The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Homer and the Epic
©Mike Baird
Who Was Homer?
Who exactly was this famous
myth-maker? No one knows for
sure who Homer was. The later
Greeks believed he was a blind
minstrel who came from the island
of Chios. Some scholars feel there
must have been two Homers;
some think he was a mere legend.
It seems sensible to take the word
of the Greeks themselves and to
accept the existence of Homer at
least as an ideal model for a class of
wandering bards or minstrels later
called “rhapsodes.”
These rhapsodes, or “singers
of tales,” were the historians and
entertainers as well as the mythmakers of their time. There was
most likely no written history in
Homer’s day. There was certainly
no television, and there was no
book of religious stories. Instead,
minstrels traveled from community
to community singing of recent
legendary events or of the doings
of heroes, gods, and goddesses. It
is as if the composer of the biblical
Book of Kings, the writer of a book
on World War II, and a famous
pop singer were combined in one
person. For Homer’s people, there
was no conflict between religion,
history, and entertainment.
What is an Epic?
Epics are long narrative poems
that tell of the adventures of
heroes who embody the values of
their particular civilizations. For
centuries, the Greeks used the Iliad
and the Odyssey in their schools
to teach Greek virtues. Therefore,
it is not surprising that later
cultures, while admiring Homer’s
epics, created their own epics
that imitated Homer’s style but
conveyed their own value systems.
Some epics that follow the basic
patterns established by Homer’s two
stories are Rome’s Aeneid, France’s
Song of Roland, and the AngloSaxon Beowulf. The Odyssey is
the model for the epic of the long
journey. It is literally the journey
home from the Trojan War for
Odysseus, the king of Ithaca.
How Were the Epics Told?
Work done by scholars on oral
epic poets suggests that stories like
the Odyssey would have been told
aloud at first by and for people
who could not read and write. The
stories would have been composed
orally according to a basic set story
line. Most of the actual words
would have been improvised,
made up on the spot, in such a
way as to fit a particular rhythm or
meter. The singers of these stories
would have needed a great deal of
talent, and they would have had to
work very hard. They also would
have needed an audience used to
listening closely.
Since Homeric epics are oral
stories, they require much
repetition within the story. The oral
storyteller, in fact, had a store of
formulas ready in his memory.
He knew formulas for describing
the arrival and greeting of guests,
for the eating of meals, and for
the taking of baths. He knew the
formulas for describing the sea and
dawn (they are always “wine-dark”
and “rosy”) and for describing
Pallas Athena (she is always “grayeyed Athena”). Formulas such
as these gave the singer and his
audience some breathing time.
The audience could relax for a
moment and enjoy a familiar and
memorable passage while the singer
could think ahead to the next part
of his story.
Epic poets such as Homer would
come to a city and would go
through a part of their repertory
while there. A story as long as the
Odyssey (11,300 lines) could not
be told at one sitting. We have to
assume, therefore, that if the singer
had only a few days in a place,
he would summarize some of his
story and sing the rest in detail, in
as many sittings as time allowed.
This is how you will experience the
Odyssey.
Page 1
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Greek Gods...
©Mark Rain
P
©Mark Rain
oseidon, god of the sea, protector of all waters. Poseidon is the
brother of Zeus. After the overthrow
of their Father Cronus he drew lots
with Zeus and Hades, another brother, for shares of the world. His prize
was to become lord of the sea. He was
widely worshiped by seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of
the Titan Oceanus.
At one point he desired Demeter.
To put him off, Demeter asked him
to make the most beautiful animal that the world had ever seen. So to
impress her Poseidon created the first horse. In some accounts his first
attempts were unsuccessful and he created a variety of other animals in
his quest. By the time the horse was created, his passion for Demeter had
cooled.
His weapon is a trident, which can shake the earth, and shatter any
object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a
difficult and quarrelsome personality. He was greedy. He had a series of
disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.
Page 2
A
thena is the Greek virgin
goddess of reason, intelligent
activity, arts and literature. Athena
is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang
full grown in amour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is
fierce and brave in battle, but only
in wars to defined the state and
home from outside enemies.
