THE ODYSSEY –
STUDY GUIDE
Epics (p. 975):
Epic hero (p.979):
1.
Who is
the speaker in this section? Whom is he
addressing?
2. How would you describe the speaker’s manner
and attitude in addressing the Muse?
3. Give the direct quote which describes
Odysseus.
4. How were Odysseus’ men (his soldiers/crew)
destroyed?
1.
Where
is Odysseus when the reader meets him in this section?
2. Because of Poseidon, Odysseus has a rough
voyage after Calypso finally lets him go.
On whose shore does Odysseus arrive, nearly dead?
3. Who tells the story for Part I of The Odyssey? (Who is the narrator?)
4. Who is Odysseus’ father?
5. Describe Odysseus’ reputation in peace and
in war.
6. Where is Odysseus’ home?
7. What feelings does Odysseus have for
8. Why is he not home? Who are the two women
who tried to detain Odysseus? Describe
them.
9. What is sweeter than a house of gold?
10. Now Odysseus tells of his sailing from
11. What is another name for
12. What happened at Ismarus? Where is Ismarus located?
13. Describe the actions of the men at the land
of the Cicones.
14. Who calls the main force of the Cicones’
army?
1.
Who
roused a storm against Odysseus’ ships?
2. How many days did they drift on the teeming
sea? Define the word teeming.
3. Were the lotus-eaters of this land
dangerous?
4. What do they offer to the two men and the
runner that Odysseus sends out?
5. What happens to the friends who eat the
lotus?
6. What does Odysseus do to these three men?
7. What does Odysseus order the rest of the
men to do? Why does he do this?
The
Cyclopes are a race of brutish one-eyed giants who live solitary lives as
shepherds. Odysseus considers them to be
barbarians.
1.
Name
the specific Cyclops Odysseus and his men encounter.
2. Name the father of this Cyclops.
3. What might Polyphemus represent for
Odysseus, the hero?
4. Why is Odysseus said to be the cleverest of
the Greek heroes?
5. What leads Odysseus to Polyphemus’ cave to
wait on the brute giant?
6. Why do you think Odysseus and his men burn
an offering to the gods?
7. What animals did the Cyclops lead into his
hollow cave? Why?
8. What does Odysseus say to the Cyclops about
how he should treat them?
9. What lie does Odysseus tell the Cyclops
about where their ship is? Why does he
tell that lie?
10. What does the Cyclops do to two of
Odysseus’ men?
11. Why does Odysseus not kill the Cyclops
while he is sleeping?
12. What does Odysseus make from the felled
olive tree?
13. What does Odysseus offer the Cyclops?
14. What name does Odysseus call himself?
15. What does the Cyclops say he will do to
Nohbdy?
16. Why is the Cyclops not aware of his danger?
17. Describe the attack on the Cyclops.
18. Who does he tell the other Cyclopes has
tricked him and ruined him?
19. What plan does Odysseus devise to get his
men and himself out of the cave?
20. Who does Odysseus tell the Cyclops is
responsible for his injury?
21. What does the Cyclops hurl at the
ship? What are the results?
22. What does the crew say to Odysseus as he
cups his hands?
23. Why does Odysseus ignore the men’s advice?
24. What does the Cyclops say was his fate?
25. What foreshadowing is given at the end of
this scene?
Odysseus addresses the dead and vows that when he returns to
Teiresias appears and makes the
following predictions for Odysseus: (Remember that he is a prophet so he can
foretell the future.)
1.
Poseidon
is angry with Odysseus because of the injury to Polyphemus, his son. The sailing will be rough for Odysseus and
Odysseus must be careful with his men and with himself.
2.
Odysseus
must warn his men not to eat the cattle that belong to the Sun God, Helios, for
if they do there will be total destruction.
3.
Odysseus alone will survive but he will sail
home many years later under a strange sail.
4.
When
he finally arrives home, he will find that his home has been invaded by men who
are eating all of his livestock and are trying to force Penelope to choose one
of them to marry.
5.
Odysseus
will succeed in defeating the men, but it will be a bloody revenge.
6.
Odysseus
must travel far inland to make a sacrifice of a ram, a bull, and a boar to
Poseidon and then return home and make additional sacrifices (100 cattle).
7.
Odysseus
will die a peaceful death at sea when he is very old.
1.
Circe
warns Odysseus of the Sirens. What
threat do they pose to the men?
