Odyssey Response Paragraph Prompts Books 1-4
1.
A. Where does Telemachus show courageousness or maturity?
B. Where does Telemachus show fear, doubt, or immaturity?
(Pages to consider: 81-85, 87-91, 94-95, 100, 109-110, 114 all of book 2, 143
Model Thesis statement:
“In _(list specific events here)_ from book(s) X of Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachus displays
courageousness.”
Do NOT just write: “Telemachus displays courageousness in books 1-4 of Homer’s Odyssey.” Such a thesis would be vague.
NOTE: This is very easy difficulty-level prompt. Thus, if you write your essay over “Telemachus displays courage towards the suitors,” this
is a pretty obvious thesis, and you’ll have to write the rest of your essay very well in order to get an “A”. I’ve read several dozen essays
about this before, most of which were “B” level essays or lower.
2.
Does Athena make Telemachus more courageous, or does she simply help him? Otherwise put, how much of Telemachus’s behavior
is his own doing, and how much is because of her?
(Pages to consider: 80-88, 100, 102, 108, 114-115, 118-119)
Model Thesis statement:
“Although Athena helps Telemachus in books ____ of Homer’s Odyssey, he makes decisions
himself to be more courageous when he _____________”
3.
What traits does Telemachus display in his dealings with the suitors? Or How does T. deal with the suitors?
Pages to consider: 89-91, 94-95, 97-98, 100, 102-103
Model Thesis statement:
“In book(s) of Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachus displays ____________ in his exchanges with the
suitors.”
“In book(s) of Homer’s Odyssey, Telemachus deals with the suitors by ____________.”
4.
From his actions and words, what does Telemachus believe about whether his father is dead or alive?
(more advanced—what does this show about his character?)
Pages to consider: 85, 87, 91, 94-95, 114, 133-134
5.
How powerful are the suitors? What clues does the reader get as to how difficult it would be to overthrow them?
Pages to consider: All of book 2, 95-95, 98-99, 101-103, 144-145,
6.
What’s Telemachus’ relationship like with his mother, Penelope?
Pages to consider: 88-89, 104-105, 147-149
7.
What potential dilemma do Athena and Telemachus find themselves in when they arrive to Pylos and are asked to offer sacrifices to
Poseidon? How does Athena get out of it?
8.
What potential dilemma does Telemachus find himself in when it comes time to leave Menelaus’s palace? How does he resolve or
avoid this potential dilemma? (end of book 4)
For those who have read the Odyssey before:
Foreshadowing- what signs or hints do we see early on about what is to come in the rest of the Odyssey?
Writer’s Craft – what is remarkable or interesting about how the writer has chosen to construct this tale, either in general or as it relates to a
specific character or event? How does the way the story is written connect to our understanding of it?
What are the relationships like between humans and the gods? What common themes or interesting comparisons
and contrasts are present? Or What are the relationships like between the gods themselves? NEXT PAGE
Other Questions to Consider Before Writing Your Essay (From the Class mini-group presentations). Many of these would also make great
response paper topics.
1. Telemachus and the Stranger – Page 81-82 (Stop at the bottom of page 82, which is line 192).
How does Telemachus act towards the stranger who shows up at his house, and what does this show about his character? (What traits does
he exhibit?)
Bonus: What does he think about his father’s fighting ability? He doesn’t mention it directly, but he does allude to it…
2. Athena’s Plan – Page 86-88 (Stop at line 373 on page 88)
What is the plan of Athena (disguised as Mentor) for Telemachus to find out about his father’s fate? How does Telemachus react to this plan,
and what does his reaction say about his character?
What does Athena tell Telemachus he’ll have to do regardless of whether his father is alive or dead?
3.Telemachus: Man of the House? – Page 89-91 (starting with line 420 on page 89 and ending with page 91 line 478)
When Antinous tells Telemachus at line 440 that he hopes Telemachus never becomes king of Ithaca, is he being genuine or sarcastic? When
Eurymachus tells him that it’s up to Zeus whether or not Telemachus becomes king, what kind of a conflict is he starting? Also, is Eurymachus
a hypocrite? If so, how?
Look at lines 470-471. Does Telemachus lie to the suitors?
4. Telemachus at the Council of Ithaca – Page 95-97 (Start with line 69 on page 95, end with line 160 on page 97)
How does Antinous, the suitor, twist the truth of what’s happening at Odysseus’s house? How does Telemachus justify his and his mother
Penelope’s behavior?
5. Mentor speaks at the Council – Page 100, line 250 to page 101 line 299
What does Mentor tell the council of Ithaca, and what does Leocritus imply will happen to them if they resist the suitors?
6.The Suitors play good cop with Telemachus – Page 102 lines 330 to page 103 line 65
Basically, what is Antinous trying to do by getting Telemachus to eat with the suitors? What is Telemachus’s response?
7. Telemachus arrives at King Nestor’s Pylos – Page 108-109. Stop at line 69 on page 109
What is Telemachus nervous about when he arrives at Pylos, and what does he do?
What is the conflict about Telemachus and Athena making a sacrifice to Poseidon? How does Athena get around this?
8. Nestor recounts the war – Page 113 line 206 to page 115 line 270
What does Nestor say happened to most of the Greeks (Achaeans) returning from Troy? What does Telemachus think happened to his father,
and what is Athena’s reaction?
9. Nestor sends Telemachus on his way – Page 117 line 353 to page 119 line 414
What does Nestor day he’ll do for Telemachus, and what does that show about his character?