She is the goddess of the city,
handicrafts, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted
man to tame horses, the trumpet,
the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow,
the yoke, the ship, and the chariot.
She is the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was
Zeus’s favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including
his thunderbolt. Her favorite city
is Athens. Her tree is the olive. The
owl is her bird. She is a virgin goddess.
©Casbr
Z
eus was the god of the sky and
ruler of the Olympian gods.
Zeus overthrew his Father Cronus.
He then drew lots with his brothers
Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the
draw and became the supreme ruler
of the gods.
He is lord of the sky, the rain god.
His weapon is a thunderbolt which
he hurls at those who displease
him. He is married to Hera but, is
famous for his many affairs. He is
also known to punish those that lie
or break oaths. He was the rain god,
and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt.
His breastplate was the aegis,
his bird the eagle, his tree the oak.
He is represented as the god of
justice and mercy, the protector of
the weak, and the punisher of the
wicked.
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
and Creatures
T
he Cyclopes were gigantic
one eyed monsters. The
most famous is Polyphemus,
the Cyclops blinded by
Odysseus. Hesiod mentions
only three (not a race or tribe):
Arges (thunderbolt), Steropes
(lightning), and Brontes
(thunder), obviously storm gods.
They were born to Gaea and
Uranus. They were also the first
smiths. When Cronus came
to power he imprisoned the
Cyclopes in Tartarus. They were
released by Zeus and fought
with him against the Titans. As
a reward for their release, the
Cyclopes gave Zeus his weapons
cylla and Charybdis guard the
of lighting and thunder.
pass that leads into the Sea of
They continued as his workers
Monsters. The phrase “between
at Mount Olympus forging his
Scylla and Charybdis” (or between
thunderbolts. Arges was killed by Hermes while he guarded Io for Hera.
a rock and a hard
Apollo killed
place) has come
at least one of
to mean being
the Cyclopes in
in a state where
retribution for
one is between
Zeus killing his
two dangers and
son Aesculapius.
moving away
from one will
irens are
cause you to be in
beautiful
danger from the
half-woman, halfother.
birdlike creatures
Scylla was
who sang such
a grotesque
sweet songs that
sea monster, with six long necks
listeners forgot everything and died of hunger. The Sirens are sisters who
equipped with grisly heads, each of
lure sailors to their death. The song of the Sirens is irresistible, but they
which contained three rows of sharp
reside beyond impassable reefs which destroy the sailors boat when they
teeth. Her body consisted of twelve
try to reach the Sirens. Among those tempted were Jason on the Argo
canine legs and a cat’s tail.
and Odysseus. Odysseus escaped from them by filling his crew’s ears with
Across from Scylla Charybdis
wax while he tied himself to the ship’s mast. The Argonauts were saved by
is located. Charybdis makes
Orpheus’ music.
whirlpools.
S
S
Page 3
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Who is a hero?
©Mikequozi
Hero, in literature, broadly, the main character in a literary work; the
term is also used in a specialized sense for any figure celebrated in the
ancient legends of a people or in such early heroic epics as Gilgamesh, the
Iliad, Beowulf, or La Chanson de Roland.
These legendary heroes belong to a princely class existing in an early
stage of the history of a people, and they transcend ordinary men in skill,
strength, and courage. They are usually born to their role. Some, like the
Greek Achilles and the Irish Cú Chulainn (Cuchulain), are of semidivine
origin, unusual beauty, and extraordinary precocity. A few, like the AngloSaxon Beowulf and the Russian Ilya of Murom, are dark horses, slow to
develop.
War or dangerous adventure is the hero’s normal occupation.
He is surrounded by noble peers, and is magnanimous to
his
followers and ruthless to his enemies. In addition to his
prowess
in battle, he is resourceful and skillful in many crafts; he
can
build a house, sail a boat, and, if shipwrecked, is an expert
swimmer.
