The Odyssey Key Terms

MUSES

nine daughters of Zeus who inspired people to produce music, poetry, dance, and all the other arts

INVOCATION

prayer

ATHENA

goddess of wisdom; helper of Odysseus on his journey home

ZEUS

supreme ruler of the gods

HERMES

messenger god

HOMER

wrote the Odyssey and the Illiad

EPIC

long narrative poem

MYTH

traditional stories rooted in a particular culture that usually explain a belief, a ritual, or a mysterious natural phenomenon

EPITHET

adjective or descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing

PERSONIFICATION

kind of metaphor in which a nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if it were human.

SIMILE

makes a comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, resembles, or than

METAPHOR

makes a comparison between two unlike things, in which one thing becomes another thing without the use of the words like, as, than, or resembles

HOMERIC SIMILE

extended comparisons in which heroic or epic events are compared to simple and easily understandable everyday events.

ALLITERATION

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a word

HYPERBOLE

extreme exaggeration

ONOMATOPOEIA

use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning

INTERNAL CONFLICT

conflict that takes place entirely within a character's own mind (man vs. self)

EXTERNAL CONFLICT

a character struggles against an outside force (man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society)

THEME

central idea of a text

DRAMATIC IRONY

when the audience knows something important that a character in a play or story does not know

INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION

readers have to use their own judgement to decide what a character is like, based on the evidence the writer gives

IMAGERY

language that appeals to the senses

PLOT

series of related events that make up a story or drama

Exposition- characters are introduced

Complication-conflict

Climax-moment of great emotional intensity or moment of change

Resolution- end of story; struggles are over

ALLUSION

reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event in history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, science, or pop culture

HADES

Zeus' brother; god of the underworld

POSEIDON

god of the sea; opposed Odysseus on his journey home

What are the themes in the Odyssey?

Heroism, Revenge, Family, Loyalty, Perseverance, Hospitality

The Ordinary World

Heroes exist in a world is considered ordinary or uneventful by those who live there. Often

the heroes are considered odd by those in the ordinary world and possess some ability or

characteristic that makes them feel out-of-place.

Call to Adventure

The hero's call to adventure is something that spurs him or her to action. Hero is forced to leave everyday world/life.

Refusal of Quest

The hero may at first reject the call, but he will eventually come around and decide he has to take action.

Accepting the Call

Once the adventure is accepted, the heroes advance into the next stage of their journey.

Entering the Unknown

the heroes enter a world they have never experienced

before.

Very often it is filled with supernatural creatures, breathtaking sights, and the constant threat of death.

Unlike the heroes' home, this outside world has its own rules, and they quickly learns to respect these rules as their endurance, strength, and mettle are tested time and time

again.

Supernatural Aid

Heroes are almost always started on their journey by a character who has mastered the laws of the outside

world and come back to bestow this wisdom upon them. This supernatural character often gives them the means to complete the quest.

Talisman

A Special (and often magical) items that assist the heroes on their quest.

Allies/helpers

Without the assistance of their companions and helpers along the way, most heroes would fail miserably.

Test and the Supreme Ordeal

The heroes progress through a series of tests, a set of obstacles that make them stronger,

preparing them for their final showdown. At long last they reach the Supreme Ordeal, the

obstacle they have journeyed so far to overcome.

Rewards

a reward for the heroes' endurance and strength.

Journey Back Home

This step is pretty much just what it sounds like. In order to prove himself a changed person and a true hero, the hero must return home. He may decide not stay there, but he will usually return at least temporarily.

Restoring the World

This is where the hero has to bring his experiences together. Where he remembers his life before but has now been changed by his journey. Not all heroes are able to do this and might have to choose one world or the other.

Archetype: Shadows

Villains, enemies, or perhaps the enemy within. This could be the repressed possibilities of the hero, his or her potential for evil.