The Odyssey
 Take
notes. 
HOMER
QUICK BIO
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Homer
Born in early 800 B.C.
No one is sure where
he was born
Many different cities
claim to be his
birthplace
He was a traveling
“bard”
(poet/storyteller)
What did Homer Do?
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Traveled city to city
to tell his stories
His job was basically
what we would
consider a historian
or a journalist
He memorized all
his stories
THE STORIES OF
HOMER
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Based on historic events
Based on his own experiences
Often recited to music (which
made them easier to remember)
Included much repetition – to
remind listeners what had already
happened in the story
Could take up to three weeks to
recite
Stories of Homer, continued…
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His stories were sung at religious
festivals, poetry contests, and were
used to entertain rich noblemen
Homer had to travel from city to
city to recite his stories because
no one could read
His stories were epic poems
A Few more Homer Facts
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It is suspected that he
became blind in his later
years
He wrote The Iliad first
(about the Trojan war)
Then he wrote The
Odyssey (about
Odysseus’s return home)
BACKGROUND
FOR THE ODYSSEY
WHAT IS
THE ODYSSEY??
 Epic, Narrative Poem
o
o
Greek epos = verse
Narrative – tells a story
 Written AFTER The Illiad
 A story of adventure, love,
temptation, scandal, sacrifice...
 FULL of familiar archetypes and
themes commonly seen throughout
literature, modern television, movies,
relationships, etc…
First… The Illiad
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Story of the last year of the Trojan
War  Greeks vs. Trojans (Troy)
◦ Legend is that Paris (of Troy) had
stolen Helen, wife to Greek King
Meneleous…
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War had lasted 10 years.
Troy was defeated when Odysseus
and his men were able to get inside
the walls of Troy concealed within
the body of the Trojan horse.
Greeks
Agamemnon and
Meneleous (Helen’s angry
husband) were the
leaders of the army.
Trojans
King Priam ruled
Troy. Troy was
under attack
because of Paris
“stealing” Helen.
Their biggest baddest
The biggest
warrior was Achilles. baddest warrior
was Hector.
The Odyssey: Plot Summary
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Trojan war has ended
Odysseus departs from Troy with a fleet of 12 ships
carrying about 700 men
Odysseus makes Poseidon angry with his prideful
remarks
Fights monsters, battles storms
Encounters enchanting women who try to keep him
from his wife
Loses his men
Goes into the underworld for advice from a blind
prophet
Makes it home????
SETTING
CONFLICT
 Internal
◦ pride
◦ bragging,
boasting
◦ curiosity
◦ hunger for
fame
◦ homesickness
 External
◦ war
◦ nature
◦ gods,
goddesses
◦ monsters
◦ Penelope’s
suitors