| Why has Odysseus returned to Aeaea? | To give Elpanor a proper burial |
| How does Circe help him? | She tells odysseus about Scylla and tells him it will be rough times ahead |
| Why should Odysseus be wary of the Sirens? | they tell the sailors lies and make them wish of home |
| How can Odysseus listen to the sirens and survive? | he is tied to the mast of the boat and the rest of the sailors have beeswax in their ears so they will not give into his screams |
| What does the episode of the sirens tell us about Odysseus character? Homers understanding of the power of music? | these tell us that he has mortal aspects (even though it may seem like he doesn’t) and that he still has weaknesses. Homer shows the connection people have with music and how it can remind them of their families |
| Describe Scylla? | A 6 serpent headed creature with 12 legs like an octopus |
| What will Charybdis do if Odysseus ship gets too close? | the sea would become fire and she would kill them |
| What does Odysseus keep secret from his men? | Odysseus does not tell his men that they will encounter Scylla and the Charbdis, risking their lives to follow Circe’s directions. |
| What advice does Odysseus take that Circe gives him about Scylla and Charybdis? what does this tell us about leadership? | To go closer to the Scylla because she will only kill six of his men whereas if the Charbdis catches them the whole ship will be destroyed and all men killed. |
| Why are the cattle of Helios island so tempting? | The men are running out of food on the ship because a storm is holding them off |
| What warning does Odysseus give his men? | do not eat the cattle of Helios |
| What happens to the men after they eat the cattle? | They are killed by Zues’ lightening bolt |
| What happens to Odysseus? | he is the only one left and floats through the tumultuous sea to Ogygia |
| This is not the first time Odysseus warnings are ignored. Whose falt is this? | the selfish men’s |
| This is not the first time Odysseus’s orders are defied. Does this absolve him of responsibility? | No, as the leader he is still responsible even though he did not have a direct hand in killing Helios’ cattle |
The Odyssey Book 12
April 21, 2020