The Odyssey Elements
"...your hope of home" is an example of...
A. Rhyme
B. Alliteration
C. Consonance
D. Assonance
B. Alliteration "hope of home"
D. Assonance "hope of home"
Which god first delays Odysseus's return home?
Poseidon
Why doesn't Odysseus just kill Polyphemus while he sleeps?
They could not move the stone that seals the cave.
Where does the journey home (The Odyssey) begin from?
Troy
Who disguises Odysseus as a beggar?
Athena
List two characteristics of an epic hero.
An epic hero is
1. born of nobility
2. optimistic/knows something good will happen
3. adventurous
4. brave and strong with excessive pride and arrogance
5. fierce in battle and will fight to the death
6. on a journey in search of something
7. superhuman qualities (strength, craftiness, and confidence)
8. victorious
9. helped or harmed by interfering gods
10. upholding the ideals and values of the culture
What does Odysseus lie about in Polyphemus's cave? (1 of 3)
Lies:
1. He "chanced" upon the cave.
2. His ship wrecked on the shore and all his other men are dead.
3. His name is Nobody.
What does the blind prophet Tiresias say Odysseus and his men should NOT do?
Kill the cattle of the sun god, Helios.
When we first meet Odysseus, where is he?
Ogygia/Calypso's Island
What do the suitors do when Odysseus doesn't return after the Trojan War?
They eat his food, drink his wine, and demand Penelope marry one of them.
Additionally, they plot to kill Telemachus.
What makes an epic simile different than a normal simile?
Epic similes are longer and more descriptive. They also may not contain "like" or "as" because it's been lost in translation.
What does Calypso promise Odysseus if he stays on her island?
Immortality.
What two islands and/or creatures could take your memory?
Lotus Eaters and Sirens.
Also Circe...
After receiving the prophecy in the Land of the Dead, Odysseus and his men return to _______________.
Aeaea (Circe's island)
What is the Test of the Bow?
The man who strings Odysseus's bow and shoots an arrow through twelve axe-heads will marry Penelope.
Define an epic and give at least three characteristics.
An epic is a long, narrative poem.
All epics contain: an epic hero, an epic plot, an epic setting, an epic theme, and character archetypes.
Why does Calypso let Odysseus go?
Athena asks Zeus to order her to release him.
How does Odysseus try to convince Polyphemus to be kind to him and his men?
He tells him the gods expect people to treat guests with hospitality.
He also lies about his ship being wrecked--perhaps expecting pity.
Odysseus originally left Troy with 12 ships; where did he lose all but one of those ship?
Land of the Laestrygones
Why is Odysseus disguised as a beggar before he goes home? (Two reasons)
1. To test Penelope's loyalty
2. To protect him from the evil suitors
What's the purpose of an allusion?
To help the reader picture what is being described.
What is the setting of the Odyssey?
The Mediterranean Sea and its islands
List two parts of Tiresias's prophecy.
IF they touch the cows:
1. Ship and crew will be destroyed
2. Lost at sea for more years
3. Return on a foreign ship, and Ithaca will be overrun with greedy suitors
4. Kill the suitors.
5. Go inland with oar
6. Plant the oar and make sacrifice to Poseidon
7. Sacrifice to all the gods
8. Peaceful death at an old age surrounded by loved ones
Circe advises Odysseus on his route home. Describe the route (three parts).
They will pass the Sirens (1), and then there are two routes: one is rocky and dangerous (2) and the second route is passing the Scylla and Charybdis (3)
What is Penelope's response when questioned about leaving the Test of the Bow?
She says, "You're all the same to me."
She means that it doesn't matter who is successful; all the suitors are worthless to Penelope.