Characters
The king of Ithaca
ODY!
Telemachus has to go to Sparta and speak to veterans of this war to hear inspirational stories about his father.
Trojan War
The name of the musical version of The Odyssey that Ms. Mills often listens to on her way into work
Epic
The king of the Phaeacians
Alcinous
Why are the all-powerful gods like Athena and Zeus all caught up in the story of a mortal human? What does it say about them and Odysseus that they are so invested in his journey home?
Answers may vary
Penelope tricks the suitors every night by doing this to delay accepting any proposals.
She unweaves the progress she has made in her father-in-law's burial shroud.
This character shares her name with a Caribbean and Trinidadian music style as well as a tasty fruity drink
Calypso
Is Odysseus a reliable narrator? Do you think all of the flashbacks are accurate depictions of what happened? Why or why not?
No:
He is known for his silver tongue. His audience (Arete and Nausicaa were suspicious of his justification for staying with Circe).
Yes:
There is no hard evidence that he lied to his hosts. This would break xenia which he and most honorable Greeks take incredibly seriously.
What is it about Odysseus that attracts women like Calypso, Circe, and Nausicaa to him? He is not often described as handsome.
His intelligence, heroic deeds, dignity, and cunning
The story is told out of order. By the time we start reading, Ody has already been through all the windbags, Cyclopses, Circes, and cattle. The fact that we start in the middle of the story with Calypso and have to be caught up on everything can be explained by this 3-word narrative device.
In medias res
The two main motifs in "The Sirens" section
Seduction and pride
This man was the original writer/poet of The Odyssey
Homer the Blind Poet
Name the three main suitors
Antinous, Amphinnmous, Eurymachus
Why did the "Cattle of the Sun" section mainly exclude Ody? What is the effect of reading the section from the sailor's point of view?
Order these events in chronological order:
Lotus flower, Cicones, Circe, Cyclops, Windbag, Underworld, Scylla and Charybdis, Cattle of the Sun
Cicones, Lotus flower, Cyclops, Windbag, Circe, Underworld, Scylla and Charybdis, Cattle of the Sun
A major motif in "Cattle of the Sun"
Betrayal
loss of faith
What is Odysseus' Roman name?
Ulysses
Do you think Odysseus has changed as a character? Why or why not? Point to a recent moment in the book to defend how he has stayed the same or has changed.
Answers may vary.
On the hero's journey, realization comes after death and rebirth. What realization did Odysseus make while in the Underworld? How does this affect his decision making in more recent chapters?
That he can get home, but he has to be cautious. Death is not a worthy prize. He should do whatever it takes to stay alive and get himself home. That can make him more desperate and less hopeful.
He sacrifices his men with S and C. He does not try to outsmart the monsters or save his men. Even though his men are starving, he refuses to let them touch the cattle of the sun. He snaps at his men when they question this order, showcasing his desperation and frustration.
After recounting the deaths of all his men after they were killed by Zeus, Odysseus shows signs of this mental condition by getting lost in his own horrific memories and collapsing.
PTSD
What should be the thematic message we receive after reading about all of the forbidden fruit and their consequences: lotus flowers, windbag, cattle of the sun, etc...?
There are limits to what humans have control over/should be exposed to for a reason. We cannot be trusted with powers and experiences beyond our understanding and control. Trying to claim understanding or prizes of higher/godly things will only destroy us.