The Odyssey Study Guide Questions Name ______________________________
Book 1
1.
Who are the Muses? Why are they addressed before the book starts?
2.
Why is Zeus annoyed at the mortals?
3.
Where is Odysseus?
4.
Who is keeping him there? Why?
5.
What does Athena do? Be specific.
6.
What is the problem in Odysseus’ house?
Book 2
1.
Why does Telemachus call an assembly?
2.
What does Antinoos say about Penelope?
3.
What is the significance of the eagles?
*Who is right: Telemachus or the suitors? Do the suitors have a right to be in Odysseus’ house, wanting to marry his wife? Why/why not?
Book 3
1.
Why does Telemachus first go to Pylos to seek information about his father?
2.
What does Nestor say happened after the war?
3.
Where does Nestor tell Telemachus to go? Why?
4.
What does Athena do as they depart?

Book 4
1.
What does Menelaus say about the riches at his palace?
2.
Menelaus’ story about the Old Man of the Sea is a ______________________.
3.
Who is Eidothea and what does she tell Menelaus to do?
4.
What does Menelaus learn from Proteus?
5.
What happens back in Ithaca with Antinoos?
6.
What does Penelope do when she hears of Antinoos’ plans?
Book 5
1.
Why does Hermes visit Calypso?
2.
What does Calypso try to convince Odysseus to stay on the island?
3.
What does Odysseus decide to do?
4.
Who becomes angry? Why?
5.
How does Odysseus escape Poseidon’s wrath?
Book 7
1.
How is Odysseus received by the Phaeacians?
Book 8
1.
Why does Odysseus throw a disc?
2.
What does this show about Odysseus?
3.
Books 9-12 are going to tell the story of Odysseus’ travels. These three books are __________________

Book 9
1.
What happened with the Lotus Eaters?
2.
Who was the owner of the sheep?
3.
How did Odysseus and his men escape the cave?
4.
What event foreshadowed Odysseus’ escape from the cave? (Hint: Book 4)
5.
What mistake does Odysseus make as they are leaving the island?
Book 10
1.
What does Aeolus trap in the bag for Odysseus? Why?
2.
Why doesn’t this work?
3.
Where did they go after Aeolia? What kind of reception did they get?
4.
What happened with Circe?
5.
Which god helps Odysseus get around Circe’s manipulation?
6.
Where does Circe send Odysseus?
Book 11
1.
What did the men have to do to allow the dead to speak?
2.
What does Tiresias tell him?
3.
How is Odysseus’ mother in the Land of the Dead?

*In Book 9, when Odysseus faces off with the Cyclops, Gareth Hinds chooses shades of orange to illustrate the segment where Odysseus and his men are trapped in the monster’s cave. In Book 11, the author-illustrator uses shades of gray with small additions of color to convey the austere tone of the Land of the Dead. In what other ways does Gareth Hinds use color symbolically throughout this adaptation?
Book 12
1.
What is the crew’s first encounter with temptation?
2.
What is the decision the crew has to make?
3.
What does Odysseus decide to do?
4.
What is the crew’s rationale for eating Helios’ cattle?
5.
What happens to Odysseus after the crew eats the cattle?
*Books 9 through 12 of the story depict the trials and tribulations Odysseus faces as he tries to make his way home after the Trojan War. What do these encounters and events tell us about Odysseus’s character? What do the tests teach Odysseus, and how do his experiences make him wiser and better prepared to return to his role as king?
*Throughout the story, we often see characters experiencing the consequences of their own reckless behavior or failure to heed clear warnings. Two particular temptations that Odysseus’s men must avoid or overcome are the lotus fruit (page 92) and the sirens’ song (page 135). What are some of today’s strongest or most dangerous temptations? How do you ignore them?
Book 13
1.
How does Odysseus return to Ithaca?
2.
What does Athena do to Odysseus before he presents himself?

Book 14
1.
What is the swineherd’s reaction to the disguised Odysseus?
Book 15
1.
What does Athena warn Telemachus about in a dream? What does he do?
Book 16
1.
What does Athena instruct Odysseus to do upon return of his son?
2.
What does Odysseus tell Telemachus to do?
3.
What does Telemachus tell Penelope?
Book 17
1.
What happens to Odysseus’ dog?
2.
How does Antinoos respond to the disguised Odysseus?
3.
Why doesn’t Odysseus go running into Penelope’s arms?
Book 18
1.
What is the importance of “old” Odysseus’ fight with Irus?
Book 19
1.
How long has it been since Odysseus met up with the Achaeans to fight the Trojans?
2.
Who recognizes Odysseus first?
3.
How does she recognize him?
4.
What is Penelope’s dream?

5.
What does Penelope decide to do with the men?
Book 21
1.
What problem do all the men have with the challenge?
2.
What do Eurycleia and Eumaeus do while Odysseus is examining the bow?
Book 22
1.
What does Odysseus do after he successfully completes the task?
2.
What does Eurymachus try to do? Is it successful?
3.
Why does Odysseus succeed against the other men?
Book 23
1.
Why doesn’t Penelope rush to Odysseus after everyone else is dead?
2.
What finally convinces her that Odysseus is who he says he is?
Book 24
1.
What final challenge does Odysseus have to face?
2.
Who does Odysseus reveal himself to?
3.
Who breaks off the fight and demands peace?
* What do the final books tell us about Odysseus’s character? Have his earlier bravado and glory-seeking been tempered by the long journey home, or is he more or less the same?