The Odyssey
By Homer
Name:
Period:
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Myths, Heroes, and Journeys
What is a myth?
How are myths first passed from generation to generation?
What American myths are you familiar with? Do you have any family myths?
What Greek myths are you familiar with?
What characteristics do you believe a person should possess to be considered a hero?
What is a journey? What is the purpose of a journey? Are there characteristics that all journeys
follow?
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While reading the article, please use your ten post-its to jot down
interesting or important facts about The Odyssey, Homer, and the
time period in which he lived.
An Introduction to The Odyssey | David Adams Leeming, author
Almost three thousand years ago, people who lived in the starkly beautiful parts of the
world we now call Greece were telling stories about a great war. The person credited with later
gathering all these stories together and telling them as one unified epic is a man named Homer.
Homer’s great war stories are called, in English, The Iliad and The Odyssey.
Homer’s stories probably can be traced to historical struggles for control of the
waterway leading from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. These real
battles would have taken place as early as 1200 B.C.—a time that was at least as long ago for
Homer’s audience as the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock is for us.
Homer’s first epic was The Iliad, which tells of a ten-year war fought on the plains
outside the walls of a great city called Troy (also known as Ilion). The ruins of Troy can still be
seen in western Turkey. In Homer’s story the Trojan War was fought between the people of
Troy and an alliance of Greek kings (at that time each island and area of the Greek mainland
had its own king). The Iliad tells us that the cause of the war was sexual jealousy: The world’s
most beautiful woman, Helen, abandoned her husband, Menelaus, a Greek king, and ran off
with Paris, a prince of Troy.
The Odyssey, Homer’s second epic, is the story of one Greek soldier, Odysseus, to get
home after the Trojan War.
All epics in the Western world owe something to the basic patterns established by these
two stories.
EPICS AND VALUES
Epics are long narrative poems that tell of the adventure of heroes who in some way
embody the values of their civilizations. The Greeks for centuries used The Iliad and The
Odyssey in schools to teach Greek virtues. So it is not surprising that later cultures that admired
the Homeric epics created their own epics, imitating Homer’s style but conveying their own
value systems.
Still, for all the epics written since Homer’s time and for all the ones composed before it,
when we think of the word epic, we think primarily of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Rome’s
Aeneid, France’s Song of Roland, Italy’s Divine Comedy, the ancient Sumerian tale of Gilgamesh,
India’s Mahabharata and Ramayana, Mali’s Sundiata—all are great stories in epic tradition. But
to discover the heart of that tradition, we need to examine Homer’s epics.
The Iliad is the primary model for the epic of war. The Odyssey is the model for the epic
of the long journey. The theme of the journey has been basic in Western literature—it is found
in fairy tales, in novels such as The Incredible Journey, Moby Dick, and The Hobbit, and in such
movies as The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, The Lion King, and Forrest Gump. Thus, The Odyssey has
been more widely read of Homer’s two great stories.
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THE WAR-STORY BACKGROUND: VIOLENCE AND BRUTALITY
The background for Odysseus’ story is found in The Iliad, which is set in the tenth and
final year of the Trojan War.
According to The Iliad, the Greeks attacked Troy to avenge the insult suffered by
Menelaus, king of Sparta, when his wife, Helen, ran off with Paris, a young prince of Troy. The
Greek kings banded together under the leadership of Agamemnon, the brother of Menelaus. In
a thousand ships, the sailed across the Aegean Sea and encircle the walled city of Troy.
The audience of The Odyssey would have known this war story. Listeners would have
known that the Greeks were eventually victorious, that they gained entrance to Troy, reduced
the city to smoldering ruins, and butchered all the inhabitants, except for those they took as
slaves back to Greece. They would have known all about the greatest of the Greek warriors,
Achilles, who was to die young in the final year of the war. The audience would probably have
heard other epic poems (now lost) that told of the homecomings of the various Greek heroes
who survived the war. They would especially have known about the homecoming of
Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces, who was murdered by his unfaithful wife when he
returned from Troy.
Finally, Homer’s listeners might well have been particularly fascinated by another
homecoming story—this one about a somewhat unusual hero, known as much for his brain as
for his brawn. In fact, many legends had already grown up around this hero, whose name was
Odysseus. He was the subject of Homer’s new epic, The Odyssey.
ODYSSEUS: A HERO IN TROUBLE
In Homer’s day heroes were thought of as a special class of aristocrats. They were
placed somewhere between the gods and ordinary human beings. Heroes experienced pain and
death, but they were always sure of themselves, always “on top of the world.”
Odysseus is different. He is a hero in trouble. We can relate to Odysseus because we
share with him a sense of being somehow lost in a world with difficult choices. Like Odysseus,
we have to cope with unfair authority figures. Like him, we have to work very hard to get what
we want.
The Odyssey is a story marked by melancholy and a feeling of postwar disillusionment.
Odysseus was a great soldier in the war, but his war record is not of interest to the monsters
that populate his world of wanderings. Even the people of his home island, Ithaca, seem to lack
respect for him. It is as if society was saying to the returning hero, “You were a great soldier
once—or so they say—but times have changed. This is a difficult world, and we have more
important things to think about than your record.”
