The Odyssey
Essential Questions1. What is an epic? (What are characteristics to expect when you hear this word?) What are the qualities of an epic hero?
2. What is the reason that humans have written stories about the involvement of the gods in our lives? 3. What are some primordial truths (descriptions of human behavior that have been consistent over time) present in The Odyssey? · The tense relationships between parent and an adolescent; a child desires to earn the respect of his parent. · The desire for revenge is a universal impulse. How does it seem to be presented in The Odyssey in comparison to out attitude toward revenge today? · The universal value of hospitality – and the consequences when this virtue is violated. 4. The Odyssey is about coming home – the journey home. What is so important about home? What does it mean to “come home”? Learning Goals – Big Ideas: Students will be able to 1. develop confidence and skill in reading the sometimes-challenging verse of translator Fitzgerald. 2. fluently use a variety of literary terms in writing about and discussing literature Background Greek Mythology There is no lack of websites devoted to Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology.com has about all you need, but you might also go to Encyclopedia Mythica (a wikipedia) and type in whatever you're looking for. And John Hunt's website devoted to the Greek Myths has a clear page on the Olympians. |
AssignmentsPre-Reading WebQuest
Vocabulary Reading Questions all in one document Homeric Simile - Create Your Own Resources Overview of The Odyssey Listen to Samuel Butler’s translation of The Odyssey. Click on “Listen to Podcast.” Can’t find your book? Here’s an online version: Ian Johnston’s translation of The Odyssey. |