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Introducing Homer's Iliad

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Introducing Homer's Iliad
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Course description

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This free course, Introducing Homer's Iliad, focuses on the epic poem telling the story of the Trojan War. It begins with the wider cycle of myths of which the Iliad was a part. It then looks at the story of the poem itself and its major theme of Achilles' anger, in particular in the first seven lines. It examines some of the characteristic features of the text: metre, word order and epithets. Finally, it explores Homer's use of simile. The course should prepare you for reading the Iliad on your own with greater ease and interest.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • understand the plot of the Iliad and the wider cycle of myths of which it was a part
  • identify characteristic features that show how the Iliad was composed orally
  • use these features to think about and interpret the poem.

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