Introduction to the Odyssey

The Odyssey

Pre-Reading Notes

Name______Period_____

1)Homer credited with writing the two most famous epics of all time: ______and ______.

  1. Stories passed down ______during the Homeric Age.
  2. Used poetic form & ______– easy for story-teller to remember.

2)Who was Homer?: True identity is ______

  1. Likely a bard or rhapsode
  2. A combination of many men (many authors?)
  3. Lived around ______
  4. ______: Many people believed romantically that performers were______.
  5. homeros = ______
  6. Lived in ______

Did Homer “Write” TheOdyssey?

3)Some believe he Did write it down.

  1. The ______originated in early 8th or late 9th century BC.
  2. Homer could have been one of the first authors to use the Greek alphabet to write down ______.

Some believe he Did Not write it down.

  1. Because the ______did not originate until early 8th or late 9th century BC, it is unlikely Homer would have written down oral epic poetry.
  2. Homer likely had a ______write down his oral epic poetry.

4)Homer passed along his stories via traveling story-tellers called ______.

  1. Sometimes stories were turned into ______
  2. Greek theater performed ______
  3. No actresses, only ______
  4. No ______
  5. Actors wore ______and high platform shoes– they moved very slowly

5)______ tells about a ____ year war fought on the plains beyond the walls of ______, Greece.

The warwas fought between the people of ______and an alliance of early ______kings

6)The war began when ______, the wife of Greek king Menelaus and the most______woman in the world, ran off with ______, the prince of Troy.

7)The _____-year battle ended when ______, king of Ithaca (a Greek island), broke into the walls of Troy with the ______“gift.”

Troy was ______to the ground & many were ______

8)Was there ever a Trojan War?

  1. There probably was a Trojan War but was much different from Homer’s depiction of it in The Iliad
  2. Archaeological evidence shows the War may have taken place around ______and that the city Homer calls Troy was likely destroyed by ______
  3. The Odyssey was likely composed ______after the War

Before The Odyssey:

9)______, King of Ithaca and married to ______, a great fighter in his youth, purchases a slave woman, ______

  1. Laertes and Anticlea have a ______.
  2. He is named ______by his grandfather Autoclycis, and looked after by Eurycleia

10)______is raised with his younger sister Ctimene and another family slave Eumaeus.

  1. On a______-hunt with Autoclycus’ sons, he is badly wounded in the ______
  2. Odysseus loves hunting, especially with his dog ______.
  3. When he is sent of a mission to Messene, he meets Iphitus, son of Eurytus, who gives him a special ______as a gift. Odysseus uses this in ______but takes in nowhere else.

11)______becomes the wise and gentle king of ______and marries ______, daughter of Spartan King Icarius.

  1. He builds their bedroom and constructs a ______around the base of an ______.
  2. Odysseus does not want to join the ______, but he does so just after his son Telemachus is ______.

12)Odysseus and his wife ______had one son, ______, who was a toddler when Odysseus was summoned to join the kings

  1. Odysseus really didn’t want to go to _____ so when the other kings came for him, he pretended to be ______and not recognize his visitors. He continued to plow his fields.

13)Because Odysseus ignored the other kings, ______and ______threw ______in front of the plow.

  1. Odysseus revealed his sanity when he turned the plow to avoid running over his ______.

14)As he leaves for War, ______tells Penelope that if he does not ______, she is to ______when Telemachus comes of age.

  1. He leaves ______or ______in charge of the palace in Ithaca.

15)Odysseus originated idea of the ______.

  1. His army built a large wooden ______and hid Odysseus & members of his______inside.
  2. The ______offered it to the ______as a sign of their surrender and the ______accepted the gift and brought it inside the walls of their city.
  1. In the night, Odysseus and his men crept out______the gates of the city, and the battle ______.

16)The Greek kings parted ways and went ______after their victory.

  1. ______ is the story of Odysseus’ ___-year journey to return home to his family.
  1. He must use his heroic strength and ______to outsmart ______, gods, women, and goddesses who try to seduce him.

