The Odyssey by Homer

1. The Odysseyby Homer

2. Prologue • Homer is speaking to the muse of epic poetry • Asks for help in telling the story of this man • Skilled in conflict • Tormented for years • Won the war with Troy • Suffered many bitter days and nights

3. Odysseus had only two goals • Save his life • Bring his shipmates home

4. Sailing from Troy • Odysseus washes up on the shores of Phaecia • King Ancinous offers him a ride home if he tells them the story of his adventures • Odysseus begins his tale…

5. Gods are mad because Odysseus took all the credit for winning the Trojan War. Poseidon curses him and says he will never get home. • Wind blows ships in the wrong direction and they land on the island of Ismarus. • Odysseus’s men storm the island; kill the men; attack the women; eat all the cattle and drink all the wine • Odysseus tries to get them back on the ships, but the men refuse to listen • A few men escape and get the army from Cicones. The Army fought with Odysseus’s men all day and into the night. • When they retreated to the ships; many of the crew were dead.

6. EPIC POETRY • Epic – long poem which tells the adventures of gods and heroes • Began in the oral tradition – stories passed down by word of mouth for generations • Epic Hero – • central character of an epic • Figure of great or larger-than-life stature • Possessed traits valued by society

7. Odysseus • King of Ithaca • Smart • Brave • Cunning • Loyal • Honest • Puts the needs of others first

8. The Lotus Eaters • After leaving Ismarus, Odysseus and his men were caught in a storm and many more men die. • Finally the storm was over after 3 days. They try to sail home, but a strong wind from the north blew the ships off course and finally after 10 days, they landed on the shore of the Lotus Eaters. • Odysseus sends two men and a runner to scout the area.

9. The men meet natives who offer them lotus. Once the men eat the lotus, they fall into a dreamy state and lose all thoughts of home. They don’t want to leave. • The runner goes back to the ships and Odysseus and his men rescue the scouting party by dragging them back to the ship and tying them to their benches. • Traits: Leadership skills improving: he picked three men instead of all men going ashore

10. Cyclops

11. Race of giants with one eye • Gathers not farmers • Raise sheep and goats; use milk for cheese • Not social; no meetings as a whole; live individually in mountain caves

12. Odysseus and his 12 best men go ashore to check out the island • Carried brandy/wine as a gift/trade • Wisdom/good leader (trait) • Cave is full of sheep and goats, cheese & milk • Men want to take the food and return to ship • Odysseus wants to stay and see who lives there • Curiosity (flaw)

13. Cyclops comes home, milks his sheep and goats then notices Odysseus and his men • Cyclops eats 2 men after closing off cave with large boulder • Odysseus wants to kill Cyclops, but realizes they won’t be able to get out of the cave if Cyclops is dead. • Foresight - realizes they would be trapped (trait) • Good Leader - puts others first; concern for men

14. Odysseus has a plan: sharpen olive tree and make a spike; 4 men & Odysseus will grind the spike into Cyclops's eye while he is sleeping. • Odysseus tells the Cyclopes that his name is “Nohbody” • Odysseus & his men escape by tying himself under the sheep

15. Odysseus taunts Cylcopes and reveals his real name • Men try to keep Odysseus quiet • Cyclops realizes that Odysseus is the one the soothsayer told him about and tries to get Odysseus to come back, but curses him instead. • Flaw – boastful and cocky; Odysseus doesn’t take into account his or his men’s safety when yelling his name to the Cyclops.

16. Circe’s Island • Odysseus has lost all of his ships and men except for one boat full. • Land on the island of Aeaea where the enchantress Circe lives. • Odysseus sends out several men to look for food and water but they are turned to swine by Circe • Odysseus goes to rescue them and is protected by a magic herb given to him by the messenger Hermes.

17. Circe’s Island • Odysseus and his men end up staying on Circe’s island for a year. • Circe tells Odysseus that if he ever wants to go home, he will have to go to the Land of the Dead (Hades) and talk with the blind prophet Tiresias. • When Odysseus reaches the Land of the Dead, he must go alone.

18. Land of the Dead • He summons the spirits by sacrifice and ritual (milk, honey, wine, barley, etc.) • Odysseus is scared of the spirits, but is strong while he holds them off waiting for Tiresias.

19. He sees the spirit of Elpenor, a shipmate who died on Circe’s island. Elpenor requests a monument be built so his spirit will be a peace • Odysseus sees his mother’s spirit – who until now he didn’t know was dead. He is grief-stricken but remains strong and steadfast in his duty.

20. PREDICTIONS • One Narrow Strait • Denial of self • Restrain of shipmates • Avoid grazing kine of Helios

21. Raid the beeves: Destruction of ship and crew • Survive alone; lost for years; come home under strange sail • House filled with trouble - suitors eating food/livestock - courting your wife

22. Kill all suitors • Walk inland with your oar until a stranger asks “What winnowing fan is that upon your shoulder?” • Stop and plant oar • Make sacrifice of ram, bull and great buck boar • Go back home & carry out hecatomb to all gods

23. Do all of this: • You will live to a ripe old age, • Live a happy life, • Die a painless death

24. What 3 things MUST Odysseus do? • Avoid the cattle of Helios!!! • Follow all directions!! • MAKE PEACE WITH THE GODS!!

