The Odyssey Notes

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The Odyssey Notes
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What is an Epic

• Epic--A long narrative poem that tells the
  adventures of heroes who embody the
  values of their civilization.
• The Iliad is the epic of war
• The Odyssey is the epic of a long journey

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How Epics Were Told

• They were originally told aloud by people who
  could not read or write
• They were composed according to a basic story line

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Characteristics of an Epic

• A physically impressive hero of national
  importance
• vast setting involving much of the known world as
  well as lands of the dead
• a journey is taken in search of something
• evidence of supernatural forces at work

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Characteristics of an Epic cont

• glorification of the hero at the end
• Contains more than 1000 lines
• Involves a hero and a villain
• Involves the gods
• Starts in the middle (en medias res)

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Epic Hero Characteristics

• Possess admirable qualities (trust, respect)
• Skillful warrior who possess a special weapon
  (BOW)
• Capable of fear
• Has allies and followers
• Takes a journey to battle evil

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About the author--Homer

• He was a blind minstrel, also known as
  rhapsodies.
• Rhapsodies are singers of tales
• The entertainer and myth-maker of his time
• Wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey

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Background on The Iliad

• Set in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War
• The Greeks attacked Troy to avenge an insult
  suffered by Menelaus, King of Sparta
• Helen, his wife, ran off with Paris, the young
  prince of Troy

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The Wooden Horse Trick

• Odysseus thought of the trick which led to the
  downfall of Troy
• They fought 10 years outside the walls of Troy
• Build an enormous wooden horse and hide Greeks in
  the belly
• Push through the walls of Troy and attack

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Gods/Goddess

• Athena-goddess of wisdom
• Poseidon-god of the sea Odysseus enemy
• Zeus-superior god
• Hermes-messenger god
• Helios-god of sun
• Hades-god of the underworld

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Odysseus A Hero in Trouble

• Hero of war who has difficulty finding his way
  back to Ithaca (home).
• Married Penelope before leaving for war
• Had one son, Telemachus, who was 3 when Odysseus
  went to war.

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Literary Elements

• Homeric Simile-- Long comparison (extended simile
  comparing god-like or epic-like qualities to
  every day occurrences)

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Literary Elements cont.

• Epithet- An adjective or descriptive phrase that
  is used to characterize a person, place, thing
• Archetype- the original pattern from which all
  things of the same kind are copied a a model or
  prototype

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Words to be Familiar with

• Alienation--The feeling of separation
• Fate-- Something that unavoidably befalls a
  person
• Hero-- Someone who distinguishes courage or
  ability
• Quest-- A search or pursuit made in order to find
  something

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Archetypes from Nature

• Water birth-death-resurrection creation
  purification and redemption fertility and
  growth.
• Rivers death and rebirth (baptism) the flowing
  of time into eternity
• Sun (fire and sky are closely related) creative
  energy thinking, enlightenment, wisdom,
  spiritual vision.
• Rising sun birth, creation, enlightenment.
• Setting sun death.

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Colour Archetypes

• Red blood, sacrifice, passion disorder.
• Green growth, hope, fertility.
• Blue highly positive secure tranquil
  spiritual purity.
• Black darkness, chaos, mystery, the unknown,
  death, wisdom, evil, melancholy.

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• White light, purity, innocence, timelessness
• Yellow enlightenment, wisdom.

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• THE END