Aim: How can an understanding of Greek myths and heroes prepare us for our examination of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey?
Do Now: Brainstorm the qualities that you feel belong to a “hero”. What do you believe that might be a working definition of “hero” that you could share with the class.
Our class began by listing down each of our personal definitions of what it means to be a “hero”. There was a general consensus on what the definition of a hero was amongst our peers. A hero is someone who encapsulates the virtuous characteristics and qualities. They should show a lot of integrity and be honest despite the adversity and challenges that they face. These heroes should be righteous and upstanding individuals among us. They should encompass the best qualities they make up each and every one of us.
My personal definition of a hero is someone who has their own flaws, but nevertheless withholds their moral values and overcomes or brushes aside their flaws, even in the face of unimaginable odds and tribulations. I personally believe that someone who captures all my definitions is Captain America.
We go on to watch the following video by TED-Ed, explaining “What Makes a Hero?”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA
Whole Class Discussion: What (if anything) do you already know about Greek heroes and Greek mythology?
A majority of our class already knew a fair bit about Greek heroes and/or Greek mythology, whether it be through movies, TV shows, or books. We started off by saying that most of these stories have a moral lesson. I added on by explaining that the Gods and heroes in these stories weren’t perfect by any means. I gave the example of Zeus having a relatively short temper. I continued on by sharing the story of Prometheus, who stole fire for the humans, and as a consequence he was chained to a cliff where an eagle would devour his liver everyday and his liver would regrow only to succumb to the same ordeal. We carried on by stating our random bits of greek mythology knowledge.
Spirit Reading
We went on with the remainder of the lesson by learning about some important Greek knowledge through our spirit reading
Important Gods:
Zeus is the god of the sky, lightning, and thunder as well as ruling all the gods from Mount Olympus
Hades and Poseidon were the brothers of Zeus who each ruled over their respective realms, Hades ruling the underworld, and Poseidon who ruled over the seas
Athena was one of the daughters of Zeus as well as being the goddess of wisdom, courage, and battle
Greek Religious Customs:
The ancient Greeks believed in multiple gods(polytheism) and that they took an interest in human life as well as possessing human characteristics
The Greeks actively paid their respects to the Gods in hopes of being safe and prosperous
The oral traditions of the Greeks were to pass on these stories of the gods and their heroes which were often forms of entertainment as well as the passing of their history and culture throughout generations
Epic:
Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey were adulated amongst the ancient Greeks and set the standard for the definition of the world “epic”
An epic is a long, narrative poem about a national or legendary hero
Epics begin “in media res” or in the middle of events which utilizes flashbacks to explain important action that occurred before the story
There is a huge extent of settings and situations, including the underworld, lengthy, formal speeches, divine interventions from the gods, and most importantly, HEROES!
Characteristics that make a hero epic include, superhuman qualities, has their flaws and weaknesses, perform difficult tasks, and face adversity
We went into a brief discussion of why heroes would have flaws/weaknesses. We agreed that authors give these heroes flaws/weaknesses to make them much more relatable to the audience as opposed to a hero that is perfect. We also argued that heroes that have flaws/weaknesses can help contribute to their overall character development throughout the story.
Class Discussion: Why would an author/storyteller choose to use these elements?
We went into further examination of these specific features of epics and how they contribute to the overall story. We explained that these characteristics help make for a compelling story and create interesting character arcs. The use of a myriad of settings and situations keeps the story flowing and the readers engaged. The long formal speeches along with the heroes help the readers gain further insight into the lessons that the story is trying to convey.
Class Discussion
Our class went into a discussion about etymology and devaluation of the word “hero”. Mrs. Peterson gave examples of how the word “hero” is thrown around these days: “Today we sometimes toss the word "hero" around without thinking much about it. We use it to name TV shows. We speak of a Hollywood celebrity as our childhood hero. Every parent is a hero. Every journalist is a hero. Every American is a hero. Every working woman is a hero. Every police officer, firefighter, and soldier is a hero without question or regard for what they do or have done or what they are prepared to do. The list goes on.”
We agreed that the word “hero” has lost much of its original meaning and is often tossed around in society without much meaning or thought. This is evident through the original definition of “hêrôs”, "a being of godlike prowess and beneficence" to "a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage or ability" compared with the modern day definition from Encyclopedia Britannica of “hero”, "generally to all who were distinguished from their fellows by superior moral, physical or intellectual qualities." This comparison of the different definitions of “hero” from different times shows the distinct differences and the trivialization of the word “hero”.
Reflection
Today’s lesson was extremely interesting and helpful. I enjoyed the class discussions about the qualities of heroes and the meaning of it used in today’s modern society as opposed to how the ancient Greeks originally defined it. I learned a lot about ancient Greek religious customs. I felt that the flow of the lesson was flawless as the segues into each topic were related and connected. Overall this lesson provided me with a lot of information and insight into epics and the definition of “hero” as well as a better understanding of ancient Greek traditions.
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