I Need a Hero!
Mrs. Larson
We will be reading one of the
greatest masterpieces of epic
poetry….
The
Odyssey
THREE facts about
The Odyssey:
#1
It was
composed in
Greece
around 750725 B.C.
#2
The Odyssey is
credited to a
blind poet
Not this
named Homer
one 
#3
The epic poem survived due to
oral tradition- generations later
it was written down
Oral tradition: a way for a society to
pass down stories across
generations without a writing
system
About the Author
• Scholars debate whether Homer really existed
• His epics became models for many later
writers throughout English literature
• Homer’s poems have also influenced more
modern work
– O Brother, Where Art Thou?
– Troy
Homer’s Life and Times
•
•
•
•
8th and 7th Century B.C.
Greece
Oral tradition of storytelling
The “Iron Age” - a time when iron tools
were invented as
archeologists have
determined
Epic
Epic poem: a long narrative poem which tells about
the deeds of a great hero and reflect the values of
society from which it originated
Epic Poems
Epic setting:
– Includes fantastic or exotic lands
– Involves more than one nation
Epic theme topics:
– Courage
– Loyalty
– Life and death
– The fate of a nation
Epic
Archetypes: characters, situations, and images
that are recognizable in many times and
cultures
– Sea monster
– Buried treasure
– Epic hero
– Wicked temptress
– Loyal servant
Epic Plot
•
•
•
•
•
•
Involves a long journey
Filled with complications
Strange creatures
Divine interventions
Large-scale events
Treacherous weather
Odysseus
is the
EPIC
HERO
What is an epic hero?
• Larger than life character
• Has superhuman qualities such as
amazing strength and stamina
• Is of noble birth
• Acts on behalf of his people
• Exhibits the values of his culture
The Trojan War
• The earliest accounts of The Trojan War are
found in The Odyssey
• Odysseus, ruler of the island of Ithaca,
helped to end the war by ordering a giant
wooden horse to be taken to Troy
• The Trojans allowed the horse
through their gates, unaware
of the Greek soldiers hiding
inside
The Trojan War
• The Trojans were
people from ancient
Troy (Turkey)
• The Trojan War was
fought between the
Trojans and the
Greeks over the
beautiful maiden
Helen…
Odysseus’ Adventures
• The first passages we will read depict some
of the wanderings of Odysseus after his
departure from Troy
• Instead of battles with soldiers, Odysseus
encounters…
– Various monsters who try to devour him
– Women that try to keep him from his wife.
• In the end, Odysseus goes home and
reunites with his family
Roles of Gods and Goddesses
• Odysseus’ travels contain some
notable instances of divine
intervention
–Athena is on his side and helps him
–Gods that sided with Troy were
displeased with him
–He angers Gods during his adventures and
is forced to suffer many hardships
Mt. Olympus
• The Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology
lived on Mt. Olympus above the city of
Athens. They were immortal, and they all
stood for something that existed in nature.
(For example, Apollo is the God of the Sun)
• Many of the Gods had faults, illegitimate
children with mortals, and affairs!
Roles of Monsters
• The Greeks believed in monsters and
strange creatures, as well as Gods and
Goddesses
–Cyclops: one-eyed giant
–Sirens: part bird and part woman
creatures that would sing and lure sailors
to their deaths