English 1 CP
Journal
 Write a list of what makes a person or character heroic.
Try to come up with at least 10 items. You may also
write in paragraph form if you wish.
Key Terms
 An odyssey is an extended adventurous voyage or trip
 An epic poem is a long narrative poem about
 important events in the history or folklore of a culture
 the incredible deeds and adventures of a hero
 An epic hero is the larger-than-life central character in an
epic poem
 Many epics begin in medias res, or “in the middle of
things,” meaning that much of the important action in the
story occurred before the point at which the poem begins
 Therefore, the adventures are often recounted in
flashback, a scene that interrupts the sequence of events
to relate earlier events
More Detail:
Epic Poem
Epic Hero
 Based on historical
fact, legend and truth
 Gods/goddesses help
and harass the hero
 Hero reflects goals and
values of society
 Taught lessons to
listeners/readers
 Better than everyone
(strength, courage,
endurance)
 Pride in reputation
 Love for family/homeland
 Forceful leader
Historical and Cultural Context
 The backdrop of details of the time and place in which the
Whenis
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setread
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another
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 Specific events, beliefs, and customs
background and prior
 The
Odysseytotells
thethe
story of the Trojan War, when the
knowledge
analyze
Greeks
fought
(Turkey)
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historical
and
culturalWar
context.
 Trojan
started because Paris kidnapped Helen –
her husband is Menelaus
Historical/Cultural Detail
Background
Analysis
“Now Zeus the lord of the cloud
roused in the north a storm
against the ships…”
Zeus is king of the
gods in Greek
mythology
The Odyssey reflects
a belief that the gods
participate actively in
the lives of mortals
Homer
 Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey (The Iliad is a story of war,
while the Odyssey takes place after)
 Collected stories around 800 B.C.
 In oral poetic competitions, Greek minstrels sang
stories set to music
 Stories were told and listened to more than they were
read; they were not written down
 Did he exist?
 He was blind
 May have been the greatest in a long line of Greek epic
storytellers/collectors
The Odyssey
 Recounts Odysseus’ (epic hero) difficulties while trying to




go home
Odysseus ventures home after 10 years of fighting in the
Trojan War
Story begins 10 more years after the end of the war (in
medias res; often told in flashbacks)
No one has heard anything about Odysseus since he left 20
years ago
When Odysseus is away, many men begin to vie for his
wife, Penelope
 Odysseus and Penelope also have a son, Telemachus,
who is 20 years old
Map of Odysseus’ Travels
Odysseus’ journey takes so long because the gods,
including Poseidon (god of the sea) punish him
and interfere with his travels
Need a better visual?
 Troy
 No, we are not going to watch the whole movie