Plot 1
How did King Menelaus of Sparta discover what happened to the other Greek heroes after the Trojan War?
He and his men captured Proteus, Poseidon's right hand man and the old man of the sea
Which Olympian god visited Calypso and told her to set Odysseus free?
Hermes
Who or what was the main conflict Odysseus faced once leaving Calypso's island?
Poseidon and his waters
Which of the 3 main motifs of The Odyssey does Penelope's character and conflict best illustrate?
Loyalty
Calypso being trapped on her island for all eternity, cursed to watch every potential lover leave her behind, appeals to which of the rhetorical triangle? (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
Pathos - Calypso's situation is supposed to appeal to the audience's emotions and sympathy, as she is a victim of the gods solely because of whose daughter she is.
A. What happened to the warrior Ajax after the Trojan War?
B. What happened to King Agamemnon, Menelaus' brother, after the Trojan War?
A. He was shipwrecked, boasted that the gods could not drown him, so Poseidon drowned him.
B. He was betrayed by his wife and killed by her lover, but was later avenged by his own son who killed his mother and the lover.
Why was Calypso upset when Zeus ordered Odysseus' freedom?
The Olympians never allow her to have a lasting love with a mortal man, and now they’re trying to take her lover Odysseus away - despite her saving his life and offering him immortality.
What did King Alcinoos of Phaecia say he will offer Odysseus the day after he arrived at his palace?
A ship and a farewell feast full of games, celebration, etc.
Which literary device is present between Hermes the Greek god of messages and traveling vs. Calypso trapped on her island?
Juxtaposition - The Greek god who travels the most in freedom vs. the goddess who is trapped forever on the same island.
Despite The Odyssey being fiction with gods, monsters, magic, etc., Homer shows accurate and truthful knowledge of the geography around the Mediterrean Sea within the story. Which of the rhetorical triangle does this appeal to? (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
Ethos - appearing credible to the audience about knowledge of lands and geography.
What did Penelope learn from her servant Medon about what the suitors plan on doing next?
Kill Telemachus while sailing back home from Pylos.
In Book 5 on Calypso's island of Ogygia, what big decision did Odysseus make and why?
To continue his odyssey/journey home to reunite with his wife instead of choosing immortality and remaining with Calypso forever.
Who were the THREE divine beings that assisted Odysseus in reaching the shore of Phaecia?
1. Calypso
2. The sea nymph (mermaid)
3. The unnamed river god
Which literary device is illustrated between Penelope at the end of Book 4 and Odysseus at the beginning of Book 5? (SEE ILLUSTRATIONS). Why?
Parallelism - The drawings illustrate similar visuals with both being crouched in despair over potentially losing family forever.
Which of the rhetorical triangle (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) is demonstrated by the consistent and reasonable actions, goals, and traits of characters like Odysseus, Telemachus, Penelope, Athena, etc.?
Logos
Who does Odysseus meet immediately on the Phaecian shore?
Why does Odysseus eventually participate in the Phaecian Games, that also reveals the first (and biggest) flaw of his heroic character?
Two other Phaecian men insulted him for not participating in the games, and he threw the rock to defend his PRIDE
What trait of Odysseus did Nausicaa and her parents (the king and queen of Phaecia) compliment him for, making him seem like someone of worth and not a greedy beggar?
Odysseus is very well-spoken and complimentary to his guest, knowing Zeus' Law and the rules of Greek hospitality
Which type of figurative language is in this passage of Menelaus learning of the suitors in Ithaca, and why:
"So! These cowards would usurp a hero's bed? Ha! A doe might as well leave her newborn young in the lair of a lion. When the lion comes home, he will make short work of them all!"
Metaphor:
Lion=Odysseus
Doe=Suitors
Lair=Ithaca
Besides Calypso's sympathetic situation being trapped on her island, what are 2 other moments of clear pathos within Books 4-8?
1. Odysseus held captive and being separated from his family for nearly 2 decades.
2. Penelope learning she's about to lose her only son and last family left to the very suitors trying to replace Odysseus.
3. Odysseus grieving the deaths of hundreds of his former comrades in the Trojan War in King Alcinoos' feast.
What does the Bard sing about that upsets Odysseus and what does it remind me of?
The Trojan War, and it upsets him that it reminds him of all the men and comrades he lost in the war.
What truth does Odysseus reveal to King Alcinoos, and what is he about to reveal to US the readers?
He is about to reveal to Alcionoos his true identity as Odysseus, and he is about to reveal to us what happened to him after the Trojan War and how he ended up on Calypso's island.
Who specifically guides/ushers Odysseus on the way to the King of Phaecia?
Athena - under the guise of a mortal child
A. In Books 4-8, what are the 3 scenes where the motif of hospitality (Zeus' Law/"Xenia") is present and developed?
B. In Books 4-8, what are the 2 scenes where hospitality is abused, disrespected, or absent?
1. King Menelaus of Sparta's hospitality to Telemachus - giving him food, information about his father, and his most precious treasure (mixing bowl made by Hephaestus himself).
2. Calypso's hospitality to Odysseus on her island, Even though she regrettably has to bid farewell to her latest lover, she still helps her guest leave the island.
3. King Alcinoos and his family (Nausicaa his daughter, and his queen) welcoming Odysseus with a feast and games
1. The suitors further disrespecting Odysseus' home and family by plotting to kill Telemachus
2. King Agamemnon being betrayed within his own home by his wife and cousin Aegisthus
Which character has been demonstrating logos most efficiently by moving the plot forward and manipulating events in a logical manner - and why is it fitting?