Homer’s
The Odyssey
Ultimate Study Guide
Ms. Fehrenbacher
2006-2007
Featuring:
Background Information ………………...………p. 1
Who’s Who in The Odyssey?.....…………………p. 2
Literary Devices ...…………………………………p. 3
“Calypso” Study Guide ………….……………...p. 4
“I am Laertes’ Son” Study Guide….…………...p. 5
“The Cyclops” Study Guide….………………….p. 6
“Witch Circe” Study Guide ………….…...…..…p.7
“The Land of the Dead” Guide ……………….p. 8
“Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis”……………….p. 9
“Cattle of the Sun God”………………………..p. 10
“Coming Home Study Guide………………pp. 11-13
Map of Odysseus’ Journey…………………….p. 14
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Background Notes for The Odyssey
pp. 640-648
1. Who is Homer? When did he live? What did he do?
2. What is an epic? What are characteristics of an epic?
3. One famous type of epic is _______________________ (title) from
_________________________ (country).
4. What were heroes like during Homer’s time?
5. What is The Iliad about?
6. What was the Trojan Horse, and who’s idea was it?
7. Who won the Trojan War, the Greeks or the Trojans?
8. What is The Odyssey about?
9. Why is Odysseus a “hero in trouble”?
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Who’s Who in The Odyssey?
Don’t let the allusions to different Greek gods, goddesses, and places get you down. Here’s a graphic
organizer to help you keep them straight! Define the characters appropriately below.
THE GODS
THE GODS
Calypso
Athena
The gods are immortal beings never
die; they hang out on Mt. Olympus (a
place in Greece where they are
rumored to look down on the mortals
from above),and they often intervene in
the lives of mortals—for good and for
bad.
Poseidon
Zeus
Hermes
Helios
Persephone
Hades
Aiolos
Circe
ITHACA (HOME)
Telemachus
ITHACA
(HOME)
Penelope
Antinous and the Acheans (suitors)
Eurycleia
Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, a city in
Greece, and his 20-year-old son or his
wife has not been able to keep it under
control while he is gone. Some of these
people are friends; others are enemies.
King Nestor
Menelaus and Helen
Eumaus
Argos
ON THE JOURNEY
King Alcinous
PEOPLE/MONSERS
ODYSSEUS MEETS ON
HIS JOURNEY
Cicones (on land of Ismaros)
Lotus Eaters
Cyclops
The Odyssey is most famous for the
adventures that Odysseus encounters
on his 10-year journey home from Troy
to Ithaca. He fights giant monsters, and
huge cannibals, and he even goes into
the Underworld to meet dead people.
Laestrygonians
Teiresias
Sirens
Scylla
Charybdis
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Literary Devices
in The Odyssey
1. Homeric or Epic Simile: A lengthy comparison, usually comparing something extraordinary to
something ordinary, which uses words such as like, as, and so.
Example:
2. Foreshadowing: The use of clues in a literary work to suggest events that have yet to occur.
Example:
3. Personification: Giving human qualities to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals.
Example:
4. Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds.
Give 3 Examples:
5. Homeric Epithet: A term used to characterize a person or a thing, usually repeated frequently.
Give 3 Examples:
6. Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five senses.
Sight Example:
Smell Example:
Touch Example:
Sound Example:
Taste Example:
7. Alliteration- Repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words.
Example:
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p. 649-655 in your purple textbook
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. What is Homer’s “Invocation to the Muse”? How does it foreshadow what is to come?
2. What’s going on in Ithaca with Telemachus while Odysseus is gone? How old is
Telemachus?
3. What’s going on with Penelope (Telemachus’s mom and Odysseus’s wife)?
4. Who is Calypso? What is her island (Ogygia) like? What is she doing to Odysseus?
5. Who is Hermes? What does he tell Calypso to do?
6. What does Calypso offer Odysseus to stay on her island forever? Does he accept it?
7. What happens to Odysseus once he leaves on his raft? Where does he end up?
8. What type of narration is this section, First Person, Third Person-Limited, or ThirdOmniscient? How do you know?
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Pages 656-658.
1. Where is Odysseus as he is telling this story? Who is King Alcinous?
2. How does the narration change? Why has it changed?
3. What were Odysseus’ feelings when Calypso held him captive? Do you believe him?
4. Who are the Cicones? What happens on their land of Ismaros?
5. Why did the Cicones defeat Odysseus and his men?
6. What keeps Odysseus from reaching home? How many days does he sail aimlessly with
his men?
7. Who are the Lotus Eaters?
8. What happens to the crewmembers who eat the Lotus?
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Use your textbook, Pages 660-670.
