Warm-up:
You have 60 seconds to write everything that
you know about mythological heroes!
Ready, set, GOOOOOOOOO !!
The Odyssey
Vocabulary Word: Epic
Definition:
a long narrative poem celebrating
the adventures & achievements of a
hero
Graphic Representation:
Synonyms:
None!
The Odyssey
Vocabulary Word: Narrative
Definition:
Synonyms:
A fancy-schmancy way of saying a
“story”
A tale
Graphic Representation:
The Odyssey
Vocabulary Word:
characterization
Definition:
Methods of characterization:
Ways to make a character appear
“real”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Appearance
Actions
Words (diction)
Inner thoughts & feelings
Other people’s reactions
Graphic Representation:
The Odyssey
 Takes place in
Ancient Greece
The Odyssey
 Written by the
famous, blind
poet, Homer
The Odyssey
 Written circa 900
B.C. and was likely
intended to be sung
and not read
The Odyssey
 Begins with the fall of
the city of Troy
 Tells the story of a
Greek warrior,
Odysseus, and his men
 In the excerpt we’ll be
reading, Odysseus and
his men venture into the
cave of the Cyclops and
become trapped there
Main Character: a god
Zeus:
 king of the gods
Main Character: a human
Odysseus:
 the protagonist in the
epic
 Greek warrior
 clever & courageous
 wants to resume his
proper place as king
Main Character: a monster
The Cyclops:
 the one-eyed
cannibal giant with
a terrible temper
 a.k.a. Polyphemus
Warm-up:
Is Odysseus a “nice” guy?
Yes/No/Why?
Pre-Reading--Odysseus
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
Actions:
Words:
Thoughts/Feelings:
Others’ Reactions:
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
• There is no mention of Odysseus’s
appearance.
Actions:
• It is implied that he is strong and
commanding.
Words:
Thoughts/Feelings:
Odysseus is outraged that the giant would
Others’ Reactions:
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
• There is no mention of Odysseus’s
appearance.
• It is implied that he is strong and
commanding.
Actions:
•
•
•
•
Makes most of his men wait on the ship, takes
only his twelve best men with him (?)
Puts himself between his men and the Cyclops
and confronts the Cyclops himself
Creates a stake from a large piece of wood and
drives it into the Cyclops’ eye
Figures out that he can escape from the cave
without the Cyclops seeing him by riding
underneath a sheep
Words:
Thoughts/Feelings:
Others’ Reactions:
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
• There is no mention of Odysseus’s
appearance.
Actions:
•
• It is implied that he is strong and
commanding.
•
•
•
Makes most of his men wait on the ship, takes
only his twelve best men with him
Puts himself between his men and the Cyclops
and confronts the Cyclops himself
Creates a stake from a large piece of wood and
drives it into the Cyclops’ eye
Figures out that he can escape from the cave
without the Cyclops seeing him by riding
underneath a sheep
Words:
• Speaks with and tries to rationalize with
the Cyclops first, instead of harming him
right away
• Tells the Cyclops his name is “Nobody,” so
when the Cyclops is injured he tells his
friends “Nobody” had caused harm
Others’ Reactions:
Thoughts/Feelings:
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
• There is no mention of Odysseus’s
appearance.
Actions:
•
• It is implied that he is strong and
commanding.
•
•
•
Words:
• Speaks with and tries to rationalize with
the Cyclops first, instead of harming him
right away
• Tells the Cyclops his name is “Nobody,” so
when the Cyclops is injured he tells his
friends “Nobody” had caused harm
Makes most of his men wait on the ship, takes
only his twelve best men with him
Puts himself between his men and the Cyclops
and confronts the Cyclops himself
Creates a stake from a large piece of wood and
drives it into the Cyclops’ eye
Figures out that he can escape from the cave
without the Cyclops seeing him by riding
underneath a sheep
Thoughts/Feelings:
Odysseus is outraged that the giant would
deny him and his men hospitality and actually
harm them.
He plans and carries out revenge.
Others’ Reactions:
Methods of Characterization
Appearance:
• There is no mention of Odysseus’s
appearance.
Actions:
•
• It is implied that he is strong and
commanding.
•
•
•
Words:
• Speaks with and tries to rationalize with
the Cyclops first, instead of harming him
right away
• Tells the Cyclops his name is “Nobody,” so
when the Cyclops is injured he tells his
friends “Nobody” had caused harm
Makes most of his men wait on the ship, takes
only his twelve best men with him
Puts himself between his men and the Cyclops
and confronts the Cyclops himself
Creates a stake from a large piece of wood and
drives it into the Cyclops’ eye
Figures out that he can escape from the cave
without the Cyclops seeing him by riding
underneath a sheep
Thoughts/Feelings:
Odysseus is outraged that the giant would
deny him and his men hospitality and actually
harm them.
He plans and carries out revenge.
Others’ Reactions:
Little evidence of others’ reactions except that his men follow him without question
Pre-Reading--Odysseus
The Road of Trials
Challenges:
Outcomes:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Pre-Reading--Odysseus
The Road of Trials
Challenges:
Outcomes:
1..
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Warm up – Grab a dictionary and look up the
following vocabulary words. Write the
definitions in the My Notes section on page 32 of
SB Book.
Vocabulary:
laurels:
savage:
lawless:
solitude:
isolated:
Odysseus Tells His Tale: The Cyclops’ Cave
Vocabulary:
laurels: green shrub or
small tree
savage: ruthless or a
brute or beast
lawless: does not follow
laws or rules
solitude: alone
isolated: alone or
deserted
MY NOTES: Odysseus Tells His
Tale: The Cyclops’ Cave
SUMMARY
 Odysseus and his men find a
place to rest on their way
home from the battle of
Troy.
 They are curious about the
neighboring land of the
Cyclopes.
 The next morning Odysseus
and his crew set sail to
explore the new land .
 They are curious to find out
about who the Cyclopes are
Odysseus Tells His Tale: Polyphemus Return
Vocabulary:
draught: type of wine
bouquet: scent or aroma
(from wine)
bleating: the noise a goat
makes
whey: watery part of milk
after it has soured
kids: baby lambs
kindle: to light (fire)
MY NOTES: Polyphemus Returns
Summary:
Odysseus and 12 of his strongest
men go explore the cave and
take wine as an offering.
 Upon arrival Cyclops is not
present; they make
themselves comfortable
eating cheese.
 Cyclops returns from tending
to his sheep/goats to find the
men and questions their
intentions
Odysseus Tells His Tale: Trapped
Vocabulary:
sacked: to pillage, loot,
destroy, steal
suppliant: to ask for
nicely
devoid: without
moored: anchor
cunning: sneaky, or tricky
entrails: the internal
organs
MY NOTES:Odysseus Tells His Tale:
Trapped
Summary:
 Odysseus tells Polyphemus
that he and his crew are
shipwrecked and asks him
to respect the gods and
show them hospitality
 Polyphemus shows no pity
and instead takes two
members of his crew and
devours them
 Polyphemus goes to sleep
 Odysseus and his remaining
crew are trapped
Comprehension Check
What is the setting?
A. Odysseus’ ship.
B. Polyphemus’ cave
C. Euanthes’ house.
D. Apollo’s pasture.
Comprehension Check:
This is an example of
a(n):
A. epic poem
B. non-fiction piece
C. historical fiction
D. Odysseus’
biography
Comprehension Check:
What is the primary
conflict?
A. Odysseus needs to
escape Polyphemus’ cave.
B. Odysseus wants to steal
Polyphemus’ sheep.
C. Odysseus’ ship is lost.
D. Polyphemus wants to
trick Odysseus.
Comprehension Check:
Who is the protagonist?
A. Cyclops
B. Polyphemus
C. Odysseus
D. Zeus
MY NOTES: Offering the Cyclops
Wine (page 35)
Summary:
 When morning comes Polyphemus
goes about his daily tasks and again
eats two of the men from Odysseus’
crew.
 Odysseus thinks of a plan to get
revenge and begins working with
his crew on preparing a huge club
which they will use to poke the
Cyclops’ eye while he sleeps.
 Odysseus offers Polyphemus wine
and Polyphemus drinks several
cups.
 Polyphemus asks Odysseus his
name.
Comprehension Check:
Examine the word devoid in the
following sentence and select
the correct definition.
“Devoid of pity, he was silent in
response, but leaping up laid
hands on my crew. Two he
seized and dashed to the
ground like whelps, and their
brains ran out and stained the
earth.
A. Full of..
B. Filled with..
C. Lack of..
D. With..
Comprehension Check:
A character trait that best
describes Odysseus is…
A. clever
B. stingy
C. honest
D. cruel
Comprehension Check:
“As soon as Rosy-fingered
Dawn appeared,
Cyclops relit the fire.”
This is an example of which
literary device?
A. metaphor
B. simile
C. onomatopoeia
D. personification
Comprehension Check:
Odysseus offers the cyclops a
________ as a gift.
A. draught
B. sheep
C. whey
D. vessel
MY NOTES:
Blinding the Cyclops
Summary:

