Books 1-2
Why won't Calypso let Odysseus leave the island of Ogygia?
She fell in love with Odysseus.
What did Clytemnestra do while Agamemnon was at war?
She married another man.
What do the gods decide to do about Odysseus when he's at Calypso's island?
Force Calypso to let him go
What saddens Odysseus at the feast?
The mention of the battles he has fought.
OR
Being reminded of the war he fought.
What does Odysseus say that his name is to Polyphemus?
Nobody
When does the story take place?
Ten years after the Trojan War
How do Menelaus and Helen know that Telemachus is Odysseus's son?
There is a distinctive family resemblance.
Why is Calypso upset with the gods?
Male gods can have lovers but goddesses can not
(Answer must specify this difference; you can not just say, "Because she had to let Odysseus go.")
What does Alcinous offer Odysseus?
His daughter's hand in marriage.
What does Aeolus give Odysseus?
A bag of winds
Whom does the narrator of the Odyssey invoke in order to inspire him to tell the story?
The Muse
What do Menelaus and Helen say about Odysseus?
They give examples of his cleverness and masterful disguises.
OR
They tell stories about Odysseus.
Whom does Nausicaa find when she goes to the river?
Odysseus
What does Alcinous fear Odysseus to be?
A god
What happens when Odysseus's men eat the lotus fruit?
They lose all desire to do anything but eat the fruit.
OR
They refuse to leave.
What does Athena predict for Odysseus?
That he is alive and will return to Ithaca.
Who reveals to Menelaus that Odysseus is trapped by Calypso?
Proteus
What does Poseidon do when he realizes what the gods have done?
He generates a violent storm.
What does the young girl do to help Odysseus get to the palace?
She conjures a protective mist for him.
Why won't Aeolus help Odysseus a second time?
He refuses to go against the gods.
When does Penelope say that she will choose a suitor?
When she finishes knitting a burial shroud.
Who comforts Penelope when she fears that she will lose her son?
Athena, in the form of Penelope's sister
Who gives Odysseus a veil to keep him safe after his ship is destroyed?
Ino
Why is Arete suspicious of Odysseus?
Because he is wearing Nausicaa's clothing
What does Tiresias prophesy for Odysseus?
He will return home and reunite with his wife and son.