In the years before the great war, Odysseus had married the beautiful and ever-faithful
Penelope, one of several very strong women in the man’s world of the Greek epic. (One critic,
Robert Graves, was so impressed by the unusual importance of women and home and hearth in
The Odyssey that he believed Homer to be a woman.)
Penelope and Odysseus had one son, Telemachus. He was still a toddler when Odysseus
was called by Agamemnon and Menelaus to join them in the war against Troy. But Odysseus
was a homebody. He preferred not to go to war, especially a war fought for an unfaithful
woman. Even though he was obligated under a treaty to go, Odysseus tried draft-dodging. It is
said that when Agamemnon and Menelaus came to fetch him, he pretended to be insane and
acted as if he did not recognize his visitors. Instead of entertaining them, he dressed as a
peasant and began plowing the field and sowing it with salt. But the “draft board” was smarter
than Odysseus. They threw his baby, Telemachus, in front of his oncoming plow.
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Odysseus revealed his sanity by quickly turning the plow aside to avoid running over his
son.
THE WOODEN-HORSE TRICK
Once in Troy, Odysseus performed extremely well as a soldier and commander. It was
he, for example, who thought of the famous wooden-horse trick that would lead to the
downfall of Troy. For ten years the Greeks had been fighting the Trojans, but they were fighting
outside Troy’s massive walls. They had been unable to break through the walls and enter the
city. Odysseus’ plan was to build an enormous wooden horse and hide a few Greek soldiers
inside its hollow belly. After the horse was built, the Greeks pushed it up to the gates of Troy
and withdrew their armies, so that their camp appeared to be abandoned. Thinking that the
Greeks had given up the fight and that the horse was a peace offering, the
Trojans brought the horse into their city. That night, the Greeks hidden inside the
wooden body came out, opened the gates of Troy to the whole Greek army, and began the
battle that was to win the war.
THE ANCIENT WORLD AND OURS
The world of Odysseus was harsh, a world familiar with violence. In a certain sense
Odysseus and his men act like pirates on their journey home. They think nothing of entering a
town and carrying off all its worldly goods. The “worldly goods” in an ancient city might only
have pots and pans and cattle and sheep. The “palaces” the Greeks raided might have been
little more than elaborate mud and stone farmhouses. Yet, in the struggles of Odysseus,
Penelope, and Telemachus in the their “primitive” society that had little in common with the
high Athenian culture that would develop several centuries later, there is something that has a
great deal to do with us.
A SEARCH FOR THEIR PLACES IN LIFE
Odysseus and his family are people searching for the right relationships with one
another and with the people around them. They want to find their proper places in life. It is this
theme that sets the tone for The Odyssey and determines the unusual way in which the poem is
structured.
Instead of beginning at the beginning with Odysseus’ departure from Troy, the story
begins with his son, Telemachus. Telemachus is now twenty years old. He is threatened by
rude, powerful men swarming his own home, pressuring his mother to marry one of them.
These men are bent on robbing Telemachus of his inheritance. Telemachus is a young man who
needs his father, the one person who can put things right at home.
Meanwhile, we hear that his father is stranded on an island, longing to find a way to get
back to his wife, child, and home. It is ten years since Odysseus sailed from Troy, twenty years
since he left Ithaca to fight in Troy. While Telemachus is in search of his father, Odysseus is in
search of a way out of what we might today call his midlife crisis. He is searching for inner
peace, for a way to reestablish a natural balance in his life. The quests of father and son provide
a framework for the poem and bring us into it as well—because we all are in search of our real
identities, our true selves.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GODS
This brings us to mythic and religious questions in The Odyssey. Myths are stories that
use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms. Myths
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are essentially religious because they are concerned with the relationship between human
beings and the unknown or spiritual realm.
As you will see, Homer is always concerned with the relationship between humans and
gods. Homer is religious: For him, the gods control all things. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is
always at the side of Odysseus. This is appropriate because Odysseus is known for his mental
abilities. Thus, in Homer’s stories a god can be an alter ego, a reflection of a hero’s best or
worst qualities. The god who works against Odysseus is Poseidon, the god of the sea, who is
known for arrogance and a certain brutishness. Odysseus himself can be violent and cruel, just
as Poseidon is.
WHO WAS HOMER?
No one knows for sure who Homer was. The later Greeks believed he was a blind
minstrel who came from the island of Chios. Some scholars feel there must have been two
Homers; some think he was just a legend. But scholars have also argued about whether a man
called Shakespeare ever existed. It is almost as if they were saying that Homer and
Shakespeare are too good to be true. On the whole, it seems sensible to take the word of the
Greeks themselves. We cannot least accept the existence of Homer as a model for a class of
wandering bards or minstrels later called rhapsodes.
These rhapsodes, or “singers of tales,” were the historians and entertainers as well as
the myth-makers of their time. There was probably no written history in Homer’s day. There
were certainly no movies and no television, and the Greeks had nothing like a Bible or a book of
religious stories. So it was that the minstrels traveled about from community to community
singing of recent events or of the doings of heroes, gods, and goddesses. It is as if the author of
the Book of Kings in the Bible, the writer of a history of World War II, and a famous pop singer
were combined in one person. Homer’s people saw no conflict among religion, history, and
good fun.
