The Odyssey

Name: KEY
Pd. ______ Teacher: Ms. Maguire

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

KEY MOTIFS:

❏ Home and family

❏ Law & God Fearing
❏ Hard Work
❏ Humility
❏ Hospitality
 The Odyssey Literary Terms

Key Concept: What literary terms will help me understand and discuss the epic poem?

term definition example

An adjective or phrase which is a Odysseus

characteristic of a person or place “the wanderer”
epithet (a.k.a.) ‘the man all knowing in ways of
Ex. contending“ (fighting)
Superman = man of steel contend(er) = fight(er)

Comparison of two unlike things Ex. stapler and hair tie

using” like”or” as.”
simile

A long simile in a long narrative

poem by Homer.
Homeric simile

A hero with superhuman qualities Values home/family

epic hero who completes acts of courage;
stands for the values of a culture Superhuman qualities:

Allusions hint at something which Ex. the cookie jar incident

came before: history, Bible,
allusion
mythology, event.

Comparison of two unlike things Ex. stapler and hair tie

WITHOUT using “like” or “as.”
metaphor
Implies one thing IS the other.

Giving non-human objects human- Ex. The waves gently tapped the
like qualities sand and drew back.”
personification

To begin in the middle of things; Odysseus begins the tale of his

followed by flashbacks before wandering after he has been
en media res returning to the middle and moving rescued by King Alcinous, but
forward. before Odysseus arrives home.

PART ONE READING/STUDY GUIDE

Key Concept: What is the main idea and key details for each story in the Odyssey?
What inferences and conclusions can be made for each story?

“Invocation to the Muse” and “Odysseus Tells His Story” (443-444)

1. What is the purpose of the Invocation to the Muse section?

Homer is asking the muse to help him tell the story well.
The section acts as foreshadowing as it hints of things to come.

2. Which muse is Homer asking for inspiration at the beginning of this book?
He is asking the Muse of Epic Poetry. The muses were 9 goddesses skilled in specific arts and
sciences. He would want the help of this one to tell the story well.

3. Which god does the Invocation identify as Odysseus’ enemy?

Although Odysseus angered Zeus before heading home, Homer reveals that Poseidon will be
Odysseus’ enemy on his travels. That would make sense as Odysseus is travelling by sea, which
would allow Poseidon to cause many problems for Odysseus.

4. Where did Odysseus start his long journey?

Odysseus begins his journey in Troy (Ilion) after the Trojan War. However, he begins telling his
tale 10 years later after he was rescued by King Alcinous.

5. Why does the army of the Cicones attack Odysseus and his men?
The army is defending their land as Odysseus and his men have plundered the Cicones homes,
enslaved their women, and slaughtered their sheep and cattle.

6.When the sailors escape from the Cicones’ land, why are six benches empty in each ship?
The Cicones have killed them. That means that Odysseus - across 12 ships - has lost nearly 400
men or half of his crew.

7.Who does Odysseus say caused the great storm?

Odysseus blames Zeus for the storm. He feels that they are being punished for
what they did on Ismarus.

★ Which god is against Odysseus the most? What is he the god of? Why would this
be a problem?
In this story, Zeus is against Odysseus the most as he causes the dark time on
Ismarus and the storm which follows. He is the God of the Sky and all the other gods. He can
make for difficult sailing weather and encourage other gods to cause problems.

★ Explain the mistake that his men make in Ismarus.

 The men make the mistake of continuing war-like behavior after leaving the war.

★ How many men does Odysseus lose here?

Odysseus loses six men per bench, six benches per ship, across 12 ships.

★ What is Zeus’ response?

He causes a raging storm which prevents the men from sailing onto other ports.

“The Lotus Eaters” (445)

1. Why does Odysseus send three men ashore after they land on the coastline of the Lotus
Eaters?
Odysseus sent three men ashore so he doesn’t lose as many men on this island as he lost on
the last island.

2. What is dangerous about the land of the Lotus Eaters?

The land of the Lotus Eaters is dangerous because it makes the men forget about their homes
and families.

3. Why does the danger upset Odysseus? How does the danger conflict with his values?
Odysseus becomes upset because he values home and family and wants to get home.
Therefore, he doesn’t like the idea of his men forgetting these values.

4. How does Odysseus rescue his men from the danger?

Odysseus rescued his men by pushing them into the boat and ties them under the bench
so they can’t escape.

● How are Odysseus and his men smarter in this section and how many men does
he lose?
They only send 3 people to investigate the island instead of all his men so that he doesn’t lose a
lot of his men like he did in the past.

★ List two examples of epithets from these sections.

1. “Lotus Eaters” (90)
2. “runner” (88)

★ In what way does the episode reflect a modern problem?

