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The Iliad and The Odyssey: The Back-story

The Iliad and The Odyssey: The Back-story. It’s Like a Big Deal…I mean people know this. (Psst…there’s an allusion here.). A hint. Who wrote the Odyssey?. Homer - He was a blind minstrel, or bard Wrote 2 epics: long, narrative poems The Iliad is a war epic

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The Iliad and The Odyssey: The Back-story

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  1. The Iliad and The Odyssey: The Back-story It’s Like a Big Deal…I mean people know this. (Psst…there’s an allusion here.)

  2. A hint

  3. Who wrote the Odyssey? • Homer - He was a blind minstrel, or bard • Wrote 2 epics: long, narrative poems • The Iliad is a war epic • The Odyssey is a long journey epic • Odyssey = journey • Both were written about 800 BC and told about events that happened in 1200 BC • Here’s a pic

  4. No, THIS Homer

  5. What is an Epic? • The oldest literary form or genre • A long story poem involving: • A great hero with supernatural qualities (more modern: super powers) • The gods and goddesses take an active part in helping or hindering • (Poseidon is Odysseus’ enemy and represents all the bad traits of O. while Athena helps O and represents all of his good traits)

  6. Epic • The fate of an entire race of ppl is often at stake • Heroes found their greatest glory in battle • It involves a struggle that the culture of the hero values • The hero embodies the values of their culture; used to teach these values. • Begins with an invocation ( prayer to the muse of poetry)

  7. A minstrel is a entertainer who told stories and sang songs -Like Kanye without the drama • Both a historian and an entertainer • Minstrels BORROWED material from legends, epics and myths already known by the ppl; • Used descriptions and phrases that were familiar to the people called EPITHETS • They made the stories as simple as possible

  8. Stories were told repetitively. • There was no written history. • Homer outshone other minstrels of his day because of his: • Originality of ideas • Expression and effect he had on his audience • Meant to teach a lesson--EVERY SINGLE episode in the ODYSSEY is an ALLEGORY for a real life situation.

  9. Allegory • A symbolical narrative • A story that represents something else • The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe- life of Christ • The Lord of the Rings-Life of Christ • Animal Farm- WW2 • Avatar - save the world!! Yay! Go green!

  10. Two Part Story • The Iliad, then the Odyssey…

  11. The Iliad

  12. The Iliad • Tells of the war between Greece and Troy (located in present day Turkey.) • Provides the background for the Odyssey and Odysseus

  13. Iliad • The War lasted ten years • In reality, it possibly began because the Greeks tried to control trade routes.

  14. The Iliad • According to myth: Paris, a prince of Troy, kidnapped Helen, queen of Sparta and wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta.

  15. The Iliad • The Greek kings banded together and sent armies in 1,000 ships to attack Troy. (Helen is known as “The face that launched a thousand ships.) • Gods and goddesses took sides in the war. • For nine years, there was no victory.

  16. The Iliad • Finally, Odysseus devised a plan: The Trojan Horse. • The Monty Python Version…

  17. But it was probably more like this…

  18. And then this • A graveyard full of Trojans

  19. The Iliad • The Greeks conquered Troy; the Trojans were slaughtered and the city was destroyed. • The Greeks set out for home in their ships. • Many gods and goddesses were offended when Greeks desecrated temples and did not make offerings. (The beginning of O’s troubles.)

  20. The Odyssey • Epic poem of the long journey home that begins in media res. • Greeks would have been familiar with Odysseus as a hero from the Iliad • Tells of Odysseus’ adventures trying to return home to Ithaca; his wife’s trials at home; and how his son grows up without a father.

  21. Or…the more modern version

  22. The Odyssey • It took TEN years for him to sail home… • And this is why:

  23. Typical Male…

  24. Main Characters • Odysseus (Ulysses): Super human hero from Ithaca • Penelope: his wife • Telemachus: Odysseus’ son • Circe: a Witch • Antinous: takes over O’s home while O is away

  25. Gods/Goddesses • Athena: Goddess of wisdom • She is on Odysseus’ side and represents all of his good traits: courage, loyalty, bravery • Poseidon: god of the sea • He is against Odysseus and represents all of his bad traits: Mouthy, reckless, prideful • Zeus: King of the gods • Hermes: Messenger of the gods • Aeolus: god of the winds

  26. Greek Values and Beliefs • Believed it was wrong for any man to have hubris: excessive pride or arrogance • The character of a man was very important: courage, loyalty to home and family • Man was not the master of his own fate; he was a pawn in a chess game • Could not control his own fate but he could control how he reacted to the gods’ interfering or meddling (Odyssey is all about O’s reactions…temper, temper, temper)

  27. Questions? • Save your notes to your folder. You may need these later. • Go to thetree and under the Odyssey-B tab, click the Helen pages link. • Follow the instructions. 1st tri or newbies work with a 2nd tri person.

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