The Odyssey
Background
Information
AUTHOR: HOMER
Background

The Odyssey is a sequel (the second book in a
series).

It is the second of Homer’s two great epic poems.

Part one is called The Iliad.
The Iliad
 The
Iliad is the story of the Trojan
War which might actually have
taken place around 1250 B.C.
 This
poem is a tale of myth and
magic, not history.

The gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece are important
characters.

They take sides in the war and help the human characters.

According to the myth, the Trojan war started this way: Paris
was a prince in the city of Troy.

Three goddesses asked him to judge who among them was
the most beautiful.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love, offered Paris a reward if he
chose her.

She said he could have Helen, the most beautiful woman in
the world.

However, Helen was married to Menelaus, the King of Sparta,
a city in Greece.

When Paris visited Sparta, Aphrodite made Helen fall in love
with him.

Helen ran away with Paris.

Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon, led
a Greek army against Troy to bring her back.

The war that followed is called the Trojan
War after the name Troy.

The Iliad takes place during the last months of the
Trojan War.

Its hero is Achilles, a mighty Greek warrior.

The Iliad ends with the funeral of Hector, a Trojan
hero who is killed by Achilles.

The story tells of many heroes on both sides.

One of the Greek heroes is named Odysseus.
The Odyssey
 The
Odyssey is named for Odysseus.
 Odysseus
is the King of Ithaca, an
island off the coast of Greece.
 According
to the myth, Odysseus did
not want to fight at Troy.
 He
did not want to leave his wife,
Penelope, and his baby son,
Telemachus.

Odysseus had to be tricked into joining the Greek
army.

Once he was involved in the fighting, however,
he proved to be brave and clever.

In fact, Odysseus thought of the trick that finally
won the war for the Greeks.

The Odyssey is mostly about Odysseus’
adventures after the Trojan War.
Invocation to the Muse

An INVOCATION is a call for help or support.

In ancient times, poets or artists would call
upon a MUSE to help them write or create.

A MUSE is a person or thing that inspires you
to create.

Ancient poets, like Homer, would start their
poems with an invocation to the Muse, or a
call to help them create a great poem.
Epic Poem or Story
 An
Epic Poem or story is a larger
than life story that contains many
adventures or a long journey.
Characteristics of an Epic
 The
setting is vast, covering great
nations, the world or the universe.
 The
action consists of deeds of
great valor or requiring
superhuman courage.
 Supernatural
forces—gods,
angels, demons — interest
themselves in the action.
Characteristics of the Epic Hero

EPIC HERO - a larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a particular society.
Characteristics:
1. Superhuman [braver, stronger, smarter, and
cleverer than an ordinary person]
2. On a Quest for something of great value to him
or his people.
3. Battles villains that are uglier, more evil, and
more cunning than anyone we know in ordinary
life.
4. Often a mix of divine and human birth [has
weakness]
5. Believes in the divine world (the gods) and that
they interfere with the human world.
Terms used to talk about Epics
Poet opens by stating the theme, invokes
the Muse, and opens the narrative in
medias res, giving necessary exposition
later.
 Poet includes catalogs of warriors, ships,
armies, etc.
 Extended formal speeches by the main
characters.
 Poet makes frequent use of the epic simile.
 Epic simile: an elaborate comparison,
involved and ornate. Also called the
extended or Homeric simile.
 Poem has a non-linear structure.

The Greek Virtues

All Greeks were challenged to live by
the virtues set by their culture.
Breaking one of the Greek virtues
meant angering the gods. The virtues
are:
 Loyalty
 Hospitality
 Respect for the gods and
goddesses
 Respect for all forms of life
 Courage
Themes

Respect for the Gods
Respect for the gods is shown through the numerous descriptions of
sacrifices and offerings. Disrespect for the Gods inevitably leads to
disaster; the Gods do not forget disrespect and are not easily
appeased. (Poseidon, Athena, Helios.)

The Importance of Lineage
Almost every time we meet someone significant the narration pauses
and we learn of the lineage.
Many "things" we see also have a lineage or history that we are given note Odysseus scar and his bow.

Fate
Fate is preordained by a power beyond that of even the gods.
Paradoxically, it does not seem "random." A character's fate is tied up
with his "character."