From the Odyssey

WHAT IS A HERO?

Bell work: What is a hero?

When you hear the word hero, who comes to mind?
Do you think of someone with unusual physical strength?
great courage? a rare talent?
In Homers Odyssey, youll meet one of the classic heroes of
Western literature Odysseus, a man with many heroic
traits as well as human faults.
Make a list of people who are generally considered heroes.
What are the heroic qualities of each? Which qualities seem
essential to every hero?

Literary Analysis: Epic Hero

The epic hero is a larger-than-life character, traditionally a
man, who pursues long and dangerous adventures.
Alternately aided and blocked by the gods, he carries the
fate of his people on his shoulders.
The epic hero is an archetypal character one found in
works across time and cultures.
Odysseus, one of the most famous heroes in Western
culture, has shaped our ideas about the traits that a hero
should have.
Extraordinary strength and courage
cleverness and deceit, also know as guile
Extreme confidence and a tendency to dismiss warnings

Literary Analysis: Epic Hero

Every epic hero embodies the values of his culture.
As you read the Odyssey, consider how Odysseus faces
various conflicts.
What does this tell you about his character?
What do his character traits tell you about what the ancient
Greeks found admirable?

Reading Strategy: Reading an Epic Poem

The strategies for reading an epic are very similar to those
for reading any narrative poem.
Keep track of the events.
Visualize the imagery.
Notice how the figurative language, including epic similes, can make
the story more vivid and interesting.
Read difficult passages more than once. Use the side notes for help
with comprehension.
Read the poem aloud, as it was originally conveyed.

As you read, keep a list of major events and consider

whether they lead Odysseus any closer to home.

Vocabulary
Create the following columns and place each word in the
appropriate column: abominably, adversary, appalled,
ardor, assuage, beguiling, foreboding, harried, meditation,
ponderous, profusion, travail
Know Well

Think I Know

Dont Know

Bell Work
Please respond to the following in the bell work section of
your binder:
Recall a time when you or someone you know returned
home after some time away.
Write a brief description of the scene and explain the
emotions involved.

Characteristics of an Epic
A long adventure story.
An epic plot spans many years and involves a long journey.
Often, the fate of an entire nation is at stake.
An epic setting spans great distances and foreign lands.
Epic themes reflect timeless concerns, such as courage,
honor, life, and death.
Epics also contain archetypes, or patterns found in works
across different cultures and time periods. The epic hero and
the heroic journey are archetypes.

Other Archetypes
Intervention by gods
Floods and storms
Descent into the underworld
Heroic battles against monsters

Reading Strategy: Summarizing

Writing a plot summary a brief retelling of a story
is a good way to make sure youre following the
events of a narrative.
An epic consists of many episodes, each with its
own set of characters, conflicts, and resolution.
As you read, record information that will help you
summarize each episode.

Vocabulary
Please complete in the Vocabulary section of your binder.
Replace the words in bold with synonyms from the
word list.
1. Its disgusting to be shaky in the face of
hardship.
2. He felt an unforgiving hatred for his captors.
3. Dont act distant; forget sorrow and join the
celebration!
4. He could seize enemy ships as repayment
for wrongs.

adversity

desolation

revulsion

aloof

implacable

tremulous

commandeer

restitution

contemptible

revelry