The%20Odyssey

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The Odyssey

• by Homer the poet

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Homer

• Homer was a mans name, and not the Greek
  equivalent of anonymous and that is the one
  certain fact about him.
• There are legends of Homer as a blind, wandering
  poet/minstrel.
• No reliable info is available about Homer and he
  is considered mostly legend. The Iliad and The
  Odyssey were probably part of an oral tradition
  composed by many over a long period of time.  

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Who was Homer?

• Who he was, where he lived, and when cannot be
  answered with any certainty.
• In ancient times seven different cities claimed
  to have been the birthplace of Homer.
• he was likely a native and resident of some area
  of Asia Minor (western Turkey) because the
  dialect in which the poems were composed is that
  of the Ionian Greeks.

Modern Day Allusion
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Who was Homer?

• Ancient Greek tradition as well as a study of the
  language and style of the poems suggests he lived
  around the 8th century B.C.
• The composition of the Homeric epics, The Iliad
  and The Odyssey, was probably sometime around 750
  BC

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History Literature

• Trojan war in Iliad/Odyssey about 1200 B.C.E
• 10-year Greek attack and siege of the city of
  Troy in northwestern Asia Minor
• In between 300 years of dark ages- Hellenic
  Greece sacked by tribes with no written
  language
• Illiad/ Odyssey important W.European work
• 1st complete character arcs-growth/ full plot

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Introduction

• The Odyssey of Homer is the second great work of
  western literature , The Iliad, also attributed
  to Homer, being the first.
• The Odyssey is a Greek epic poem, more than
  twelve thousand lines in length, divided into 24
  books (chapters).

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Geography/ politics

• location of the The Iliad and The Odyssey is the
  Aegean Sea, The Ionian Sea and parts of Turkey.

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For discussion/ thought

• People debate whether Homer was real person or
  just a made up figure. Assuming he wasnt real
  why might people have invented an author for The
  Odyssey and The Iliad?
• Why would they have added details to his
  biography, such as blindness?

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Why read Homer?

• These two epic poems are the most important works
  of non-dramatic literature surviving from ancient
  Greece.
• They are part of and intertwined with the Western
  literary canon so that knowledge of them
  cultural literacy knowing about these can help
  you to understand Shakespeare and Dante and Joyce
  and Rowling.

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The nature of Greek oral epic

• The Odyssey is an epic in the style of oral
  poetry, composed to be read aloud.
• The origins of the tradition are lost, but
  probably go back to Mycenaean times (c1400-1200
  B.C.)

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What is an epic poem?

• An epic poem is a narrative poem on the grand
  scale and in majestic style concerning the
  exploits and adventures of a superhuman hero
  engaged in a quest or some serious endeavour.
• The hero is distinguished above all men by his
  strength and courage, and is restrained only by a
  sense of honour.

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Elements of epic poetry

• The subject matter of epic includes myth, legend,
  history, and folk tale
• It is set in a heroic age of the past and
  embodies its countrys early history and
  expresses its values
• Battles and perilous journeys play a large part,
  as do gods, the supernatural and magic scenes
  are often set in the Underworld or in heaven

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Characteristics of the Epic

• Long story
• Deeds of a hero
• Determines fate of a whole people
• Begins in medias res middle of action
• Involvement of the gods
• Magic or supernatural events
• Characteristics of oral tradition like
  repetition
• Beautiful Language often verse

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Characteristics of Epic Poems

• The main character or protagonist is heroically
  larger than life
• The deeds of the hero are presented revealing his
  failings as well as his virtues
• The action, often in battle, reveals the
  more-than-human strength of the heroes as they
  engage in acts of heroism and courage
• The setting covers several nations, the whole
  world, or even the universe

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• Characteristics of Epic Poems
• The episodes, even though they may be fictional,
  provide an explanation for some of the
  circumstances or events in the history of a
  nation or people
• The gods and lesser divinities play an active
  role in the outcome of actions
• All of the various adventures form an organic
  whole, where each event relates in some way to
  the central theme
• Invocation to the muse or other deity

