Study guide for The Odyssey
Ithaka
Dramatic Structure of The Odyssey
• Books 1-4 Telemakhos’ journey
• Books 6- 8 Odysseus travels to the land of the
Phaiakinas and is entertained by them
• Books 8- 12 Odysseys tells of his journeys
• Books 13- 16 Odysseus returns to Ithaka and is
reunited with Telemakhos
• Books 17-20 Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus
meets the suitors and Penelope
• Books 20-24 Odysseus wins the bow contest,
kills the suitors, and reveals himself to Penelope
The Muses: Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe,
Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia,
and Urania
• Daughters of Zeus and
Mnemosyne, the goddess of
memory, they presided over
the arts and sciences. They
were believed to inspire artists,
especially poets, philosophers
and musicians. Their name
denotes 'memory' or 'a
reminder', since early poets
had no books to read from and
thus relied on memory alone.
Zeus
Athena
Telemakhos’ Journeys
Advised by Athena disguised as Mentes and
Mentor, Telemakhos travels to Pylos to
see Nestor and to Sparta to see Menelaus
and Helen to find news of his father.
Book 2
• Telemakhos
prepares for the
assembly.
• He is respected by
the old men who
knew his father.
• He is introduced,
takes the staff, and
speaks.
• Telemakhos complains about the suitors,
and asks for help. He displays his anger.
• Antinoos replies accusing Telemakhos’
mother of deceiving the suitors for three
years by stalling her decision to marry one
of them.
Penelope weaves a shroud for
Laertes and undoes her work at
night to stall the suitors
Zeus sends a sign.
Interpretation of the sign:
• Odysseus is near and will bring “a bloody
doom for all these men…”
• After 19 years he will come home.
• Eurymakhos makes fun of the prophet.
• Unless Penelope remarries, the suitors will stay.
We have waited too long.
• Telemakohs announces his plan to travel to get
news of his fathers and asks for a ship.
• Mentor speaks and accuses the community for
their lack of support for Telemakhos.
• The assembly is dismissed.
• Telemakhos prays Athena who appears in
the shape of Mentor.
• She promises him a ship for his journey
and a crew of volunteers.
• The suitors are still feasting and ask
Telemakhos to join them. He refuses.
• He hides the fact that he has found means
to travel.
• They joke thinking he is not able to keep
up with his threats.
Telemakhos prepares for his journey.
•
•
•
•
Eurykleia helps him gather supplies.
He keeps his journey secret.
Athena helps putting the suitors to sleep.
Telemakhos journey begins.
Reconstruction of Nestor's
Palace at Pylos
Everything in Nestor's kingdom at Pylos is
running smoothly and just as it should.
The people are on the beach making
offerings to the Poseidon, and the region
itself is described as full of "plowlands kind
with grain,” with Pylos itself standing as a
"compact stronghold.” Compare this with
the chaos that rules back home in Ithaka!
Sparta
Helen recognizes Telemakhos.
Hermes
Hermes is
sent by Zeus
to tell Kalypso
that she has
to let Odysseus
go.
Osysseus has spent seven years on
Kalypso’s island.
Jan Brueghel
Odysseus & Calypso (c. 1600)
After leaving Kalypso, Odysseus
lands on the land of the Phaeikians
Odysseus meets Nausikaa
Demodokhos, the blind bard at the
court of Alkinoos
Book 9
• Odysseus and his fleet leave Troy
• The Kikones (six men die)
• The Lotus Eaters (temptation to forget
home)
• The Kyklops (six men die)
The Kikones
DJERBA
Island of the Lotus Eaters off the coast of Tunisia
The lotus
Odysseus and the Cyclops
Odysseus
blinds
Polyphemus
Odysseus escapes from Polyphemos’
cave hidden underneath a ram.
Polyphemus throws rocks at
Odysseus’ ship as Odysseus
provokes him with insults
Poseidon
Book 10
• Aiolos
• Almost home (Odysseus sleeps and his
companions disobey him)
• Laestrygonians (only Odysseus and his
ship survive)
• Kirke
Aiolos, king of the winds
The Laestrygonians
destroy the ships
Kirke transforms Odysseus men
into pigs.
Kirke
Odysseus threatens Kirke.
Book 11
• Travel to the Underworld
• Elpenor, Teiresias, Antikleia, the wives or
daughters of illustrious men, Agamemnon
• Achilles, Ajax, Minos, Orion, Tytos,
Tantalos, Sisyphos, Herakles
Odysseus consults
Thiresias
What winnowing fan is that upon
your shoulder?
… he had gone off striding in the
field of asphodels
Book 12
•
•
•
•
Kirke
The Sirens (temptation to forget home)
Skylla and Kharybdis (six men die)
Helios - The island of the sun (Odysseus
sleeps and his companions disobey him)
• Odysseus is the only survivor.
• Kalypso
The Sirens
Odysseus and the Sirens
Skylla
Skylla and Kharybdis
Helios, the god of the sun
Helios
Shipwreck after killing the cattle of
Helios
Kalypso
Odysseus is brought to Ithaka by
the Phaeiakians
Ithaka Bay
Odysseus transformed into an old
man by Athena
Odysseus
disguised as a beggar
Eurykleia washing Odysseus’ feet
Odysseus the archer
Odysseus Slaying the Suitor
(Painting on red cup, ca 400 BC)
The Return of Odysseus
Artist: Pinturicchio
1509 AD
• Odysseus, Penelope, Telemakhos,
Laertes, Antikleia
• Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Hermes
• Alkinoos, Arete, Nausikaa
• the Kikones, the Lotus Eaters, Calypso,
the Laestrigonians, Polyphemos, Kirke,
• Eurykleia, Eumaios, Malanthios
• Antinoos, Eurymakhos,
• Teiresias
• Agamemnon, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen