By Homer
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald
Journal
 Describe a fantastic voyage you would like to take.
Where would you go? What adventures would you
have? What changes would you expect to see upon
you return?
The Odyssey Background
 Background Info:
 Epics and Values
 Define Epic:
 The Odyssey is an example of what kind of Epic?
 The Iliad is an example of what kind of epic?
 The War Story Background: Violence and Brutality
 Who is Agamemnon and why is he important?
 Achilles?
Background Cont.
 Odysseus: A Hero in Trouble:
 Describe his family.
 Why did he have to go to war?
 How are we like Odysseus?
 The Wooden-Horse Trick:
 Describe it.
 The Ancient World and Ours
 A Search for their Places in Life
 What is the theme of this poem?
 What are Odysseus and Telemachus searching for?
Background Cont.
 Relationships with the Gods
 Define Myth.
 Define Alter Ego.
 Who are Odysseus’ Alter Egos and why?
 Who was Homer?
 Define Rhapsodes.
 How were the Epics Told?
 What is the purpose of formulas?
 Define Homeric or epic Simile.
 Write down an example of a Homeric.
From Book One: The Wanderings
Journal
 OUTLINE your answer to the following question.
What makes a hero? What traits do they have?
Literary Elements
 Motif
 Reoccurring subject or theme
 Epic
 Long poem or story describing heroic deeds
 Theme
 The central subject of a work of literature
Literary Elements Cont.
 Homeric Simile
 The typical Homeric simile makes a comparison to some
kind of event, in the form "like a ____ when it ______.“
 The object of the comparison is usually something
strange or unfamiliar to something ordinary and
familiar.
Write down the Homeric Similes found in lines
40 to 45 and 120-124.
Vocabulary
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Adversity
Formidable
Ravage
Profusion
Adversary
Rancor
Abominably
Ardor
Tumult
Restitution
 Make a Vocab Block for
each word
 Definition
 Sentence from the book
 Your own sentence
 Picture
Lines 1-32 Activity
 Read this prayer to the Muse aloud. (You and a partner
could read it as a chorus, or you could alternate with
single voices.)
 What does Homer tell you about the hero and about
what is going to happen to him?
Lines 33-66 Activity
 There is a great deal of nature imagery in this episode.
 Jot down some of the images that help you see Calypso’s
cave.
 What images describing Calypso’s island appeal to your
sense of sight, hearing, and smell?
 How does the natural beauty of Calypso’s island
compare with the reality of Odysseus’s situation?
Lines 88-91 Activity
 Zeus ordered Calypso to free Odysseus, but the nymph
claims that the idea is her own.
 Why do you think she does this?
 What is your opinion of her deception?
Mythology: Human Behavior
 Unlike deities in many other religions, Greek Gods and
goddesses often behave as capriciously as humans.
 They even display unsavory qualities as possessiveness,
jealousy, pride, anger, and vindictiveness.
 This plays an important part in the Odyssey since it is
the actions of gods, that keep Odysseus from returning
home to Ithaca.
How has Calypso exhibited human behavior?
 Considering their similarity in appearance and
emotions, what do you think distinguishes humans
from gods?
Lines 101-118
 According to Calypso, what would Odysseus gain by
staying with her?
 What does Odysseus’s response tell you about his
feelings for his wife?
 How has Odysseus managed to say no to Calypso and
still not offend her?
Newspaper: God Article
 Write a news story about one of the Greek Gods and
Goddesses
 It should be…
 ½ page in length
 Single Space
 12 pt. Arial Narrow
Check Test: (True-False)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Odysseus is trying to return to his home in Ithaca
after fighting in Troy.
Zeus sends Hermes to deliver a message to Calypso
Odysseus, content in Calypso’s care, has no desire to
return home.
Calypso promises Odysseus that he will become
immortal if he remains with her.
With the aid of the sea god, Poseidon, Odysseus is
able to escape from Calypso.
From Book One: The Wanderings
October 17
Questions
 Lines 126-130
 What impression of Odysseus do you get from his
description of himself?
 Lines 143-146
 What central idea of the poem does Odysseus express in
this passage?
Lines 152-160
 What do you think of the way Odysseus and his men
behave toward the Cicones?
 Do armies behave like this in modern times?
 Here Odysseus, who considers himself a great leader,
blames his unruly crew for the Cicone’s attack. Does their
insubordination reflect unfavorably on Odysseus?
