1. The Odyssey An Epic Poem

2. Epics  EPIC : from the Greek word Epos, which originally meant “word,” but later “oration” or “song.”

3. Epics  An epic is a long narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes.

4. Epics  The epic celebrates events of national, military, religious, political, or historical importance.

5. Epics  Epics focus on heroic actions and on the struggle between the hero’s larger-than-life status and his or her human faults.

6. Epics  Primary epics develop from legends and folk tales. These epics were handed down by story-tellers for many years before they were finally written down.

7. Epics  Secondary epics are literary. They are in written form from the beginning and are designed to appear as whole stories.

8. Epics  Other great epics: Divine Comedy (Dante) Divine Comedy (Dante) Paradise Lost (Milton) Paradise Lost (Milton) The Iliad (Homer) The Iliad (Homer)

9. Epics  Epics usually open with a statement of what the story is about and an invocation to the Muse.

10. Epics  An invocation to the Muse means asking for the blessing and guidance of one of the 9 Muses.

11. Epics  The Muses were nine sister goddesses, daughters of Zeus, and the patrons of literature, art, and science.

12. Epics  After invoking the Muse, the epic poet then begins the story in medias res.

13. Epics  This means that the story starts in the middle, not at the very beginning. Information about what happened earlier is given in flashbacks or filled in by narration.

14. The Epic Hero  Larger than life  Embodies ideals of the nation  Takes part in long, dangerous adventures  Accomplishes great deeds that require courage and superhuman strength  Makes mistakes and suffers large consequences for these mistakes.

15. The Epic Hero  Reference by a hero to his or her fame and greatness was expected. This was not seen as bragging, but was justified by his or her heroic qualities.

16. Greek Values and Ideals  Courage  Cunning  Hospitality  Respect for the gods  Moderation  Loyalty and patriotism

17. The Odyssey  Homer is credited with writing both The Iliad and The Odyssey. Tradition says he was blind and wrote the poems based on oral tradition and history.

18. The Odyssey  The Odyssey was composed around 700 BC and is one of the earliest epics. In many ways, this poem and The Iliad set the pattern for all later epics.

19. The Odyssey  Archeological evidence indicates the Trojan War may have taken place around 1220 BC. The Odyssey was likely composed about 500 years later.

20. The Odyssey  Hero of the story: Odysseus, King of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan War. Odysseus and the other Greeks spent 10 years fighting the Trojans after the abduction of Helen.

21. The Odyssey  It is Odysseus who conceived of the Trojan Horse, which was used to trick the Trojans and allow the Greeks to defeat them. These events are covered in The Iliad.

22. The Odyssey  The Odyssey covers the 10 years after the war. During this time, Odysseus is trying to return home, where his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus, are waiting.

23. 7 Themes of The Odyssey  Struggle against nature and gods  Desire to return home  Courage in the face of danger  Endurance in the face of hardship

24. 7 Themes of The Odyssey 7 Themes of The Odyssey  Power of human intellect in the face of danger  Use of advice  Journeying to learn about other cultures

25. Literary Terms  Epic Simile (Homeric simile): an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects, using like or as. This type of simile will usually go on for at least several lines, unlike a traditional simile.

26. Literary Terms  Allusion: a reference to a well- known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. The author expects you to understand this allusion without explanation.  Ex: “Mona Lisa smile.”

27. Literary Terms  Extended metaphors: where the writer speaks of one subject as if it were something else, but the comparison continues for several lines or for an entire poem.

28. Literary Terms  Epithet: a descriptive expression, another way to refer to someone or something. It will typically be used more than once.

29. Literary Terms  An epithet usually mentions a quality or attribute of the person or thing being described. Ex: Odysseus--Laertes’ son Ex: Poseidon--Ruler of the seas

30. Literary Terms  Omen: Use of an animal or nature to foretell an event Ex: Greek culture held that if the gods were upset, they might visit the lands with monsters, ghosts, floods, storms, and grotesque miracles to reveal their displeasure. Odysseus’ sailors eat the holy cow, and experience an omen from the God’s.

31. Literary Terms  Parable: A brief story or tale that depicts a moral or life lesson  Digression: An interruption of the main action, to get off of the topic

32. Literary Terms  In media res: A Latin expression meaning the story begins in the middle of the action. Ex: In The Odyssey, Odysseus has been sailing for ten years. Much of his adventure has taken place already, but we begin to learn of his adventure after ten years has passed.

33. Literary Terms  Symbol: Some concrete thing which represents an abstract idea  Irony: A perception of inconsistency, when one thing happens and another is expected  Inference: The act of drawing a conclusion that is not really stated

34. The End