NOTES ON
“AN INTRODUCTION TO
THE ODYSSEY”
Ms. Helton, English I CP
November 23, 2015
HOMER
• Author of Iliad and Odyssey
THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY
• The Iliad takes place during the tenth and final year of the
Trojan War. It provides the model for the epic of war.
• The Odyssey details Odysseus’ journey home post-war. It
provides the model for the epic of the long journey.
EPICS AND THEIR VIRTUES
• Epics are long narrative poems that tell of the adventures of
heroes who in some way embody the values of their
civilizations.
• The Iliad and The Odyssey were long used to teach Greek
virtues in Greek schools.
TROJAN WAR
• The Greeks attacked Troy when Helen, wife of Menelaus (King
of Sparta), ran off with Paris, a young prince of Troy.
• Troy was ultimately reduced to ruins and the Greeks were
victorious.
HEROES
• Heroes were considered to be a special class of aristocrats
and, as such, were placed somewhere between the gods and
ordinary human beings.
• Most were always “on top of the world” in spite of
experiencing pain and death.
HEROES
• Odysseus is different from the typical hero of Homer’s time in
that he is a hero in trouble, one who faces a world of difficult
choices and great obstacles (and opposing forces).
• His intelligence is also emphasized as a strength in addition
to physical strength (as a hero).
PENELOPE
• Penelope is the beautiful and ever-faithful wife of Odysseus.
Together, they have a son named Telemachus.
• She is significant especially because of the strong role she
plays in what is typically considered the “man’s world” of the
Greek epic.
WOODEN HORSE
• The wooden-horse trick from the Trojan War was Odysseus’
idea. The horse was disguised as a peace offering and a sign of
retreat, but there were soldiers hidden within awaiting
entrance to Troy.
• This trick shows Odysseus’ cunning; he is known for his
intellect in addition to his bravery and brawn.
THE ANCIENT WORLD
• Odysseus’ world is described as harsh and familiar with
violence.
A COMMON THEME
• Odysseus and his family are described as searching for the
right relationships with one another and those around them.
• Finding their proper places in life is a theme that sets the tone
for The Odyssey and its unusual structure.
MYTHS
• Myths are traditional stories, rooted in a particular culture, that
usually explain a belief, a ritual, or a mysterious natural
phenomenon.
• They are essentially religious due to their concern with the
relationship between humans and the unknown/spiritual realm.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH GODS
• Homer, too, is concerned with the relationship between
humans and gods.
• For him, gods control all things.
• Gods can also be viewed as the alter egos of
characters/heroes, revealing their best or worst qualities.
RELATIONSHIPS WITH GODS
• For instance, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is often at
Odysseus’ side. He is known positively for his intellect and
cunning and, as such, she could be seen as his alter ego (in
addition to an ally/helper).
RHAPSODES
• “Singers of tales”
• Their role more or less made them the historians, entertainers,
and mythmakers of their time
• There was likely no written history in Homer’s day
HOW WERE EPICS TOLD?
• They were told aloud by people who likely could not read or write.
• They were formulaic, with repetition and rhythm, and they could be
improvised on the spot.
• The familiarity/patterns could allow those telling the tale some time
to mentally compose following sections of the story.
HOMERIC/EPIC SIMILES
• These compared heroic or epic events to simple and easily
understandable everyday events—events the audience of the
time would have recognized instantly.
EPITHET
• A short, poetic nickname—often in the form of an adjective or
adjectival phrase—attached to the normal name. Frequently,
this technique allows a poet to extend a line by a few syllables
in a poetic manner that characterizes an individual or a setting
within an epic poem.
EPITHET
• The Homeric epithet in classical literature often includes
compounds of two words such as, "fleet-footed Achilles,"
"Cow-eyed Hera," "Grey-eyed Athena," or "the wine-dark sea."
In other cases, it appears as a phrase, such as "Odysseus the
man-of-many-wiles," etc.