1. THE ODYSSEY Notes and Background

2. Intro to Odyssey A Tale of Love and getting HOME. A Tale of Family and Loyalty. Supposedly penned by Homer. No proof Always told or sung over the ages.

3. War Story Background The Iliad provides background for The Odyssey. This war takes place outside the walls of Troy. The Trojan War is in its tenth and final year. The people of Troy are fighting the Greek kings because the world’s most beautiful woman has run off with Paris and abandoned her husband, Menelaus (a Greek king). The Greeks win the war due to Odysseus’s clever mind.

4. Odysseus He is not a typical hero. He is faced with : Difficult choices Post war disillusionment Disrespect from his people.

5. Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble Before the Trojan War Odysseus married the beautiful Penelope had a son, Telemachus

6. Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble When called to serve in the Trojan War, Odysseus Pretended to be insane so he wouldn’t have to go. Revealed his sanity to save his son’s life. STORY OF THE PLOW

7. The Wooden-Horse Trick Odysseus was a great soldier and known for his great mind. He came up with the idea of building a huge wooden horse as a “gift” and then hiding Greek soldiers inside. The horse was left outside the gates of Troy. At night when opened inside the walled city, the Greeks exploded out and defeated The Trojans.

8. The Story Our story begins here…as Odysseus now begins a 10-year journey to get home to his wife and son. The dilemma is that rude mobs of men are trying marry Penelope and rob Telemachus of his inheritance. Odysseus needs to get home to restore order. In media res = narrative that begins in the middle of the story. The Odyssey is a flashback of sorts, a winding narrative.

9. The Story Odysseus is longing to get home, but Gods are blocking his path with each stop. He will have been gone for 20 years!!!! He is also suffering from a lack of inner peace.

10. The Gods They are the primal force. They manipulate and must be answered to. Odysseus understands they control his fate. They can also be altar egos –reflections of Odysseus’s best and worst qualities: MENTAL ACUMEN: with the aid of Athena, goddess of wisdom VIOLENT NATURE: his nemesis is Poseidon, the god of the sea known for arrogance.

11. Epic Poetry Rhapsodes – historians and mythmakers. Geras – a gift of honor. Invocation – the call of the poet to the Muse (his divine inspiration). Kleos – fame, in a particular for a heroic deed. Penthos – grief or suffering Xenia – bond of friendship (strangers)