I Need a Hero!Mrs. Larson

We will be reading one of the greatest masterpieces

of epic poetry….

The Odyssey

THREE facts about The Odyssey:

#1 It was

composed in Greece

around 750-725 B.C.

#2 The Odyssey

is credited to a blind

poet named Homer

Not this one

#3 The epic poem survived due

to oral tradition- generations later it was

written down

Oral tradition: a way for a society to pass down stories across generations without a writing system

About the Author• Scholars debate whether Homer really

existed• His epics became models for many

later writers throughout English literature

• Homer’s poems have also influenced more modern work– O Brother, Where Art Thou?– Troy

Homer’s Life and Times

• 8th and 7th Century B.C. • Greece• Oral tradition of storytelling• The “Iron Age” - a time when iron tools

were invented as archeologists have determined

Epic Epic poem: a long narrative poem which

tells about the deeds of a great hero and reflect the values of society from which it originated

Epic PoemsEpic setting:

– Includes fantastic or exotic lands– Involves more than one nation

Epic theme topics:– Courage– Loyalty– Life and death– The fate of a nation

Epic Archetypes: characters, situations,

and images that are recognizable in many times and cultures– Sea monster– Buried treasure– Epic hero– Wicked temptress– Loyal servant

Epic Plot• Involves a long journey• Filled with complications• Strange creatures• Divine interventions• Large-scale events• Treacherous weather

Odysseus is the

EPIC HERO

What is an epic hero?

• Larger than life character• Has superhuman qualities such

as amazing strength and stamina• Is of noble birth• Acts on behalf of his people• Exhibits the values of his culture

The Trojan War• The earliest accounts of The Trojan

War are found in The Odyssey• Odysseus, ruler of the island of Ithaca,

helped to end the war by ordering a giant wooden horse to be taken to Troy

• The Trojans allowed the horse through their gates, unaware of the Greek soldiers hiding inside

The Trojan War• The Trojans were

people from ancient Troy (Turkey)

• The Trojan War was fought between the Trojans and the Greeks over the beautiful maiden Helen…

Odysseus’ Adventures• The first passages we will read depict

some of the wanderings of Odysseus after his departure from Troy

• Instead of battles with soldiers, Odysseus encounters…–Various monsters who try to devour him –Women that try to keep him from his

wife.

• In the end, Odysseus goes home and reunites with his family

Roles of Gods and Goddesses• Odysseus’ travels contain some notable instances of divine intervention–Athena is on his side and helps him–Gods that sided with Troy were displeased with him

–He angers Gods during his adventures and is forced to suffer many hardships

Mt. Olympus

• The Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology lived on Mt. Olympus above the city of Athens. They were immortal, and they all stood for something that existed in nature. (For example, Apollo is the God of the Sun)

• Many of the Gods had faults, illegitimate children with mortals, and affairs!

Roles of Monsters• The Greeks believed in monsters and strange creatures, as well as Gods and Goddesses–Cyclops: one-eyed giant–Sirens: part bird and part woman creatures that would sing and lure sailors to their deaths