Newspaper Article #2
 Odysseus could be considered a superhero or action
hero, much like Superman or James Bond.
 Write an article about one of his heroic endeavors.
 It should be…
 ½ page in length
 Single Space
 12 pt. Arial Narrow
FROM TODAY’S READING! 756 TOP OF 758
From Book One: The Wanderings
October 17
Lines 204-215
 Why does Odysseus tie down the three men?
 What does this action tell you about him?
From Book One: The Wanderings
October 21
Questions (Pages 260-261)
 Line 219
 Why do you think Odysseus and his men make an offering to
the gods?
 Lines 228-233
 How does Homer make it clear that Odysseus faces a
formidable opponent in the Cyclops?
 Lines 243-245
 What does the phrase “fair traffic” mean?
 What does the Cyclops mean by these questions?
 Lines 255-260
 What did I learn in an earlier episode that explains why
Odysseus gives the Cyclops this warning?
Questions (Page 263)
 Lines 271-272
 What is happening at this point?
 What does Odysseus’s remark suggest about his
character?
 Lines 277-288
 Why does Homer include such gruesome details?
 Lines 289-295
 Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops at this moment?
 What factors must Odysseus consider in devising a
successful plan of escape?
Questions (Page 264)
 Lines 311-323
 What do you think Odysseus plans to do with the pointed
staff?
 Lines 226-229
 As the captain, Odysseus could have simply chosen the men
he wanted for the job rather than drawing lots. Is it wise of
him to let the men “toss” for this job, or is he foolishly risking
the future of the whole group by not appointing the men best
suited to help him?
 Lines 330-334
 Odysseus says that the rams may have entered the cave at “a
god’s bidding.” What does this mean, and what does it
suggest about the role the rams will play?
Question (Page 265)
 Lines 362-363
 What is ironic about the Cyclop’s saying he will eat
Nohbdy last?
 The cyclops thinks he is going to eat Nohbdy when he is
really going to eat nobody.
Mythology: Symbols
 Olive Pole
 Used as a weapon
 Associated with Athena
 Comes from the Story of Athena vs. Poseiden.
 They competed for sovereignty over Attica by offering
gifts
 Poseidon produced water in barren Acropolis.
 Athena gave an olive tree. (WINNER)
 Odysseus’s victory over Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son is
another triumph for Athena.
October 23
Questions
(Pages 766 and 767)
 Lines 385-391
 What is the blinding of the Cyclops compared to?
 Lines 397-409
 Explain the irony of these lines.
 Lines 409-410
 Do you think it is wise for Odysseus to LAUGH, considering that he
and his men are obviously not yet out of danger?
 Lines 416-420
 How would you characterize Odysseus here?
 Lines 423-432
 What steps does Odysseus take to prepare for their escape?
 433-441
 What figure of speech is this?
Questions 768-769
 Lines 421-442
 Explain Odysseus’s trick.
 Line 454
 What is ironic about this statement?
 Lines 466-469
 Why are the ‘fellows’ faces full of joy and then grief?
 Why does Odysseus hush his men?
 Lines 486-489
 What is ironic about the order that POLYPHEMUS
gives?
Activity
 Work with a partner to create a chronology of the main
events in Part One.
 You may do this as a paragraph or a timeline.
Check Test: True or False
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Odysseus refuses King Alcinous’s request to identify
himself.
Odysseus and his sailors are welcomed by the
Cicones.
Odysseus is forced to leave three men behind with
the Lotus Eaters.
The Cyclops Polyphemus is the one of the god
Poseidon’s children.
Fellow Cyclopes come to Polyphemus’s aid after he is
wounded.
From Book One: The Wanderings
October 25
Questions Pg. 773
 Prologue:
 What does the sailors’ opening of the bull’s-hide bag suggest
about their relationship with Odysseus?
 Lines 543-547
 SIMILE: What comparison does Odysseus make to
emphasize the strange gentleness of the wild beasts’
behavior?
 Lines 549-555
 MAKING INFERENCES: Circe, like Calypso, is first seen at
her loom, singing and weaving. What inference could you
make about women in ancient Greece from this fact?
Questions Pages 774-775
 Lines 565-569
 At what other point in the epic have some of Odysseus’s men
eat something that made them lose their desire for home?
 Lines 570-576
 What has happened to the men? Will Eurylochus somehow
rescue them?
 Lines 579-583
 What have the men done to deserve being turned into pigs?
