Greek Mythology and the Odyssey

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Greek Mythology and the Odyssey
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• The Odyssey
• Epic poem- long, narrative poem that tells about
  the adventures of a hero who reflects the ideals
  and values of a nation or race.
• Composed sometime around 800 B.C. 600 B.C.
• Composed by Homer
• a. Homer did not create the Odyssey, he
  told the story orally. However, Homer was
  rumored to be a blind storyteller. He would
  NOT have been able to write.
• b. The Odyssey was being told orally
  through storytellers long before Homer
  wrote it down (?)

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Characteristics of the EPIC 1.Has an epic hero
2. Often written in poetry form but not
always 3. Often includes myths, legends, and
history 4. Usually has a serious tone and
language 5. Deals with a quest 6. Often based on
some truths 7. Includes epithets flashbacks 8.
Usually involves a battle and oftentimes a single
combat like Achilles fighting Hector or the final
showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort
Other National EPICS are Greek The Iliad by
Homer Spanish El Cid Roman
The Aeneid by Virgil
American Forest Gump


English Harry Potter Series


Percy Jackson Olympians

Series

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Epic Hero 1. A larger-than-life figure, usually
male, who embodies the ideals of a nation or
race. 2. Take part in long, dangerous adventures
and accomplish great deeds that require courage
and superhuman strength. 3. Often, the divine
world of the gods or other supernatural
forces will interfere with the human world of
the epic hero. Some epic heroes - Harry
Potter - Frodo from Lord of the Rings - Luke
Skywalker from Star Wars
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Epic Simile Simile- comparison of two unlike
things that uses the word like or
as. Epic Simile- an elaborate, more involved
version of a regular simile. - great
length and detail - extends for several
lines - also called the Homeric
Simile Just as an angler poised on a
jutting rock flings his treacherous bait in the
offshore swell, whips his long rodhook sheathed
in an oxhorn lure and whisks up little fish he
flips on the beach-break, writhing, gasping out
their lives . . . so now they writhed, gasping
as Scylla swung them up her cliff and there at
her caverns mouth she bolted them down
raw screaming out, flinging their arms down
toward me, lost in that mortal struggle . . .
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Epithets Epithets- brief, descriptive phrases
that helped to characterize a particular
person or thing. - repetition of a
phrase Odysseus is described as master
mariner old contender man of twists
and turns great tactician -
remember he initiated the idea of the
Trojan horse- source of the Greeks
defeating Troy
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The Iliad and the Trojan War
Trojan War may have occurred around 1200 B.C. and
established the background for Homers epics
The mini-version of the Legend
is

• Paris, Prince of Troy and son of King Priam and
  Queen Hecuba, fell in love with another mans
  wife and took her back to his kingdom of Troy
  with the interference of the gods, one goddess in
  particular

• Helen, known as the most beautiful woman and the
  face that launched a 1,000 ships runs away with
  Paris and her absence enrages her husband

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Family LoyaltyHow far would a person go for his
brother?

• Menalaus, King of Sparta, is upset and seeks the
  advice of his brother
• Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, who is power hungry
  and wants control of all lands, especially Troy
  he convinces his jilted brother to go after his
  wife and wage a war against Troy to get her back
  and regain some of the dignity his brother has
  lost. Together they utilize their power as kings
  to gather as many great warriors to fight for
  their cause.

Agamemnon
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• The war lasted 10 years, during which time many
  heroes emerged.
• Fighting for the Greeks ( Under rule of King
  Agamemnon)
• Odysseus (the hero of The Odyssey)
• Ajax (almost giant like warrior who was unable to
  kill the greatest Trojan warrior but wounded him)
• Achilles (the Greek hero of The Iliad
• and the greatest warrior)

AJAX
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• Fighting for the Trojans Brothers Prince Hector
  and Prince Paris

• Prince Paristhe one who brought Helen to his
  kingdom and brought destruction to his home

Prince Hector (the greatest Trojan warrior)
defends his country to the death
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The Iliad and the Trojan War

• The Iliad
• Homers 1st Epic
• Serves as a prequel to The Odyssey
• The epic only deals with about 20 days in the
  10th and final year of the Trojan War
• Homer concentrates on one main Greek hero,
  Achilles, and one main opposing hero for the
  Trojans, Hector.
• As the epic begins, Achilles is furious with King
  Agamemnon over a slave girl, Briseis, and sulking
  in his tent, refusing to fight.The epic begins
  in the middle or in media res
• The Trojans start winning and beating back the
  Greeks.
• But, when Hector kills Achilles best friend,
  Patroclus, Achilles becomes enraged and returns
  to battle for the sole purpose of destroying
  Hector.
• After Hectors death, Achilles is killed by
  Paris, but the Trojans never recover from the
  loss of Hector and finally, Troy falls.

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The Horse That Ended The War

• After Hector is killed, unless the Greeks get
  inside the walls of Troy, the war would most
  likely continue.
• Odysseus, King of Ithaca and a master
  strategist devises the plan of building a giant
  Trojan horse to represent a gift to the Trojans.
• As the Trojans believe that the Greeks have given
  up and decided to go back home, they wheel the
  large wooden horse inside the walls of Troy.

• While the Trojans are sleeping, after a night of
  partying and celebrating the end of the war,
  several Greeks, led by Odysseus, crawl out of the
  horse, open the gates, and after a massive amount
  of bloodshed, Troy burns and the Trojan War ends

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• Hubris is excessive pride or arrogance
• It can lead to rash behavior and to not thinking
  clearly in serious situations

HUBRIS AS A CHARACTER FLAW AGAMEMNONKing of
MycenaeAllows his pride to get the better of him
when he refuses to give Chryseis back causing
disease and fire to rain down on the Greeks,
courtesy of the god Apollo. Once he does he give
her back, he takes someone elses girl causing
another big problem for the Greeks.
ACHILLESHe allows his pride of losing his slave
girl Briseis and love interest to Agamemnon get
the best of him and refuses to continue fighting
at Troy.until his dear friend is slain by the
Trojan Prince Hector causing his desire for
revenge and eventually his death all because of
pride
OdysseusHero in The Odyssey also exhibits hubris
which angers the gods and leads to many
difficulties and hardships for him.
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• What is the Odyssey about?
• - Tells of Odysseus adventures as he makes his
  way home from Troy
• He was gone for a total of 20 years
• 10 years at war and 10 more years trying to get
  home
• - He has a fleet of 12 ships carrying about 720
  men
• - Back at home (Ithaca)
• - Penelope (wife of Odysseus) and Telemachus
  (son of Odysseus) are waiting for Odysseus
  return while suitors have taken over Ithaca,
  hoping that she will marry one of them
• - Odysseus encounters many mythical beings and
  has to fight his own personal demons and
  overcome his own character flaws during his
  return home