The Odyssey

Homer

Homer(The Blind Poet)

No one is exactly sure who Homer was.  Theories abound, and some even think he never existed. 

Regardless, he is traditionally recognized as the original creator of two epic poems: The Iliad and The Odyssey. 

Homer

Living sometime in the second half of the 8th century B.C., Homer was probably a minstrel (rhapsody) - a man who traveled constantly, singing songs and telling stories. 

His two works were probably handed down orally for centuries before they were actually put down on paper, which means the versions we have today may or may not be close to the original.

The Iliad

The Iliad details the last part of the Trojan War.

It is valuable to understanding The Odyssey.

The epic revolves around Achilles, the mightiest of the Greek warriors.

The Odyssey

11,300 lines – divided into twenty-four books

Three major plot strands:

1. What happens to Penelope and Telemachus as they await his return. (The Telemachy)

2. Odysseus’s wanderings during the ten years following the Trojan War.

3. Odysseus’s return to Ithaca.

Epic Long narrative poem with the following

characteristics:

1. Contains adventure2. Central heroic figure

3. Vast setting – often covering the entire world4. Supernatural forces involved5. Elevated style – serious tone

Epithets

A term, often repeated, used to characterize a person or thing.

Wise OdysseusPrudent PenelopeGrey-eyed Athena

Epic Simile (Homeric Simile)

Comparison of heroic or epic events to simple, everyday events – to people working, for instance, or to the behavior of animals. They are usually longer and more detailed than modern similes.

– “. . . all the sea was like a cauldron / seething over intense fire, when the mixture / suddenly heaves and rises” (XII. 306-309).

Epic Hero A character who

remains brave and loyal.

A clever, skillful leader in the face of danger and adversity.

He is usually larger than life and the subject of legend or a national hero.

Invoking of the Muses

Asking for inspiration from one of the goddesses who preside over the arts.

En Media Res (Latin)

A literary technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning. The characters, setting, and conflict are often introduced through a series of flashbacks or through characters relating past events to each other.

Classical works such as Virgil's Aeneid and Homer's Odyssey begin in the middle of the story.

Themes

Journey to manhood Appearance vs. reality Vengeance Cunning over strength Perseverance