1. Gods and Goddesses

2. What do I need to know?
Which gods and goddesses do we meet in the Odyssey?
When do we see them?
What do they do?
What sort of relationships do they have (with mortals and each other)?
How are they characterised?

3. Athene
What does Athene do?
Book 5
Book 6
Book 7
Book 10
Book 12

4. Poseidon
What does Poseidon do?
Book 5
Book 9

5. Hermes
What does Hermes do?
Book 5
Book 10

6. Zeus
What does Zeus do?
Book 5
Book 12

7. Ino
What does Ino do?
Book 5

8. Calypso
What does Calypso do?
Book 5

9. Circe
What does Circe do?
Book 10
Book 12

10. In what way are gods and goddesses important to the success of The Odyssey as a story?
What the gods and goddesses do
What they add to the story
Anything else you think is important
[30 marks]

11. In what way are gods and goddesses important to the success of The Odyssey as a story?
What the gods and goddesses do
What they add to the story
Anything else you think is important
[30 marks]
The question asks ‘how are they important’? Therefore you should be discussing their importance in EVERY paragraph.
This essay only requires you to talk about gods and goddesses. Which main ones should we be including?

12. Get Planning! God or Goddess When do we see them? What do they do?
How important is this to The Odyssey?
Athene
Hermes
Poseidon
Zeus
Calypso
Ino
Circe

13. See the rest of the PowerPoint
Get Planning!
God or Goddess
When do we see them?
What do they do?
How important is this to The Odyssey?
Athene
PLOT - gets him from Calypso’s island to Phaeacia
HELP – gives Odysseus practical help
CHARACTERISATION – helps him to be a hero
Hermes
PLOT and HELP
AUTHENTICITY – Greek readers would expect the involvement of the gods doing their different jobs
Poseidon
VILLAIN! – The idea of Poseidon as a villain helps to make Odysseus more heroic and drives the narrative.
Zeus
AUTHORITY/ CONTROL – creates the idea that in the poem there is some over-arching sense of justice or fate
Calypso
LOVE INTEREST – Shows Odysseus as desirable
Ino
HELP
Circe
LOVE INTEREST
TEMPTATION – introduces the theme of temptation
See the rest of the PowerPoint

14. You can choose one of these arguments or more than one!
What’s the argument?
Once you have an understanding of all the examples and their significance, you can put them together to form your argument.
The gods are important to the success of The Odyssey because…
They develop the plot
They offer practical help to Odysseus
They characterise Odysseus (make him seem heroic/ desirable)
They lend authenticity to the poem
They develop themes such as fate/ temptation
You can choose one of these arguments or more than one!

15. My Essay Structure Introduction Athene (paragraph for each god)
Your chosen argument
Only A03 here
Athene (paragraph for each god)
You don’t have to include every example on this PowerPoint
Make sure your examples are detailed
Connect your examples to your argument
Poseidon
Hermes
Zeus etc.
Conclusion
Acknowledge other arguments if you have time
Your chosen argument again