1 Introduction to Homer’s, The Odyssey Author: Mr. Furman Class: English 1.

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Introduction to Homer’s,Introduction to Homer’s, The OdysseyThe Odyssey

Author: Mr. Furman

Class: English 1

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The OdysseyThe Odyssey Objectives Objectives

• Introduce the theme to The Odyssey• Provide information on the author, Homer• Summarize Odysseus’ journey• Review student presentations for The Odyssey

What’s the focus for today?

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The OdysseyThe Odyssey Introduction Introduction

od·ys·sey n. pl. od·ys·seys

An extended adventurous voyage or trip.

An intellectual or spiritual quest: an odyssey of discovery

What is an odyssey?

Power of WitHow does Odysseus use wit to his advantage?

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HomerHomerOne of the earliest known poets

Homer was a Greek poet, to whom are attributed the great epics, The Iliad, the story and siege of Troy, and The Odyssey, the tale of Odysseus and his wanderings.

His literature dates back as far as seventh century b.c.

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The OdysseyThe OdysseyThe Route of OdysseusRoute of Odysseus

The story begins in Troy!The story begins in Troy!

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The OdysseyThe OdysseyHelen of Troy

The story begins with Helen, the most beautiful woman in all the land. When Paris, Prince of Troy, was asked to decide who was the fairest among the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, he chose Aphrodite because she promised to give him Helen. Helen’s escape from her husband, Menelaus, King of Sparta, sparked a ten-year battle between the Atheans and Trojans.

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The OdysseyThe OdysseyThe Trojan War

To recover Helen, Menelaus with the help of other Greek kings and warriors like Diomedes, Ajax, Achilles, Nestor and Odysseus launched an expedition under the command of Agamemnon, the most powerful man in Greece. King Priam of Troy, his eldest son Hector and Aeneas organized the defense and Troy resisted for ten years.

The gods also took sides: Hera, Athena and Poseidon sided with the Greeks and Apollo, Ares and Aphrodite, sided with the Trojans. Zeus remained impartial and asked the gods not to interfere.

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The OdysseyThe OdysseyThe Journey of OdysseusJourney of Odysseus

Odysseus leaves Troy and falls upon the land of the Lotus EatersOdysseus leaves Troy and falls upon the land of the Lotus Eaters

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The OdysseyThe Odyssey

Odysseus and his men angered Zeus by ransacking a city named Ismarus. Zeus sent a storm which sent Odysseus and his crew sailing across the sea to the land of the Lotus Eaters. The men who tasted the lotus, a strange plant, lost all desire to return home.

Land of the Lotus Eaters

Book 9

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Odysseus descends upon the land of the CyclopsOdysseus descends upon the land of the Cyclops

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For many days Odysseus and his men were lost at sea. One night they arrived on an island and discovered a cave full of goats and sheep. It was the domicile of the Cyclops, Polyphemus—son of Poseidon. He was a giant with only one eye. Soon they were trapped because the Cyclops had closed the cave entrance with an enormous rock. Not before long, Polyphemus had eaten two men for dinner.

Land of the Cyclopes

Book 9

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Odysseus falls upon the island of the WindsOdysseus falls upon the island of the Winds

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Next they met Aeolus and his family who lived on the island of Eolia. Odysseus told Aeolus about his adventures and after a month, they finally left the island. As a present, Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag which contained all the winds except the one that would take them to Ithaca. But, while Odysseus was sleeping, his men opened the bag and a terrible storm swept them away from the shores of Ithica.

Island of the Winds

Book 10

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Odysseus touches down in the land of the LaestrygoniansOdysseus touches down in the land of the Laestrygonians

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After sailing for many days, Odysseus and his men ended up among the Laestrygonians. They desperately needed to escape because the Laestrygonians were unfriendly giants who killed most of Odysseus' men and destroyed many of their ships.

Land of the Laestrygones

Book 10

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Odysseus meets the sorceress, CirceOdysseus meets the sorceress, Circe

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The survivors ended up at Aeaea, the island of the sorceress, Circe. She transformed most of the men into pigs. The god Hermes gave Odysseus a herb to help him in the task of rescuing his crew. They spent a month with her. Finally, she told them they had to travel to the Land of Death. There, Tieresias, a dead blind prophet who had accompanied them to Troy, could tell them how to get home.

Land of Circe

Book 10

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Odysseus visits Hades in the underworldOdysseus visits Hades in the underworld

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The mysterious and horrible Land of Hades is the underworld where people go when they die. Odysseus found there the spirits of people he knew, like Achilles and his mother. Tieresias, a blind prophet who had gone with them to Troy, showed him the way to reach Ithaca safely. He also told him that Poseidon has decided to revenge Polyphemus and provided him many other warnings—one of which included the sirens.

