What is The Odyssey? The Odyssey is an epic poem from ancient Greece written down by the blind poet Homer around the 8th century BC. The Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus (Ulysses in later Roman myths), a Greek war hero known as much for his metis (cleverness or cunning) as his hie (strength). It was Odysseus who supposedly created the great wooden Trojan Horse that ended the 10-year war against Troy. The Odyssey is the tale of Odysseus's very long, long journey home to his wife and son after the Trojan War and all of the obstacles in his path. It is a tale of gods and monsters, bravery and suffering. Many of you might be wondering: "Why read such an old story?" The Odyssey is the monomyth, or the one that started all the stories to follow. There's hardly a story written today that doesn't follow the same hero's journey cycle started with The Odyssey. You know, the story where some normal guy or girl suddenly has something bad or weird happen to them that starts them off on a journey of self-discovery? Usually involving them realizing that they CAN in fact do whatever it is they need to do to save the world, save their friend, etc.? Harry Potter, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and most stories which later become movies follow the hero's journey pattern. We can all relate to Odysseus because we have all wanted something very badly at some point in our lives and had to fight or work hard for it. The Odyssey is a fun story because of all the fantasy elements involved (magic, monsters, mythical creatures, etc). |
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