HOW WERE EPICS TOLD?
Scholars have found that oral epic poets are still composing today in Eastern Europe and
other parts of the world. These scholars suggest that stories like The Iliad and The Odyssey were
originally told aloud by people who could not read and write. The stories were composed orally
according to a basic story line. But most of the actual words were improvised— made up on the
spot—in a way that fit a particular rhythm or meter. The singers of these stories had to be very
talented, and they had to work very hard. They also needed an audience that could listen
closely.
We can see from this why there is so much repetition in the Homeric epics. The oral
storyteller, in fact, had a store of formulas for describing the arrival and greeting of guests, the
eating of meals, and the taking of baths. He knew formulas for describing the sea (it is always
“wine-dark”) and for describing Athena (she is always “grey-eyed Athena”). Formulas such as
these had another advantage: They gave the singer and his audience some breathing time. The
audience could relax for a moment and enjoy a familiar and memorable passage, while the
singer could think ahead to the next part of his story.
When we think about the audience that listened to these stories, we can also
understand the value of the extended comparisons that we call Homeric or heroic similes
today. These similes compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable
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everyday events—events the audience would recognize instantly. For example, at one point in
The Iliad, Athena prevents an arrow from striking Menelaus. The singer compares the goddess’s
actions to an action that every listener would have been familiar with:
She brushed it away from his skin as lightly as when a mother
Brushes a fly away from her child who is lying in sweet sleep.
Epic poets such as Homer would come to a city and would go through a part of their
repertory while there. A story as long as The Odyssey (11,300 lines) could not be told at one
sitting such as Homer would come to a city and would go through a part of their repertory while
there. We have to assume that if the singer had only a few days in the town, he would
summarize some of his story told to us, but that his time is limited. We’ll also assume that the
audience, before retiring at the end of each performance, wants to talk about the stories
they’ve just heard. You are now part of that audience.
A LIVE PERFORMANCE
What was it like to hear a live performance of The Odyssey? We can guess what it was
like because there are many instances in the epic itself in which traveling singers appear and
sing their tales. In the court of the Phaeacian king, Alcinous, in Book 8, for instance, there is a
particularly wonderful singer who must make us wonder if the blind Homer is talking about
himself. Let’s picture the setting of a performance before we start the story.
Imagine a large hall full of people who are freshly bathed, rubbed with fine oils, and
draped in clean tunics. Imagine the smell of meat being cooked over charcoal, the sound of
voices. Imagine the wine being freely poured, the flickering reflections of the great cooking
fires, and the torches that light the room. A certain anticipation hangs in the air. It is said that
the blind minstrel Homer is in the city and that he has new stories about that long war in Troy.
Will he appear and entertain tonight?
(Text excerpted from Elements of Literature: Course 3)
PLEASE PUT YOUR POST-ITS BELOW
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Characteristics of an Epic & its Hero
Characteristics of an Epic
The Odyssey
The hero is important and glorified.
On a quest or long and dangerous journey:
During this time the hero shows his strength and
cunning.
The setting of an epic is large in scale.
Odysseus is a king and a respected chieftain.
The Odyssey describes Odysseus’ ten-year
journey.
Supernatural beings and events play a role in epic
affairs.
The gods and goddesses of Greek mythology are
key characters in The Odyssey.
The style of an epic is formal and grand. This
style fits the importance of its subject.
Some of the translation that we will read
preserves the poetic structure of the ancient
Greek.
The Odyssey begins when Odysseus is nearly
home.
Odysseus wanders the entire Mediterranean area
and even visits the underworld.
The action of an epic starts in medias res, “in the
middle of things,” rather than at the true
beginning of the story.
Traits of an Epic Hero
1. There is something EXTRAORDINARY about the hero’s BIRTH and/or CHILDHOOD.
2. The hero faces OPPOSITION or CHALLENGES of some sort where he must prove himself
in some way.
3. The hero has an ENEMY or ENEMIES. These may have a variety of forms, human or
divine, natural or supernatural. At least one of his enemies is often a MONSTER so some
sort. Also, a JEALOUS WOMAN is often involved.
4. A HELPER or HELPERS of some kind usually aid the hero. These may be human or divine,
natural or supernatural, animal or monster.
5. The hero must overcome an OBSTACLE or OBSTACLES that may include completing
seemingly impossible tasks or labors, or undertaking a QUEST.
6. Sometimes, although not always, there is a TABOO to be avoided, such as “Don’t look
back,” “Don’t ask questions,” or “Don’t eat anything while you are there.”
7. Sometimes there is special KNOWLEDGE that must be acquired.
8. The hero succeeds, and at the end there is a special REWARD that he receives. This reward
may be the hand of a fair maiden or princess, a kingdom for him to rule, great wealth or all of
the above. Rewards sometimes include spiritual enlightenment, purification, or even
immortality.
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How does Odysseus fit the epic hero profile?
