1. Ms. Geller’s Fabulous Freshman Lit Class Fall 2013

2. Rhapsode: Traveling poet/storyteller; ancient Greek entertainment Probably lived sometime before the 8 th century B.C.E. Believed to be blind (Greek homerus=blind) Oral tradition: Greek alphabet was still developing. Most people were illiterate and accustomed to hearing rather than reading stories Adventure tales of heroes and gods; audiences believed they were true Who Was Homer?

3. Iliad: Story of the Trojan War Odyssey: Story of the hero Odysseus’s ten-year journey home from war Some controversy exists among historians as to whether both epics were written by the same person Homer’s Compositions

4. Long narrative poem, often about the adventures of a legendary hero Steady rhythmic pattern (meter) made the poems easier for the rhapsode to remember Action includes extraordinary or superhuman deeds, gods and monsters, and elements of the supernatural Purpose is not only to entertain, but to teach and inspire Convey the values of a culture Epic Poetry

5. Narrator begins by “invoking the Muse,” asking for divine guidance and inspiration Tale begins in medias res (“in the middle of things”) Formal tone and style Figurative language and vivid, often graphic descriptions bring the narrative to life Epic Narration

6. Larger-than-life figure from history or mythology Often aided by the gods, but does not have “superpowers” Has a flaw that can lead to catastrophe; in Odysseus’s case, hubris (arrogance) The Epic Hero

7. Odysseus: King of the Greek city-state of Ithaca Legendary general who came up with the idea for the Trojan Horse, winning the Trojan War for the Achaeans “Formidable for guile;” known as much for his cleverness as for his strength in battle Son of Laertes (patronym) and Anticlea; husband of Penelope; father of Telemachus The Epic Hero

8. Around the 1200’s B.C.E. At sea and on various islands in the Mediterranean Setting

9. When the epic begins, Odysseus is at the palace of King Alcinous, about to embark on the last leg of his journey home. He tells the story of his adventure over dinner at the king’s banquet table. Point of view shifts from third person to first and back again. In Medias Res…

10. Choose one of the following topics and respond in a well-developed paragraph of at least eight sentences on the back of your note sheet. A modern-day hero… A seemingly impossible challenge and how I overcame it… The aspect of my personality that most often gets me in trouble… Your Task