Odyssey
Some Background
•Composed circa 600-800 BC
by Homer
•Odyssey is an epic poem
•A written version of the
classic oral tradition
What is an Epic Poem?
A long, narrative poem detailing
adventures of a hero who is:
•Larger than life
•Historically significant
•(Mostly) favored by the gods
•Mortal
•On a journey or quest
•Exceptionally moral
What is an Epic? Contd.
•Shows values and beliefs of a
culture
•The setting
•Often encompasses many
lands, nations, worlds,
universes, etc.
•Involves supernatural forces
More Qualities of an Epic Poem:
The epic’s action include:
• Deeds of great value
• Superhuman courage and feats
• Hero’s actions determining a
nation’s fate
The Writing:
• Uses repetition (memory device)
• Has several moments of suspense and
climax
Early Epic Poems
•Oral narrative poems
•Told in pre-literate
societies
•Used to pass on
morals/values of a culture
Odyssey: Literary Devices
•Opening with an invocation to
the muse
• Muses: goddesses who inspire the creation
of literature and the arts
• Essentially, asking goddesses for inspiration
•Story begins in medias res (“in
the middle of things”)
•Long lists of people,
genealogies, and places
significant to mythological
Literary Devices contd.
•Epithets:
•Repeated nicknames for
various characters, major
and minor
•Ex: Referring to Zeus as “the
father of gods and men”
Literary Devices: Homeric Simile
a.k.a. Epic or Extended simile
• Definition: A detailed comparison in
the form of a simile that is many
lines in length.
• Purpose: To deepen the reader’s
understanding of the individual or action
taking place through a word-picture
association to which the reader relates.
• The typical Homeric simile makes a
comparison in the form "like a ____ when it
______”
Homeric Simile contd.
The Three Step Homeric Simile:
• 1) Saying what it is that whatever you’re
talking about is like (Ex: Odysseus is like a
lion)
• 2) Describing the thing you’re comparing it
to (Ex: the lion)
• 3) Reminding the audience of what you
were originally talking about (Ex: Odysseus)
• The third step is important because
sometimes the description the second step
can get extremely long, and there’s the risk
that the audience will forget what you’re
talking about.
Steps:
Let’s try it:
Create an Original
Homeric Simile
• 1) Say what your subject is like (Ex:
Odysseus is like a lion)
• 2) Describe the thing you’re
comparing it to (Ex: Description of
a lion)
• 3) Remind the audience of what
you were originally talking about
(Ex: Odysseus)
Themes in The Odyssey
• Fate vs. Free
Will
• Piety
• Justice
• Pride
• Lies and Deceit
• Tradition and
custom
• Suffering
• Loyalty
• Perseverance
• Family
Fate vs. Free Will
•Is fate/destiny fixed and constant
in the text?
•What is the role of gods and
goddesses in the fate of the
characters?
Piety (devoutness)
•What are some of the
characters’ gestures that show
deference to the gods?
•What could result from
impiety or challenges to the
gods?
Justice
Discuss examples of ways in
which characters are punished
for their transgressions.
Pride
•Is pride Odysseus’s flaw? Why
or why not?
•How could pride be dangerous
in terms of the gods?
Lies and Deceit
•How does disguise in the Odyssey
play into this theme? What is its
purpose?
•Odysseus is praised for his
cunning. Is the ability to deceive
heroic?
Tradition
and Custom
Rules
of hospitality
(term: xenia) are
among the most revered social and
religious laws in the Odyssey (and
Greek culture).
• What are some of the expectations
for a host?
• What are the expectations of a guest?
• What were the consequences for
breaking hospitable obligations?
Suffering
In Greek mythology, being
human entails suffering.
•What forms of suffering does
Odysseus experience over the
course of his journey?
Loyalty
•Which characters are most loyal?
•What are different types of
loyalty in the text?
•What cultural double-standard
exists in terms of Odysseus’s
versus Penelope’s devotion?
Perseverance
Specify important examples of
both physical and emotional
perseverance within the text.
Family
•How does the text showcase
the cultural value of familial
lineage?
Intertextuality Examples:
Many famous works are inspired this
epic:
• Virgil’s epic poem the Aeneid;
• Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem
“Ulysses”
• James Joyce’s novel, Ulysses
• Cream’s song “Tales of Brave
Ulysses”
Odyssey has
also inspired
countless
paintings,
such as Henry
Fuseli’s
“Odysseus in
front of Scylla
and
Charybdis”