How does Circe violate the laws of hospitality?
 Prologue:
 What other role has Hermes played in The Odyssey?
Greek Mythology: Persephone
 Background
 The queen of the underworld
 Daughter of Demeter, the goddess of crops and fertility.
 Myth
 Abducted by Hades, god of the underworld (bro of Zeus and
Poseidon), who has fallen in love with her.
 Demeter neglects her duties and allows a blight to descend on
the earth.
 Zeus intervenes: Persephone will remain in the underworld
for a part of each year. During this time, nothing grows.
 Explains changing of the seasons.
Part One
October 31
Homonyms
 Definition: Words that sound alike but have different
meanings and spellings.
 “…You need grieve no more; you need not feel / your
life consumed hear…”
 “…Eurylochus came running/to cry alarm, fowl magic
doomed his men!”
Questions
 Line 603
 INFERENCES: Whom is Odysseus referring to when he
use the term sovereign Death?
 Lines 604-606
 What is the name of one of the surging phantoms? How
does Odysseus know her?
 So far everything Teiresias says has already been
recounted by the poet in Book I. Provide one example
of it.
 Lines 618-658
 What prophecy does Odysseus receive?
Part One
Questions: Pages 778 and 779
 Line 663
 What is the meaning of the word innocent?
 Lines 673-678
 From what you know of Odysseus, do you think he will
take the risk of listening to the Sirens’ Song? Explain.
 Lines 695-702
 IDIOMS: People sometimes use the expression caught
between Sylla and Charybdis. What does it mean?
 Lines 704-706
 Do you agree with Circe that it is better to sacrifice six
men than to risk losing them all? Explain.
November 4
Journal
 Is it best to know about dangers you may face?
Explain.
 When finished, partner up. You will take turns
reading each other your journals.
Questions 780 and 781
 Lines 659-716
 According to Circe, what dangers lie ahead for Odysseus
and his crew? List the dangers in order from least severe
to most severe, and give your reasons for placing the
threats in this order.
 745-746
 Why does Odysseus put wax in his men’s ears?
 Lines 758-759
 What does “the Sirens dropped under the sea rim”
mean?
Question page 782
 Lines 770-773
 Is it necessary for great leaders like Odysseus to inspire their
followers? Explain.
 Line 788
 IDIOM: What does by hook or crook mean?
 770-793
 Think about what kind of leader Odysseus is. What does he
tell his men, to reassure them? What does he decide to not
tell them? Why?
 Lines 793-798
 What does Odysseus’s failure to remember Circe’s warning
against using weapons reveal about his self-image?
Question page 783
 Lines 822-827
 Explain the Homeric Simile in this passage.
 Lines 831-832
 Is this the worst scene yet? Explain.
Part One November 6
Nautical Terminology
Term
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Aft G
Bow B
Deck D
Foredeck C
Mast A
Port J
Rudder F
Starboard I
Tiller E
Stern H
Definition
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Part of a ship that supports the sail.
Front part of a ship
Front part of a ship’s main deck
Floor of a ship that covers the lower portion
A Bar or handle for turning a boat’s rudder
Flat piece of wood or metal used for steering
At, near, or toward the stern of a ship
Rear end of a ship
Right-hand side of a ship
Left-hand side of a ship
Art
 Describe the look in the eyes of the animal in the
foreground.
 What does the soldier in the foreground seem to be
signaling?
Questions Page 784
 Prologue
 Since Odysseus is the captain, shouldn’t he have just ordered his
men to bypass Thrinakia. Explain.
 Line 858
 What does Odysseus mean when he says that no man can avoid the
eye of Helios?
 Line 889
 Who is the “Lord of Noon”?
 Lines 878-894
 What is Eurylochus’s “insidious plea”?
 If you were a member of the crew, would you be swayed by this
argument, or would you head Odysseus’s warning? Explain.
 Do you think murdering the cattle is justified, or is it an offense
against the god Helios?
Questions Page 786
 Line 914-919
 In the Odyssey, Odysseus constantly takes credit when
things go well. Now, when a tragedy occurs, he blames
the gods for making him fall asleep. What does this
reveal about his character?
 Line 921-930
 What exactly has happened to cause the god’s fury?
Coming Home November 19
Vocabulary
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Candor
Disdainful
Adorn
Revelry
Glowered
Avails
Lavished
Aloof
Pliant
Tremulous
Make a Vocabulary Block
for each Word.
