1. Epic Hero Notes The Odyssey

2. 2) The Greek ideal of a strong body and a strong intellect
Themes for The Odyssey
Loyalty, devotion and courage in the face of great adversity or challenge
2) The Greek ideal of a strong body and a strong intellect

3. The triumph of good over evil
Themes for The Odyssey
The wandering hero
The triumph of good over evil
5) Obedience to the laws of the gods

4. General Notes on the epic
EPIC—long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a hero (originally recited orally)
7) EPIC HERO—a legendary figure who usually represents the goals and virtues of an entire nation or culture

5. General Notes on the epic
8) In an epic, gods and goddesses often interfere in the hero’s affairs, sometimes to help protect and sometimes to hurt or punish

6. General Notes on the epic
9) The adventures of the hero take the form of a series of separate events, each a brief story on its own, as the hero moves from one challenge to another.

7. General Notes on the epic
10) HOMER—the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey; a wandering minstrel who lives around 800 BC. He was thought to have been blind.

8. General Notes on the epic
11) The purpose of an epic was to entertain and to teach lessons about society.

9. Characteristics of an Epic Hero
Wise
Clever
Successful at winning
Athletic
Comes from nobility or royal blood

10. Characteristics of an Epic Hero
Self-sacrificing
Immense physical strength
Love of danger (to the point where they seek it out)
Respect for justice and law (especially of the gods)
Adventurous

11. Characteristics of an Epic Hero
Relationship with the gods (where they help or hinder success)
Leaders among the population
Love of homeland and family
Hubris