Polyphemus continued to drink the wine
which makes him less coherent.

Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name is
“nobody”.

Polyphemus assures Odysseus (nobody)
that he will be the last of his men to be
eaten.

Polyphemus falls into a drunken sleep.

The crew works together to stab the eye
of the Cyclops and he awakens crying for
help.

His Cyclops neighbors come to the
entrance of the cave to check on him and
Polyphemus replies that “Nobody… is
trying to kill me” and they leave.
MY NOTES: ESCAPE
Summary:
 Odysseus feels good about
his clever scheme.
 Polyphemus moved the
stone door but sat there
waiting for the crew to
escape.
 The crew escaped the next
morning hiding between and
even underneath the sheep
as they were herded out.
 Odysseus and his crew
returned to the ship with
Comprehension Check:
Using contextual clues, identify the meaning of “adze” in
the following sentence.
“As a great axe or adze causes a vast hissing when the
smith dips it in cool water to temper it, strengthening
the iron, so his eye hissed against the olivewood stake”
(Homer 36).
A. weapon with a sharp blade
B. plural form of axe
C. Ancient Grecian harpoon
D. A foul creature of Greek Mythology that is part woman
and part bird.
Comprehension Check:
As used in this sentence, “If you are alone, and nobody does
you violence, it’s inescapable sickness that comes from
Zeus: pray to the Lord Poseidon, our father” (Homer 37),
how does the prefix “in-” affect the meaning of
“escapable”?
A. It makes it longer.
B. It adds fear to the escape.
C. It changes its meaning to the opposite of escapable.
D. It means they must escape into something.
Comprehension Check:
Which quote best exemplifies Odysseus’ leadership
characteristic?
A. “My fine ram, why leave the cave like this last of the
flock?”
B. “I considered the best way of escaping, and saving myself,
and my men, from death.”
C. “Polyphemus, what terrible pain is this that makes you
call through deathless night, and wake us?”
D. “Off they went, while I laughed to myself at how the name
and the clever scheme had deceived him.”
Comprehension Check:
What was the resolution to the
conflict in this story?
A. Odysseus was able to take the sheep
back to the ship to feed his men.
B. Odysseus blinded the Cyclops and he
and his men established a
settlement in the abandoned cave.
C. Odysseus and his men escaped from
the cave underneath the sheep.
D. When the Cyclops is injured, he tells
his neighbors that “Nobody” caused
him harm.