The Odyssey Questions Part One
Name______________________________________________ (160 Points)
Due at beginning of class on Tuesday, 12/8. Answer in COMPLETE SENTENCES!
Sailing from Troy and The Lotus Eaters
1. What admirable traits or qualities does Odysseus show in these two stories?
Give examples. (8)
2. What happened, in your own words, at Ismarus? (6)
3. What lesson should the men have learned from the experiences at Ismarus? (4)
4. Where is Odysseus’ home? (2) How does he feel about that home? (2) What
things, in your own words, does he say about his home? (4)
5. What happens to men who eat lotus? (3)
6. How does Odysseus have to intervene with his men on Lotus Eaters Coast? (3)
7. Give 3 examples of how the number 3 (or multiples of 3) is used in these first two
stories. (6)
The Cyclops and The Land of the Dead
8. What is the social structure of Cyclopes? (4)
9. What and whom does Odysseus take with him to explore the Cylcops’ cave? (6)
10. Why does Odysseus refuse to return to the ship right away? (4)
11. What happens when Odysseus tries to appeal to the Cyclops’ sense of
hospitality? (6)
12. What lie does Odysseus tell about their ship? (3)
13. How many men total does the Cyclops eat? (3)
14. Who is the Cyclops’ father? (2)
15. How do the men injure the Cyclops? (4)
16. Why does the wine work on the Cyclops? (3)
17. Why does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is Nohbdy? (4)
18. What is the Cyclops’s name? (2)
19. How do the men get out of the cave? Explain clearly. (6)
20. How does the Cyclops react when he finds the men have escaped? (3)
21. What retaliation does the Cyclops take against the men? (3)
22. Whom does Odysseus encounter in the Land of the Dead? (4)
23. Which character trait does Odysseus reveal in this story? Explain. (4)
24. What difficulties are predicted for the journey to come? (4)
25. Why would Odysseus continue on after hearing these predictions? (4)
26. Based on Tiresias’ predictions, which heroic qualities will Odyssey need to rely
upon as his journey continues? (6)
The Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, and The Cattle of the Sun God
27. In which story, of these three, does Odysseus act most heroically? Explain. (4)
28. In which story, of these three, does Odysseus act most selfishly? Explain (4)
29. How do the Sirens lure sailors to their destruction? (3)
30. What are Scylla and Charybdis and how do they pose danger for travelers? (6)
31. Why does Odysseus choose to sail toward Scylla rather than toward Charybdis?
(4)
32. Was Odysseus right not to tell his men about this decision? Why or why not? (4)
33. What would have happened if Odysseus had been completely honest with the
men? (4)
34. What does Eurylochus say to persuade the men to slaughter and eat the cattle?
(4)
35. Why is Odysseus unable to keep his men from eating the cattle? (4)
36. If you had been in the situation of the men, would you have eaten the cattle?
Why or why not? (6)
37. Do the men deserve the punishment they receive for killing the cattle? Why or
why not? (4)