The Odyssey
By Homer
ca. 700 BC
Main Characters
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Odysseus/Ulysses – our hero who through his intelligence
helps the Greeks eventually with the war against Troy
through the use of the Trojan horse.
Telemachos – Odysseus’ son who has been at home all of
these years awaiting the return of his father. He is now called
by Athena to search for his father and to rid his home of the
suitors who wish to wed his mother and take Odysseus’ place
at king of Ithaca. Because so many years have passed, most
people believe Odysseus is dead.
Penelope – wife of Odysseus. Even though most think her
husband is dead, she still hopes he is not. For many years she
cleverly fools the suitors to keep from having to marry again.
Characteristics of an Epic
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Long story
Deeds of a hero
Determines fate of a whole people
Begins in medias res [in the middle of the action]
Involvement of the gods
Magic or supernatural events
Has characteristics of oral tradition [like repetition]
Written in beautiful language [often verse]
Book One
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After Odysseus {O} sacked Troy, he was detained by
Nymph Kalypso on her island and could not get
home. He has been stranded for 10 years.
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Backstory is that O told his wife Penelope not to wait for
more that 10 years and that after that time she should
marry another. Because of this, Penelope has many suitors
in her house trying to get her to marry them but she wants
to wait for O.
All the gods pitied O except Poseidon.
Athena champions O, goes to Telemachos {T}
disguised as a mentor and tells him O will return.
Book Two
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T. had no father to teach him to fight; so he must learn from Athena
Suitors ridicule him, but he stands his ground
T. appeals to suitors’ responsibility to care for widows and orphans (his
mother and he) , rather than taking advantage of them – the suitors have
been there so long they are eating them out of house and home!
Penelope promises suitors she will marry once she finishes weaving a rug
to honor O. Everyday she weaves, and every night she unravels what she
weaves. Suitors think it is magic, but eventually after many years, she gets
caught.
Suitors angrily demand she marry one of them and make him king of
Ithaca.
T’s mentor [actually Athena in disguise] claims the suitors not as bad as
those who do nothing about them.
Book 4 – We learn of Helen &
Menelaus
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The war between Greece and Troy is caused because
a prince of Troy [Paris] stole the wife of Greek King
Menelaus. For this reason, all Greek kings have
banded together to avenge Menelaus and return
Helen to him.
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Essentially, the timeline goes like this:
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Helen Marries Menelaus
Helen then Marries (or lives with) Paris
At the end, Helen repents what she has done
She knows the Greeks hide in the Wooden Horse, but she doesn’t
betray O. in the Trojan camp
Helen asks forgiveness of Menelaus and receives it
Book Five
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Odysseus with Kalypso-
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She represents one of the temptations--or life
trials--that he must win against. She represents
sexual temptation, or being slave to the sensual
rather than focusing on the spiritual.
Because of Athena, Zeus orders Hermes to tell
Kalypso to release O
O makes a raft which Poseidon sinks, but O
reaches land
Book Nine – this is what you are
reading
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Odysseus tells his story of the last 9-10 years
These episodes are, perhaps, symbolic of the variety
of temptations that O. must overcome to return home
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Kalypso--lust
the Lotus Eaters (drugged)--sloth
the Cyclopês (slaughtered and stole sheep and goats)-unthinking violence
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The story of Noman
Giant asks Poseidon to curse O
Eventually Odysseus returns home
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Odysseus has many more adventures before finally
making it back to Ithaca
Once in Ithaca, he must fight the suitors [and he
wins of course!].
Then he must convince Penelope he is her husband
[which he also succeeds in doing].
Finally with the help of Athena, they smooth over
the violence done to the suitors and have a happy
ending.