The Odyssey by Homer
"If we are fortunate, if the gods and muses are smiling, about every generation someone comes along to inspire the imagination for the journey each of us takes." ___Bill Moyers
"An epic is an encyclopedia of the manners, customs, and values that bind a whole civilization together:"
____W.T. Jewkes
Study Guide for The Odyssey
1. Know background information from Odyssey Introduction Questions.
2. Know specific facts about The Odyssey from reading the text and discussion in class.
3. Take notes in class.
4. Be able to identify people and places from The Odyssey. Make a chart as we study each place.
5. Know themes from The Odyssey.
1. wandering (a quest or journey)
2. the sea
3. interference by the gods
4. home and family
5. characteristics of the epic hero
6. List of epithets for various characters. (10)
1. Odysseus - Laertes’ son
2. Calypso - the lovliest among goddesses
3. Circe - the enchantress
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
7. Chart:
*
Literary Element: Plot summary of the Original Text
Books 1-4 the adventures of Telemachus, trying to find word of his lost father
Books 5--8 Odysseus' departure from Calypso and arrival in Phaeacia, where Odysseus tells his story at the court
Books 9-12 a flashback in which Odysseus tells the Phaeacians of his adventures; his past since the Trojan War
Books 13-24 Odysseus' landing on Ithaca, the battle with the suitors, and the final recognition and reunion with Penelope and Telemachus.
Literary Connections:
Aristotle (384-322, B.C.) saw the Iliad as the archetypal tragedy and the Odyssey as the archetypal comedy. This means that the Iliad portrays death as the limit of human existence, but the Odyssey celebrates the renewal of society. Remember the classical definitions of comedy and tragedy.
Achilles is the character who gives us the term Achilles' heel. Literally defined, the term means the spot where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel, and figuratively as any vulnerable or weak spot. The only vulnerable spot on the hero's body was his heel. When his mother, Thetis, attempting to make her son immortal, dipped him in the river Styx, she held him by his heel where the protective water did not touch him. Paris killed him by shooting a divinely directed, poisoned arrow into his heel.
Although Homer intended his audience to admire Odysseus, Odysseus' craftiness and guile were later attached by major ancient writers. For example, Sophocles (496-406) B.C. in his play Ajax portrays Odysseus as deceitful, and in his epic the Aeneid, Virgil uses Odysseus almost as an emblem for Greek treachery.
Plato, a Greek philosopher in the fourth century, describes a rhapsode named Ion who made his living by reciting long passages of epics to music.
According to some critics, the Sirens represent knowledge.
As a goddess of war and wisdom, Athena allies herself with the brave and intelligent odysseus and intercedes to aid his return.
Poseidon supported the Greeks against the Trojans, who had cheated him out of pay for building city walls; he turned on the Greeks when they defiled Athena's temple, and on Odysseus after the Cyclops Polyphemus's curse.
Literary Terms:
in medias res-
in the middle of things
Epic poems usually begin in medias res, telling most of the story in a flashback
oral tradition-
Passing the story by word of mouth from one generation to another
epic
long narrative poem, tells the adventures of a hero
the heor is a figure of great national or
the setting is very big, cosmic, heavens, hell
involves war
ceromionial preformance
elevated formal language and stlye
seroius mood
action is episodic
the poet states his theme, invokes a muse to help him in his great understanding, and tasks an epic question, which the story answers
epic start in the middle
1. a physically impressive hero of national or historical importance
2. a vast setting involving not only much of the known world but also the underworld
3. action such as a quest of journey requiring superhuman ability and courage
4. evidence of supernatural forces
epic hero
epithet - a descriptive word or phrase attached to the name of a person or thing, usually stressing a particular characteristic, “crafty” Odeseous
Homeric simile - an extended comparison also called an epic similie
in comparing Penelopes slain suitors to a catch of fish, Homer
(material often from nature, such as lions, deer, boar, rivers, or everyday activities of herding and fishing)
invocation to the muses - an epic convention, the Odyssey begins with the prayer to Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry
addressed formally because of their poe
