from the Odyssey, Part One
by Homer
translated by Robert Fitzgerald
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selection
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and
Conflict
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Writing Focus: Think as a
Reader/Writer
from the Odyssey, Part One
Introducing the Selection
What difference can a journey make
in a person’s life?
from the Odyssey, Part One
Introducing the Selection
Click on the title to start the video.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Introducing the Selection
The Odyssey is a tale of a hero’s long and dangerous
journey home.
It is also the story of a son
in need of his father and of
a faithful wife awaiting her
husband’s return.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Introducing the Selection
When we first meet Odysseus, he is a prisoner on
the goddess Calypso’s island.
Zeus sends his messenger,
Hermes, to set Odysseus
free, and the adventure
begins.
What does the angry
Poseidon, god of the sea,
have in store for our hero?
[End of Section]
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An “ordinary” hero saves children from a roaring
river or rescues people from a burning building.
You might learn about a hero on the news, or
perhaps you admire a hero in your own life.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An epic hero is larger than life, more impressive
than an ordinary human being. An epic hero
usually has these character traits:
• uncommon strength
• exceptional knowledge
• cunning (cleverness)
• courage
• daring
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An epic hero often goes on a dangerous journey or
quest of discovery.
When the hero succeeds—or fails—on that journey,
he or she does it on a grand scale.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
On the journey, the hero encounters challenges
and dangers.
The hero experiences conflict as he or she faces
forces of nature, gods, and other beings who help
or prevent the hero’s progress.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
As heroes deal with conflict after conflict, they
embody, or personify, the values of the society they
represent.
For example, a hero’s actions may show values
such as bravery, intelligence, or physical strength.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
Read the following passage.
Janya gasped as Adric staggered, then fell. The
Ogre King began a slow charge toward Adric, axe
raised.
Thinking fast, Janya threw her grappling hook
into a great oak, where it caught on a limb. She
pulled with all her might. The great tree crashed
down into the Ogre King’s path.
How does Janya represent the heroic quality of
physical strength?
Janya uses her uncommon strength to pull down a
tree.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
Read, then listen to, the following passage from
the Odyssey.
My heart beat high now at the chance of action,
and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went
along his flank to stab him where the midriff
holds the liver. I had touched the spot
when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him
we perished there as well, for we could never
move his ponderous doorway slab aside.
So we were left to groan and wait for morning.
In
your
words, describe
whatthe
is happening
How
do own
Odysseus’s
actions show
value of in
intelligence?
this
passage.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
As you read the Odyssey, think about
• the conflicts Odysseus
faces
• how he overcomes these
conflicts
• the decisions and actions
that make him a hero
[End of Section]
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
With long, complex works such as epics, it can be
difficult to keep track of characters and events.
When you read a long work, try these reading
strategies:
• paraphrasing
• summarizing
• asking questions
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
If you are reading a complex passage, try
paraphrasing.
Restate the content, but
use your own words.
Act as if you’re telling
a friend about what
has just happened in
the story.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Read the following passage and restate the
content in your own words.
For two days, Argent rode with his
news across the grasslands to the
foothills of the north. As his horse
slowed to climb the rocky pass,
Argent surveyed the landscape. The
bushes and trees clung to the rocks
like men huddling about a fire.
Argent, who has news to deliver, rode across the
grasslands on his horse, finally reaching the
foothills.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Read, then listen to, the following passage from
the Odyssey.
Then I sent out two picked men and a runner
to learn what race of men that land sustained.
They fell in, soon enough, with Lotus Eaters,
who showed no will to do us harm, only
offering the sweet Lotus to our friends—
but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus,
never cared to report, nor to return:
they longed to stay forever, browsing on
that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.
Paraphrase the excerpt.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
To be sure you are following the sequence of
events, summarize, or briefly note each event, in
the order it occurred.
First, Odysseus
sent three men to
find out who lived
on the island.
Then the men met the
Lotus Eaters.
The men ate the Lotus
plant and forgot about
home.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Ask questions to monitor your comprehension.
Why couldn’t the
men remember
their home?
What did the
men eat?
How did they
leave the land of
the Lotus Eaters?
from the Odyssey, Part One
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Into Action: As you read, use the 5W-How?
questions to make sure you understand the epic.
• Who are the main characters?
• What has happened so far, and
what might happen next?
• Where and when are the events
taking place?
• Why are the events happening?
• How does the epic hero use his
talents to resolve the conflict?
[End of Section]
from the Odyssey, Part One
Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer
Find It in Your Reading
As you read, write down what you learn about
Odysseus.
Is he . . .
• noble or selfish?
• wise or foolish?
• arrogant or humble?
[End of Section]
Vocabulary
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
adversity n.: hardship; great misfortune.
formidable adj.: awe-inspiring by reason of
excellence; strikingly impressive.
profusion n.: large supply; abundance.
adversary n.: enemy; opponent.
tumult n.: commotion; uproar; confusion.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
When people are faced with adversity in their
lives, they may respond in a variety of ways.
Great misfortune might
cause one person to
become discouraged.
Another person, however,
might become motivated
to rise above the hardship.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which of the following would be an inappropriate
response to adversity in a friend’s life?
enthusiasm
concern
thoughtfulness
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which of the following would be an inappropriate
response to adversity in a friend’s life?
Because adversity is related
to great misfortune,
enthusiasm would be an
inappropriate response.
enthusiasm
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
If you face a formidable opponent, you likely have
respect for his or her skill.
A formidable opponent
has strikingly impressive
skills that may lead to
your defeat.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Would you want a formidable player on your team?
Why or why not?
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Would you want a formidable player on your team?
Why or why not?
You would likely want a
formidable player on
your team. His or her
awe-inspiring abilities
would help your team
tremendously.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
If a store’s owner orders too much merchandise,
she may be left with a profusion of products that
she cannot sell.
She may have to ship the
abundance of unsold
products back to their
manufacturers.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which image shows a profusion of gumballs?
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which image shows a profusion of gumballs?
This image shows a large
supply, or profusion, of
gumballs.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Adversaries at work, Adam and Delia often
competed for the most interesting projects.
Tired of their acting like opponents, their boss
required them to work together.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Is adversary used correctly in the following
sentence?
Paolo embraced an
adversary, or close
friend, after the soccer
match.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Is adversary used correctly in the following
sentence?
Paolo embraced an
adversary, or close
friend, after the soccer
match.
An adversary is an enemy or opponent, so Paolo
would not embrace an adversary after the match.
Adversary is not used correctly in this sentence.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
On your first visit to Manhattan’s Grand Central
Station, you might become confused by the tumult
of rushing travelers and announcements.
When the train station
becomes especially busy at
rush hour, the uproar can be
astonishingly confusing.
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which scene would most likely result in a tumult?
a. a lone man watching his favorite team on TV
b. a judge reading a controversial decision to a
packed courthouse
c. a couple watching a scary movie
from the Odyssey, Part One
Vocabulary
Which scene would most likely result in a tumult?
a. a lone man watching his favorite team on TV
b. a judge reading a controversial decision to a
packed courthouse
c. a couple watching a scary movie
The End