2. How can Odysseus prevent disaster when he
sails near the Sirens?
3. How is Odysseus able to hear the “lovely
voices” of the Sirens in safety?
4. Describe Scylla, the next challenge
Odysseus will have to face.
5. On the other side of Scylla is Charybdis,
lurking below “A great wild fig, a shaggy mass of leaves.” Describe this peril.
6. What is Circe’s advice in facing these two
threats simultaneously (see me for the answer)?
7. What does Odysseus not tell his men about
Circe’s prophesy (see me for the answer)?
8. What does Odysseus say to his crew to rouse
their courage in facing Scylla and Charybdis?
9. What sight is “the far worst I ever
suffered” according to Odysseus?
1.
How
does Odysseus get home from Phaeacia?
2. Why are the suitors in the palace? What are they plotting?
3.
Where
has Telemachus gone and why?
4. Who appears in
5. Whom does Odysseus visit? Why is that visit significant?
6. How does Athena change Odysseus before he
reveals himself to his son?
7. What is Telemachus reaction to this person
standing before him?
8. What is the comparison that Homer makes
when Odysseus holds his son?
9. What is the first request that Odysseus
asks of his son to get the plan for revenge started?
10. How many suitors are there?
11. Who will be watching over them as they seek
revenge? Why doesn’t Telemachus believe
Odysseus at first?
12. When Odysseus appears the next day to the
suitors, he tells Telemachus that they will taunt him. What should Telemachus do?
13. What should Telemachus do next in the plan?
14. When the suitors question Telemachus about
what he is doing, Odysseus tells Telemachus that he can tell them two “reasons”
for his actions. What should he tell the
suitors?
15. What is the last step in the plan to ensure
that their plan will work?
16. Why should a great epic poem concern itself
with a dog?
17. What is the condition of
18. What does the dog do when he recognizes
Odysseus’ voice?
19. Why does Odysseus pretend not to recognize
20. How is the dog
21. What does the scene with
22. What is ironic about lines 1190-1198?
1.
How
does Antinous treat Odysseus (the beggar)?
2. What does Odysseus wish that the Furies
will do to Antinous for his behavior?
3. What do the other suitors say to Antinous?
4. How does Telemachus react to Antinous’
behavior?
5. Why does Penelope want to tolk to the
beggar?
Penelope (pp. 1031-1033)
1.
What
does Penelope ask the beggar?
2. How does he respond at first?
3. Why does he say that he cannot talk about
his homeland and his family?
4. What trick does Penelope use to delay
picking one of the suitors for marriage?
5. How long was she able to hold off the
suitors?
6. How was her trick revealed?
7. What does “the beggar” tell Penelope about
Odysseus?
The Challenge (pp. 1035-1037)
1.
What
test does Penelope propose for the suitors?
2. How is the suitor’s comment in line 1369
ironic?
3. What does the Homeric simile that begins at
line 900 emphasize about Odysseus?
4. What does the expression “cook their
lordships” mean?
5. What does the phrase “Telemachus, true son
of King Odysseus” (line 1402) tell us about Telemachus?
1.
What
does the comparison of arrows to rain (line 1407) tell you about the
arrows? What do you call this literary
device?
2. Who does Odysseus kill first? How is he killed?
3. What can you infer about the suitors’ state
of mind from their reaction to Odysseus’ attack?
4. What do the other suitors think about
Odysseus’ killing of Antinous?
5. How does Homer suggest that the suitors are
cowardly?
6. How would you characterize Eurymachus from
his speech in lines 1449-1463? What is
he asking of Odysseus?
7. Who kills Amphinomus?
8. What does Telemachus do while Odyssus holds
off the suitors?
9. What is the Homeric simile that is used in
lines 1535-1539? What is being compared?
10. What does this bloody scene add to the
epic’s theme about the value of hospitality and about what happens to people
who mock divine laws?
11. Do you think the suitors’ punishment fits
their crime? Explain.
1.
What
happens to the maids who have been disloyal?
2. What kind of person is Penelope?
3. What might Penelope be thinking during this
scene?
4. How does Penelope test Odysseus?
5. Explain how Odysseus had built the bed.
6. How does the image of the swimmer emphasize
the strength of Odysseus’ love for Penelope and his joy in their reunion? What kind of comparison is this?
Do text questions on p. 1046 and do questions 1-5 on p. 1047. Do Grammar Lesson on p. 1048.