Part 1, Section 1
Ninth Grade English
Mrs. Mathieson
Name__________________
Date__________ Period___
The Odyssey by Homer
Close Reading Questions
Directions: Answer the following questions while reading The Odyssey. All short response questions must be answered in complete sentences. Please provide page numbers and text-based evidence when appropriate.
Part I “The Adventures of Odysseus” (page 951)
1.
In the opening verses, called the invocation, Homer invokes (calls upon) the Muse of epic poetry named Calliope.
2.
Who are the Muses? (side note, p. 951)
The Muses are any one of the nine goddesses of the arts, literature, and sciences; the spirit that is thought to inspire a poet or other artist.
3.
Paraphrase lines 10-15 that tell what happens to Odysseus’s men.
Odysseus’s men are reckless and because of this, they don’t survive.
4.
In lines 16-17, Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry, is asked to do what?
Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, is asked to tell the story of Odysseus.
5.
This section is being told in third person point of view. The narrator is Homer.
“Sailing from Troy” (pages 953-954)
1.
There is a shift in point of view in this section. This section is told in the first person point of view. The narrator is Odysseus.
2.
Ten years after the Trojan War, Odysseus departs from the goddess Calypso’s island. He then arrives in Phaeacia where the ruler Alcinous offers Odysseus a ship and asks
Odysseus to tell about his adventures.
3.
Who is Laertes?
Laertes is Odysseus’s father.
4.
Ithaca is an island off the west coast of Greece and is Odysseus’s home. Describe its features.

Part 1, Section 1
Odysseus says Ithaca is a rocky island, but it's good for a boy's training. It includes Mount
Neion and you can see other islands from the top of this huge mountain. He also claims "I shall never see on earth a place more dear." (953; line 28)
5.
The goddess Calypso and the enchantress Circe both have detained Odysseus because both desire him.
6.
Odysseus does NOT give in to the charms of Circe. Why?
Odysseus does not give in to the charms of Circe because Odysseus wants to go home to his family.
7.
Ismarus is a strongpoint on the coast of Circone. Paraphrase chronologically what happens there. a.
Odysseus and his men stormed the city. b.
Odysseus and his men killed the men who fought. c.
They captured and enslaved the women. d.
They feasted and lingered on the beach.
8.
Why are Odysseus and his men defeated by the Cicones? a.
The men were greedy and rebellious. b.
They refused to return to the ship. c.
They were drinking and feasting and not paying attention what was going on around them.
“The Lotus Eaters” (pages 954-955)
1.
Zeus causes a storm against Odysseus and his men so that they lay offshore for two days and nights (954; lines 70-77).
2.
Odysseus and his men almost make it safely home at this point. What happens to prevent this?
Odysseus and his men are prevented from making it home safely at this point because as they came round Malea, the current takes them out to sea and there are dangerous high winds.
3.
For nine days, Odysseus and his men drift on the sea before high winds. On the tenth day, they come to the land of the Lotus-Eaters who live upon the flower.
4.
What happens to anyone who eats this plant?

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Anyone who eats this plant (the lotus) will lose their desire to return home. They will want to stay in the land of the Lotus-Eaters.
5.
If Odysseus’s men eat the lotus, what are the consequences?
If Odysseus’s men eat the lotus, they will long to stay forever and never return home.
6.
How does Odysseus keep his men from making that fatal mistake?
Odysseus keeps his men from making that fatal mistake by tying the men who ate the lotus to the boat and they sail off immediately.
7.
What do we learn about Odysseus as an epic hero and his leadership from this adventure?
He displays wisdom when he sends out a scouting party, instead of putting all of his men at risk. When he realizes the danger of the lotus, he acts decisively, ordering the ship to sail immediately. He shows leadership when he explains to his men why they must leave.
8.
How do Odysseus’s actions contrast to his men’s?
Odysseus displays wisdom, self-control, patience, and leadership. His men are disobedient, greedy, unruly, and impatient.