Definitions on Page 789.
What we already know…
 Write a few phrases or sentences describing what you
already know about…

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

The situation in Odysseus’s home
Penelope
Telemachus
The Suitors
Journal
 Imagine that someone has been absent from home for
many years. What might that person think or feel
upon returning home? Make a list of possible
reactions.
Part Two
Questions Page 792
 Lines 974-990
 Who is still in disguise in this scene?
 How does the ancient Greeks’ regard for hospitality
affect the way the other characters treat him?
 What do you think each character is feeling and
thinking as he eats?
 Lines 991-1005
 What happens to Odysseus and why?
Questions Page 793 and 794
 Line 1005
 What EPITHETS are used to characterize Odysseus
here?
 Lines 1005-1035
 Which part of this recognition scene between father and
son do you find most moving or most dramatic?
 Sum up the problems that now face father and son in the
palace at Ithaca.
 Lines 1029-1033
 HOMERIC SIMILE: To what are Odysseus’s and
Telemachus’s cries compared?
Part Two November 22
Newspaper Article: 4
 Write an article about the reunion between Odysseus
and Telemachus.
 What happened?
 Where did it happen?
 What did Odysseus say?
 What was Telemachus’ reaction?
Questions 794-795
 Lines 1036-1041
 Why would a great epic concern itself with an old dog?
 Lines 1053-1055
 What does this scene revel about Odysseus’s character?
 Lines 1063-1067
 Why is this scene IRONIC?
 Lines 1044-1071
 In showing us how the old dog is treated, what is Homer
telling us about conditions in Ithaca?
Epic Continues
 Describe Penelope.
 Judging from what you know about Odysseus, how do
you predict he will deal with the suitors?
 Why does Odysseus continue to conceal his identity
from Penelope?
Poetry
 What has life been like for Penelope?
Nov. 25
Questions pg 799
 1083-1096
 What images does Homer use to help his audience
imagine even something as ordinary as this scene in the
storeroom?
 1096-1099
 INFER: Why is Penelope crying?
 1227-1129
 What internal conflict is Odysseus experiencing here?
Questions Pg 800-801
 1122-1140
 How does Odysseus test the loyalty of the swineherd and
cowherd? How do they prove that they can be trusted?
 1164-1174
 How does Odysseus plan to vanquish the suitors?
 SUMMARY:
 IRONY: Why is Penelope’s acceptance of the beggar as a
suitor ironic?
 1185
 EPITHET:
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
What epithet is used for Odysseus here?
Where else did Homer use this Epithet?
Question Pg. 802
 1220
 Predict what will happen next? Look for clues in what
Odysseus says and does.
Part Two Dec. 2nd
Questions
 Summary
 PLOT: What is the main question you expect the climax to
answer?
 1228-1235
 Describe Antinous’s death.
 1250-1253
 What does Homer mean when he says the suitors “imagined
as they wished?”
 1285-1287
 What two things has Odysseus done to make it impossible for
the suitors to fight their way out or run for it?
 1293-1300
 Identify the HOMERIC SIMILE:
Overall Question
 How does this bloody episode relate to the epic’s
theme about the value of hospitality and about what
happens to people who mock divine laws?
News Article: # 5
 Write about how Odysseus rids the palace of the
suitors. Tell the 5 W’s and H of the event.
Part Two Dec. 4
Questions
 ALL
 Find a Homeric Simile.
 Prologue
 PREDICT how Odysseus will react to Penelope’s testing?
 1304
 What might she be thinking?
 1309-1314
 INFER why Penelope has so much trouble recognizing
Odysseus.
 1356-1357
 What is she implying in these lines?
Questions
 1374-1384
 PARAPHRASE Odysseus’s description of the bed. What
characteristics of the bed suggest the strength and
endurance of their love?
 1406-1407
 INTERPRET what she means when she refers to her “stiff
heart”
 1408-1418
 The journey ends with an embrace. What SIMILE helps
you understand the joy Odysseus feels in the arms of his
wife?
Check Test #3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Why doesn’t Telemachus recognize his father right
away?
Who is Antinous?
What is Odysseus able to do that the suitors cannot
do?
What signs of approval do the gods give Odysseus?
Who aids Odysseus in his battle with the suitors?
What is the secret of the marriage bed of Odysseus
and Penelope?
Newspaper Article #6
How does the story end? Describe Penelope and
Odysseus reuniting after 20 years.