Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The Odyssey: marvellous voyage with a fairy-tale ending, or grim battle for survival in a world of shifting rules? The Homeric epics derive from a long oral tradition, and while they stand at the very beginning of western literature, they are complex and multi-faceted works which have been interpreted in many different ways. This module will examine the Odyssey in the context of the early Greek epic tradition surrounding the Trojan War legend, and, more specifically, will explore its relationship with the other great Homeric epic, the Iliad, studying the parallels and contrasts between portrayals of heroes and heroism, narrative technique, characterization and emotion, and thematic design.

The module aims to train students to use details of a text for analysis and appreciation of:
•Stylistic and narrative design and effects
•Thematic patterns
•The handling of emotional impact
•The handling of character portrayal and of audience sympathies

The module aims to teach students to:
•Identify characteristic features of Homeric narrative technique, including those which reflect the Odyssey’s and the Iliad’s status as works designed for oral performance.
•Explore how these may work for an audience in a performance context, especially in terms of emotional and dramatic effect.
•To develop students’ capacity for independent exploration and analysis of a literary text, or of a literary text studied in relation to a visual adaptation.

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus covers the following topics concerning Homeric epic, as these are manifested in the Odyssey, with comparison to the way similar elements and approaches are manifested in the Iliad at selected points:
Questions of design
Narrative technique:
•plot and thematic patterns
•narrative patterns
•description and narrative
•building themes
•handling narrative climaxes
•presentation of character
The heroic world
Immortals and mortality

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of this module students should have:
-developed an understanding and appreciation of narrative techniques as employed in Homeric epic poetry
-developed an understanding of the way such techniques work in oral performance
explored the diverse ways and varying directions in which a poet may direct an audience’s reaction to characters and events in a narrative, and the possible role in this process of cultural ideas, values and ethics different to their own.

Intended Skill Outcomes

On completion of this module students should have:
-further developed their skills in critical analysis and appreciation of textual detail;
-further developed skills in relating analysis of such detail to larger thematic, narrative and aesthetic questions about a text as a whole;
-further developed their ability to apply these skills to comparisonbetween related texts;
-further developed their communication skills, particularly through class discussion and seminars;
-developed skills of initiative in undertaking a short ‘independent study’ assignment requiring them to apply analytical skills from a comparative angle.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures (which also mostly include group work on applying lecture themes to specific passages) are designed to introduce students to overall approaches to the text, its techniques and its cultural background, and to illustrate to students how these ideas may be applied to the exploration of textual detail (and vice versa), giving students the opportunity to try this latter approach also for themselves.
Recorded lecture materials supplement the in-person lectures, giving students time to listen at more leisure to key concepts and ideas regarding some texts, with prompts to engage in related reflective activity.

Workshops give the students the opportunity to apply close reading techniques to excerpts from the texts.

Seminars are designed to give students the opportunity to engage with issues about and approaches to the text for themselves, both in preparing an oral presentation and in preparing to participate in discussion; and also to develop students' skills of oral and interpersonal communication. One seminar is designed to develop and practise the skills of visual analysis required for the assignment, and thus to feed directly into the latter.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The examination will comprise a choice of commentary and essay questions.

Commentary questions assess students’ capacity to analyse passages in detail, usually as a basis for discussing characteristic features of the text as a whole. Essay questions assess students’ ability to assemble their knowledge of the text(s) studied into a coherent discussion of key overall questions about the text.
The open book format tests the students' skills of working within a restricted time-frame to a specific tight brief, while allowing them to consult the range of primary material necessary for a strong detailed analysis.

The assignment assesses the additional Stage-3 skills outcome of initiative in independent application of analytical skills. This involves a comparative approach to texts or visual material read/studied independently, hence requiring more word count space. It also assesses skills of visual presentation and analysis.

Formative: seminars and preparation for these form part of normal independent study/class preparation for the module. In the seminar sessions students work together in small sub-groups to collate their ideas and prepare a short presentation to be delivered before the rest of the seminar group; in principle each student has the opportunity to deliver a presentation once, working usually in pairs. Seminar work feeds in to students' developing their ideas and techniques of literary analysis, in ways important to both formative assessments. The oral presentation aspect further develops skills involving: team-work, selection and collation of material, oral communication and the ability to select and present key concepts clearly and coherently.

General Notes

The Odyssey: marvellous voyage with a fairy-tale ending, or grim battle for survival in a world of shifting rules? The Homeric epics derive from a long oral tradition, and while they stand at the very beginning of western literature, they are complex and multi-faceted works which have been interpreted in many different ways: the Odyssey has been seen as a women’s novel and a proto road-movie among other things! Secrets and lies, quests and questions, enigmas and marvels: this course aims to examine the range of elements, moods and effects that go to make up what has been termed the world’s first great adventure story. We shall also explore the relationship between the Odyssey and the other great Homeric epic, the Iliad, studying the parallels and contrasts between portrayals of heroes and heroism, narrative technique, characterization and emotion, and thematic design.