Odyssey & Epic Hero Archetypes: Key Concepts and Characters

Epic Hero

A character of royal birth or half mortal, half god who performs extraordinary feats.

Epic Hero Characteristics

He is a noble character, meaning close to perfectly ideal except for a fatal flaw.

Heroic Journey

A journey that consists of a quest for something valuable for him or his people.

Archetype

A very typical example of a certain person or thing.

Archetype Info

Archetypes describe the function or role a character plays in a story.

Hero

To serve and sacrifice.

Mentor

To guide.

Threshold Guardian

To test.

Herald

To warn and challenge.

Shapeshifter

To question and deceive.

Shadow

To destroy.

Trickster

To disrupt.

Allies

To unite.

Greek Background

Myths: stories that explain the world around us.

Origin Myth

There was first Chaos, a dark empty void.

Zeus

most powerful, ruler of heavens

Poseidon

ruler of seas

Hades

ruler of the underworld, inhabited by the dead

Homer

said to have lived between 900 and 700 B.C.

Homer's Epics

gathered stories & telling them as one unified epic called the Iliad and the Odyssey

The Iliad and the Odyssey

war stories traced to struggle for control of the waterway leading from the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea

Homer's Existence

accepted as a model for class of wandering bards, minstrels or bards AKA: rhapsodes or 'singer of tales.'

Oral Tradition of Epics

Epics were originally told orally by people who could not read or write.

Formulas in Storytelling

Storyteller had store of formulas ready to help him tell the stories, giving time to relax & think ahead.

The Iliad

tells of a ten year war fought outside the walls of Troy (1200BC)

Trojan War

fought between the people of Troy and an alliance of early Greek kings due to sexual jealousy.

Helen of Troy

the world's most beautiful woman and wife of King Menelaus, ran off with Paris, a prince of Troy.

King Agamemnon

brother of King Menelaus, gathered all the Greeks and they sailed to Troy.

The Action of the Iliad

set in the tenth and final year of the Trojan War.

Greek Kings' Leadership

led by Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus.

Greek Fleet

sailed one thousand ships.

Outcome of the Trojan War

Greeks were the eventual winners, Troy was left in ruins.

Achilles

said to be the greatest of the Greek warriors.

Master Plan of the Trojan War

build enormous wooden horse, hide Greek soldiers inside and push horse to Troy's city gates.

Trojans' Mistake

thought Greeks had given up & the horse was a peace offering.

Betrayal of Troy

that night, Greeks hidden in horse came out, opened the gates of Troy to the whole Greek army.

Odysseus

his great war record did not make his voyage home easier due to gods' displeasure.

Penelope and Telemachus

Odysseus married Penelope and had a young son, Telemachus, who was a toddler when Odysseus went to war.

Odyssey

The Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus' long trip home to Ithaca.

Duration of Odysseus' Trip

His trip home takes 10 years!

Frame Story/Narrative

Frame story is a story set within a story, narrative, or movie, told by the main or the supporting character.

Example of Frame Story

Examples include Titanic, Inception, The Notebook, Forrest Gump.

Epics

Long narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who in some way embody the values of their civilizations.

Myths

Myths are nearly always religious and explain natural phenomena such as seasonal changes, fire, lightning, drought, floods, and death.

Functions of Myths

Myths teach moral lessons, explain history, and express the deepest fears and hopes of the human race.

Oral Tradition

Story is sung or spoken by an anonymous storyteller.

Epic Characteristics

Physically impressive hero of national or historical importance, a vast setting, a quest or journey undertaken in search of something of value, involvement of supernatural forces, a basis in a specific culture or society, characters struggling against fate.

Conflicts Faced by Epic Heroes

Experience many obstacles or conflicts, which can be external such as forces of nature or the gods, or internal such as struggling to overcome their own feelings or fears.

Character Foils

A foil is a character that stands in stark contrast to another character.

Hamartia

A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.

Hubris

Excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to a nemesis.

Invocation to the Muse

Summoning of a deity for assistance, a formal plea for help to the Muse, Calliope.

In Medias Res

The epic plunges right into the action -- it begins 'in the middle of things.'

Xenia

The Greek concept of hospitality, where the host must be hospitable to the guest.

Basic Rules of Xenia

The host must provide food, drink, bath, and gifts when the guest leaves, and it is not polite to ask questions until the guest has finished the meal.

Epithets

Brief descriptive phrases that characterize a person or thing, sometimes set off by commas.

Examples of Epithets

Examples include Odysseus: master mariner, Grey-eyed Athena, Muse: daughter of Zeus, The ocean: the wine dark sea.

Epic Similes

Also known as Homeric Similes, they are comparisons between two things, sometimes using like or as.

Purpose of Epic Similes

Homer uses these similes for emphasis, providing a detailed comparison that deepens the reader's understanding of the individual or action taking place.