Homer’s Odyssey Homer’s Odyssey

Goals / Essential QuestionsGoals / Essential Questions

• Goals: Goals: – Understand the Understand the

narrative. narrative. – Window into the ageWindow into the age

• See themes, next slideSee themes, next slide

• How – and why - did How – and why - did the epic survive the epic survive some 2,700 years?some 2,700 years?– Why is this important Why is this important

today?today?

• What can we learn What can we learn about the Ancient about the Ancient Greeks?Greeks?

• What is the role of What is the role of religion? religion? – Different from Different from

today?today?

• Boxers or Briefs?Boxers or Briefs?

• Others?Others?

PoeticsPoetics

ThemesThemes• HospitalityHospitality

• Respect for the GodsRespect for the Gods

• LoyaltyLoyalty

• Pride and HonorPride and Honor

• Self-disciplineSelf-discipline

• Importance of LeadershipImportance of Leadership

• JusticeJustice

• Revenge Revenge

• ReconciliationReconciliation

• FateFate

Literary TermsLiterary Terms

• EpicEpic

• Epic HeroEpic Hero

• EpithetsEpithets

• Narrative DriftNarrative Drift

• Formal SpeechFormal Speech

• ImageryImagery

• PersonificationPersonification

• MetaphorsMetaphors

• SymbolsSymbols

HomerHomer

• Blind PoetBlind Poet

• ~750-700 BC~750-700 BC

• Author of Author of The Illiad The Illiad and and The OdysseyThe Odyssey

• Cannot pinpoint his Cannot pinpoint his birth. birth.

Homer’s ImportanceHomer’s Importance

• The Great Library of The Great Library of Alexandria Alexandria – ClimateClimate– Librarians cleaning Librarians cleaning

househouse– Christians destroyChristians destroy

• Of the 1,596 scraps Of the 1,596 scraps and fragments of and fragments of literary works, nearly literary works, nearly one-half were either one-half were either about Homer, about Homer, The The Odyssey, Odyssey, or or The IlliadThe Illiad. .

Heroic PoemHeroic Poem

• Classified by Oral Classified by Oral PoetryPoetry– Composed Illiterate Composed Illiterate

bardsbards– Recited in chantRecited in chant– Heroic messages Heroic messages

are sent, never are sent, never writtenwritten

Heroic PoemHeroic Poem

• Important to remember Important to remember it is chanted (sung)it is chanted (sung)

• Follows a specific Follows a specific metermeter

• Bard used epithets to Bard used epithets to fit meterfit meter

• Not memorized, only a Not memorized, only a skeleton (like a skeleton (like a comedian, I guess)comedian, I guess)

• Constant repetitionConstant repetition

The first story…The first story…

• The IlliadThe Illiad– Story of the Trojan Story of the Trojan

WarWar– War lasted ten War lasted ten

yearsyears• Helen of TroyHelen of Troy

• Trojan HorseTrojan Horse

• Achilles / Odysseus Achilles / Odysseus are two of the are two of the heroes.heroes.

The OdysseyThe Odyssey

• Picks up on Picks up on Odysseus’s journey Odysseus’s journey homehome

• Odysseus and his men Odysseus and his men have some trouble – have some trouble – mainly from Poseidonmainly from Poseidon

• Ten years to get homeTen years to get home

• Epic journeyEpic journey

One interpretation of Odyssey’s journeyOne interpretation of Odyssey’s journey

The OdysseyThe Odyssey

• We are unable to pinpoint the We are unable to pinpoint the wanderings of Odysseuswanderings of Odysseus

• Presently divided into 24 booksPresently divided into 24 books

• The Bard (and later Homer) was The Bard (and later Homer) was telling a story of his own past. telling a story of his own past.

• The journey happens about 300 The journey happens about 300 years prior to Homer (we think).years prior to Homer (we think).