muses- the 9 daughters of Zeus , who preside over art, literature, and science
addressed formally because of their poetry
imagery - the collection of sense images in a poem or a story
flashback - an interruption in the plot that moves the action back in time
dramatic irony - the difference between what the reader knows as truth and what the characters in the story know
rapsodes - singers of tales, historians and myth makers, entertainers
foreshadowing - hints or clues about what will happen later in the story
alter ego- in the O, a god can be an alter ego, a reflection of a hero’s best or worst qualities
motivation - what makes a person act the way he does
protagonist - the hero of the story, the hero that may win or lose the conflict
antagonist- the opposing forces against the protagonist
suspense - the events leading up to the climax that produce tension in the reader
Greek minstrels - singers of songs and stories
conflicts
mythology - a story, often using gods and religiuos matter, that usues fantasy to express abstract ideas about life
an apptempt
setting - time place and circumstances
conflict- man v. man
allusion - a reference to an event in history, a book, mythology, or a story that
symbol - an object that stands for more than its literal meaning
odyssey
a personal journey transformed into a cultural journey
a call to adventure or a quest
supernatural forces that give aid or cause problems
a series of tasks and trials
a collision of forces
a victorious or defeated hero
homecoming--the hero’s integration into or banishment from society
from Elements of Literature
Characteristics of a hero:
Modern hero's traits:
Shared Traits:
Odysseus' Traits:
Discussion:
Consider the conflicts of the following characters and how they are resolved:
Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, the Cyclops, Calypso, Circe, the suitors, King Alcinous
Using the characters from above, think of their host/guest relationship as appropriate behavior or as inappropriate; consider the results of these behaviors.
Places and People Odysseus Meets on His Journey:
Aeaea
Alcinous
Calypso
Circe
Lotus Eaters
Phaeacia
Polyphemus (Cyclops)
Scylla and Charybdis
Sirens
Teiresias
Thrinakia
The People Back Home in Ithaca:
Eumaeus
Eurycleia
Eurymachus
Eurynome
Penelope
Philoeteus
Telemachus
The Gods:
Apollo
Athena
Cronus
Helios
Hephaestus
Hermes
Olympus
Poseidon
Zeus
"If we are fortunate, if the gods and muses are smiling, about every generation someone comes along to inspire the imagination for the journey each of us takes." ___Bill Moyers
"An epic is an encyclopedia of the manners, customs, and values that bind a whole civilization together:"
____W.T. Jewkes
Study Guide for The Odyssey
1. Know background information from Odyssey Introduction Questions.
2. Know specific facts about The Odyssey from reading the text and discussion in class.
3. Take notes in class.
4. Be able to identify people and places from The Odyssey. Make a chart as we study each place.
5. Know themes from The Odyssey.
1. wandering (a quest or journey)
2. the sea
3. interference by the gods
4. home and family
5. characteristics of the epic hero
6. List of epithets for various characters. (10)
1. Odysseus - Laertes’ son
2. Calypso - the lovliest among goddesses
3. Circe - the enchantress
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
7. Chart:
*
Literary Element: Plot summary of the Original Text
Books 1-4 the adventures of Telemachus, trying to find word of his lost father
Books 5--8 Odysseus' departure from Calypso and arrival in Phaeacia, where Odysseus tells his story at the court
Books 9-12 a flashback in which Odysseus tells the Phaeacians of his adventures; his past since the Trojan War
Books 13-24 Odysseus' landing on Ithaca, the battle with the suitors, and the final recognition and reunion with Penelope and Telemachus.
Literary Connections:
Aristotle (384-322, B.C.) saw the Iliad as the archetypal tragedy and the Odyssey as the archetypal comedy. This means that the Iliad portrays death as the limit of human existence, but the Odyssey celebrates the renewal of society. Remember the classical definitions of comedy and tragedy.
Achilles is the character who gives us the term Achilles' heel. Literally defined, the term means the spot where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel, and figuratively as any vulnerable or weak spot. The only vulnerable spot on the hero's body was his heel. When his mother, Thetis, attempting to make her son immortal, dipped him in the river Styx, she held him by his heel where the protective water did not touch him. Paris killed him by shooting a divinely directed, poisoned arrow into his heel.
