Characters
A goddess and enchantress who changes men into animals
Circe
creatures whose songs lure sailors to their deaths
Sirens
Odysseus' father
Laertes
Odysseus nearly makes it home but his crew opens a bag, given to Odysseus by Aeolous, god of the winds. When the bag is opened, it releases a wind that blows them far away from Ithaca
The Approach
Odysseus is sent to the underworld seeking information from the blind prophet Tiresias to guide him home. This quest brings him to the verge of death
The Ordeal
messenger of the gods
Hermes
a dangerous maelstrom personified as a female monster
Charybdis
son of Poseidon; one-eyed monster
Polyphemus
The King of Phaecia gives Odysseus passage home
Seize of the Sword/Reward
Athena, the goddess of wisdom, crafts, and war, is Odysseus' guide. She wants to help Odysseus, though she has been instructed not by Zeus. She takes pity on him while other gods forsake Odysseus, constantly saving him from death, and gives him guidance.
Meeting the mentor
inhabitants of an island where a flower grows that makes men happy and lazy
Lotus Eaters
god of music, poetry, prophecy, and medicine
Apollo
a dangerous six-headed sea monster who eats six of Odysseus' men
Scylla
After the war, the gods become angry with the Greeks for their prideful ways. A great storm emerges and throws them off course
Crossing the first threshold
He does not want to leave his family and sail to Troy; he knows it will be a long trip. He pretends to have gone mad, until Palamedes, sent to retrieve Odysseus, put Telemachus in front of Odysseus' plow. Odysseus had to reveal his sanity in order to save Telemachus
Refusal of the Call
Odysseus's son
Telemachus
god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
Poseidon
a character who weaves a burial shroud by day and takes it apart by night
Penelope
King Odysseus is at home, in Ithaca, with his wife Penelope, and newborn son, Telemachus
The Ordinary World
Odysseus, dressed as a beggar, completes a final challenge, and is restored to his rightful place.
The Return Home
goddess of war and wisdom
Athena
the sun god
helios
a sea goddess who keeps Odysseus on her island for seven years
Calypso
Unlike other heroes, Odysseus was not in search of treasure. Instead, he was desperately trying to reach his home. Once he returns, he finds out that his house has been overrun by suitors trying to steal his wife and palace
The Road Back
Odysseus is called to fight in the Trojan War by King Menelaus
Call to Adventure