1. What brings Odysseus and his men to the Cyclops’ cave?
2. What is Cyclops’ name?
3. Is this Cyclops a good host or a bad host? Why?
4. Why doesn’t Odysseus kill Cyclops when he is asleep?
5. What does Odysseus do to get Cyclops to fall asleep?
6. What lie does Odysseus tell Cyclops? Why is this so clever?
7. How does Odysseus and his men blind Cyclops?
8. After blinding him, how does Odysseus and his men escape?
9. Once outside, what does Odysseus foolishly do?
10. Who is Cyclops’ dad?
11. What foreshadowing occurs at the end of the scene?
12. Think back to Animal Farm and our discussion on what makes a good leader. Is Odysseus
a good leader from this scene? Why or why not?
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pp. 673-677
1. Who is Aeolus?
2. Who was at fault for Odysseus’s misfortune in the adventure on Aiolia?
3. Who are the Lastrygonians?
4. How many ships are left at the end of this adventure?
5. Who is Circe? Where does she live?
6. What is her kingdom like?
7. What does Circe do to Odysseus’s men? How can you tell?
8. Who is Eurylochus?
9. What does Hermes do to help Odysseus?
10. How does this adventure end?
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The Land of the Dead” p. 675-677
1. Summarize what Odysseus must do when he arrives at Erebus with his men.
2. Who is Tiresias?
3. What does he tell Odysseus about the rest of his life?
4. How will Odysseus’s life end?
5. Define Epithet:
6. Find an example from “Circe” or “Land of the Dead” of an epithet, and write it here:
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Use your textbook, pp. 678-684
Identify-Sirens:
Scylla:
Charybdis:
1. Summarize Circe’s prophesy to Odysseus. What dangers await him and his men?
2. Why does Odysseus put wax in his men’s ears?
3. What does it mean that the sirens have “dropped under the sea rim” (line 759)? Explain.
4. How do Odysseus’s men react to the noise of Scylla?
5. What do you think of Odysseus’s decision not to tell his men about the danger of Scylla?
Is his silence justified? Why or why not?
6. What does Odysseus do that contradicts what Circe warned him about? What can we
infer about Odysseus’s character?
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Use Your Textbook, pp. 684-686
Identify:
Helios:
Euylochus:
1. Since Odysseus is captain, do you think he should have enforced his men to bypass
Thrinakia?
2. What happens on this island?
3. In this epic, Odysseus is constantly taking 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?
4. Have you ever acted similarly?
5. How does Odysseus lose the rest of his men?
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“Meeting of Father and Son”
Use Your Textbook, pp. 690-694
1. Describe the warnings that Athena gives to both Telemachus and Odysseus.
2. How long as Telemachus been away from Ithaca?
3. Who is Eumaeus?
4. Locate and describe an example of magic.
5. Explain the dramatic irony that is found in the scene of Eumaeus’ hut.
6. Who does Telemachus mistake Odysseus for?
7. Was the reunion of Father and Son the scene you hoped for? Why or why not?
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“The Beggar and the Friendly Dog”
Use your textbook, pp. p. 694-695
1. Who is the only one to recognize Odysseus as he makes his way home?
2. What does Eumaeus say about Argos and what happens to Argos after seeing
Odysseus for the first time in 20 years?
“Test of the Great Bow”
Use your textbook, pp. p. 698-702
1. What is the impossible task that Penelope asks the suitors to perform? What will be
the result if they are to accomplish this task?
2. What trouble do the men have as they try to accomplish this task?
3. What are the orders Odysseus gives to Eumaeus?
4. What are the orders Odysseus gives to Philoetus?
5. What has Telemachus done to help sabotage the suitors?
“Death at the Palace” p.703-705
1. Why does Odysseus turn on Antinous first?
2. Describe the reaction of the suitors after Antinous’s death.
3. What plea does Eurymachus make for the other suitors?
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“Odysseus and Penelope” p. 706-709
1. How does Telemachus “pay” the servants who were not loyal to Odysseus?
2. What is Penelope’s reaction to the first sight of Odysseus?
3. What was the sign that opened Penelope’s heart to Odysseus?
4.
What is the MOOD of Book 23?
Scavenger Hunt: Write the literary devices for each of the following lines.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Line 1237-1238
Lines 1252
Line 1261-1262
Lines 1271
Line 1290-1291
Line 1292
Line 1293-1295
Line 1302
Line 1302 (again!)
Line 1306
Line 1339-1341
Line 1342-1344
Line 1409-1412
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
____________________________
Literary Elements:
Homeric/Epic Simile
Onomatopoeia
Homeric Epithet
Personification
Allusion
Foreshadowing
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