Epic Hero Cycle | Odysseus’s journey
In an epic, the journey typically follows the same cycle. Please track Odysseus’s
epic journey as we read excerpts from the epic poem.
Example from The Odyssey
Element
1. The main character is a hero,
who is often possessed (or
appears to be possessed) with
supernatural abilities or qualities.
2. The hero is charged with a
quest.
3. The hero is tested, often to
prove the worthiness of himself
and his quest.
4. The presence of numerous
mythical beings, magical and
helpful animals, and human
helpers and companions.
5. The hero’s travels take him to a
supernatural world, often one
that normal human beings are
barred from entering.
6. The cycle must reach a low
point where the hero nearly gives
up his quest or appears defeated.
7. A resurrection.
8. Restitution: Often this takes the
form of the hero regaining his
rightful place on the throne
I did all of
that?!
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THE MODERN-DAY EPIC HERO CYCLE
The Epic Hero Cycle, while an ancient concept, continues in literature, both written and visual, today.
The following is a list of epic hero films that follow the epic hero cycle. This is by no means an all
encompassing list, so if you come up with another film title that you want to use, please see me.
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Aliens Series*
Avatar
Brave
Braveheart*
The Dark Knight Trilogy
Finding Nemo
Forrest Gump
Gladiator*
Harry Potter Series
The Hunger Games
Indiana Jones Series
Ironman Trilogy
The Lion King
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Matrix Trilogy*
Mission Impossible Series
The Patriot*
Percy Jackson Series
Pirates of the Caribbean
Star Wars Trilogy
Saving Private Ryan*
Shrek Series
Spiderman Series
Titanic
Toy Story Trilogy
Wall-E
The Wizard of Oz
*Rated R – Parental permission is required to view these films.
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NAME:
Element
PERIOD:
Example from ______________________
1. The main character is a hero,
who is often possessed (or
appears to be possessed) with
supernatural abilities or qualities.
2. The hero is charged with a
quest.
3. The hero is tested, often to
prove the worthiness of himself
and his quest.
4. The presence of numerous
mythical beings, magical and
helpful animals, and human
helpers and companions.
5. The hero’s travels take him to a
supernatural world, often one
that normal human beings are
barred from entering.
6. The cycle must reach a low
point where the hero nearly gives
up his quest or appears defeated.
7. A resurrection.
8. Restitution: Often this takes the
form of the hero regaining his
rightful place on the throne
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The Odyssey Vocabulary
Please master the following list of vocabulary on Vocabulary.com. You will get credit for your mastery
of the list.
Intro / New Coasts / Lotus Eaters
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Circe
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epic
excerpts
hubris
formidable
guile / cunning
gale
wail
Cyclopes
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foe
prodigious
rogue
appalled
ponderous
profusion
sage
breach
adversary
fawn
glade
stealth
snare
vile
foreboding
succumb
doting
disconsolate
parched
pang
Sea Perils and Defeat
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abominably
contender
chaos
avail
scourge
The Return of Odysseus
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abyss
dissemble
glowering
haughty
incredulity
revelry
ruses
“I am Odysseus”
Odysseus reveals himself to the Phaeacians in the following excerpt:
“How shall I start and end my tale? First let me give you my name, so you all know, and
if I escape from pitiless fate later, I will play host to you, though I live far off. I am
Odysseus, Laertes’ son, known to all for my stratagems, and my fame has reached the
heavens. My home is under Ithaca’s clear skies: our Mount Neriton, clothed with
whispering forest is visible from afar: and clustered round it are many isles, Dulichium
and Same and wooded Zacynthus. Ithaca itself lies low in the sea, furthest towards the
west, while the others are separate, towards the dawn and the rising sun. It’s a rugged
land, but nurtures fine young men: and speaking for myself I know nothing sweeter than
one’s own country. Calypso, the lovely goddess, kept me there in her echoing caves,
because she wished me for her husband, and in the same way Circe, the Aeaean witch,
detained me in her palace, longing to make me hers: but they failed to move my heart.
Surely nothing is sweeter than a man’s own parents and country, even though he lives in
a wealthy house, in a foreign land far from those parents.”
From this speech, how would you describe Odysseus’
personality/mannerisms?
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Let’s Boast – “I am Odysseus”
Objective: To identify and employ elevated language as a quality of an epic / Build tone and
delivery skills of an informal speech
Background: After dining with the Phaeacian’s, Odysseus is moved to tears when the blind poet
sings of the Trojan War. King Alcinous asks Odysseus what troubles him and he reveals who he
is and describes his travels during “The Odyssey” (156-157).
Greeks spoke in elevated language making their life story “larger than life.”
Give it a whirl: We want you to have the opportunity to demonstrate your greatness and boast
about your life story, chores, etc.
Here is a student example of elevated/boasting language
I, Ann Marie, Daughter of Michael the Great and Sheila the
Perfectionist,
Hail from the land of Ambler Woods
Where I must endure to annoyingness of Jonathan,
The young god of trouble and pestering.
I escape his festering, gnat-like ways in the kitchen
A culinary enchantress, I am known for
Tantalizing stomachs around the globe.
