| Who is speaking in the opening of the tale, the invocation? | Homer |
| What is a muse? | Nine goddesses who preside over the arts and sciences. They give inspiration. |
| Briefly, what happened in Troy? | It was a war between the Greeks and Trojans taken place at Troy. The Greeks win by constructing the Trojan Horse, and end up burning the city of Troy to the ground. |
| Where is Odysseus, the “contender’ trying to go? | His home in Ithica |
| Which god is plotting against Odysseus and why? | Posiedon is plotting against Odysseus because he had harmed his son, Polyphemus. |
| How long did the Trojan War last? | 10 years |
| How many years has Odysseus spent trying to return home? | 10 years |
| Who is Calypso and what is her relationship to Odysseus? | She was a sea nymph that loved Odysseus so much that she held him captive for 7 years. |
| Who is Hermes and what news does he deliver to Calypso? | He is a Greek god that delivers news ordering Calypso to let Odysseus free. |
| Of whom do you believe Calypso to be jealous? | Penelope |
| How does Odysseus regard his wife Penelope? | He never looses consent |
| HOw does Calypso assist Odysseus in his journey home? | Helped him build a raft |
| What tragedy strikes Odysseus at sea? | Poseidon raft wrecks him |
| How is Odysseus received on the island of the Phaeacians, home of King Alcinous? | He treats him as a noble guest |
| Describe Ithaca | A rocky isle good for boys training |
| From his self inrotductrion, how does Odysseus view himself? Support your answer with answer. | Arrogant |
| What line signals Odysseus’s flashback to the past, where he begins telling the story of his adventure? | “What of the years of rough adventure, weathered under Zeus!” |
| Why did Odysseus’s crew suffer casualties at the land of the Cicones? | They didn’t listen to Odysseus’s retreat order |
| What danger did Odysseus and his men encounter when they landed on the Lotus Eater’s island? | The lotus flower caused the. To stay on the island |
| Describe the lotus | A sweet honey plant |
| How did Odysseus solve the problem? | He had to go and physically drag him men to the ship and tie them down |
| Describe the Cyclops Polyphemus. | A prodigious lonely man. |
| What was Odysseus’s respone when Polyphemus asked him about his ship? | It was shipwrecked |
| What plan did Odysseus contrive to harm Polyphemus? | Get him drunk and stab his eye |
| What is ironic about the use of the name “Nohbody” by Odysseus? | When he cried out it so under like nobody had hurt him |
| After blinding Polyphemus, how do Odysseus and his men escape the cave? | Hang on the under bellies of the sheep |
| How does Polyphemus hope to avenge his injury from Odysseus? | He prays to his father Poseidon |
| Name at least one three of Odysseus’s acts in this encounter that would be considered as heroic? | Idea to blind the cyclops, goes to the island, and calls h itself nobody. |
| In what ways does he help and endanger his men? | He taunted Polyphemus |
| What customs of Greek society are observed in the story? | Greet strangers and give them gifts, sacrifices to gods, build temples |
| What assistance does King Aeolus’ give Odysseus and why isn’t it successful? | He gives him a bag of unfavorable winds |
| Briefly summarize what happens on the island of the Laestrygonians? | The cannibals eat most of Odysseus’s men |
| Why were men drawn to Circe? | She lured them in with food and wine |
| Into what did Circe begin turning the crew? | Pigs |
| How was Odysseus able to rescue his men? | He had a magic herb provided by hermes |
| Why must Odysseus journey to Hades, the land of the dead? | It was the only way Circe would allow him to leave |
| Who is Tiresias? | the blind prophet in the underworld |
| What advice does Tiresias give Odysseus regarding the island of the cattle of the sun god? | Don’t touch the cattle! |
| What advice does Circe give Odysseus when he returns from the underworld? | Do not touch the cattle, and don’t fight Scylla |
| Describe the sirens. What danger do they pose? | They were monsters who sang songs that lured them in and killed them |
| How did Odysseus keep kimself and his men safe when going past the Sirens? | He put beeswax in their ears and had himself tied up |
| Describe Scylla and Charybdis? | Scylla was a six headed serpent that lived in a cave, and Charybdis is a whirlpool personified as a goddess. |
| Which of the two, Scylla or Charybdis, was the lesser of two evils? | Scylla because you had a chance to get past her |
| Who owns the cattle on the island, and who serves as a guardian over the island? | Helios owns the cattle and Lampitia is the guardian |
| OF what consequence does Odysseus warn his men? | They wouldn’t return home |
| When and why did Odysseus’s men decide to kill the cattle? | When they starved for many days |
| What threat did Helios make in response to the death of the cattle? | He’d go to the underworld and light it up |
| Who punished Odysseus’s men? How? | Zeus by throwing a lightning bolt at the ship |
| Who survives the punishment? | Only Odysseus |
| After the wreck, where is Odysseus blown to (which he has already been before) | Scylla and Charybdis |
| The, after drifting at sea for nine days, which island do the gods ensure that he lands on? | Ogygia |
| Who returns Odysseus to Ithaca? | The Phaeacians |
| What consequence do they suffer for helping Odysseus home? | Their ship was turned into stone |
| Epic | A long narrative poem about a hero intended to entertain, teach, and inspire |
| Myth | A traditional story of anonymous orgin |
| Archetype | A thing, person, or pattern of circumstances that appears repeatedly in literature |
| Symbol | An object, person , or event that has a literal meaning and a figurative meaning |
| Homers naturalness | He tried to reflect real life in his writing |
| Homers authenticity | He wrote about daily life |
| Homers style | His sense of the world was the work of his imagination due to his blindness |
| Odysseus’s cunning | He’s a hoaxer and loves tricks |
| Odysseus’s humanity | Organization, coolness, tact, cunning |
| Heros | The main character in a literary work |
| The tragic hero | A person of great ability who often comes to grief because of a fault with his/her self |
The Odyssey Reading Guide
April 22, 2020