The Odyssey Beginning
How many years total was Odysseus gone from Ithaca?
20 years
Which god delays Odysseus's return home?
Poseidon
What two islands and/or creatures could take your memory?
Lotus Eaters and Sirens.
Also Circe...
Who disguises Odysseus as a beggar?
Athena
At the beginning of The Odyssey, Homer says, "Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end..." Who is speaking?
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.
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 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 meet Odysseus, where is he?
Oygigia/Calypso's Island
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.
After receiving the prophecy in the Land of the Dead, Odysseus and his men return to _______________.
Aeaea (Circe's island)
Why is Odysseus disguised as a beggar before he goes home?
1. To test Penelope's loyalty
2. To protect him from the evil suitors
List two characteristics of an epic hero.
An epic hero is
1. born of nobility
2. optimistic/knows something good will happen
3. adventurous
4. brave and strong with excessive pride and arrogance
5. fierce in battle and will fight to the death
6. on a journey in search of something
7. superhuman qualities (strength, craftiness, and confidence)
8. victorious
9. helped or harmed by interfering gods
10. upholding the ideals and values of the culture
Why does Calypso let Odysseus go?
Athena asks Zeus to order her to release him.
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.
After spending a year on Aeaea with Circe, she finally lets them go, but where must Odysseus go first?
Land of the 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 Penelope.
How was the Odyssey originally shared/told?
The Odyssey was performed orally (spoken).
What is the setting of the Odyssey?
The Mediterranean Sea and it's islands
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. Return on a foreign ship, and Ithaca will be overrun with greedy suitors
4. Kill the suitors.
5. Go inland with oar
6. Plant the oar and make sacrifice to Poseidon
7. Sacrifice to all the gods
8. Peaceful death at an old age surrounded by loved ones
Circe advises Odysseus on his route home. Describe the route (three parts).
They will pass the Sirens (1), and then there are two routes: one is rocky and dangerous (2) and the second route is passing the Scylla and Charybdis (3)
What is Penelope's response when questioned about leaving the Test of the Bow?
"You're all the same to me."