The Odyssey essay: For your Odyssey essay, choose one of the following prompts and write a
four to five paragraph essay including an introduction, two to three body paragraphs, and a
conclusion. Each body paragraph must include a quote from the epic and must be properly cited.
1.
Odysseus is an epic hero of Greek mythology. He goes on a long journey to return
home after the Trojan War. By definition, epic heroes have human flaws that cause
conflict in their journeys. What is Odysseus’s flaw? In what instances do we see this
flaw emerge? How does it impact his journey?
2.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be one of Greek mythology’s greatest and most
popular heroes. He is not the typical “strong man” like Achilles or Hercules; rather,
he is a man of thought, patience, and clever tricks. Now that you know the story of
Odysseus, identify three instances in which he used his intelligence to overcome the
obstacles he faced at the battle of Troy, on his journey home, or on his island
kingdom of Ithaca.
Components of a Successful Essay:
Intro: Hook, background information, arguable, provable thesis.
Body paragraphs: Topic sentence, at least two pieces of evidence (one of which is a direct
quote), analysis of evidence, clincher.
Conclusion: Restate thesis and bring essay to a close reminding reader what you have
proved.
How to cite The Odyssey: “Only plain truth shall I tell you, child. / Great seafarers, the
Phaeacians, gave me passage / as they give other wanderers” (Homer lines 1073 – 1075).
Rubric:
Content = 50 points. Content includes: MLA format, turning in all parts of essay (brainstorm,
rough draft with appropriate editing notations, final draft), ideas, analysis, lead-in to
quotes, formatting and flow of paragraphs, etc.
Mechanics = 50 points. Mechanics includes: sentence structure and variety, spelling, and
punctuation. For each comma mistake found in the essay you will lose 3 points.