The lotus flowers represent drug and alcohol additions
“The Cyclops” (446 -

1. What is the Cyclopes attitude toward the law? (page 446)

He does not follow the law

2. Why does Odysseus refuse to leave before the Cyclops return to the cave? (lines 192-
199)

Odysseus refuses to leave because he wants to see the Cyclops for himself
3. What does Polyphemus do to Odysseus and his men that defies the Greek custom of
courtesy to strangers? (lines 240-269)
He doesn’t welcome them and treat them as guests; instead he traps them in his cave
and eats 6 of Odysseus’ men.

4. Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops when he is asleep? (lines 270-277)
If they kill him while he’s sleeping then he will fall over and cover the door and Odysseus
and his men wouldn’t have been able to escape

5. What does Odysseus do to prepare for the Cyclops’ return to the cave? (lines 289-310)
They sharpen an olive branch so that it has a sharp tip at the top and then they
burn the tip

6. How do Odysseus and his men injure Polyphemus? (lines 345-370)

They take their stake and stab him in the eye

7. Why don’t the other Cyclopes help Polyphemus? (lines 371-390)

Polyphemus told the Cyclopes that “nobody” hurt him, and because he said
nobody, the other cyclopes don’t help.

8. What does Odysseus do to free himself and his men from the cave? (Lines 399-416)
He has his men go under rams, to get out of the cave. The Cyclops then feels the
rams to make sure it’s not Odysseus and since the men are underneath the rams he only felt
their wool and not men.

9. What mistake does Odysseus make as he sails away? (Page 457)

Odysseus stands on his boats and brags about how he attacked the cyclops. While he is
bragging he says his name and where he’s from (the Cyclops hears him). This is a problem
because the cyclops’ father is Poseidon (The God of Water) and the Cyclops tells him and sets
out to destroy him.
10. What are two examples of Odysseus using his cleverness when dealing with the
Cyclops?
Telling the Cyclops that his name is “nobody” and disguising his ram and himself
as rams
11. What are Odysseus’ weaknesses as a leader in the Cyclops story?
Odysseus’ weaknesses as a leader are that he isn’t humble and brags about his
achievements, and he also doesn’t listen to his men. His men wanted to leave the Cyclops’ cave
once they ate, but Odysseus wanted to stay and meet the Cyclops.

Write out one example of each of these terms from this section of the epic poem.

1. Personification- “When the young dawn with fingertips of rose came in the
east,…”(135)

2. Homeric simile- “Neither reply nor pity came from him, but in one step he clutched
at my companions and caught two in his hands and caught two in his hands like
squirming puppies…” (258 – 261)

3. Foreshadowing- “Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to
better dogs at home.” (492 – 493)

4. Epithet- “In the next land we found were Cyclopes, giants, lotus, without a law to
bless them.” (105-106)

5. Metaphor- “… but he seemed rather a shaggy mountain reared in solitude.” (155-

160)

“The Sirens”

1. Who are the Sirens?

Sirens are sea nymphs who sing an entrancing song to passing sailors. When sailors
hear the Sirens’ song, they do anything they can to get to the Sirens’ island – throw themselves
into the sea (and drown) or steer their boats into the rocky shores of the island (and drown). If
sailors do get to the Siren Island, the Sirens change from beautiful women into hideous
creatures and rip the men to shreds.

2. What plan does Odysseus devise to allow him to listen to the song of the Sirens but
remain unharmed by them? (lines 526-539)

Odysseus has his men tie Odysseus to the mast of the ship.

3. How does Odysseus protect his men from the Sirens’ song? (lines 545-556)

Stuffs their ears with beeswax

4. What does Odysseus tell his crew to do when he hears the Sirens singing?

Odysseus tells his crew to untie him

5. What do the men do in response to Odysseus’ command?

Ignore Odysseus’ command, tie him tighter and row faster.

“Scylla” and “Charybdis”

1. Describe Charybdis.

Huge whirlpool that swallows passing boats.

2. Describe Scylla.

Six-headed monster that eats the sailors from passing boats.

3. What does Odysseus compare the way Scylla snatched his six men from their boat to?
(lines 656-661)

A man fishing from a rocky shore.

“Odysseus Loses Everything”

1. While Odysseus is praying on the island of Thrinacia, what crime do his men commit?

They killed the Sun god’s prized cattle

2. How does Zeus punish the men for what they did?
He brings a storm to the ship

3.After Odysseus survives the storm and is swallowed by Charybdis, how does Odysseus
survive? (lines 702-726)
Odysseus clings to a tree branch above the whirlpool until Charybdis spit up the boat, then
dropped into sea and got onto the boat and rowed past the monsters

EPIC HERO QUALITIES

Using specific examples, explain how Odysseus demonstrates each of the following qualities in
Part I of The Odyssey. Answers for this section vary

● Strength

● Courage

● Resourcefulness

● Decisiveness

● Self-Confidence

● Perseverance

● Loyalty