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English 9H Ms. Bugasch

May 19, 2014 Goals

1. Introduce The Odyssey

FFW

Hand in OMAM tests and Vocab. Tests

In your notebook, copy down the following notes:

Epic – a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes

Epic Hero – a larger than life figure from history or legend. The hero undertakes a dangerous voyage, demonstrating traits – such as courage, loyalty, and honor – that are valued by the society in which the epic originates.

Epic Simile – a detailed comparison in the form of simile that is many lines in length

Epithet – an adjective or phrase that emphasizes a character’s personality by referring to their attributes

Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

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Intro to the Odyssey

About 3000 years Ago…

People were telling stories of a great war

The person credited with gathering these stories together and telling them as one unified epic is blind poet named Homer.

Homer’s stories can be traced to historical struggles for the control of the waterway leading from Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea

Who was Homer?

• Ancient Greek court singer and storyteller, often identified as an epic poet

• Believed to have composed the epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey

• Most likely, he would have sung these poems or spoke them aloud to music

• He would also have performed them from memory

• He was believed to be illiterate and may have have dictated his stories to a scribe

Who was Homer?People still dispute over Homer’s existence.• Nobody really knows for

sure • Maybe a blind poet or

minstrel• Maybe more than one

poet • Maybe a legend• Rhapsodes – singers of

tales

Homer’s Iliad

Homer’s first epic poem, which tells the story of a 10-year war that takes place outside the city of Troy (modern day Turkey)

Troy was fighting an alliance of Greek kings

The face that launched 1000 ships: Helen Menelaus – a Greek king Helen- his wife, the most beautiful woman in the world Paris – Prince of Troy

Paris Steals Helen

Launching 1000 ShipsGreece vs. Troy

Trojan War Lasts 10 Years

Odysseus

Clever soldier from Ithaca, fighting for the Greeks

Clever, devised a plan to break through the walls of city of Troy

Left behind a wife in Ithaca named Penelope and a son named Telemachus, who was only a baby when his father left for the war

The Story of the Trojan Horse

Odysseus’s plan involved cutting down large trees and building a giant Trojan horse

The Trojans would mistake the giant statue as a gift or symbol of a truce and pull it behind the city walls

The Trojans did not know that Greek soldiers were hidden inside the horse

The Story of the Trojan Horse

After the Trojans celebrated their “victory” and fell asleep late in the night, the Greeks emerged from inside the Trojan Horse

The Greeks burned the city to the ground and killed most of the inhabitants

Homer’s Odyssey

Epic story of a Greek soldier, Odysseus, and his efforts to return home after the Trojan War

All epic poems in the Western world use these stories as a basic foundational pattern

Can you think of any “epics” in today’s culture?

Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble

Homer’s audience would have respected heroes more than ordinary humans, but less than gods

Heroes had always been seen as “on top of the world”

Odysseus was different; he was in trouble

Once a great soldier, Odysseus is not respected anymore

Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble

Considered draft-dodging to avoid fighting in a war over an unfaithful woman

Tried to fake insanity but was discovered to be perfectly sane when Agamemnon and Menelaus threw Telemachus in front of his plow…Odysseus rescued his son as any sane father would

Odysseus is a great example of an epic hero

Characteristics of an Epic Hero

① The hero is a great leader (usually a male figure) who is identified strongly with a particular people or society.

② The setting is broad and often includes supernatural realms. The hero may even suffer a symbolic death by traveling to the Land of the Dead or the underworld.

③ The hero performs great deeds in battle or undertakes an extraordinary journey or quest. The hero is typically on a quest for something very important to him or his people.

④ The hero must overcome great obstacles or defeat evil villains or monsters along the way.

Characteristics of an Epic Hero

⑤ Sometimes gods or other supernatural or fantastic beings take part in the action or help the hero in some way.

⑥ The hero is often described as superhuman and is stronger, smarter, and braver than average men.

⑦ The hero usually returns home significantly transformed by his journey. For example, he might learn a valuable lesson or accept his fate.

The Odyssey

Hand out character worksheet

Hand out packets

Read: Part I – The Adventures of Odysseus Sailing from Troy The Lotus Eaters

Closure Discussion

Choose a character from a novel, movie, play, or television show that represents a modern-day epic hero.

What characteristics do they possess that might make them an epic hero?

What characteristics do they lack?

Homework

1. Vocab. Unit #13

2. Read and finish “Sailing from Troy” and “The Lotus Eaters”

3. Answer questions on worksheet