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The Odyssey Homer

Name: ___________________ Period: _____

English 9H

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Overview of the Epic

Year Written:

Author:

Genre:

The Odyssey is an epic poem that was composed sometime between 800 B.C.E and 600 B.C.E. by a Greek poet known as

Homer. The Odyssey originated as oral poetry, not something to be read silently; it used repetition of words and phrases both

for emphasis and for ease in memorizing and retention. It was also memorable because it painted vivid word pictures and was

filled with action. Because of its length, the Odyssey could not be presented all at one time. For that reason, Homer used

techniques, such as the start of a new trial for the hero, which would bring the audience back to hear more. At that time the

Greeks believed in the influence of the gods and goddesses; therefore, one could expect that the hero would receive the help or

the wrath of a god/goddess during his exploits.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHARACTERISTICS OF AN

CHARACTERISTIC THE ODYSSEY

Has a hero who is a figure of national importance and of noble birth

Involves a long, dangerous journey

Has a setting that is large in scale

Involves supernatural beings and events

Has a style that is formal

Begins “in medias res” (in the middle) rather than at the beginning

Uses epithets Usually contains 24 books or parts Homer's History:

http://www.biography.com/people/homer-9342775#legacy

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/literature/homer.htm

http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=hande

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/01/150104-homer-iliad-odyssey-greece-book-talk-travel-world/ Homer's Greece:

http://home.ubalt.edu/ntygfit/ai_01_pursuing_fame/ai_01_tell/eb_greece03.htm

https://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/1951/52327/000000814.sbu.pdf?sequence=1

http://legacy.owensboro.kctcs.edu/crunyon/e261c/04-Homer/HEROCODE.html

http://www1.union.edu/wareht/gkcultur/guide/8/web1.html

https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms.html History of the Trojan War:

https://web.stanford.edu/~plomio/history.html

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/childrens_online_tours/the_trojan_war/the_trojan_war.aspx

http://www.classics.upenn.edu/myth/php/homer/index.php?page=trojan

http://web.nmsu.edu/~ryang/ICT460/lesson/

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Words/Terms to Know Achaean(s) (n) – refers to the inhabitants or characteristics of the people of Achaea in Greece. However, the meaning of Achaea changed during the course of Ancient history, and thus, Achaeans/Achaean may have several different meanings. ***Achaeans (Homer), a name used by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey for Mycenaean-era Greeks in general. Arete (n) – Epic (n) – A long narrative poem that tells about the adventures of a hero who reflects the ideals and values of a nation or race. Epic Hero (n) – A larger than life figure, usually male, who embodies the ideals of a nation or race. Epic heroes take part in long, dangerous adventures and accomplish great deeds that require courage and super human strength. Odysseus, the hero in the Odyssey, displays some of the qualities that were honored in Greek society. However, because he is human, he also displays some human faults (epic flaw). The actions of a true epic hero will often change the fate of a nation or a people. Epic Simile (n) – Epithet (n) – A descriptive word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing, which has become a fixed formula. The epithet is one of the most noticeable features of the Odyssey. Epithet comes from the Greek ‘for putting (something) on (something).’ It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the real name, depending on other features of the Greek language. Epithets add a bit of color and also fill out the meter when the name on its own doesn't quite fit. In addition, the epithet serves as a mnemonic device reminding listeners that they have, indeed, already heard mention of the character. The epithet generally compounds adjectives and is picturesque, which certainly helps make the character memorable.Most of the important people in the Odyssey have a special epithet that serves as an extra name. For instance, Athena is the only one described as glaucopis 'grey-eyed.’ She is called thea glaukopis Athene 'goddess grey-eyed Athena' and also Pallas Athene 'Pallas Athena'. Note: You may notice that Homer never calls the Greeks 'Greeks.' Sometimes they are ‘Achaeans.’ As Achaeans they receive the epithets 'well-greaved' or 'brazen-clad Achaeans'.

Foil (n) – Hubris (n) –

Novel vs. Epic

Novel: Prose (The ordinary form of written or spoken language.)

There is a plot that follows a linear progression.

Progression of the narrative (A story is unfolding.)