The Land of Death

Book 11

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Odysseus slips past the sirensOdysseus slips past the sirens

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Odysseus explained to his men what Tieresias had told him. Before the sirens appeared he put beeswax in the ears of the men and asked them to tie him to the mast of the ship so he could listen to the sirens' attractive songs.

Land of the Sirens

Book 12

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Odysseus faces Charybdis and ScyllaOdysseus faces Charybdis and Scylla

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The OdysseyThe OdysseyLand of Charybdis & Scylla

Immediately after the sirens, Odysseus and his men saw a cloud of black smoke on the top of a mountain. It was Scylla, a horrible monster with twelve legs and six long necks ending in ugly heads with mouths full of teeth. They could not avoid Scylla without falling into a terrible whirlpool, Charybdis, that swallowed the sea and spit it up again.

Book 12

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Odysseus visits the land of the SunOdysseus visits the land of the Sun

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On Thrinacia, after one month of continuous bad weather and no more food to eat, Odysseus' men—despite the warnings of Tieresias—decided to sacrifice and eat some of the cows of Helios, the Sun God. When they were finally back at sea, Zeus sent them his eternal enemy: Poseidon, the ruler of the sea, who, with a violent storm, obliterated the ship.

Land of the Sun

Book 12

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Odysseus is held captive on the island of CalypsoOdysseus is held captive on the island of Calypso

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Odysseus climbed on the wreckage of the ship and after rowing for nine days, he got to Ogygia, the island of Calypso. Calypso, the charming nymph who lived on the island, saved Odysseus' life and offered him immortality if he stayed with her. Instead she held him captive for eight years until Zeus sent Hermes, his messenger, who ordered her to let him free. Then he built a ship and sailed for seventeen days. After another encounter with Poseidon, exhausted, he reached the land of the Phaecians: the island of Scheria.

Island of Calypso

Book 5, 13

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Odysseus drifts to the land of the PhaeaciansOdysseus drifts to the land of the Phaeacians

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Odysseus arrived at the island Scheria. At the palace, Alcinoo, the King of the Phaeacians, invites Odysseus to an athletic competition and a banquet where songs of the Trojan War made Odysseus sad. Alcinoo asked him who he was. Odysseus then told his real name and the whole story of his life. As Ithaca was not far from Scheria, Alcinoo helped him to reach Ithaca.

Land of the Phaeacians

Book 6-8

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Odysseus finally makes it back to Ithica!Odysseus finally makes it back to Ithica!

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Odysseus finally reached his homeland of Ithica only to find his palace overrun with suitors who were spending his wealth, slaughtering his cattle, and courting his wife, Penelope. After many years, Penelope could no longer hold off the suitors.

Land of Ithica

After almost twenty years away, Odysseus returned to Ithaca, his island home where he met Eumaeus. He was his swineherd who did not recognized him at first because he was disguised as an old beggar. Only Argo, Odysseus's old dog, knew who he was.Book 13-14

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Telemachus, his son, had sailed to seek news of his father. He went for advice to King Nestor in Pilos and to Menelaus in Sparta. Menelaus informed him that Odysseus was, against his will, held by Calypso. Athena then told him to go back to Ithaca.

Land of Ithica

The suitors were waiting to kill him but he managed to escape and went to Eumaeus' farm. There, he finally met his father. They planned to get rid of the suitors who were celebrating a constant banquet at their palace. Book 2-4, 15

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Odysseus disguised as a beggar got rid of one of the suitors without revealing his identity. Penelope thanked him for that and asked Eurycleia, an old maid, to wash Odysseus' feet. Eurycleia had been Odysseus' nurse and recognized him at once by a scar he had above his knee.

Land of Ithica

Book 16-20

She promised to marry the suitor who could string Odysseus’ bow and shoot an arrow through a line of twelve axes. Disguised as a beggar, and with the help of his son, Telemachus, he planned to recapture his throne as King of Ithica.

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The OdysseyThe Odyssey Presentation PresentationWhat is required?

• Create a (five-seven minute) PowerPoint presentation

• Due Date: 5/31 (Per.6); 6/1 (Per.4) – Outline the characters, gods, or goddesses involved in the story

(book) and how they are connected– Illustrate a brief summary of the book– Identify one theme, motif, symbol (quotations needed for each)– Identify five examples (each) of simile and personification– Design two classroom activities that could be conducted to best

analyze and interpret the book

• Project will be worth fifty (50) points!• Minus ten points for each day late

1 Introduction to Homer’s, The Odyssey Author: Mr. Furman Class: English 1.

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