1. The Homecoming from the Odyssey Introducing the Epic Poem
Epic Poem by Homer
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald
Introducing the Epic Poem
with
Literary Analysis: Characteristics
of an Epic
Reading Strategy: Summarizing
Vocabulary in Context
VIDEO TRAILER

2. How does it feel to come HOME again?
INTRODUCING THE EPIC POEM
How does it feel to come HOME again?
If you spend enough time at any airport or bus station, you’re bound to witness an emotional scene.
A long-awaited homecoming can touch us more deeply than almost anything.

3. How does it feel to come HOME again?
INTRODUCING THE EPIC POEM
How does it feel to come HOME again?
Imagine a traveler who’s been away for years, whose family thought he might never return.
What kind of scene might you expect at this homecoming?
QUICKWRITE
Recall a time when you or someone you know returned home after some time away.
Write a brief description of the scene, and explain the emotions that went along with it.

4. The Homecoming from the Odyssey
Click on the title to play the trailer.
The Homecoming
from the Odyssey

5. Characteristics of an Epic
In the simplest terms, an epic is a long adventure story.
Often an epic plot spans many years and involves a long journey.
An epic setting spans great distances and foreign lands.

6. Characteristics of an Epic
Epic themes reflect timeless concerns, such as courage, honor, life, and death.
Epics also contain archetypes, or patterns found in works across different cultures and time periods.
As explained in Part 1, the epic hero is an archetype.
So is the notion of a heroic journey.
King Arthur
Perseus
Robin Hood

7. Characteristics of an Epic
Other archetypes are also found in the Odyssey.
intervention
by gods
floods and storms

8. Characteristics of an Epic
descent into the underworld
heroic battles
against
monsters
As you read the second part of the Odyssey, look for these and other archetypes. Consider where else you might have encountered them in literature, art, or film.

9. Summarizing
Writing a plot summary—a brief retelling of a story—is a good way to make sure you’re following the events of a narrative.
An epic consists of many episodes, each with its own set of characters, conflicts, and resolution.
Book 5: Calypso keeps Odysseus captive
Book 10: Circe turns Odysseus’s men into pigs.
Book 11: The crew visits the Land of the Dead

10. Summarizing
As you read, record information that will help you summarize each episode.
Episode:
Father and Son
Characters:
Setting:
Odysseus, Eumaeus
Odysseus’s homeland of Ithaca
Conflict:
Resolution:

11. adversity
aloof
commandeer
contemptible
desolation
implacable
restitution
revelry
revulsion
tremulous
Replace the bold-faced words in the sentences below with synonyms from the list of words in the box.
1. It’s disgusting to be shaky in the face of hardship.
[contemptible, tremulous, adversity]
2. He felt an unforgiving hatred for his captors.
[implacable, revulsion]
3. Don’t act distant; forget sorrow and join the
celebration.
[aloof, desolation, revelry]
4. He could seize enemy ships as repayment for wrongs.
[commandeer, restitution]

12. adversity n. hardship; misfortune
aloof adj. distant; remote; standoffish
commandeer v. to take control of by force
contemptible adj. deserving of scorn; despicable
desolation n. lonely grief; misery
implacable adv. impossible to soothe; unforgiving

13. restitution n. a making good for loss or damage; repayment
revelry n. noisy merrymaking; festivity
revulsion n. a sudden feeling of disgust or loathing
tremulous adj. marked by trembling or shaking