CHARACTERS
This goddess pleads with Zeus to allow Odysseus to return home from Calypso’s island
This theme appears when the suitors disrespect Odysseus’ household, highlighting the importance of proper behavior toward guests
HOSPITALITY
The Odyssey is considered an epic poem because it:
A. Focuses on ordinary daily life
B. Tells the story of a heroic journey with grand adventures
C. Is written in prose
D. Explains historical battles only
B. Tells the story of a heroic journey with grand adventures
god who makes Odysseus’ journey difficult because he blinded his son.
This theme is shown by Odysseus’ long journey and his desire to return home to Ithaca
PERSEVERANCE/STRUGGLE
The Odyssey begins “in medias res.” This means:
A. It starts at the end of the story
B. It begins in the middle of the action
C. It is written entirely in first person
D. It focuses on dialogue only
B. It begins in the middle of the action
The son of Odysseus, who struggles against the suitors in his father’s palace.
Telemachus
This character is holding Odysseus captive on an island at the beginning of the epic.
CALYPSO
Which of the following is a central theme of The Odyssey?
A. Hospitality (xenia)
B. Loyalty and perseverance
C. The struggle to return home
D. All of the above
The queen of Ithaca, who must deal with the suitors and maintain hope for her husband’s return.
Penelope
What is another name for the the suitors’ disrespectful behavior highlights this Greek value that they violate.
Homer frequently uses extended comparisons called:
A. Metaphors
B. Similes
C. Epic similes
D. Personification
C. Epic Similes
The clever king of Ithaca, hero of the Trojan War, and main character of the epic.
Odysseus
Odysseus blinds this son of Poseidon, causing the god’s wrath.
Polyphemus
Scholars believe The Odyssey was composed:
A. In the 8th century BCE, orally passed down before being written
B. During the reign of Alexander the Great
C. Around 500 CE
D. In the Roman Empire
A. In the 8th century BCE, orally passed down before being written