17)On Odysseus’s way home from war, ______arranged for storms to blow the ______(Achaeans or Argives) off course as they attempted to sail home from the war.

  1. ______was outraged because a Greek warrior Ajax had desecrated her temple by attempting to rape ______(daughter of last king of Troy) at her temple.
  2. The Greeks did not punish the man who tried to rape ______at ______shrine.

18)______anger lead to the Greeks’ wanderings off course

  1. However,______was ______favorite Greek warrior, so she does help him on his way home.

19)After conquering ______, the ______depart for home from ______and various adventures befall them.

  1. In particular, ______, King of Pylos, arrives home safely and soon.
  2. The lesser ______is drowned, presumably for his rape of ______at ______temple.
  3. ______, husband of Helen, has adventures at sea for ______especially in Egypt.

20)______, leader of the expedition, arrives home in Argos to be killed by ______, lover of his wife Clymenstra;

  1. his death is avenged by his son ______eight years later;
  2. (Before the war Agamemnon had ______his ______Iphigenia for a favorable ______to help his sailors arrive in Troy.)
  3. Odysseus has one false start leaving ______before he eventually sets off

The Odyssey Background:

21)Because ______is gone, his home is over-run with over 100 ______(men who want to marry his wife).

  1. Penelope, his ______, and Telemachus, his 21-year-old ______, do not have the power to eject the suitors from their home
  2. Telemachus, the heir to ______, is constantly in ______.
  3. Due to his ______and lack of ______, he cannot seek help from other Greeks; he cannot eject the ______from his home.

22)Odysseus, the king of the island ______maintains control over Ithaca—even though he is away for ______years—because of his skills which lead to his control.

  1. The city of Ithaca was based on ______
  2. ______is a great warrior, an excellent sailor, the best carpenter, the best hunter, the finest marksman, and the leading expert on caring for farm animals. He is also extremely intelligent.

23)Ithaca has no ______; wealth is measured by livestock, household furnishings, servants, slaves, and treasure.

  1. ______is encouraged in Ithaca; having ______is a symbol of power and wealth
  2. Piracy, war, raids on foreign cities, and the capture of women are all accepted means of increasing ______
  3. The first thing Odysseus does after leaving ______is to sack Ismarus, take their ______and steal their ______.

24)If ______tried to assume his father’s throne, he would likely be overthrown and ______

  1. If ______does not soon choose a suitor, a civil war may begin on Ithaca.

25)If ______does choose a suitor, Telemachus’s life is in danger unless he is willing to give up his claim to the ______

  1. Penelope may have to choose a suitor to save her ______and Ithaca.

Odysseus’ Journey Home:

26)(will be reveled in detail in The Odyssey in flash-back)

  1. For ______Odysseus is blown around the Mediterranean, experiencing adventures with the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the Cylops Polyphemus; Aeolus, the wind-god, giant cannibals; the witch Circe; the underworld; the Sirens; more monsters;
  1. Eventually he is swept ashore to the island of ______where he spends ______. (It is at this point where we first meet Odysseus.)

The Gods in The Odyssey:

27)To the ancient Greeks, the gods were ______, controlled everything, and interacted with human affairs.

28)Athena: Goddess of ______

  1. Known as “______”
  2. Zeus’s first wife was ______, meaning Wisdom.
  3. Zeus ______Metis before she was to give birth to ______.
  4. He knew his second child would ______him.
  5. Athena was born from ______
  6. Always at ______side, offering help and advice.
  7. She also helps ______on his journey.

29)Poseidon: God of the ______

  1. Odysseus’s ______
  2. Known for his ______and brutishness
  3. Often seen with a ______
  4. The______of the ______

30)Homer used both ______and ______as alter-egos for Odysseus: good vs. evil

  1. Odysseus is known for his ______but can also be stubborn and arrogant.

Ancient Greece Domestic Life

31)Real men______. ______is a natural expression of emotion.