Written/Read (a more intimate experience)

Epic: Poetry (rhyme and meter)

Not a linear progression

Presents structural parallels to stimulate thinking

Oral/Listen

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“in medias res” – (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning (cf. ab ovo, ab initio), establishing setting, character, and conflict via flashback and expository conversations relating the pertinent past. The main advantage of in medias res is to open the story with dramatic action rather than exposition which sets up the characters and situation. It can be employed in any narrative genre, epic poetry, novels, plays, or film. Kleos (n) – Muse (n) – In Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths. The compliment to a real woman who inspires creative endeavor is a later idea. Odyssey (n) – a long series of wanderings or adventures, esp. when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc. *In Greek the verb “To odysseus” (odyssasthai) is usually said to mean “be wroth against,” “hate.” In the Odyssey it essentially means “to cause pain, and to be willing to do so.” Proem (n) – Introduction Telemachy (n) – is the first four books of the Odyssey. The focus is on Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. Xenia (n) – Additional Terms:

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The Start of the Odyssey: The Trojan War

Some three thousand or so years ago, the lives of the Ancient Greek citizens and

the fate of the very world in which they lived, rested in the hands of the many

gods who reigned atop Mount Olympus. Happiness, hardship, love, war, calamity and

catastrophe were cast about by the carefree immortals like dice on a board game. To

the gods, the human race was theirs to manipulate as little or as often as they

desired. One such example of the disregard immortals showed to their human

counterparts is the story of the Trojan War.

According to the myth, When the Olympian gods attended the wedding of the mortal

hero Peleus to the sea goddess Thetis, one name had intentionally been left off the guest list; that of Eris, the goddess of Discord. In keeping with her name, Eris

later crashed the party and threw a golden apple upon the table where the Olympians

sat. Inscribed on the apple was the simple phrase, "For the Fairest." Harmless

enough it seemed, but clever enough to do the trick.

Immediately, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera claimed the prize for themselves. Zeus, who

was after all, a very wise ruler, refused to judge between his daughters and his

queen. Instead, he appointed Paris, reputed to be the most handsome mortal on earth,

to judge in his place.

In an effort to win the favor of the handsome judge, the three goddesses each

offered Paris a gift in exchange for being chosen most beautiful. Hera, Zeus' wife,

offered him royal power over all man. Athena, favored daughter to Zeus, promised

Paris glorious victory in battle. Finally, Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, promised

him the hand of the most beautiful mortal woman as his wife. In the end, Paris gave

the apple to Aphrodite.

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In winning the Golden Apple, the goddess

Aphrodite had promised the hand of the most

beautiful mortal woman to Paris. Unfortunately,

this woman happened to be Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. Even so, Aphrodite made

Helen fall in love with Paris and so the lovers

fled to Troy, Paris' homeland, taking with them

most of Menelaus' royal treasure.

Calling upon an old oath, Menelaus sought help

from the many suitors who had once contested

with him for Helen's hand in marriage. Odysseus,

king of Ithaca, and others loyal to Menelaus

vowed to travel to Troy to return his beautiful

bride. And so began the Trojan War.

After ten years of fighting with no end to the

war in sight, Odysseus ordered the construction

of an enormous wooden horse. When the soldiers

of Troy saw the magnificent animal, they took it

as a sign that the Greek army had given up their

futile siege.

But, while dragging the wooden gift into the city, they

failed to realize that the belly of the horse was hollow

and that hidden inside were Odysseus and several of his

men. When night came and the celebrating Trojans had

fallen asleep, Odysseus's men snuck out and unlocked the

city gates, letting in the rest of the Greek army. In a

single moment, ten years of war had come to an end.

With the fighting over, the armies of Greece left for

home, the city of Troy burning behind them. Somewhere

along the way, however, Odysseus' journey took a turn for

the worse, and so begins the Odyssey of Odysseus, as

written by Homer. So, too begins your journey, as you

travel back in history to gain an understanding of the

world of Ancient Greece and The Odyssey.

