The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to Homer that tells the story of Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War. It describes his encounters with mythical creatures like the Cyclops and enchantresses like Circe. The poem also depicts the suitors trying to win the hand of his wife Penelope in his absence and Odysseus's eventual revenge against them when he finally returns home to Ithaca.

1. The Odyssey
By Homer

2. Epic
 Long, narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who
in some way embody the values of their civilizations
 Impressive hero
 Involves physical world and sometimes the land of the
dead as well
 Quest or journey taken in search of something of value

3. The Iliad
 The prequel to The Odyssey
 Story of the Trojan War of 1200 BC
 Odysseus was a war hero of this war
 He devised the plan of the Trojan Horse
that led to the fall of Troy
 The Gods favored Troy, so they cursed him
for this idea and cursed his voyage back
home from the Trojan War (story of The
Odyssey)

4. Terms for the Odyssey
 Myths: Stories that use fantasy to express ideas
about life that cannot be expressed easily in
realistic terms
 Alter Ego: A reflection of a hero’s best or worst
qualities
 Rhapsodes: “Singers of tales” were the
historians and entertainers as well as the myth-
makers of their time
 Homeric or heroic similes: Extended
comparisons that compare heroic or epic events
to simple and easily understandable everyday
events - events the audience would recognize
instantly

5. The Plot and Virtues
VIRTUES
PLOT
-love of home
Plot 1- Ten years have passed
since the fall of Troy and -loyalty
Odysseus is unable to get home
-hospitality
because of the gods
-courage
-bravery
Plot 2 - Suitors try to convince
his wife he is dead and try to
marry her
This is a story of all people who
look for peace and a place to
belong but who must overcome
Plot 3- Odysseus returns home
a series of external and internal
and must seek revenge on the
obstacles to reach that
suitors
contentment.

6. Characters and Places of The
Odyssey
 Aeaea - Home of Circe, the witch-goddess
 Alcinous - King of Phaeacia
 Calypso - Beautiful goddess-nymph who keeps
Odysseus on her island for seven years
 Charybdis - Female monster who sucks in water
three times a day to form a deadly whirlpool
 Cicones - People living on the southwestern coast of
Thrace, who battled Odysseus and his men on their
journey home
 Circe - Witch-goddess who turns Odysseus’s men into
swine

7. Characters, cont’d
 Cyclops - Polyphemus
 Erebus - Dark area of the underworld where the dead reside
 Eurylochus - One of Odysseus’s loyal crew
 Lotus Eaters - People who feed Odysseus’s men with the lotus
plants
 Phaeacia - Island kingdom ruled by Alcinous
 Polyphemus - The Cyclops; he is the son of the sea god
Poseidon
 Scylla - Female monster with six serpent heads, each with a
triple row of fangs
 Sirens - Sea nymphs whose beautiful and mysterious music
lures sailors to steer ships towards sharp rocks
 Teiresias - Famous blind prophet from city of Thebes
 Thrinakia - Island where the sun god Helios keeps his cattle

8. Characters, cont’d
 Ithaca - Odysseus’s homeland
 Antinous - One of Penelope’s leading suitors; arrogant and
mean
 Eumaeus - Swineherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants
 Eurycleia - Odysseus’s old nurse
 Eurymachus - Suitor of Penelope
 Eurynome - Penelope’s housekeeper
 Penelope - Odysseus’s faithful wife
 Philoetus - Cowherd, one of Odysseus’s loyal servants
 Telemachus - Odysseus’s son

9. Gods and Goddesses
 Athena - Favorite daughter of Zeus; the great
goddess of wisdom and the arts of
war/peace; she favored the Greeks and
helped Odysseus
 Helios - Sun god
 Hermes - Messenger god
 Poseidon - The god of the sea; brother of
Zeus; enemy of Odysseus
 Zeus - Most powerful god