Siren's Song
Who is speaking in “Siren Song”?
One of the sirens
What war is Odysseus returning home from?
The Trojan War
Which god is angry with Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops?
Poseidon
Who is the hero of The Odyssey?
Odysseus
What theme is shown when good hosts welcome guests with food and gifts, and bad hosts are punished by the gods?
The Greek value of hospitality, or xenia.
What do the sirens traditionally do in Greek mythology?
They lure sailors to their deaths with their beautiful singing.
What happens when Odysseus’s men eat the lotus flowers?
They forget about home and want to stay forever.
Who traps Odysseus on her island for seven years?
Calypso
Who is Odysseus’s faithful wife who waits for him in Ithaca?
Penelope
What quality does Odysseus show when he hides his identity from the suitors?
Cunning or Wisdom
How does Atwood’s siren describe the “siren song” itself?
As irresistible and secret—something no one can resist hearing.
What trick does Odysseus use to escape from the Cyclops’s cave?
He tells the Cyclops his name is “Nobody” and escapes under the sheep.
Who warns Odysseus about the dangers ahead in the Land of the Dead?
Tiresias
Which goddess helps Odysseus throughout his journey, often disguising herself as Mentes?
Athena
What theme is represented by Odysseus’s long journey home?
The struggle to return home or perseverance.
How does Atwood make the reader complicit in the siren’s trap?
The siren addresses the reader directly, pretending to ask for help, drawing the reader in like a victim.
What challenge does Odysseus face between Scylla and Charybdis?
He must sail between a six-headed monster and a deadly whirlpool.
Which enchantress turns Odysseus’s men into pigs?
Circe
Who is the Cyclops that traps Odysseus and his men in a cave?
Polyphemus
What does the bow of Odysseus symbolize?
His rightful kingship and strength.
What is the poem’s deeper commentary on gender roles or manipulation?
It critiques how women may be confined to roles of temptation or victimhood, revealing how power and helplessness can be performed to control others.
How does Odysseus finally defeat the suitors?
He strings his bow, reveals his identity, and kills them with Telemachus’s help.
Which god finally convinces Calypso to let Odysseus go?
Hermes
Which suitor is the most arrogant and acts as the main antagonist among them?
Antinous
What lesson does The Odyssey teach about hubris (excessive pride)?
Pride leads to punishment and suffering (as when Odysseus taunts the Cyclops).