Odyssey Essay
To what extent does Odysseus adhere to the characteristics of the epic hero? And how does his adventure in the
Odyssey conform to the conventions of the hero’s journey both in the Homeric sense, and in the more general sense as
defined by Joseph Campbell?
Use the introductory reading packet, The Hero’s Journey handout and video (link online), and the following sections from
the introduction to the Odyssey to prepare your essay: “The Mêtis of Odysseus,” “The Man of Pain,” “The Limits of
Heroism.”
Include quotes to support all of your points and make sure you include citations after quotes. Use the composition
handbook to follow the correct structure and include all elements of a multi-paragraph essay.
Introduction
Hook (link to Odyssey)______________________________________________________________________
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Background______________________________________________________________________________
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Thesis (A & B)____________________________________________________________________________
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Body Paragraph 1 The hero’s journey
Topic sentence (TS/RTT)____________________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 1_______________________________________________________________________________
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Intro to quote_____________________________________________________________________________
Quote (with citation)________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 2_______________________________________________________________________________
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Quote (CD) with citation_____________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 3_______________________________________________________________________________
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Quote (CD) with citation_____________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Concluding sentence
(RTT)___________________________________________________________________________________
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Body Paragraph 2 Odysseus as hero
Topic sentence (TS/RTT)____________________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 1_______________________________________________________________________________
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Intro to quote_____________________________________________________________________________
Quote (with citation)________________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 2_______________________________________________________________________________
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Quote (CD) with citation_____________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Subtopic 3_______________________________________________________________________________
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Quote (CD) with citation_____________________________________________________________________
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Analysis/commentary (CM>RTT)______________________________________________________________
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Concluding sentence
(RTT)___________________________________________________________________________________
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Conclusion:
Restatement of thesis in different words________________________________________________________
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Summary of main points____________________________________________________________________
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Final insight (perhaps return to hook)__________________________________________________________
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Check for the following:
Check spelling & grammar
Book title in all caps
MLA Heading
Formal/academic diction
Add transitions between subtopics
Introduce quotes…provide context
Creative title
Line breaks/at end of lines
Citation format
No contractions