounters with strange creatures
Divine Intervention
Large-scale Events
Treacherous Weather
Common Epic Themes
 Courage
 The
Fate of a Nation
 A Homecoming
 Beauty
 Loyalty
 Life and Death
Homer
Homer
 There
are many theories about the blind
poet Homer, who is credited with writing
The Iliad and The Odyssey.
 Homer
is said to have lived between 900
and 700 B.C.
Oral History
 Homer’s
epics are all that remains of a
series of poems that told the whole story
of the Trojan War.
 In
later centuries, The Iliad and The
Odyssey were memorized by professional
reciters, who performed them at religious
festivals throughout Greece.
The setting for the Iliad is
the city of Troy.
Why does the Trojan War begin?
A beauty contest.
The participants were
Athena, Aphrodite,
and Hera.
And So The Story Goes…
Paris, a Prince from the city of
Troy, was the judge. The prize a golden apple inscribed
“to the fairest.”
The goddesses bribed Paris
to choose them over the
others.
And So The Story Goes…
Aphrodite’s offer was the best.
Paris chose her.
What prize did Paris receive?
The world’s most
beautiful woman -- Helen
And Troubles A’ Brewin’ Because…
Helen just happens to be
the wife of King Menelaus
of Greece.
King
Agamemnon,
the brother
of King
Menelaus,
gathers all
the Greeks
and they sail
to Troy.
Helen of Troy
later
became
known as the
“face that
launched a
thousand
ships.”
And so the Trojan War begins.
It will last for ten years.
Homer’s The Iliad

Homer’s The Iliad takes place during the tenth year of
this war.

It tells the story of the Greek warrior Achilles and his
quarrel with Menelaus’ brother Agamemnon, ending
with the death and funeral of Paris’ brother Hector.

After Hector’s death, the Greeks brought the war to
an end thanks to the cleverness of Odysseus, the ruler
of the island of Ithaca.
Homer’s The Iliad Cont.
 To
break up the ten-year war, Odysseus thought
of a scheme to make the Trojans think that the
Greeks had finally given up.
 He
ordered a giant wooden horse to be left at
the gates of Troy.
 The
Trojans, not seeing any Greeks, assumed that
the Greeks had fled and left the horse as a
peace offering.
Homer’s The Iliad Cont.
 They
took the horse inside the city, only to
find that the horse was filled with Greek
soldiers and that Troy was doomed.
The Odyssey is about the
hero Odysseus’ long trip
home to Ithaca.
His trip home
takes10 years.
Odysseus’ trip home