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The Odyssey:

The Odyssey:. A Background. The Odyssey. 3000 Years ago Great war stories recalling historical facts Written by Homer Two books: The Iliad and the Odyssey. The Odyssey. Homer’s second epic Details the attempts of Odysseus to return home after winning the Trojan War. Epic.

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The Odyssey:

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  1. The Odyssey: A Background

  2. The Odyssey 3000 Years ago Great war stories recalling historical facts Written by Homer Two books: The Iliad and the Odyssey

  3. The Odyssey • Homer’s second epic • Details the attempts of Odysseus to return home after winning the Trojan War

  4. Epic • Long narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who in some way embody the values of their civilizations • Typically used to teach virtues: moral ideals of a society

  5. Epics: • Greek: The Iliad and the Odyssey • Roman: Aeneid • French: Song of Roland • Italian: Divine Comedy • Sumerian: Gilgamesh • English: Beowulf

  6. The War-Story Background: • Found in the Iliad: the war epic • Action is the 10th and final year of the Trojan War • Menelaus: King of Sparta whose wife, Helen, ran off with Paris, a Trojan Prince

  7. Heroes of the Trojan War • Agamemnon: King and leader of the Greek forces • Achilles: the greatest of all Greek warriors • Odysseus: the hero of the second epic, and a prominent figure in Greek history

  8. Odysseus: Hero in Trouble • Heroes were thought of as aristocrats—a privileged class • Difference: Odysseus is in trouble—he must submit to Agamemnon • He is at the whim of the gods

  9. Hero in Trouble • Story marked by melancholy and a feeling of disillusionment • Odysseus is plagued by misfortune—the opposite of what we think a hero should have

  10. Odysseus’ Misfortune • The monsters do not know of his military prowess • Odysseus has already been away from his wife for 10 years • Odysseus has not seen his son, Telemachus, since he was a toddler

  11. The Wooden-Horse Trick • Odysseus created the wooden horse (Trojan Horse) • It is a trap—it is filled with warriors who open the gates of Troy at night when the Trojans were asleep • The Greek army withdrew from sight—this is a dishonest means of battle

  12. The Ancient World and Ours • Harsh—filled with violence • Worldly goods may simply have been pots and pans, not gold • Palaces may simply have been mud huts • Struggles represent the struggle for survival

  13. A Search for their Places in Life • Odysseus is searching for home—parallels the plight of the Greek people • People feel the need to belong somewhere • Odyssey begins in the middle, with Telemachus

  14. Place in Life • Telemachus: need for father reflects society’s need for guidance • Odysseus is similar to Zeus in this regard • Odysseus represents every Greek person in search of security in a hostile world

  15. Relationships with the Gods • Myths: stories that use fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms • Homer is religious: the Odyssey represents the struggle every Greek had with the Gods/Survival • Alter Ego: the opposite of the hero

  16. Who was Homer? • No one really knows • Believed to be a blind minstrel from Chios • Probably just a legend • Rhapsodes: singer of tales—historians

  17. How Were Epics Told? • Oral Tradition: the Odyssey was spoken long before it was written down • Most myths usually taught a religious story

  18. How Were Epics Told? • Homeric or heroic similes: compare heroic or epic events to simple and easily understandable events • These stories were probably not told in one evening—they were too long • Homer and other poets were similar to comedians

  19. A Live Performance • Poems were frequently sung • These affairs were a big deal—people dressed up for them

  20. Cast of Characters: • Achaeans or Argives: Greek people—referred to as both • Argives specifically refers to those fighting at Troy

  21. People and Places • Aeaea: home of Circe, the witch Goddess; an island • Alcinous: King of Phaeacia • Calypso: goddess-nymph who keeps Odysseus for 7 years

  22. People and Places • Cicones: people of southwest Thrace • Charybdis: female monster who sucks in water three times a day (explains the tides)

  23. People and Places • Circe: witch-goddess who turns Odysseus’ men into pigs • Eurylochus: crewmember of Odysseus’

  24. People and Places • Lotus Eaters: people who eat Lotus blossoms: feed them to Odysseus’ men; makes men forgetful • Phaeacia: island ruled by Alcinous

  25. People and Places • Polyphemus: cyclops who was blinded by Odysseus • Cyclops: children of Poseidon who were shepherds, but know for their barbaric nature

  26. People and Places • Scylla: female monster with six serpent heads: she was opposite Charybdis • Teiresias: blind prophet from Thebes; present in many Greek stories • Thranakia: island of Helios’ cattle

  27. People of Ithaca • Antinous: Penelope’s main suitor • Eumaeus: swineherd and loyal servant of Odysseus • Eurycleia: Odysseus’ old nurse

  28. People of Ithaca • Eurynome: Penelope’s housekeeper • Penelope: Odysseus’ faithful wife • Telemachus: Odysseus son, who never gives up looking for Odysseus

  29. Major Gods in the Text • Apollo: god of mercy • Athena: favored the Greeks during the Trojan war; assisted Odysseus on his return home • Helios: sun god

  30. Major Gods in the Text • Poseidon: becomes an enemy to Odysseus; the alter ego already referred to

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