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Seminal world literature
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Some stories have shaped literature all over the world. The National Curriculum asks you to read seminal world literature: great works from many cultures and times that later writers keep returning to.
The Odyssey
After the ten-year Trojan War, the hero Odysseus, king of Ithaca, spends another ten years trying to get home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
Famous episodes
The Sirens: his crew block their ears with beeswax, and Odysseus has himself tied to the mast so he can hear their song safely.
Homecoming: he returns in disguise as a beggar and must defeat the suitors who want to marry Penelope.
Other seminal works
Why is the 'Nobody' trick clever?
- Odysseus gives a false name: 'Nobody'.
- When Polyphemus calls for help, he says 'Nobody is hurting me'.
- The other Cyclopes think nothing is wrong and do not come.
Answer: The false name means Polyphemus's cries for help make no sense to the other Cyclopes, so Odysseus escapes using wit rather than strength.
Seminal world literature includes the Odyssey (Homer's epic of Odysseus's journey home), the Epic of Gilgamesh, One Thousand and One Nights, Don Quixote and Things Fall Apart. Their stories and ideas influence writers everywhere.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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