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The Story of Orestes In Greek mythology, Orestes was the prince who avenged the murder of his father, King Agamemnon of Mycenae, by killing his own mother, Clytemnestra. Orestes' sisters Iphigenia and Electra play important roles in his story. A number of ancient writers and artists, including Greek playwrights Aeschylus and Euripides, have been inspired by the myth of Orestes.

Orestes was still a child when Agamemnon sailed off to fight in the Trojan War. While the king was away, Clytemnestra took a lover,

Aegisthus. She may have been driven to infidelity (unfaithfulness) by a desire for revenge. To obtain favorable winds to carry his ships to Troy, Agamemnon had sacrificed their young daughter Iphigenia to the goddess Artemis.

When Agamemnon returned to Mycenae at the end of the war, he was murdered by his wife and her lover. Aegisthus seized the throne.

Electra feared that her young brother Orestes, the true heir to the throne, might be in danger, and she took him to stay with their father's old friend King Strophius of Phocis. Strophius raised Orestes with his own son Pylades, and the two boys became close friends.

When he grew up, Orestes visited Delphi and asked the oracle* of Apollo what he should do to avenge his father's murder. The oracle replied that Orestes must kill his mother and her lover. So Orestes and his friend Pylades went to Mycenae disguised as messengers,

and they met secretly with Electra to plan the murders. Then with the help of Electra and Pylades, Orestes killed Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, despite her pleas that a son should not kill his own mother.

There are various versions of what happened next. In some accounts, Orestes received praise for avenging his father's murder. In

others, the crime of matricide—the murder of one's mother—was seen as a great sin that deserved great punishment. In these stories, Orestes was pursued relentlessly by the Furies, female spirits of justice and vengeance who drove men mad.

In the version of the story told by Aeschylus, Orestes sought refuge from the Furies at Delphi, home of the oracle that had ordered him

to avenge his father's death. Through the oracle, Apollo instructed Orestes to go to Athens and present his case to the Areopagus, an ancient court of elders. During the trial that followed, Orestes received the support of Apollo as well as that of the goddess Athena*, who cast the deciding vote in his favor. The angry Furies were eventually calmed, and they stopped pursuing Orestes.

In another version of Orestes' story, told by the Greek playwright Euripides, the verdict of the Areopagus did not soothe the Furies.

Apollo told Orestes that he could put an end to their torment if he went to Tauris, a land of dangerous barbarians, and recovered a sacred statue of Artemis. Orestes and Pylades journeyed to Tauris but were captured by the barbarians. They were brought before the

head priestess, who happened to be Orestes' sister Iphigenia. Iphigenia had been rescued from the sacrifice at Aulis before the Trojan War. She helped Orestes and Pylades escape with the statue, and she returned with them to Greece.

Upon returning to Greece, Orestes became ruler of Mycenae and Argos. Eventually he married Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen of Sparta.

Oracle - priest or priestess or other creature through whom a god is believed to speak; also the location (such as a shrine) where such words are spoken

Source: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ni-Pa/Orestes.html

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The Furies In Greek and Roman mythology, the Furies were female spirits of justice and vengeance. They were also called the Erinyes (angry ones). Known especially for pursuing people who had murdered family members, the Furies punished their victims by driving them mad. When not punishing wrongdoers on earth, they lived in the underworld and tortured the damned.

According to some stories, the Furies were sisters born from the blood of Uranus, the primeval god of the sky, when he was wounded by his son Cronus. In other stories, they were the children of Nyx (night). In either case, their primeval origin set them apart from the other deities of the Greek and Roman pantheons. Most tales mention three Furies: Allecto (endless), Tisiphone (punishment), and Megaera (jealous rage). Usually imagined as monstrous, foul-smelling hags, the sisters had bats' wings, coal-black skin, and hair entwined with serpents. They carried torches, whips, and cups of venom with which to torment wrongdoers. The Furies could also appear as storm clouds or swarms of insects. underworld land of the dead deity god or goddess pantheon the gods of a particular mythology considered collectively

Citation: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Fi-Go/Furies.html

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Guided Reading Questions Directions: As you read the text, use the following questions to guide your note taking. Answer the questions/take notes on a separate sheet of paper. Leave space in between your answers to take additional notes during the class discussion. Book I: Athena Inspires the Prince Due Date: ______________________________

