1. from the Odyssey, Part One by Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald
Feature Menu
Introducing the Selection
Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer

2. from the Odyssey, Part One Introducing the Selection
What difference can a journey make
in a person’s life?

3. from the Odyssey, Part One Introducing the Selection
Click on the title to start the video.

4. from the Odyssey, Part One Introducing the Selection
The Odyssey is a tale of a hero’s long and dangerous journey home.
It is also the story of a son in need of his father and of a faithful wife awaiting her husband’s return.

5. from the Odyssey, Part One Introducing the Selection
When we first meet Odysseus, he is a prisoner on the goddess Calypso’s island.
Zeus sends his messenger, Hermes, to set Odysseus free, and the adventure begins.
What does the angry Poseidon, god of the sea, have in store for our hero?
[End of Section]

6. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An “ordinary” hero saves children from a roaring river or rescues people from a burning building.
You might learn about a hero on the news, or perhaps you admire a hero in your own life.

7. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An epic hero is larger than life, more impressive than an ordinary human being. An epic hero usually has these character traits:
uncommon strength
exceptional knowledge
cunning (cleverness)
courage
daring 7

8. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
An epic hero often goes on a dangerous journey or quest of discovery.
When the hero succeeds—or fails—on that journey, he or she does it on a grand scale. 8

9. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
On the journey, the hero encounters challenges and dangers.
The hero experiences conflict as he or she faces forces of nature, gods, and other beings who help or prevent the hero’s progress. 9

10. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
As heroes deal with conflict after conflict, they embody, or personify, the values of the society they represent.
For example, a hero’s actions may show values such as bravery, intelligence, or physical strength. 10

11. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
Read the following passage.
Janya gasped as Adric staggered, then fell. The Ogre King began a slow charge toward Adric, axe raised.
Thinking fast, Janya threw her grappling hook into a great oak, where it caught on a limb. She pulled with all her might. The great tree crashed down into the Ogre King’s path.
Janya gasped as Adric staggered, then fell. The Ogre King began a slow charge toward Adric, axe raised.
Thinking fast, Janya threw her grappling hook into a great oak, where it caught on a limb. She pulled with all her might. The great tree crashed down into the Ogre King’s path.
How does Janya represent the heroic quality of physical strength?
Janya uses her uncommon strength to pull down a tree.

12. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
Read, then listen to, the following passage from the Odyssey.
My heart beat high now at the chance of action,
and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went
along his flank to stab him where the midriff
holds the liver. I had touched the spot
when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him
we perished there as well, for we could never
move his ponderous doorway slab aside.
So we were left to groan and wait for morning.
In your own words, describe what is happening in this passage.
How do Odysseus’s actions show the value of intelligence? 12

13. from the Odyssey, Part One Literary Focus: Epic Heroes and Conflict
As you read the Odyssey, think about
the conflicts Odysseus faces
how he overcomes these conflicts
the decisions and actions that make him a hero
[End of Section]

14. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
With long, complex works such as epics, it can be difficult to keep track of characters and events.
When you read a long work, try these reading strategies:
paraphrasing
summarizing
asking questions

15. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
If you are reading a complex passage, try paraphrasing.
Restate the content, but use your own words.
Act as if you’re telling a friend about what has just happened in the story.

16. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Read the following passage and restate the content in your own words.
For two days, Argent rode with his news across the grasslands to the foothills of the north. As his horse slowed to climb the rocky pass, Argent surveyed the landscape. The bushes and trees clung to the rocks like men huddling about a fire.
Argent, who has news to deliver, rode across the grasslands on his horse, finally reaching the foothills.

17. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Read, then listen to, the following passage from the Odyssey.
Then I sent out two picked men and a runner
to learn what race of men that land sustained.
They fell in, soon enough, with Lotus Eaters,
who showed no will to do us harm, only
offering the sweet Lotus to our friends—
but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus,
never cared to report, nor to return:
they longed to stay forever, browsing on
that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.
Paraphrase the excerpt.

18. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
To be sure you are following the sequence of events, summarize, or briefly note each event, in the order it occurred.
Then the men met the Lotus Eaters.
First, Odysseus sent three men to find out who lived on the island.
The men ate the Lotus plant and forgot about home. 18

19. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Ask questions to monitor your comprehension.
Why couldn’t the men remember their home?
What did the men eat?
How did they leave the land of the Lotus Eaters? 19

20. from the Odyssey, Part One Reading Focus: Reading an Epic
Into Action: As you read, use the 5W-How? questions to make sure you understand the epic.
Who are the main characters?
What has happened so far, and what might happen next?
Where and when are the events taking place?
Why are the events happening?
How does the epic hero use his talents to resolve the conflict?
[End of Section]

21. from the Odyssey, Part One Writing Focus: Think as a Reader/Writer
Find It in Your Reading
As you read, write down what you learn about Odysseus.
Is he . . .
noble or selfish?
wise or foolish?
arrogant or humble?
[End of Section]

22. Vocabulary

23. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
adversity n.: hardship; great misfortune.
formidable adj.: awe-inspiring by reason of excellence; strikingly impressive.
profusion n.: large supply; abundance.
adversary n.: enemy; opponent.
tumult n.: commotion; uproar; confusion.

24. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
When people are faced with adversity in their lives, they may respond in a variety of ways.
Great misfortune might cause one person to become discouraged.
Another person, however, might become motivated to rise above the hardship.

25. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which of the following would be an inappropriate response to adversity in a friend’s life?
enthusiasm
concern
thoughtfulness

26. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which of the following would be an inappropriate response to adversity in a friend’s life?
Because adversity is related to great misfortune, enthusiasm would be an inappropriate response.
enthusiasm

27. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
If you face a formidable opponent, you likely have respect for his or her skill.
A formidable opponent has strikingly impressive skills that may lead to your defeat.

28. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Would you want a formidable player on your team? Why or why not?

29. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Would you want a formidable player on your team? Why or why not?
You would likely want a formidable player on your team. His or her awe-inspiring abilities would help your team tremendously.

30. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
If a store’s owner orders too much merchandise, she may be left with a profusion of products that she cannot sell.
She may have to ship the abundance of unsold products back to their manufacturers.

31. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which image shows a profusion of gumballs?

32. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which image shows a profusion of gumballs?
This image shows a large supply, or profusion, of gumballs.

33. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Adversaries at work, Adam and Delia often competed for the most interesting projects.
Tired of their acting like opponents, their boss required them to work together.

34. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Is adversary used correctly in the following sentence?
Paolo embraced an adversary, or close friend, after the soccer match.

35. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Is adversary used correctly in the following sentence?
Paolo embraced an adversary, or close friend, after the soccer match.
An adversary is an enemy or opponent, so Paolo would not embrace an adversary after the match. Adversary is not used correctly in this sentence.

36. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
On your first visit to Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, you might become confused by the tumult of rushing travelers and announcements.
When the train station becomes especially busy at rush hour, the uproar can be astonishingly confusing.

37. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which scene would most likely result in a tumult?
a lone man watching his favorite team on TV
a judge reading a controversial decision to a packed courthouse
a couple watching a scary movie

38. from the Odyssey, Part One Vocabulary
Which scene would most likely result in a tumult?
a lone man watching his favorite team on TV
a judge reading a controversial decision to a packed courthouse
a couple watching a scary movie

39. The End

40. QuickWrite

41. from the Odyssey, Part One QuickWrite
How could events in a journey reveal the heroic qualities in someone?
Write down your opinions.
[End of Section]

42. Meet the Writer

43. from the Odyssey, Part One Meet the Writer
The Iliad and the Odyssey are both attributed to a poet named Homer, but no one really knows much about this man.
The later Greeks believed he was a blind minstrel, or singer, from the island of Chios. However, seven different cities claimed to be his birthplace. Also, if Homer were blind, he would have been able to see at one time because his epics are so rich in visual imagery.
[End of Section]

44. Preview the Selection

45. from the Odyssey, Part One
Preview the Selection
In the Odyssey you will meet Odysseus, an epic hero consumed with one goal: He wants to return home to his kingdom of Ithaca and his faithful wife Penelope.
[End of Section]