The Odyssey Beginning
How many years total was Odysseus gone from Ithaca?
20 years
Name at least one god that delays Odysseus's return home.
Poseidon / Circe / Calypso
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.
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.
Which Goddess aids in Odysseus along his journey?
Athena
What does Odysseus tell the cyclops his name is?
Nohbdy
Why doesn't Odysseus just kill Polyphemus while he sleeps?
They could not move the stone that seals the cave.
Which Monster sucks down sea water in a whirlpool like fashion.
Charybdis
It is said that Odysseus has a tragic flaw which brings about his downfall. This is too much hubris or pride. Identify 1 reason we know this to be true.
Boasting after the war to Poseidon, Boasting after blinding the Cyclops.
List two characteristics of an epic hero.
An epic hero is
1. born of nobility
2. adventurous
3. has excessive pride and arrogance
4. fierce in battle (brave, strong)
5. on a journey in search of something
6. superhuman qualities (strength, craftiness, and confidence)
7. upholds the ideals and values of the culture
This God is the father of The Cyclops, (Polyphemus).
Poseidon.
This man fell off the roof on Circe's Island. He broke his neck and awaited a proper burial.
Elpenor
1. Weaving and unraveling
2. The bow and arrow challenge
How does Penelope test Odysseus' identity?
She tells her servant to move his bed outside of their bedroom.
This man was responsible for the storm which wrecked Odysseus' ship which forced them to adventure to the Land of the Lotus.
Zeus
What does Calypso promise Odysseus if he stays on her island?
Immortality
What does the blind prophet Tiresias say Odysseus and his men should NOT do?
Kill the cattle of the sun god, Helios.
What does Odysseus put in his men's ears to keep out the sound of the Sirens?
Wax
Identify 1 reason why Odysseus disguised as a beggar before he goes home?
1. To test Penelope's loyalty and that of others
2. To protect him from the evil suitors
3. To test hospitality
How was the Odyssey originally shared/told?
The Odyssey was performed orally (spoken).
This blind prophet offered assistance to Odysseus while in The Land of the Dead.
Tiresias
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. O. will return on a foreign ship, and Ithaca will be overrun with greedy suitors
4. He must kill the suitors.
5. Go inland with an oar.
6. Plant the oar and make a sacrifice to Poseidon
7. Then a sacrifice to all the gods
8. O. will have a peaceful death at an old age surrounded by loved ones
Explain 2 reasons Odysseus and his crew are able to escape Cyclops' cave.
Blinding him, Nohbdy, Escaping via sheep.
Who is the suitor, called a ringleader, that Odysseus kills first.
Antinous