Lesson: The Odyssey What Is A Hero
Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?
The lesson started with a thought-provoking do-now about what and who actually constitutes a hero, with the consensus being someone who performs selfless acts while expecting nothing in return. We then transitioned into the basics of Greek Mythology, with the class’ pre-existing knowledge varying from a lot to nothing at all. We reviewed the main four gods (Zeus, Hades, Athena, and Poseidon) in Greek mythology, before learning how the Greeks believed in polytheism and that the gods actively interacted with the mortal domain. Each god covers their one or more “domains” such as lightning, wisdom, or death, and controls their domain in the mortal world. For example, Poseidon is the god of the sea and earthquakes, and controls the sea and earthquakes in the mortal world. The Greeks also believed in hero-worship, where notable people were revered alongside the gods, with some ascending to godhood. We then learned how these stories and legends were passed down through word of mouth via oral tradition, often for entertainment purposes. The ancient Greeks produced two famous epic poems, a type of narrative poetry focusing on a poem, the Iliad and The Odyssey, both by Homer. John Pierre stated that we did know if Homer was just one writer or many, all working under one pseudonym. We then discussed the qualities of an epic, such as beginning in media res (in the middle of things) before transitioning to a flashback, focusing on a superhuman hero, has a vast setting, contains lengthy, formal speeches, and contains divine intervention. Ilaria and others said an author would use these techniques to create an intriguing action story, and one that would be entertaining if said through word of mouth, to keep an audience entertained. We then discussed how a hero is superhuman, but still flawed, faces many difficult tasks on a quest to something of great importance while villains try to stop him, and is often physically beautiful. We then concluded with a brief discussion on the modern overuse of the word hero, with the argument flip-flopping between yes and no. Henry said that the modern use of the word hero is a natural evolution of the word to suit our modern tastes for action and sacrifice, while Dana said the word is overused nevertheless, being used to describe anyone who performs a selfless act, no matter how minor, like picking up trash or holding a door open.
Reflection
I thought this lesson was very interesting, and thought provoking. I enjoyed speaking about the greek gods and heroes, which I find very interesting. I especially liked the discussion at the end about the overuse of the word hero, as both sides posed a convincing argument, and I found myself torn.
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