Homeric Epithet and Irony in the Odyssey

A view of northern Ithaca across the isthmus of A ethos

“Homer, the master of the epithet”, is an example of a Homeric epithet, which can be found throughout the entire epic. They help the reader remember important traits about the characters. Also found throughout the entire epic is irony. Irony is an opposition between what is expected or said, and what occurs, or is meant. There are three main types of irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic, and they work within a story to add humor, suspense, and surprise. Irony is also present in Books XVI and XVII, as Odysseus returns to Ithaca for the first time in twenty years.