The Odyssey

Literary
Terms
English 9

Homeric Simile
also called an epic simile is a
detailed comparison in the
form of a simile that is many
lines in length.

Dramatic Irony
A literary device by which the
audience's or reader's
understanding of events or
individuals in a work surpasses
that of its characters.

Catharsis
is an emotional discharge
through which one can
achieve a state of moral or
spiritual renewal or achieve a
state of liberation from
anxiety and stress.

Hubris
Excessive pride

Anagnorisis
(Greek: recognition), in a
literary work, the startling
discovery that produces a
change from ignorance to
knowledge.

Epithet
an adjective or descriptive
phrase expressing a quality
characteristic of the person
or thing mentioned.

Surprise/Disguise
Motif
an object or idea that
repeats itself throughout a
literary work. In this case, a
disguise.

Hamartia
a fatal flaw leading to the
downfall of a tragic hero or
heroine.

Peripeteia
a sudden reversal of fortune
or change in circumstances,
especially in reference to
fictional narrative.