He is sometimes, like Odysseus, cunning and wise in
counsel,
but a hero is not usually given to much subtlety. He
is a man of
action rather than thought and lives by a personal
code of honour
that admits of no qualification. His responses
are usually
instinctive, predictable, and inevitable. He
accepts challenge
and sometimes even courts disaster. Thus baldly
stated, the hero’s
ethos seems oversimple by the standards of a later age. He is childlike
in his boasting and rivalry, in his love of presents and rewards, and in
his concern for his reputation. He is sometimes foolhardy and wrongheaded, risking his life—and the lives of others—for trifles. Roland, for
instance, dies because he is too proud to sound his horn for help when
he is overwhelmed in battle. Yet the hero still exerts an attraction for
sophisticated readers and remains a seminal influence in literature.
The appearance of heroes in literature marks a revolution in thought
that occurred when poets and their audiences turned their attention
away from immortal gods to mortal men, who suffer pain and death,
but in defiance of this live gallantly and fully, and create, through their
own efforts, a moment’s glory that survives in the memory of their
descendants. They are the first human beings in literature, and the novelty
of their experiences has a perennial freshness.
Page 4
©WebWizzard
“hero.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 30 Apr.
2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/263398/hero>.
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Background to the Odyssey
The War Story – The Iliad
Homer’s first epic was the Iliad,
which tells of a ten year war fought
on the plains beyond the walls of
Troy (a city also known as Ilion
and Ilium). The ruins of Troy can
still be seen today in what is now
western Turkey. In Homer’s story,
the Trojan War was fought between
the people of Troy and an alliance
of early Greek kings (at this time,
each island and area of the Greek
mainland had its own king.). The
action of the Iliad is set in the tenth
and final year of the Trojan War.
According to the Iliad, the Greeks
had attacked Troy to avenge the
insult suffered by Menelaus, king
of the Greek city-state of Sparta,
when his wife Helen ran off with
Paris, a young prince of Troy. The
Greek kings banded together under
the leadership of Agamemnon, the
brother of Menelaus and the king
of Mycenae. In a thousand ships,
they sailed across the Aegean Sea
and mounted the siege of Troy. As
a result, Helen is known today as
“the face that launched a thousand
ships.”
In reality, the war was probably
precipitated by disagreements over
trade routes. The audience of the
Odyssey would have known this
war story. They would have known
all about the greatest of the Greek
warriors, Achilles, who was fated
to die young in the final year of
the war. They would have known
all about the hero of the Odyssey,
Odysseus. They would have known
that it was Odysseus who thought
of the famous wooden-horse trick
that would lead to the downfall of
Troy.
Prior to Odysseus’ plan, the
Greeks were unable to penetrate
the massive walls of Troy, fighting
for ten long years outside the city.
Odysseus’ plan was to build an
enormous wooden horse and hide
a few Greek soldiers in the hollow
belly. After the horse was built, the
Greeks pushed it up to the gates of
Troy and withdrew their armies,
so that their camp appeared
abandoned. Thinking that the
Greeks had given up the fight and
that the horse was a peace offering,
the Trojans brought the horse into
their city.
That night, the Greeks hidden
inside the wooden body came
out, opened the gates of Troy to
the whole Greek army, and began
the battle that was to win the
war. Thanks to Odysseus’ clever
plan, the Greeks were eventually
victorious, and they burned Troy
to the ground.
The Odyssey’s Hero, Theme, and
Chronology
In Homer’s day, heroes were
thought of as a special class of
aristocrats. Their station in life
and their general attitudes placed
them somewhere between the
gods and ordinary human beings.
These heroes might experience
pain and death, but they were
always sure of themselves. The
Odyssey is a portrait of a hero in
trouble. We can relate to this hero
because we share with him a sense
of being somehow lost in a world
of difficult choices. Like him, we
have to cope with unfair authority
figures. Like him, we seem always
to have to work very hard to get
what we want.