25. The Sirens pg. 882 • Creatures who lure sailors to their destruction • Odysseus’s plan: • Men will tie Odysseus to the mast so he can listen to the song but not crash the boat • Men will put beeswax in their ears so they can steer the boat but not listen to the song • Men are instructed to tie Odysseus tighter to the mast and ignore his pleas if he starts begging to be untied

26. Scylla & Charybdis • Although Charybdis is called a monster, no description of its appearance is generally given. It is a gulf, nearly level with the water, that creates a chasm three times a day, creating a whirlpool that will draw in ships.Then the water is disgorged.

27. Scylla is a horribly grotesque sea monster, with six long necks equipped with grisly heads, each of which contained three rows of sharp teeth. Her body consisted of twelve canine legs and a fish's tail.

29. Narrow Strait • Odysseus gives a pep talk to boost morale because men are scared • He doesn’t tell them about Scylla, only about Charybdis • Better to sacrifice a few for the greater good

30. Scylla eats 6 men • Odysseus feels helpless - • Epic or Homeric Simile: • An elaborate comparison of unlike subjects • Compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable everyday events - events the audience would recognize instantly.

31. Homeric Simile: • Trait: • Flaws:

32. And you thought my drawing was bad!!

33. Cattle of the Sun God • Boat docks on shore of Thrinicia to ride out the storm • Plenty of food and water on board - men are not tempted • Storm lasts for over a month; food runs out; can’t catch fish or fowl

35. Odysseus goes inland to pray to the gods for help. • He falls asleep • Meanwhile… • Eurylocheus tells the men that of all the ways to die, starvation is the worst

36. He suggest that they eat the cows • Sacrifice the best to Helios • Promise to build a temple in his honor once they get home to Ithaca • The men agree and begin to slaughter and cook the cattle

37. Washes up on Calypso’s island – Ogygia • Lives there for 7 years • Gods send a message by Hermes that Calypso has to give Odysseus the opportunity to leave • He builds a raft/boat and sails until he washes up on the island of Phaeacia. • He tells the story of his adventures and then they give him a ride home to Ithaca.

38. The Odyssey, Part Two • Coming Home: • Odysseus arrives home but decides not to go straight home because: • Athena disguises Odysseus as a: • He goes to his old friend Eumaeus who doesn’t recognize him • Eumaeus is a gracious host

39. Meanwhile… • Telemachus has been gone for: • He has sailed to________ and ________ • Trying to: • Having no luck, Telemachus is advised by __________to return to Ithaca

40. Athena warns Telemachus that : • The suitors are: • And demanding that Penelope: • Athena warns Telemachus: • He goes to:

41. The Meeting of Father and Son • Both Odysseus and Telemachus arrive at the swine herders hut. • Telemachus asks Eumaeus if his mother has remarried and is told no • Telemachus tries to protect the old beggar by telling him not to go to the palace where he will be abused by the suitors. • Telemachus and Eumaeus treat Odysseus courteously even though they don’t know his true identity

42. Athena turns Odysseus young again and Telemachus is stunned, not knowing what is happening. • Odysseus reveals his true identity and father and son are reunited

43. The Beggar and the Faithful Dog • Telemachus returns home and greets his mother but doesn’t tell her he has seen Odysseus • Odysseus returns disguised as a beggar • The only creature to recognize his is his dog Argos • Odysseus is angered that his dog has been mistreated and left to lie on a dung pile - the way the old dog is mistreated says much for the conditions in Ithaca since Odysseus has been gone • Argos dies once he knows his master has returned

44. In the great hall, the suitors taunt the beggar • Penelope invites him to visit her later to talk about Odysseus • The beggar tells Penelope how he met Odysseus in his travels • Penelope calls for her maid to wash the beggar’s feet (a sign of respect and honor) • While doing so, the maid recognizes Odysseus from a scar on his leg

45. Odysseus swears the maid to secrecy • Penelope decides on a contest for the suitors on the next day

46. The Test of the Great Bow • Penelope poses an impossible task for those who wish to marry her • The suitors must • String Odysseus’s huge bow (impossible for anyone but Odysseus) • Shoot the arrow through 12 axe heads

47. None of the suitors are able to string the bow • The beggar (Odysseus) asks to try • The suitors refuse to let him, but Penelope insists • Eumaeus, the swineherd hands Odysseus the boy and tells the nurse to take Penelope and all the maids to the family chambers & bolt the doors

48. Telemachus removes all of the suitors weapons • The beggar takes the bow and “like a musician, draws between his thumb and forefinger a sweet new string upon a peg; so effortlessly…in one motion he strung the bow.”

49. Zeus thundered overhead as a sign • The beggar shot the arrow cleanly through all 12 axe heads • Odysseus takes his place at the throne with Telemachus by his side

50. Death at the Palace • Odysseus is ready to reclaim his kingdom but must confront more than 100 angry suitors • He starts with Antinous - the meanest of the suitors and the ringleader • Odysseus shoots him with an arrow through the throat while Antinous is drinking his wine