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The Odyssey

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Title: The Odyssey

1
The Odyssey

2
The Author

Homer
Epic poet
Real or a legend? Too good to be true?
The same question has been asked about
Shakespeare.
There are several opinions about who Homer was
however, we dont know for sure.
Rhapsodes
Singers of tales / historians, entertainers, and
mythmakers of their time
No movies, no TV, no books, no Bible so, these
rhapsodes travelled between communities singing
of recent events or of doings of heroes, gods, or
goddesses.
People who could not read or write would sing
epics, like the Iliad and the Odyssey to an
audience

3
The Odyssey as an Epic

Epic
Long narrative poems that tell of the adventures
of heroes who in some way embody the values of
their civilizations.
For centuries, the Greeks used epics (such as
Homers stories) to teach Greek virtues in their
schools.

4
The Author

Homers stories
Center around historical struggles for control of
the waterway leading from the Aegean Sea to the
Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
These battles may have taken place as early as
1200 B.C.
Homers first epic the Iliad (model epic of war)
Tells the story of a 10-year war fought on the
plains outside of a city called Troy fought
between the people of Troy and Greek kings The
Trojan War caused by sexual jealousy over a
beautiful woman named Helen who left her husband
(a Greek king) for the prince of Troy.
Homers second epic the Odyssey (model epic of a
long journey)
Tells the story of the attempt of one Greek
soldier, Odysseus, to get home after the Trojan
War.

5
Background for the Odyssey

Iliad
Set in the tenth and final year of the Trojan War
The Greeks attacked Troy to avenge the insult
suffered by Menelaus, king of Sparta, when his
wife, Helen, ran off with Paris, a young prince
of Troy.
The Greeks were eventually victorious as they
gained entrance to Troy, reduced the city to
ruins, and butchered all of the inhabitants
(except for those they took as slaves back to
Greece).
There were many Greek warriors and heroes who
died in the war, including Achilles.
In addition, many survived and came home, such as
Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces.
However, he was murdered by his unfaithful wife
when he returned home.
Odysseus, a great soldier known for his
knowledge, strength, and power, also had a
homecoming story. This sparked the story of the
Odyssey.

6
Odysseus

Home island Ithaca
In the years before the war, he had married
Penelope, a strong and faithful woman.
Had one son, Telemachus, who was a toddler when
his father went to war at Troy.
Forced by treaty to go to war
Didnt want to fight for an unfaithful woman
Even tried acting as an insane peasant to avoid
being drafted however, it didnt work
Once in Troy, Odysseus performed well.
Played a role in the wooden-horse trick, which
led to the downfall of Troy at the end of the
war.

7
The Odyssey

The story does not pick up with Odysseuss
departure from Troy. Instead, the story begins at
his home with Telemachus, who is now 20 years old
and threatened by powerful men surrounding his
home wanting to rob him of his inheritance and
pressuring his mother to marry one of them.
Telemachus needs his father at home to set things
right.
Meanwhile, we hear that his father is stranded on
an island, longing to be home.
It has been 10 years since Odysseus sailed from
Troy, and 20 years since he left Ithaca to fight
at Troy.

8
Odysseus

9
Theme Influences

10
Myths

Myths
Traditional stories, rooted in a particular
culture, that usually explain a belief, a ritual,
or a mysterious natural phenomenon
Tend to be religious because they are concerned
with the relationship between human beings and
the unknown or spiritual realm

11
Myths in the Odyssey

Myths in the Odyssey
The relationship humans and the gods
Homer was religious
For him, gods controlled all things
For example Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is
always at the side of Odysseus. Odysseus is known
for his mental abilities.
A god can be an alter ego
Alto ego a reflection of a heros best of worst
qualities
For example Poseidon, the god of the sea, works
against Odysseus and is known for arrogance and
brutishness.

12
Approaching the Odyssey

There are 24 books in the Odyssey
Books 1-4 Telemachuss journey in search of his
father
Books 5-8 Odysseuss departure from Calypsos
island and arrival in Phaeacia (action takes
place at the same time as books 1-4)
Books 9-12 a flashback to events prior to Book
5 in which Odysseus tells the Phaeacians of his
adventures told in the first person
Books 13-24 Poem returns to chronological order
- Odysseuss return to Ithaca, his battle with
suitors, and his reunion with Penelope,
Telemachus, and his father, Laertes
The poem in chronological order Books 9-12,
Books 1-4 and 5-8 simultaneously, and finally
Books 13-24