1. Epic Notes EpicEpic: A long narrative poem about a national or legendary hero –Iliad: Fall of Troy –Odyssey: Odysseus’ trip home HomerHomer: Blind poet, lived between 900 and 700 BCE

2. …but there’s no TV!! RhapsodesRhapsodes: Traveling poets –Part memory –Part improvised MusesMuses: 9 goddesses who preside over song and literature. Called upon for inspiration

3. The Odyssey Odyssey: 24 books long; 3 main plot strands 1.Ithaca without Odysseus 2.Odysseus’ travels following the war 3.Odysseus returns home to family

4. Epic Conventions Epic conventions: qualities, traits and common devices of a traditional epic 1.Epic Hero: person of national or international importance and/or legendary significance. 1.No super powers; must rely on intelligence 2.Faithful to family, country, and god/gods 3.Feels fear, but overcomes it to defeat evil

5. Epic Conventions cont… 2.Intervention of superhuman forces (ie: gods, angels, demons, etc.) 3.Opens “in media res” (in the middle of things) filling in necessary information later 4.Lengthy speeches by main characters 5.Epic similes: elaborate, extended simile which runs for several lines

6. Epic Conventions cont… 6.Epithets: a word or phrase used to characterize a person or thing 7.Repetition of passages (a memorization aid) 8.Digressions: a temporary deviation from the plot (helps to fill in prior story line)

7. The Odyssey as Myth Mythos –Greek for plot, story, or legend Myth does NOT mean an untrue story! Has serious moral implications Captures the human experience Culture building stories

8. The Hero’s Journey Joseph Campbell Exemplifies life –Collective Unconscious –Comparing Religions –Looking at Literature Throughout History Archetypes: the quintessential –The Wise Old Man –The Innocent Youth –The Hero

9. Between the Known and the Unknown

10. Literature in Cycles Northrop Frye A cycle of five: –Mythos –Romantic –High Mimetic –Low Mimetic –Irony

11. The Common Human Experience and Literature