Although Homer intended his audience to admire Odysseus, Odysseus' craftiness and guile were later attached by major ancient writers. For example, Sophocles (496-406) B.C. in his play Ajax portrays Odysseus as deceitful, and in his epic the Aeneid, Virgil uses Odysseus almost as an emblem for Greek treachery.
Plato, a Greek philosopher in the fourth century, describes a rhapsode named Ion who made his living by reciting long passages of epics to music.
According to some critics, the Sirens represent knowledge.
As a goddess of war and wisdom, Athena allies herself with the brave and intelligent odysseus and intercedes to aid his return.
Poseidon supported the Greeks against the Trojans, who had cheated him out of pay for building city walls; he turned on the Greeks when they defiled Athena's temple, and on Odysseus after the Cyclops Polyphemus's curse.
Literary Terms:
in medias res-
in the middle of things
Epic poems usually begin in medias res, telling most of the story in a flashback
oral tradition-
Passing the story by word of mouth from one generation to another
epic
long narrative poem, tells the adventures of a hero
the heor is a figure of great national or
the setting is very big, cosmic, heavens, hell
involves war
ceromionial preformance
elevated formal language and stlye
seroius mood
action is episodic
the poet states his theme, invokes a muse to help him in his great understanding, and tasks an epic question, which the story answers
epic start in the middle
1. a physically impressive hero of national or historical importance
2. a vast setting involving not only much of the known world but also the underworld
3. action such as a quest of journey requiring superhuman ability and courage
4. evidence of supernatural forces
epic hero
epithet - a descriptive word or phrase attached to the name of a person or thing, usually stressing a particular characteristic, “crafty” Odeseous
Homeric simile - an extended comparison also called an epic similie
in comparing Penelopes slain suitors to a catch of fish, Homer
(material often from nature, such as lions, deer, boar, rivers, or everyday activities of herding and fishing)
invocation to the muses - an epic convention, the Odyssey begins with the prayer to Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry
addressed formally because of their poe
muses- the 9 daughters of Zeus , who preside over art, literature, and science
addressed formally because of their poetry
imagery - the collection of sense images in a poem or a story
flashback - an interruption in the plot that moves the action back in time
dramatic irony - the difference between what the reader knows as truth and what the characters in the story know
rapsodes - singers of tales, historians and myth makers, entertainers
foreshadowing - hints or clues about what will happen later in the story
alter ego- in the O, a god can be an alter ego, a reflection of a hero’s best or worst qualities
motivation - what makes a person act the way he does
protagonist - the hero of the story, the hero that may win or lose the conflict
antagonist- the opposing forces against the protagonist
suspense - the events leading up to the climax that produce tension in the reader
Greek minstrels - singers of songs and stories
conflicts
mythology - a story, often using gods and religiuos matter, that usues fantasy to express abstract ideas about life
an apptempt
setting - time place and circumstances
conflict- man v. man
allusion - a reference to an event in history, a book, mythology, or a story that
symbol - an object that stands for more than its literal meaning
odyssey
a personal journey transformed into a cultural journey
a call to adventure or a quest
supernatural forces that give aid or cause problems
a series of tasks and trials
a collision of forces
a victorious or defeated hero
homecoming--the hero’s integration into or banishment from society
from Elements of Literature
Characteristics of a hero:
Modern hero's traits:
Shared Traits:
Odysseus' Traits:
Discussion:
Consider the conflicts of the following characters and how they are resolved:
Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, the Cyclops, Calypso, Circe, the suitors, King Alcinous
Using the characters from above, think of their host/guest relationship as appropriate behavior or as inappropriate; consider the results of these behaviors.
Places and People Odysseus Meets on His Journey:
Aeaea
Alcinous
Calypso
Circe
Lotus Eaters
Phaeacia
Polyphemus (Cyclops)
Scylla and Charybdis
Sirens
Teiresias
Thrinakia
The People Back Home in Ithaca:
Eumaeus
Eurycleia
Eurymachus
Eurynome
Penelope
Philoeteus
Telemachus
The Gods:
Apollo
Athena
Cronus
Helios
Hephaestus
Hermes
Olympus
Poseidon
Zeus
