99thth grade English grade English

Literary Terms:Literary Terms:

The OdysseyThe Odyssey

EPIC

• A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero.

EPIC HERO

• A larger-than-life hero who reflects the values of his or her culture.

EPITHET

• An often repeated phrase of description for a person, place, or thing.

• e.g. “rosy-fingered dawn” or “the wine‐dark sea”

HOMERIC SIMILE

• An extended comparison using like or as where sub-parts as well as the overall is compared.

• e.g. Men at ship to animals in barnyard. Pg.922

The Odyssey

Written by HomerWritten Approximately 1200 B.C.

Translated from Greek by Robert Fitzgerald

Homer

•Ancient Greek epic poet (Blind)

• Homer was a singer of tales.• All historians/entertainers of Homer’s time did not write their stories/facts down.

This Homer

Not ThisHomer…

Epic Themes/Values

•Life/Death

•Good/Evil

•Courage/Honor/Bravery

•Values: honor, bravery, hospitality, intelligence, respect for the gods, loyalty to home and family

•Faults: disrespect for the gods, lack of hospitality, excessive pride “hubris”

What is an Epic?• An Epic is a long narrative poem

• Tells about the adventures of a hero

• Usually epics represent the values of the cultures they are written for

•The Iliad and the Odyssey were used in schools to teach Greek qualities.

• Iliad is primary model for epic of war

• Odyssey is primary model for epic of the long journey

Characteristics of the Epic

•It begins in the middle of things, then flashes back to explain action leading up to that point•Begins with a prayer to a god or gods•Always begins with a statement of theme•Contains many epithets•Contains long, formal speeches by many characters

The Epic Hero

•Superhuman •On a quest for something of great value•Villains try to keep the hero from his quest•Divine world (the gods) interfere with the human world

Trojan War

Legend

• Historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC.

• Believed that Troy was located in modern day Turkey.

• The war was against the city of Troy.• Cause: Paris, prince of Troy kidnapped Helen

from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta.

Fall of Troy

• The hollow horse was filled with soldiers led by Odysseus.

• When the Trojans discovered that the Greeks were gone, believing the war was over, they dragged the horse inside the city.

• Sequel to the Iliad (900 and 700 BC)

• The Iliad focuses on the days toward the end of the Trojan War (mid 1200s BC)• The Odyssey focuses on one of the soldiers that fought in the Trojan War returning home 19 years after the war—Odysseus

• The Iliad and the Odyssey together were considered sacred to the Greeks—much like the Bible to many people today.

• Both books were not originally written down. They were originally recited orally.

Odysseus’ Journey