  1. Even royalty are expected to do ______.
  1. Parents are involved in arranging ______.
  2. Embracing someone’s ______shows respect, humility, and petition.

32)Poets and poetry were an important part of ancient Greek life for ______and______.

  1. They gave ______to guests upon arrival and departure.
  2. ______were always welcome.

Themes in The Odyssey

  1. ______as a serious and important obligation in Greek culture: always be polite to your ______; however, this expectation prevents Telemachus and Penelope from removing the suitors from their home.
  1. The danger of ______: hubris is excessive ______that leads to ______. Odysseus is often guilty of hubris and Athena must rescue him
  1. The importance of ______: Giving in to excess or temptation, whether food, drink, or other pleasures, will cause a person ______. The Sirens’ song leads to destruction and the suitors’ desires lead to their destruction.
  1. The expected roles for ______and ______in ______society: Men are always ______to women.
  1. The role of ______: Characters receive hints as to their fate; however, some choose to______the foreshadowing. Guess what happens?
  1. The similarities between Greek ______and ______: The gods have many of the same negative ______as ______and often cause destruction. They may choose to save one person and many others will die as a result. The gods are given credit for all that is good; they are sometimes______for bringing destruction to ______.
  1. Loyalty: Penelope is expected to ______for Odysseus, gone for more than ______years. Telemachus must stand for his father, who he does not even remember, against the suitors. However, there are characters who do not remain______to Odysseus and their fate is not good.
  1. Perseverance: ______to survive in any situation
  1. Vengeance: It is acceptable to ______or ______those who are ______. The end of the epic shows what happens to those who defy Odysseus.
  1. Appearance vs. ______: ______takes on many different characters’ ______and even animals’ when helping Telemachus or Odysseus. She can even change others’ appearances for reasons such as checking on someone’s loyalty or making a good impression on a king
  1. ______Growth: Telemachus and Odysseus both experience struggles which cause them to ______spiritually by the end of the epic.

Greek Monster & God Q&A

33) What is the name of the mortal woman who could turn into a dragon-like monster with snakes for hair?

34)What is the name of the giant who only has one eye in the middle of his forehead?

35)What is the name of the sea monster who has 6 necks and 12 feet?

36)What is the name of the giant whirlpool who sucked in and burped out the waters of the sea and anything in his path?

37)Who were the sea goddesses and seductresses who had the heads of women and the bodies of birds?

38)Who was the sorceress who turned people into hideous beasts with human brains?

Elements of the Traditional Epic

The ______is superhuman-braver and stronger than ordinary

______.

There is some all-knowing or wise person who helps the ______

The story starts in the ______of the action ______and earlier events are introduced ______.

The______is vast in scope- sometimes worldwide and even beyond

The ______is on a quest for something of great ______to him or his people

The ______of the epic involves ______deeds and battle, often including a long ______or ______.

The ______that try to keep the hero from his ______are uglier, more evil, and more cunning than anything in ordinary life

The ______or other supernatural beings take an active role in the story

Elements of the Epic Hero

Great ______- Larger than Life (referring to importance)

Possesses the character traits most valued by______(ie. determination, ______, wit, ______)

Pursues his ______in the face of many ______

Has ______traits and ______that make him seem like a real person (i.e. ______, foolish, tricky)

Epithets

brief ______

characterize a ______or ______

sometimes set off by ______

used to help the rhapsode & listener better ______details

Examples of Epithets:

 ______, master mariner

 Grey-eyed ______

 Muse, daughter of ______

 the ______, the ______sea

 ______dawn

TASK: Create an epithet for your own name. Consider what you like to do, who your parents are, and what you are best known for:______

Epic Simile

also known as the ______Simile

uses ______or ______

comparison between two ______

an ______version of a ______simile

Homer uses these similes for______

Example:“And Odysseus

let the bright molten tears run down his cheeks, weeping the way a wife mourns for her lord on the lost field where he has gone down fighting” - Book 8

What is being compared?______

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