After the trojan war ends, odysseus embarks on his journey home to ithaca. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war epic, the odyssey is literatures grandest evocation of an everymans journey through life. I was tasked with reading this epic work as part of an advanced placement english course in between my junior and senior years of high school. Odysseus spends books 912 telling his story to the phaeacians. One of the suitors recites the story of the courtship of penelope, her resistance to the suitors, and odysseus revenge. But the previous evenings narration had begun at the departure from troy, so in fact he hadnt mentioned anything about calypso. It is, in part, a sequel to the iliad, the other homeric epic. In the odyssey, homer employs most of the literary and poetic devices. One of the most noticeable features of homers odyssey. Literary devices of the odyssey book summaries, test. The odyssey may be familiar to you almost every high school english teacher in the united states assigns some part of the epic for students to read.
She becomes so sick with worry about the fate of her son that her mind turns wildly until she exhausts herself. We call it the dark age because we know so little about greek society at that time. If the iliad is the worlds greatest war epic, then the odyssey is liter. Note literary strategies epithets, epic similes, archetypes, stages of heros quest. Homer composed the odyssey in a meter known as dactylic hexameter, which gives the epic its elevated style. Books 14 cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. While odysseus sleeps, athena makes her way into the phaeacians city in the beginning of book 6 in homers the odyssey. Books 14 books 1516 books 1718 books 1920 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24. It relates historical stories with fantastical elements of myth, legend, and divine intervention. Sing to me of the man, muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of troy.
A simple twosided handout for use with examining and understanding epithets in the odyssey. Describe characters and epithets in the odyssey flashcards. One side provides background and detail for what epithets are, how they are used, and what they can reveal about a character. The odyssey book 1 lyrics the gods in councilminervas visit to ithacathe challenge from telemachus to the suitors tell me, o muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after. You may have read a few episodescyclops, circe, the sirens, odysseus killing the suitorsor you may have read the whole thing. What must the stringer of the bow do with his shot.
Odyssey class discussion items books 24 book questions. At the beginning of book 1, zeus says he is fond of odysseus but that. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. Epithets from odyssey books 1 to 12 fagles translation. Homers odyssey is an epic poem written in the 8th century bce which describes. How odysseus came to ithaca learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Choose from 500 different sets of the odyssey books epithets flashcards on quizlet. Learn the odyssey books epithets with free interactive flashcards.
The poet invokes the muse to help him tell the story of odysseus. Get an answer for what are some examples of epithets from books 1012, 22, and 24 of the odyssey. Epithet comes from the greek for putting something on something. What archetypes did you notice as odysseus was leaving scheria, traveling across the sea, and arriving at ithaca.
The odyssey is one of two major ancient greek epic poems attributed to homer. An epithet is a term or phrase used to characterize the nature of a character, an object, or an event. For the greeks, the story occurred sometime in the th century bce during the. Theres nothing better than when deep joy holds sway throughout the realm and banqueters up and down the palace sit in ranks, enthralled to hear the bard, and before them all, the tables heaped with bread and meats, and drawing wine.
The odyssey book 14 literary elements in book 14 odysseus encounters his old swineherd eumaios. Consider a representative example, from when odysseus praises alcinous bard. This is a special kind of homeric epithet used frequently in the iliad and the odyssey. Maddie black and emma liston book important epithets, figurative language and powerful diction. These dwelt of old in spacious hypereia hard by the cyclopes, men overweening in pride who plundered them continually and were mightier than. It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the real name, depending on other features of the greek language.
The telegony aside, the last 548 lines of the odyssey, corresponding to book 24, are believed by many scholars to. Homer, odyssey book 9 theoi classical texts library. The odyssey book 17 questions by willmcd last updated. The other side provides a table of characters in book 5, asking students to fin. An epithet is a descriptive phrase that presents a particular trait of a person or thing. Poseidon has one more petulant trick and sinks the returning phaeacian ship. Eumaios welcomes him in his hut not knowing that that he is his master. Elevated language and meter composed around 700 bc, the odyssey is. Although the epithet swift in his feet can be heard as inspired by odysseus. Accessible book, epithets, dictionaries, english language.
Like much of the odyssey, book 12 generates excitement through the tension between goals and obstacles. A servant overhears their plans and tells them to penelope. In the odyssey, homer employs most of the literary and poetic devices associated with epics. Throughout, odysseus is identified with the epithet, man of pain, or born for pain. Then write another epic simile that conveys the threat she poses to them. Bright eyed is used to describe who in the odyssey. None of the phaiakians stirred or sighed in the shadowy hall, spellbound as they all were by odysseuss tale at the beginning of book in homers the odyssey. In many respects, this story parallels those that he told to athena and eumaeus in books and 14, respectively, though it is identical to neither. Achilles, son of peleus, athena, daughter of zeus, menelaus, son of atreus, etc. Lord alcinous, renowned above all men, verily this is a good thing, to listen to a minstrel such as this man is, like unto the gods in voice. Composed around 700 bc, the odyssey is one of the earliest epics still in existence and, in many ways, sets the pattern for the genre, neatly fitting the definition of a primary epic that is, one that grows out of oral tradition. Find summaries for every chapter, including a the odyssey chapter summary chart to help you understand the book.
