The Odyssey
Book 1
Odysseus, who is the king of the country of
Ithaca, is in prison on an island. He was fighting
in a war for 10 years. Odysseus is sad because
he wants to go home to Ithaca and see his wife,
Penelope and his son Telemachus.
Zeus, the god of all the gods, decides it is
time for Odysseus to go home. Poseidon, the god
of the sea, does not want Odysseus to go home
because he is mad at him. Athena, the goddess
of what and wisdom, is trying to help Odysseus.
She tells Odysseus’ son Telemachus to go find
out about his dad.
Book 1 ( continued)
Who is the King of Ithaca?
How long did the war last?
Where does Odysseus want to go?
Who is the god of all gods?
What is the name of Odysseus’ wife?
What is the name of Odysseus’ son?
The Odyssey
Book 2
While Odysseus was away fighting in the war,
men were trying to get Penelope, Odysseys’ wife,
to marry them. Telemachus, Odysseus’ son talks
to the men and tells them to leave his mother
alone. Penelope still loves Odysseus’ and does
not want to marry anyone else because she
knows that someday he will return.
The goddess Athena gets a ship and men
together who will leave Ithaca to search for
Odysseus. Telemachus will go with them.
Draw a picture of what the ship that Telemachus
was on might have looked like.
The Odyssey
Book 3
Telemachus and his men arrive in the
kingdom of Pylos. Old King Nestor welcomes
him. Telemachus asks Nestor if he knows
anything about his dad, Odysseus. Nestor never
answers him but gives Telemachus a chariot and
tells him to visit another country, Sparta and talk
to people there.
Telemachus arrives in ________________________.
(Greece, Pylos)
_______________________ is the king of Pylos.
(Odysseus, Nestor)
Nestor gives Telemachus a ___________________.
(Horse, Chariot)
Telemachus and his men leave Pylos and go to
________________________.
(Sparta, Ithaca)
The Odyssey
Book 4
On the fifth day of their trip, Telemachus and
his crew arrive in the country of Sparta. They
attend a wedding and tell stories with the people
of the land. The next morning, Telemachus asks
if anyone knows anything abut his dad,
Odysseus. He is told that Odysseus is being held
prisoner on the island of Calypso.
DRAW A LINE from word to the definition.
Calypso
A cart pulled by horses
Telemachus
A country Telemachus
traveled to
Chariot
Odysseus’ wife
Penelope
The island where
Odysseus was in prison
Sparta
Odysseus’ son
The Odyssey
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Who wrote “The Odyssey”?
A. Jackson
B. Homer
C. Smith
2. Who is the hero of the story?
A. Olson
B. Odysseus
C. Jonah
3. Odysseus had to leave his wife and son. Where did he have to go?
A. fight in a war
B. to a meeting
C. hunting
4. How long did the war last?
A. 30 years
B. 2 years
C. 10 years
5. On his journey home, Odysseus met many people. Which of the following did
he not see?
A. Circe
B. Cyclops
C. Celia
6. When Odysseus and his men came to the land of the Lotus Eaters they were
given something to eat. What was it?
A. a plant
B. bread
C. meat
7. How did the Cyclops become blind?
A. from the sun
B. from a stick
C. from a sickness
8. What did the witch Circe turn Odysseus into?
A. dogs
B. pigs
C. cows
9. Circe sent Odysseus to the land of the…
A. living
B. dead
C. monsters
10. What was the noise that drew Odysseus’ crew toward the island?
A. whistles
B. drums
C. sirens
11. When Odysseus finally got home, he dressed up as a:
A. beggar man
B. lady
C. young boy
12. After Odysseus’ dog saw him, what did he do?
A. bark
B. whine
C. die
13. Odysseus’ wife made up a test for the men who wanted to marry her. It was
with a:
A. knife
B. bow
C. gun
14. What did Odysseus do to the men who had taken over his land?
A. killed them
B. put them in jail
C. hung them
15. At the end of the story, Odysseus and his family were living in:
A. Europe
B. America
C. Ithaca