| Who wrote “The Odyssey” | Homer |
| Protagonist | Odysseus |
| Antagonist | Gods/godesses, Odysseus |
| Mood | Adventureous |
| Tone | Scared and excited |
| Conflict | Character v. supernatural (Odysseus v. gods(esses) |
| Point of View | Third person omniscient |
| Theme | Pride, perseverance |
| Exposition | Odysseus is the main character and hero. He is trying to get back to Ithaca. |
| Setting | Mediterranean Sea |
| Rising Action | 1. Helps win war2. Runs into many monsters/creatures3. Men die and he gets in trouble with the gods |
| Climax | Odysseus string the bow and shoots the arrow through the axe heads |
| Falling Action | 1. He reveals himself to the suitors2. He kills the suitors.3. Tested by Penelope |
| Resolution | Reunited with Penelope! |
| What was the effect of the Lotus plant? | When eaten, the Lotus makes you never want to leave a place. |
| How heavy is the door of the Cyclops’ cave? | The door was incredibly heavy (weighed tons). |
| What was the first villainous deed of the Cyclops? | He ate 2 of Odysseus’ men. |
| Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops when he has the chance? | Odysseus knew that if he killed him, he would also die because he wouldn’t be able to open the door. |
| What does Odysseus give the Cyclops as a gift? | Strong wine |
| What do we find out the Cyclops’ name is? | Polythemus |
| What gift does the Cyclops give Odysseus? | He will eat Odysseus last. |
| What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his many is? | Nohbdy |
| How do Odysseus and his men sneak out of the Cyclops’ cave? | The tie themselves to the bellies of the Cyclops’ sheep. |
| What foolish act does Odysseus do that reveals his human flaw? | He yells to the Cyclops after he escapes, showing his pride. |
| What did a soothsayer predict would happen to Polythemus? | He predicted that the Cyclops would loose an eye to a great hero (Odysseus) |
| What does the Cyclops ask Poseidon to do for him? | He asks his father (Poseidon) to make sure Odysseus never gets home, and if he does he should loose all his companions. |
| Who is the god of the wind? | Aeolus is the wind god. |
| What favor does Aeolus do for Odysseus and his men? | He gave Odysseus a wind to blow him home to Ithaca and a bag holding all the unfavorable stormy winds. |
| What stupid mistake do some of the men make on the ship? | Some of them open the wind bag when Odysseus isn’t watching. They get blown back to Aeolus’ island. |
| How do even more men die after the bag accident? | The ship is attacked by cannibals. |
| What does Circe do to some of Odysseus’ men? | She turns them into pigs. |
| How does Odysseus get her to release his men? | He talks her into it by saying he can’t eat until his men are released. |
| Why should Odysseus be wary of the Sirens? | They lure sailors with their songs. They “sing minds away”. |
| What should Odysseus and his men do to keep safe from the Sirens? | They should steer wide and plug their ears with beeswax. |
| Describe the Scylla. | The Scylla is a huge monster with 12 legs, 6 heads, and triple rows of fangs. |
| What will Charybdis do if Odysseus’ ship gets too close. | Charybdis is a personified whirlpool so she will swallow the ship |
| What doesn’t Odysseus tell his men? | He doesn’t tell them about Scylla or Charybdis and that many of them will be killed. |
| Describe the circumstances of Odysseus’ shipmates’ deaths. Is it Odyssus’ fault? | Zeus sinks the ship with lightning to appease Helios. Odysseus is the only survivor. Helios was angry because Odysseus’ men ate his cattle |
| Whom does Odysseus trust to help him defeat the suitors? | He trusts his son (Telemachus) and his two faithful servants (Eumaeus and Philoetius) |
| Why don’t the men want Odysseus to try to string the bow? | They don’t want him to string the bow because he is disguised as a beggar and that would look bad. |
| How does Odysseus prove his true identity? | He successfully strings his bow. |
| What did Odysseus prove about his abilities when he shot the arrow through the twelve axes? Why is that important? | He proved that he is skilled. It is important now because he must go up against the suitors. |
| Whom does Odysseus kill first and why? | He killed Antinous first because he was trying to bid his wife while he was away. |
| How does Eurymachos plead his case with Odysseus? | He begs, saying “Antinous is leader and we’ll repay you.” |
| How does Penelope test Odysseus? | He asks him why the bed can’t be moved. |
| Why does Penelope test Odysseus? | She wants to make sure that it’s really him and not an imposter. |
| When was “The Odyssey” written? | Around 800 B.C. in Greece |
The Odyssey
April 19, 2020