1. What is the function of the proem (introduction)? 2. Why do the gods call an assembly? 3. Who is Orestes and what did he do? 4. Who is Odysseus’ only enemy? Why? 5. Who is Mentes? How does Telemachus receive Mentes? 6. What is the significance of setting the first scene in Ithaca at dinner time? 7. Who are the suitors? How are they characterized? 8. Why does Athena send Telemachus on a journey to discover whether his father is dead or alive when she already

knows the answer? 9. What do we learn about Odysseus in Book I? 10. Identify emerging themes in Book I.

Book II: Telemachus Sets Sail Due Date: ______________________________

1. In Book II, Telemachus calls an assembly. What is the purpose of an assembly? When was the last time an assembly was held in Ithaca? Why?

2. Zeus held an assembly in Book I. How does Telemachus’s assembly compare or contrast with Zeus’s? Consider the following:

a. reason for the assembly b. behavior of the participants c. outcome of the assembly

Book I -- Assembly of the Gods Book II – Assembly in Ithaca

Reason: Behavior: Outcome:

Reason: Behavior: Outcome:

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3. Why do you think Homer creates this parallel between Books I and II? 4. Describe Telemachus (physically and emotionally) throughout the course of the assembly. Do you think he is fulfilling

his role as the son of Odysseus? 5. Describe the trick that Penelope plays on the suitors. What does this tell us about her character? 6. What specifically does Athena do to help Telemachus in this book? 7. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

Book III: King Nestor Remembers Due Date: ______________________________

1. What event is taking place at the beginning of Book III? Why is this significant? 2. Note the differences between Odysseus’ Kingdom and Nestor’s Kingdom. Consider the following:

a. relationship with the gods b. xenia c. lea

3. Why do you think Homer creates such a sharp contrast between the two kingdoms?

4. Why does Homer have Nestor tell the story of Orestes? 5. Telemachus travels to Pylos to inquire if Nestor has any information with regard to Odysseus. Nestor knows nothing.

Why does Homer send Telemachus to someone who knows nothing? 6. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

Book IV: The King and Queen of Sparta Due Date: ______________________________

1. Although Athena is no longer travelling with Telemachus, he has gained a new travel companion. Explain. 2. What event is being celebrated in Sparta when Telemachus arrives? What is the significance of this event 3. In this book, we meet Menelaus. How is he characterized? 4. In this book, we meet Helen. Who is she and how is she characterized? How does she compare or contrast with

Penelope?

Ithaca – Odysseus’s Kingdom (Books I & II) Pylos – Nestor’s Kingdom (Book III)

Relationship to the Gods: Xenia: Leadership/Social Structure:

Relationship to the Gods: Xenia: Leadership/Social Structure:

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5. How does the Spartan society compare or contrast with the other societies in the text? 6. How has Telemachus changed throughout the course of his journey? 7. Homer devotes the final section of Book IV to the developing situation in Ithaca. Why do you think he does this? 8. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

Words to Know: Juxtaposition – an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. Utopia - a community or society possessing highly desirable or near perfect qualities Book V: Odysseus – Nymph and Shipwreck Due Date: ______________________________

1. In your own words, describe the introduction of the epic’s hero. Identify the irony. 2. What do we learn about Odysseus based on his first speech? 3. Is xenia demonstrated in Book V? If yes, explain. 4. Book V focuses on a life outside of civilization. Cite evidence that Calypso lives outside of civilization. 5. Odysseus’s building of the raft is the first action we see him take in the poem. What do we learn about Odysseus in

this scene? 6. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

Book VI: The Princess and the Stranger Due Date: ______________________________

1. How does Homer begin his introduction of the Phaeacians by immediately connecting them to both the monstrous and the divine? What is the effect of the connections?

2. How is Nausicaa characterized? 3. Is xenia demonstrated in Book VI? If yes, explain. 4. The *juxtaposition of the turbulent storm in which Odysseus is almost drowned and the calm, paradise-like

environment of Scheria in which Odysseus wakes serves to highlight the *utopian nature of the Phaeacian world. However, like Calypso’s island, initial appearances may not represent what is real. Identify clues that Odysseus is in danger.

