| Who is speaking in this opening scene? | Homer |
| What is a muse? | The daughters of Zeus |
| What happened in Troy? | They were defeated by the Greeks |
| Where is Odysseus, the “contender,” trying to go? | Home |
| Which god is plotting against Odysseus? | Poseidon |
| How long did the Trojan War last? | 10 years |
| How many years has Odysseus spent trying to return home? | Almost 10 years |
| Who has supported and helped him in his journey? | Athena |
| Who is narrating this story? | Homer |
| Who is Hermes and what is his mission? | Messenger, brings a message from Mount Olympus telling Calypso to free Odysseus. |
| To what is Hermes’ flight compared? | A seagull |
| Of whom is Calypso seemingly jealous? | Penelope |
| How does Calypso assist Odysseus on his journey home? | She builds him a raft for food |
| What does Calypso offer to Odysseus is he stays with her? | Calypso tells Penelope that she’s not as beautiful as her. |
| Where is Odysseus at the beginning of this selection? | At the kings fest |
| What tragedy strikes Odysseus at sea? | Zeus causes a storm that caused his men to drift for nine days |
| Where did Odysseus first go off course after leaving Troy? | Odysseus first went off course when the men had cared him of course |
| How is Odysseus received on the island of Scheria, home of King Alcinous? | They welcomed him & treated his kindly |
| Describe Ithaca. | Rocky island & under the leaves of mount Neion in the north west. |
| How were his men responsible for their own defeat at the hands of the Cicones? | Got drunk and had a party while the fugitives got away and went to go get help |
| What happened to Odysseus as he rounded Malea? | A wind droved him pass a cythera and drifted for 9 days |
| What caused Odysseus and his men to seek shelter? | Their was a storm and they needed water |
| what danger did Odysseus and his men encounter when they landed on the Lotus Eater’s island? | They weren’t sure if it was safe because they weren’t sure who had lived their |
| What did these people eat? | Lotus plant |
| What happened to the men who ate this “honeyed plant”? | They lost their desire to go home |
| How does Odysseus get his men back to the ship from the land of the lotus eaters? | He drives him back and ties him back the whole time their running away |
| Why do you think that Odysseus and his men burn an offering for the gods? | For peace |
| Describe the cyclops Polyphemos. | One eyed sheppard |
| How does Homer help the reader sense the strength of the Cyclops? | The description of that rock and how many man it would take to move it |
| What was the cyclops response when Odysseus told him of their ship wreck? | He ate two men |
| What plan did Odysseus contrive to divert Polyphemos? | He would give him wine and make him drunk so that he could STAB him in the eye |
| Why does Odysseus decide not to try to kill the Cyclops? | They’d be trap in the cave |
| What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is? What is ironic about the use of this name by Odysseus? | Nbdyh & because the Cyclops would truly kill nbdyh |
| After blinding the Cyclops, how do Odysseus and his men escape the cave? | The bellies of the rams |
| How does Polyphemos hope to avenge his injury from Odysseus? | Gonna ask his father to keep Odysseus from going to his home |
| What mistake does Odysseus make in mocking the blind Cyclops? | Tells him his name |
| What curse does the Cyclops place on Odysseus? | All of his companions would die and would have trouble getting to Attica |
| What assistance does King Aeolus give Odysseus and why isn’t it successful? | Gives him a bag and he’s taken all of the wind so that he could go home. & they open the bag than it blows them back to were they started |
| On Circe’s island, to what does Odysseus compare the wild beasts? | Dogs |
| Why are men drawn to Circe? | She’s a witch. & she sings and it kind of seduces them and she can cast spells on men. |
| Who is Eurylochus? How is he important to this section? | Odysseus man & he is the one who tells Odysseus what has happened to his man |
| Into what did Circe begin turning Odysseus’ crew? | Pigs |
| Why did Circe’s plan fail on Odysseus? | Hermes gave them a magic plant |
| What happens to Odysseus and his men after Odysseus resists Circe’s sorcery? | They stay their for awhile than she turns them back into humans. |
| What does Circe tell Odysseus he must do? | She tells them that she has to go to the land of the dead and find Teiresias |
| Who is Teiresias? Why does Odysseus go to visit him? | Where must he find him? Blind profit from Thebes |
| To whom is Odysseus referring when he uses the term “Sovereign Death”? | Referring to Hades |
| Apart from Teiresias, who else does Odysseus see in the Land of the Dead? | His mother |
| What advice does Teiresias give Odysseus regarding the island of Thrinakia? | Do not harm the cattle of Helios. |
| If Odysseus doesn’t follow Teiresias’ advice at Thrinakia, what does the spirit foretell? | Because ships would be destroyed and his crew would be killed. |
| What advice does Circe give Odysseus when he return from the underworld? | Warns him bout the sirens and that the man should put beeswax in their ears. (ear plugs) |
The Odyssey
April 21, 2020