Chores – Taking out the trash
I am the taker of refuse from the castle to the curb
Where the monstrous beast carries it off to distant lands
Walking the dog
I am the walker of the furry beast who barks at shadows
As he spritzes the earth with adoration
Playing basketball
The bleachers holler my name as I pound the floorboards
I am the goddess of the court, sinking orange balls of fire
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Here is Mrs. Small’s example of elevated/boasting language:
Mrs. Small => Let’s Boast!
I, Mrs. Small, daughter of Sandra the Strong and Paul the Musician,
Hail from the farmland of Upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
I am wife of funny-man Jordan the computer nerd,
Mother of Kaitlyn the stubborn and creative,
and Liam the hilarious and messy.
Master dog-walker, stinky diaper changer, and healthy meal maker,
I hold my family together with my mad multi-tasking skills.
Reader of literature and watcher of television, I am the champion of pop-culture
events.
I am the writer of blogs, expert-gift giver, and party-planning champion.
Designer of lessons, super-fast grader, and whole puncher extraordinaire,
I create a calm and open atmosphere in the classroom of which I am Queen.
I am Mrs. Small, Daughter, Wife, Mother, Teacher, Friend,
Goddess of my work and home realms!
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Your try:
Use the space below to brainstorm for your boasting
speech.
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My Personal Odyssey
This is an activity to accompany our study of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.
Please follow the directions below to present your personal odyssey.
DIRECTIONS
1. List at least three personal goals. These may be short-term or long-term.
They may pertain to travel, material possessions, occupations, or other
accomplishments.
2. Draw an island. This will be your metaphorical Ithaca.
3. As Odysseus was striving to reach his homeland, you are striving to reach
some goal, as well. Name the island (select one goal).
4. Draw a thick vertical line on the left side of your island. This line represents
the barriers that may prevent you from reaching your island (goal).
5. To the left of the barrier list all the people and forces that may impede your
progress.
6. Above the island, list all the people and forces that may help you overcome
these obstacles and enable you to reach your goal.
Use the outline produced from steps 1-6 to compose the following:
A. Create a title for your overall piece. In one paragraph, summarize your
journey. Recount your narrative as if it has already taken place (past
tense).
B. In three to four paragraphs, describe, in vivid detail, one episode of your
journey. Create a title for this episode. These paragraphs should also be
in past tense.
Final narrative must be typed.
BE PREPARED TO EXPLAIN (NOT READ) YOUR NARRATIVE TO THE
CLASS. Your map should be ready to project in front of the class.
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KEYSTONE EXPOSITORY SCORING GUIDELINES – PERSONAL ODYSSEY
Scoring Doman
Distinguished (2)
 Establishes and
sustains a precise
idea/thesis
 Displays a clear
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Proficient (1.5)
 Establishes a
controlling idea/thesis
 Displays an
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Apprentice (1)
 Provides an
inconsistent idea/thesis
 Displays a limited
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Novice (.5)
 Provides vague or
indistinct idea/thesis
Displays a minimal
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Distinguished (6)
 Provides relevant
content and specific and
effective supporting
details that demonstrate a
clear understanding of
purpose
 Chooses sophisticated
organizational strategies
appropriate for task,
purpose, and audience
 Uses sophisticated
transitional words,
phrases, and clauses to
link ideas and create
cohesion
 Includes a clear and
well-defined introduction,
body, and conclusion that
support or reinforce the
argument
Distinguished (2)
Proficient (4.5)
 Provides relevant
content and effective
supporting details
Apprentice (3)
 Provides insufficient
content and ineffective
supporting details
Novice (1.5)
 Provides minimal
content
 Chooses appropriate
organizational strategies
for task, purpose, and
audience
 Uses transitional words,
phrases, and clauses to
link ideas
 Includes a clear
introduction, body, and
conclusion that support
the argument
 Displays some
evidence of organizational
strategies
 May use simplistic
and/or illogical transitional
expressions
 May not include an
introduction, body, and/or
conclusion
 Displays little evidence
of organizational
strategies
 Uses few or no
transitional expressions to
link ideas
 May not include an
identifiable introduction,
body, and/or conclusion
Novice (.5)
Incomplete (0)
Style
 Uses consistently
precise language and a
wide variety of sentence
structures
 Chooses an effective
style and tone, and
maintains a consistent
point of view
 Uses precise language
and a variety of sentence
structures
 Chooses an appropriate
style and tone, and a
point of view
 Uses imprecise
language and a limited
variety of sentence
structures
 May choose an
inappropriate style or
tone, and may shift point
of view
 Uses simplistic or
repetitious language and
sentence structures
 Demonstrates little or
no understating of tone or
point of view
Conventions
 Writer makes few errors
and errors do not interfere
with reader understanding
 Writer makes few errors
and errors seldom
interfere with reader
understanding
 Demonstrates control of
standard English
grammar and usage
 Demonstrates control of
standard English
capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates control of
sentence formation
 Writer makes errors
and errors may interfere
with reader understanding
 Writer makes errors
and errors often interfere
with reader understanding
 Demonstrates limited
or inconsistent of
standard English
grammar and usage
 Demonstrates limited
or inconsistent of
standard English
capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates limited or
inconsistent of sentence
formation
 Demonstrates minimal
control of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates minimal
control of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates minimal
control of sentence
formation
 Uses repetitious
language and sentence
structures
 Demonstrates no
understating of style, tone
or point of view
OR
 Does not respond to
prompt
 Writer makes errors
and errors consistently
interfere with reading
understanding
 Demonstrates little or
no control of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates little or
no control of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates little or
no control of sentence
formation
Thesis/Focus
Content
Organization
 Demonstrates
command of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates
command of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates
command of sentence
formation
Proficient (1.5)
Apprentice (1)
Incomplete (0)
 Provides no evidence of
a controlling idea/thesis
 Displays no
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
OR
 Does not respond to the
prompt
Incomplete (0)
 Provides little to no
content
OR
 Does not respond to the
prompt
 Displays no evidence of
organizational strategies
 Does not use
transitions to link ideas
 Does not include an
identifiable introduction,
body, and/or conclusion
OR
 Does not respond to
prompt
TOTAL: ___/18
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20
Name:______________________________________ Period:__________
Hatboro-Horsham Oral Presentation Rubric – Personal Odyssey
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
Distinguished (1)
Proficient (.75)
Basic (.5)
Focus
 Demonstrates clear
purpose and the ability to
stay on topic.