5. How might Nausicaa’s character present a danger for Odysseus? 6. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

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Books VII: Phaecia’s Halls and Gardens & Book VIII: A Day for Songs and Contests Due Date: ______________________________

As Odysseus enters the city of Phaeacia, he is shrouded by the goddess in a mist. Here he meets Athena in disguise and is shown to the palace. It is important to notice the parallels between this short journey into the city and Telemachus’s journey to Pylos and Sparta. As you search for the parallels, cite evidence from the text when necessary.

Why do you think Homer creates these parallels?

Telemachus’s Journey (Books II-IV)

Odysseus’s Journey (Books VII-VIII)

Telemachus is guided by Athena in disguise. (Books 2-4)

Athena encourages Telemachus to “be bold.” (Book 3)

Telemachus marvels at the city of Sparta. (Book 4)

A simile used to describe Menelaus’s palace. (Book 4, Line 52)

Telemachus calls an assembly at which he seeks a ship. (Book 2)

Telemachus weeps upon hearing the story of his father. (Book 4)

Telemachus hears a version of the wooden horse story. (Book 4)

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Book IX: In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave Due Date: ______________________________ 1. Who are the Lotus eaters? What effect does the lotus plant have on Odysseus’ men? 2. Identify foreshadowing at the beginning of Book IX. What is being foreshadowed? 3. Note the differences between the Cyclops’s society and the societies of Pylos and Sparta. Consider the following:

a. relationship with the gods b. xenia c. social order

Cyclop’s Society Pylos and Sparta

Relationship with the gods: Xenia: Social Order:

Relationship with the gods: Xenia: Social Order:

4. How does Odysseus demonstrate that he is a man of “twists and turns” in Book IX? 5. In Book IX, Odysseus displays an instance of *hubris. This is his tragic flaw. Explain. 6. What did a soothsayer once predict would happen to the Cyclops? 7. What does the Cyclops ask his father Poseidon to do for him? 8. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes. *Arrogance; excessive self-pride and self-confidence. In Greek tragic heroes this leads them to ignore warnings from the gods and thus invites catastrophe. Book X: The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea Due Date: ______________________________ 1. Who is the god of wind? What favor does he do for Odysseus and his men? 2. How do Odysseus’ men demonstrate “reckless behavior” in the beginning of Book X? 3. Who are the Laestrygonians? What do they have in common with the Cyclops? 4. Identify foreshadowing at the beginning of Book X. What is being foreshadowed? 5. Who is Odysseus’ guardian in Book 10 and how does he/she help Odysseus? 6. Who opposes Odysseus in Book X? Why? 7. What instructions does Circe give Odysseus? 8. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.

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Book XI: The Kingdom of the Dead Due Date: ______________________________ 1. What does Odysseus do to call the souls of the dead to him? 2. Who is Teiresias and what does Odysseus want from him? 3. What does Teiresias predict for Odysseus? 4. What should Odysseus do to the suitors at his house? 5. What does Teiresias say Odysseus should do after dealing with the suitors? 6. What is the name of Odysseus’s mother and how did she die? 7. Why can’t Odysseus hug his dead mother? 8. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes. Book XII: The Cattle of the Sun Due Date: ______________________________ 1. What is Odysseus’s first act after leaving Hades and returning to Circe’s island? 2. Circe serves as Odysseus’s guardian in Book XII. She presents him with three scenarios to come. Describe each one and

the advice that She gives Odysseus. a. Sirens b. Scylla and Charybdis c. Helios’s Cattle

3. Why does Odysseus tell his men of the dangers of the Sirens, but not of the deaths that will be caused by Scylla? I 4. How does Odysseus display hubris in Book XII? 5. Describe the circumstances of Odysseus’s shipmates’ deaths. Is Odysseus at fault? 6. What agreement between two gods does Calypso explain to Odysseus? What impression does this give you of the Greek

gods? 7. Identify emerging themes in the text or the reinforcement of previously determined themes.