The Odyssey Introduction

True or False: An epic is a long narrative poem that relates important events in the history or folklore of the culture that produced it

• True

• False

An Epic poem usually begins one of two ways. Select the correct option.

• With a lofty style or a rhymed meter

• With an epithet or an epic simile

• With an invocation to the muses or in medias res

• With an objective tone or a fixed meter

"Of these adventures, Muse, daughter of Zeus, / tell us in our time, lift the great song again." What is the purpose of the structure of epic poetry used in these lines?

• To get inspiration from the Muse and to reveal that the story took place in the past

• To call upon the Muse to tell the truth and to reveal that the story will predict future events

• To ask the Muse to have mercy and to reveal that the story might disrupt events currently taking place

• To request that the Muse not let history repeat itself and to reveal that the story has many lessons

Who does Homer call to help him tell Odysseus' story?

• A muse

• Zeus

• Apollo

• BTS

Which war was Odysseus returning from at the beginning of The Odyssey?

• The Roman War

• The Trojan War

• The Persian War

• The Punic War

What does in Medias Res mean?

• Elegant language that stresses the nobility of the subject

• A fixed rhythmic pattern

• A long comparison over many lines of the poem

• "in the middle of things" or beginning after the action has taken place

Who wrote "The Odyssey"?

• A blind man named Homer

• A sorceress who turns men into pigs

• A long-lost king taking back his throne

• Maybe Homer, but we're not really sure

What is the main theme of "The Odyssey"?

• Don't incur the wrath of the gods

• The Trojan War

• The code of hospitality holds society together

• The journey of Odysseus

Where does the narrative of "The Odyssey" begin?

• In the middle of things

• At the end of the Trojan War

• On the island of Ithaca

• In the city of Troy

Why has Odysseus's passage home been difficult?

• He angered the sea god Poseidon

• He was trapped on an island

• He lost his way

• He was captured by a cyclops