 Demonstrates a purpose
but unable to stay on
topic.
 Purpose is inconsistent
throughout/difficult to
follow.
Distinguished (3)
Proficient (2.25)
Content
 Demonstrates
comprehensive
knowledge of topic.
 Sophisticated analysis;
develops ideas with
supporting details that are
specific.
 Makes no omissions or
errors.
 Demonstrates proficient
knowledge of topic.
 Shows adequate
understanding of the
topic and explains with
detail.
 Makes few errors or
omissions.
 Demonstrated basic
knowledge of topic.
 Show minimal
understanding of the
details of the topic.
 Many errors and/or
omissions.
 Does not demonstrate
knowledge of topic.
Organization
 Well organized and
thoroughly supports
focus.
.
 Organized and
moderately supports
focus.
 Organization is limited
and/or lacks clarity.
 Presentation lacks
organization.
Basic (1.5)
Below Basic (0)
 No clear purpose.
Below Basic (0)
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Distinguished (2)
Proficient (1.5)
Basic (1)
Presenter Engagement
with the Audience
 Use of direct eye contact
for entire presentation.
 Consistently engages the
audience through
appropriate levels of
emotion throughout.
 Does not need to rely on
notes for prompting
 Use of direct eye contact
most of the time.
 Engages the audience
through appropriate
levels of emotion most of
the time.
 Relies on notes for
prompting only.
 Minimal eye contact
with audience.
 Inconsistently engages
the audience through
appropriate levels of
emotion.
 Often reads from notes.
 No eye contact.
 Does not engage the
audience through
appropriate levels of
emotion throughout.
 Entirely read from
notes
Below Basic (0)
Language/Clarity
 Advanced use of
grammar and vocabulary.
 All words are pronounced
correctly.
 No use of filler words (like,
you know, etc.).
 Basic use of grammar
and vocabulary.
 Seldom are words
pronounced correctly.
 Significant use of filler
words (like, you know,
etc.).
 Below basic use of
grammar and
vocabulary.
 Distracting use of filler
words (like, you know,
etc.)
Voice/Volume/Rate
 Always speaks with
clarity
 Volume is at a level where
audience can easily hear
throughout.
 Pace is appropriate.
 Proficient use of
grammar and
vocabulary.
 Most words are
pronounced correctly.
 Minimal use of filler
words (like, you know,
etc.).
 Speaks with clarity most
of the time.
 Volume is at a level
where audience can
hear most of the time.
 Sometimes speaks
with clarity.
 Volume is inconsistent;
audience struggles to
hear.
 Pace is inconsistent.
 Does not speak clearly
or is not easily heard.
 Speaker is inaudible.
VISUAL ENHANCEMENT
Distinguished (1)
Visual
Enhancement
 Creatively uses high
quality visuals/ media/
technology that clearly
supports and enhances
the presentation.
Proficient (.75)
 Uses Visuals/media/
technology that support
the presentation.
Basic (.5)
Below Basic (0)
 Uses visuals/media/
technology that
provides limited support
of the presentation.
 No use of
visuals/media/technolo
gy to support the
presentation.
TOTAL: ____/14
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The Odyssey – The “EPIC” Writing Assessment
2-3 pages
Theme Connections and Life Lessons
The Odyssey by Homer is more than 3,000 years old, yet you may now see how the story
has lasted so long. To be sure you understand how it has come this far, you are to write a
reflective paper based on all of the items below.
Part One: in your introduction, use some of the most striking parts from the
documentary shown in class and how it relates to the story and real life. Next, use this
point coupled with one of the life lessons to help set up your paper.