This means that there are six metrical units, or feet, in each line. Odysseus would rather avoid scylla and charybdis altogether, but he cannotthey stand in his way, leaving him no choice but to navigate a path through them. While they have dinner eumaios talks about his master, he then asks about odysseus origins. We learn that poseidon, god of the sea, holds a grudge though we dont know exactly why against odysseus and is making the guys voyage home a pretty difficult one. Homer uses the various colorful epithets to fit in with. He said that one day, as a wellmade ship of phaiakian men came back from a convoy on the misty face of the water, he would stun it, and pile a. Ithaca thrinacia scylla and charybdis sparta ogygia calypso mediterranean seaimportant characters in the odyssey in order of mentionbook 1 cyclopes sfklippcza race of book 12helios hcplcjsqthe sun god, oneeyed giants. Thus in the odyssey books 1 4 you will find several epithets including bright eyed athena sensible telemachus, rosy fingered dawn and wise penelope. It is the end of his 10year odyssey and 20year absence but only the beginning of his battle to regain his throne. Once the bow is strung he must shoot the arrow through a series of axe ends of which are the shape of loops. Homer, odyssey book 6 theoi classical texts library.
Click to copy see book summaries chart timeline of events. Ah now, the prophecy of old is come to completion, that my father spoke, when he said poseidon someday would be angry with us, because we are convoy without hurt to all men. Epithets are used because of the constraints of the dactylic hexameter i. What are some examples of epithets from books 1012.
What epic similes are in book 21 of the odyssey answers. The odyssey is an epic poem that served an educational purpose for those who heard it. The epithet resourceful is used to describe this character in the odyssey. Here, the epithet used to describe odysseus expands from man of pain, to. Epics begin in medias res in the middle of things and explore a vast world or universe, generally that involves mythological landscapes such as the home of the gods. They speared the crews like fish and whisked them home to make their grisly meal 10. The grace of the witch page 916 literary analysis skillbuilder epithets and epic similes. Oct 28, 2019 usually called an epithet or a homeric epithet, but sometimes called a homeric epitaph, it is one of the most noticeable features of homers works the iliad and the odyssey. Reminiscences over with, odysseus now bids farewell to alcinous and sets off from phaeacia. In book 4 of the odyssey, the suitors who have been occupying odysseus house during his absence learn of telemachus voyage, and they prepare an ambush for his return. Outline telemachus attitude toward odysseus in book 1. Homer wrote the odyssey in a poetical meter called dactylic hexameter.
The basic form of narrative in the odyssey is very strongly oriented towards imagery. Page 287 line 19 epithet of dawn and the ship like a fourhorse. Jul 21, 2017 in book 4 of the odyssey, the suitors who have been occupying odysseus house during his absence learn of telemachus voyage, and they prepare an ambush for his return. Holt literature textbook 9th grade unit 11 the odyssey. It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the. What epic similes are included in book, and what is the significance of the comparisons being made. The book begins in a depressive tone, as telemachus and penelope despair of. A characteristic of homers style is the use of epithets, as in rosyfingered dawn or swiftfooted achilles. The odyssey is a fundamental work in the modern western canon, being the oldest extant piece of western literature, second to the iliad. Usually called an epithet or a homeric epithet, but sometimes called a homeric epitaph, it is one of the most noticeable features of homers works the iliad and the odyssey.
Women had less power and occupied a subordinate status. When odysseus hears alcinous bard sing of the trojan war, the agony of his tears is conveyed to the audience by analogy to a woman who, like odysseus, has lost extremely close loved ones to war, and was powerless to save them. Mycenean greeks had fought the trojan war around 1200 bce, and stories of the great heroes and battles of that war that came to be called the iliad. Such minor mistakes on homers part gave rise in classical times to the expression even homer. They are silent for a few seconds until alcinous speaks to assure odysseus that he will be returned safely to his home and to insist on even more gifts for the guest. Greek society was patrilineal lineage traced through the father and patriarchal ruled by men. The odyssey, like the iliad, was first told as a series of stories in the dark age of greece that came after the fall of the mycenaean kingdom in 1100 bce. The epithet, goddess with the gleaming eyes is used to describe which character in the odyssey.
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