Character Connections
This goddess is Odysseus's "Divine Mentor" and often disguises herself to help him.
Who is Athena?
This is the name for a long, narrative poem that tells the story of a hero and reflects the values of a culture.
What is an Epic?
This monster is a one-eyed giant who has no respect for the laws of hospitality.
Who is the Cyclops/Polyphemus?
Odysseus has been away from home for this many years.
What is 20 years?
Though many people might have contributed to the oral tradition, this blind poet is credited with writing the epic.
Who is Homer?
This character is the "image of his father" and must grow from a boy into a man while Odysseus is away.
Who is Telemachus?
Instead of saying "He was very brave," a poet might say "Brave was he." Name this device.
What is Inversion?
These creatures don't use weapons to kill; they use a beautiful song to lure sailors to their doom.
Who are the Sirens?
Athena helps Odysseus enter his own palace safely by changing his appearance into this.
What is a beggar?
The "plundered stronghold" mentioned at the start of the poem refers to this famous city.
What is Troy?
This god is the "Earth-Shaker" who holds a grudge against Odysseus for blinding his son.
Who is Poseidon?
Identify the device: "Just as a fisherman yanks a gasping fish from the sea, so the monster snatched the sailors from their ship."
What is an Epic Simile?
In the cave of the Cyclops, Odysseus uses this fake name to trick the giant into yelling "Nobody is hurting me!"
What is "Nobody" or "Nohbdy"?
The suitors fail Penelope's contest because they are physically unable to do this to Odysseus’s weapon.
What is string the bow?
An epic hero’s journey is often circular, meaning it begins and ends in this same location.
What is Home/Ithaca?
She is the "match for Odysseus's wits," using a trick involving a piece of funeral clothing to outsmart 108 men.
Who is Penelope?
If a story begins at the most exciting part and uses flashbacks later, it is starting in this "middle" state.
What is In Medias Res?
This is the Greek word/concept for "hospitality" and represents a sacred bond between a host and a guest.
What is Xenia?
This "unmovable" object is the final secret that proves to Penelope that the beggar is actually her husband.
What is their bed?
Before The Odyssey was ever recorded in a book, it was memorized and sung by these traveling poets.
Who are the rhapsodes?
This character recognizes the "beggar" as Odysseus based on an old hunting scar on his leg.
Who is Eurycleia?
When the narrator says "Sing in me, Muse," he is performing this traditional epic opening.
What is an Invocation to the Muse?
The Cyclops is the son of this major god, which is why Odysseus's journey becomes so difficult after the cave incident.
Who is Poseidon?
Penelope’s trick to delay the suitors involved weaving a burial shroud for this man, Odysseus’s father.
Who is Laertes?
In an epic, the hero often possesses a "larger than life" quality. Odysseus’s specific superpower is his metis, which translates to this.
What is Cunning/Wits/Intelligence?