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• Characteristics of Epic Poems
• Long, formal speeches by important characters
• Frequent use of epithets
• repetitious adjectives that are connected to
  various people, places and other ordinary nouns.
• tell the listener of the important and permanent
  qualities of characters or elements, for example
• resourceful Odysseus
• wise Penelope
• thoughtful Telemachus
• bright-eyed Athena
• wine dark sea
• rosy-fingered dawn

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Epic Hero

• The central hero of an epic
• larger-than-life powers. Achilles fulfills this
  role in The Iliad Odysseus in The Odyssey.
• Imperfect or flawed Achilles is stubbornly proud
  over a long period of time Odysseus has lapses
  in judgment.
• abundance of courage, a fighting spirit that
  endears them both to the reader (listener) and
  the gods.
• Who are other epic heroes (from Star Wars, Harry
  Potter, Lord of the Rings)?

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Elements of the Epic Hero Cycle

• The main character is a hero, who is often
  possessed of supernatural abilities or qualities.
  
• The hero is charged with a quest.
• The hero is tested, often to prove the worthiness
  of himself and his quest.
• The presence of numerous mythical beings, magical
  and helpful animals, and human helpers and
  companions

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Some major motifs also found in HP novels

• Fate/prophecy
• Retribution
• Confrontations with death
• (the Underworld) and
• conversations with the dead
• Series of tests, including battles with monsters,
  are part of a lengthy journey ending with home,
  family, and stability
• Heros P.O.V.

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Contemporary expressions originating from the
text

• Herculean
• Mentor
• Spartan
• The face that launched a thousand ships
• A temptress, a siren
• The threads of destiny
• museum

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View of the gods

• Arbitrary--punish or reward as they feel theyve
  been wronged or honored
• Not all powerful they debate on Mt. Olympus
  dont always know everything that happens
• No one god in charge--even Zeus must accommodate
  other gods when they get angry
• Do care for humankind--Odysseus has suffered
  enough
• They are shapeshifters

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View of Man

• Man must worship and obey the gods
• A son must earn his own reputationTelémachos
  must become his own hero
• Men want women for their beauty, sexuality,
  possessions
• Men are basically physical--eating, drinking,
  lusting, fighting, competing
• Man is at least partly responsible for own fate

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View of Women

• Possessions--responsibility of their fathers,
  then husbands, then sons. Every woman
  categorized as maid, wife, widow, or
  whore.
• Powerless
• Must scheme to survive
• Penelope smarter than average--has outwitted
  suitors for nearly 10 years

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Gender Complexities

• Athena appears to Telémakhos as a man, partly to
  hide her godhood, partly because a man could move
  freely within Akhaian society
• As a father, she makes a man of him--urges him
  to seek his fathers fate and to fight his
  mothers suitors
• Until then, Telémachos has been emasculated

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A short plot summary

• The Iliad is about the Trojan War and The
  Odyssey is about how a hero of the war, Odysseus,
  takes ten years to get back home after the war
  has ended and about the adventures he has along
  the way.

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The Man Odysseus

• no mortal half so wise (85)
• His wisdom hasnt protected him from grief and
  harm
• How wise is he, really?
• LOOK FOR EVIDENCE FOR OR AGAINST OS WISDOM
  THROUGHOUT EPIC
• A brilliant schemer--note all ways Homer has of
  saying this

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The Beginning(1 mintue and 14 seconds so listen
to all of it)

• The Odyssey begins in medias res
• the plot begins in the middle of the overall
  story
• prior events are described through flashbacks or
  storytelling.
• Odysseus (Latin Ulysses) has just fought in
  the Trojan War and is weary of war. All he wants
  to do is to go back to Ithaca and his beloved
  Penelope.
• However, the gods have other plans for this
  trickster king.

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THE END

• Thank you for being here for the Odyssey.
• Good-bye and good night!
• (or day, depends on the time.)