The Odyssey

Epic Poetry

a lengthy narrative poem about extraordinary deeds and extraordinary characters.

Greek Cultural Value

loyalty

Epithet

an adjective or descriptive phrase that is used to express a characteristic of a person or thing.

In Medias Res

into the middle of a narrative.

Muse

a person a poet or artist would call upon to help them write or create.

Odysseus

from Ithaca, married to Penelope, Telemachus is his son, and 19 year journey

Telemachus

lives on Ithaca, parents are Penelope and Odysseus, and turns from timid to well-respected.

Penelope

lives on Ithaca, married to Odysseus, and Telemachus is his son.

Zeus

god of the sky and justice, Athena is his son, Hera is his wife, and supreme ruler.

Athena

goddess of wisdom, father is Zeus, and a divine protector.

Poseidon

god of the sea, Polyphemus is his son, Cronus is his father, and the antagonist.

Calypso

goddess of temptation and a powerful creature who holds odysseus captive on her island.

Diction

the author’s intentional choice of words in a text.

Connotation

feeling of a word.

Denotation

definition of a word.

Mood

the reader’s feeling.

Tone

the author’s feelings about a situation.