Name: _____________________________
Period: _________
Comprehension Check: Part I of The Odyssey by Homer
Packet 1.1 (Part I, Section 1): Background, Invocation to the Muses, Sailing from Troy,
The Lotus-Eaters, The Cyclops
Packet 1.2 (Part I, Section 2): The Land of the Dead, The Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis,
The Cattle of the Sun-God
Complete the following items after you finish reading Part I of The Odyssey.
1. Why does Odysseus leave home? (See “Background” in Packet 1.1)
2. Why does Cyclops live alone in a cave? (See “The Cyclops” in Packet 1.1)
3. Why does Odysseus go to Hades, the land of the dead? (See “The Land of the Dead” in
Packet 1.2)
4. To whom does Odysseus speak in the land of the dead, and what message does he
receive? (See “The Land of the Dead” in Packet 1.2).
5. Confirm your understanding of the text by writing a summary.
Your summary must include:
 Where Odysseus and his men were coming from, and where they were going
 A brief description of each major event that occurred on their journey in Part I:
o The Lotus-Eaters
o The Land of the Dead (PLEASE FLIP OVER TO PAGE 2)
o The Sirens
o Scylla and Charybdis
o The Cattle of the Sun-God/Shipwreck
For each event, make sure to explain what happened to Odysseus and his sailors
and why those things happened.
Summary of Part I
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