The Odyssey Beginning
What is an epic hero?
An epic hero is
1. the main character in an epic poem, like The Odyssey, and
2. they have superhuman abilities
Which god delays Odysseus' return home?
Poseidon
Why does Poseidon hate Odysseus?
He blinded his son, the cyclops Polyphemus.
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.
When we first see Odysseus, where is he?
On the island of Phaeacia.
Setting of the Odyssey
Mediterranean Sea and surrounding islands
(after the Trojan War, near Greece)
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 well.
After leaving Troy, either say the name of the place they go to next or explain what happens at their next stop.
Cicones: They fight a war and leave with many men dead.
What is the test of the bow?
The man who strings Odysseus's bow and shoots an arrow through twelve axe-heads will marry her.
For how many years was Odysseus gone from Ithaca?
20 years
What makes Calypso let Odysseus go?
Zeus (through Hermes) orders her to release him.
Why doesn't Odysseus just kill Polyphemus while he sleeps?
They could not move the stone that seals the cave.
After they leave Cicones they land on place where everybody becomes addicted to a flower. What is this flower/fruit?
Lotus
Why would people have told an ancient epic like The Odyssey?
To entertain, to teach values
At the beginning of The Odyssey, Homer says, "Sing in me, Muse." Why does he say this?
The Muses are minor gods that are credited with inspiring music and art.
What does Calypso promise Odysseus if he stays on her island?
She tells him he will encounter monsters when he leaves, offers him immortality, and reminds him of her beauty.
What does the blind prophet Tiresias say Odysseus and his men should not do?
Kill the cattle of the sun god, Helios.
After the Lotus Eaters Odysseus and his men end up on on a huge island where they run into a one eyed man. Where is this?
Cyclops' island
At the end of The Odyssey, Homer compares someone to the "sun-warmed earth... longed for by a swimmer." Whom is he referring to?
Penelope
Why wasn't The Odyssey written down by Homer?
The Odyssey was performed orally (spoken).
What does Odysseus tell the cyclops his name is?
Nobody
What information from the blind prophet Tiresias does Odysseus not tell to his men?
Only Odysseus will make it home alive.
Odysseus landed here after his men opened the bag of wind (after Cyclops' island). The sorceress of this island turns men into pigs. She told Odysseus to go to the land of the dead.
Circe's island
The Odyssey begins in medias res, in the middle of the action. How do we know what happened to Odysseus before he lands on the island of Phaenicia?
Odysseus tells the story of his travels before that point to the people of Phaenicia.