Part Two: Select a part of the story that helps you compare and contrast and make some
of these points. Write paragraphs that include an example of TWO of the following
themes of the poem and connect it to ‘life lessons’ created in class :
Identity
Revenge
Pride
Choices
Leadership
Courage
Fate/Destiny
Temptation
Part Three: Explain how the story of the Odyssey and its lessons can endure more than
3,000 years after it was created. You need to go beyond the Odyssey itself and apply
Homer’s intent behind the story. You may want to use the lyrics from the two songs in
your packet. Why you think modern artists chose to use the same themes?
Part Four: In the Conclusion, use your best points and explain to me why this 3,000 year old
work is still so relevant and worth being told again to future generations after you!
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KEYSTONE EXPOSITORY SCORING GUIDELINES – The “Epic” Writing Assignment
Scoring Doman
Distinguished (2)
Proficient (1.5)
 Establishes a
controlling idea/thesis
 Displays an
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Apprentice (1)
 Provides an
inconsistent idea/thesis
 Displays a limited
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Novice (.5)
 Provides vague or
indistinct idea/thesis
Displays a minimal
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Distinguished (6)
 Provides relevant
content and specific and
effective supporting
details that demonstrate a
clear understanding of
purpose
 Chooses sophisticated
organizational strategies
appropriate for task,
purpose, and audience
 Uses sophisticated
transitional words,
phrases, and clauses to
link ideas and create
cohesion
 Includes a clear and
well-defined introduction,
body, and conclusion that
support or reinforce the
argument
Distinguished (2)
Proficient (4.5)
 Provides relevant
content and effective
supporting details
Apprentice (3)
 Provides insufficient
content and ineffective
supporting details
Novice (1.5)
 Provides minimal
content
 Chooses appropriate
organizational strategies
for task, purpose, and
audience
 Uses transitional words,
phrases, and clauses to
link ideas
 Includes a clear
introduction, body, and
conclusion that support
the argument
 Displays some
evidence of organizational
strategies
 May use simplistic
and/or illogical transitional
expressions
 May not include an
introduction, body, and/or
conclusion
 Displays little evidence
of organizational
strategies
 Uses few or no
transitional expressions to
link ideas
 May not include an
identifiable introduction,
body, and/or conclusion
 Displays no evidence of
organizational strategies
 Does not use
transitions to link ideas
 Does not include an
identifiable introduction,
body, and/or conclusion
OR
 Does not respond to
prompt
Proficient (1.5)
Apprentice (1)
Novice (.5)
Incomplete (0)
Style
 Uses consistently
precise language and a
wide variety of sentence
structures
 Chooses an effective
style and tone, and
maintains a consistent
point of view
 Uses precise language
and a variety of sentence
structures
 Chooses an appropriate
style and tone, and a
point of view
 Uses imprecise
language and a limited
variety of sentence
structures
 May choose an
inappropriate style or
tone, and may shift point
of view
 Uses simplistic or
repetitious language and
sentence structures
 Demonstrates little or
no understating of tone or
point of view
Conventions
 Writer makes few errors
and errors do not interfere
with reader understanding
 Writer makes few errors
and errors seldom
interfere with reader
understanding
 Demonstrates control of
standard English
grammar and usage
 Demonstrates control of
standard English
capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates control of
sentence formation
 Writer makes errors
and errors may interfere
with reader understanding
 Writer makes errors
and errors often interfere
with reader understanding
 Demonstrates limited
or inconsistent of
standard English
grammar and usage
 Demonstrates limited
or inconsistent of
standard English
capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates limited or
inconsistent of sentence
formation
 Demonstrates minimal
control of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates minimal
control of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates minimal
control of sentence
formation
 Uses repetitious
language and sentence
structures
 Demonstrates no
understating of style, tone
or point of view
OR
 Does not respond to
prompt
 Writer makes errors
and errors consistently
interfere with reading
understanding
 Demonstrates little or
no control of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates little or
no control of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates little or
no control of sentence
formation
Thesis/Focus  Establishes and
sustains a precise
idea/thesis
 Displays a clear
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
Content
Organization
 Demonstrates
command of standard
English grammar and
usage
 Demonstrates
command of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling
 Demonstrates
command of sentence
formation
Incomplete (0)
 Provides no evidence of
a controlling idea/thesis
 Displays no
understanding of task,
purpose, and audience
OR
 Does not respond to the
prompt
Incomplete (0)
 Provides little to no
content
OR
 Does not respond to the
prompt
TOTAL: ___/18
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24
MUSIC CONNECTION | Mumford & Sons
Read the following lyrics and highlight any connections that you make to the story of The Odyssey:
MUMFORD & SONS LYRICS
"The Cave"
It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you walk
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
The harvest left no food for you to eat
You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see
But I have seen the same
I know the shame in your defeat
So come out of your cave walking on your hands
And see the world hanging upside down
You can understand dependence
When you know the maker's land
But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
So make your siren's call
And sing all you want
I will not hear what you have to say
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
‘Cause I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be
‘Cause I have other things to fill my time
You take what is yours and I'll take mine
Now let me at the truth
Which will refresh my broken mind
And I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again
So tie me to a post and block my ears
I can see widows and orphans through my tears
I know my call despite my faults
And despite my growing fears
But I will hold on hope
And I won't let you choke
On the noose around your neck
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The Odyssey Journal
As we read The Odyssey you will be asked to answer some of the following questions in your
journal or discuss as a class.
NEW COASTS/THE LOTUS EATERS
1.
Odysseus reflects on the fact that growing up in a challenging environment contributed to his
development into a strong warrior. “A rocky isle, but good for a boy’s training” (156). How do
you think where you grew up has affected you?
2. As Odysseus leaves on his journey, anything can happen. Imagine you are leaving HatboroHorsham tomorrow….why would you be leaving? Where would you go? What might happen?
3. Although the Lotus-Eaters appear friendly, under the surface they are quite harmful. Describe a
person, place, or thing that is similarly descriptive, something that appears innocent, but is
really dangerous.
THE LAND OF THE CYCLOPES
1. Describe in detail the way you see Cyclopes’ cave.
2. There is saying, “Curiosity killed the cat.” Explain your understanding of this saying and provide
an example.
3. If the Cyclopes were around today, what job would he have? Why do you believe so? Describe
how he would handle his job.
4. Odysseus looks down on Cyclopes for being less civilized than the Greeks. What do you think it
means to be “civilized?” Does civilizes necessarily mean better? Explain your answer.
CIRCE, THE ENCHANTRESS
1. When Circe makes her oath, it is taken very seriously. Do you feel that most people mean it
when they make a promise? How do you decide to trust someone’s word? What criteria do you
use? Should people trust you? Explain your answer.
2. Is Odysseus and effective leader? Why or why not? What qualities do you think leaders need
to possess? Where do you see evidence that Odysseus has or has not fulfilled your definition?
3. Everybody has strengths and weaknesses – even heroes like Odysseus. Discuss a few of your
own strengths and weaknesses. What steps can you take to work on your shortcomings?
4. What do you think Circe looks like? What does she wear? Describe her in great detail (draw a
picture if you would like!).
5. Odysseus succeeds in this episode because he accepts his own limitations as a human,
possessing heroic, but limited, powers. How valuable is this kind of recognition in today’s
society? Is it good to admit and respect your own limitations or is it more valuable to set no
limits and “dream the impossible dream” and behave as if you can achieve anything?
26
SEA PERILS/THE SIRENS/SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS
1. Odysseus now seems to have little control over his destiny. Many teenagers often feel the same
way. Have you ever felt like this? Describe the situation. What control did you have, if any?
2. Odysseus decides to keep information from his men. Is this fair, or is he abusing power?
Explain. Is it sometimes better for leaders to withhold the truth? Why or why not?
3. Do you see yourself as a leader or a follower? Why? Is it better to be a leader or a follower?
Explain your answer fully.
THE RETURN OF ODYSSEUS
1. Was Odysseus fair in how he treated Penelope’s suitors?
2. Was Odysseus fair in how he tested Penelope?
3. At this point in the story, Odysseus has been gone for twenty years. He is finally
returning home to Ithaca – the sole survivor of his companions, but the state of his
kingdom is fragile. Suitors (men who wish to marry Penelope, his wife) have overstayed
their welcome at the royal household. They are squandering food and supplies and are
pressuring her to marry one of them. None of the suitors believes Odysseus is still alive
because all the other men who survived the war arrived home long ago. They are
planning to murder Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, who is now twenty years old.
Take a moment to consider the situation from the perspective of Odysseus, his wife and
his son. Choose one character to write a personal journal reflecting how they may be
feeling at the moment.



Odysseus’s point of view: What challenges does Odysseus face as he arrives home?
How will the suitors react? How will Penelope react? How might Telemachus react?
What should his plan be in returning home? Why?
Penelope’s point of view: How do you imagine she is feeling? How do you imagine
she might react when Odysseus returns home?
Telemachus’s point of view: How might he be feeling? Consider the fact that
Odysseus left the day Telemachus was born. How might he react when Odysseus
arrives home?
27
Journal
At this point in the story, Odysseus has been gone for twenty years. He is finally returning home to
Ithaca – the sole survivor of his companions, but the state of his kingdom is fragile. Suitors (men who
wish to marry Penelope, his wife) have overstayed their welcome at the royal household. They are
squandering food and supplies and are pressuring her to marry one of them. None of the suitors
believes Odysseus is still alive because all the other men who survived the war arrived home long ago.
They are planning to murder Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, who is now twenty years old.
Take a moment to consider the situation from the perspective of Odysseus, his wife and his son. Choose
one character to write a personal journal reflecting how they may be feeling at the moment.

Odysseus’ point of view: What challenges does Odysseus face as he arrives home? How will the
suitors react? How will Penelope react? How might Telemachus react? What should his plan be
in returning home? Why?

Penelope’s point of view: How do you imagine she is feeling? How do you imagine she
might react when Odysseus returns home?
Telemachus’ point of view: How might he be feeling? Consider the fact that Odysseus
left the day Telemachus was born. How might he react when Odysseus arrives home?

28
Everything I needed to know in life, I learned from The Odyssey:
Let’s review the life lessons…
Example: 1. Always thank the Gods (Odysseus
after Troy)
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