The Odyssey is a poem marked
by melancholy and a feeling of
what might be called postwar
disillusionment. Odysseus is a
soldier whose military expertise
is scoffed at by the unimpressed,
fairytale monsters that populate the
world of his wanderings. Even the
people of his home island, Ithaca,
seem to lack respect for him. It is as
if a disinterested society was saying
to the returning war hero, “You
were a great soldier once, or so they
say, but times have changed. This is
a difficult world, and we have more
important things to think about
than your heroics.”
In the years before the Trojan
War, Odysseus had married
the beautiful and ever-faithful
Penelope, one of several very strong
women in the “man’s world” of
the Greek epic. One critic, Robert
Graves, was so impressed by the
unusual importance of women and
home and hearth in the Odyssey
that he believed Homer must have
been a woman.
Odysseus and his family are
people searching for the right
relationships with each other and
with the people around them.
They want to find their proper
places in life. It is this theme that
sets the tone for the Odyssey and
determines the unusual way in
which the poem is structured in
terms of chronology.
Instead of beginning at the
beginning with Odysseus’
departure from Troy, the story
begins “en media res,” in the
middle, with Odysseus’ son,
Telemachus. Telemachus is now
twenty years old, threatened in his
own home by powerful men who
want to rob him of his inheritance,
of his self-respect, and want to
marry his mother. He is a young
man who yearns for the support of
a father.
Continued on page 7
Page 5
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
The Odyssey: Characters and Part 1
Principal Characters in the Odyssey
HUMANS
AGAMEMNON: king and leader of Greek forces during the Trojan war
ALCINOUS: king of the Phaeacians and person to whom Odysseus
relates his story
AMPHINOMUS: one of Penelope’s suitors
ANTINOUS: rudest of Penelope’s suitors
EUMAEUS: Odyssesus’s loyal swineherd
EURYCLEIA: Odyssesus’s faithful old nurse
EURYLOCHUS: one of Odysseus’s crew
EURYMACHUS: one of Penelope’s suitors
EURYNOME: Penelope’s housekeeper
LAERTES: Odysseus’s father
MARON: priest of Apollo who gives Odysseus a gift of powerful wine
ODYSSEUS: king of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan war
PENELOPE: Odysseus’s wife
PERIMEDES: one of Odysseus’s crew
TELEMACHUS: Odysseus and Penelope’s son
TIRESIAS: blind prophet from the underworld
GODS AND IMMORTALS
APOLLO: god of sunlight, music, poetry, medicine, law and the tending
of flocks and herds
ATHENA: daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, skills, and warfare
who helps her chosen heroes
CALYPSO: immortal sea nymph who held Odysseus captive for many
years
CHARYBDIS: dangerous whirlpool personified as a female monster
CIRCE: enchantress ho lives on the island of Aeaea
CYCLOPES: race of one-eyed giants: an individual member of the race is
a Cyclops
HELIOS: god of the sun; another name for Apollo
LOTUS EASTERS: inhabitants of a land visited by Odysseus and his crew
POLYPHEMUS: a Cyclops and son of Poseidon
POSEIDON: god of the sea and earthquakes
SCYLLA: six-headed female sea monster
SIRENS: sea nymphs who sing songs that lure men to their death
ZEUS: king of the gods
Summary
In the invocation, the poet capsulizes major adventures of Odysseus.
Odysseus begins recounting his travels to King Alcinous: Weathering
storms, he and his men reach the land of the Lotus Eaters. When they lose
all desire to leave, he forces them to the ships. In the land of Cyclopes,
Odysseus and twelve men explore the cave of Polyphemus and are
trapped. The giant eats six of Odysseus’s men before the general contrives
a plan for escape. They get the giant drunk, and when he falls asleep,
blind him with a sharpened tree trunk. In the morning, when he rolls the
stone from his cave opening, the adventurers tie themselves to the bellies
Page 6
of sheep and escape. Odysseus
unwisely tells Polyphemus his name
as he sails away.
Key Vocabulary
plunder v. to take (property) by
force, especially in warfare; p. 813
valor n. great courage, especially in
battle; p. 813
formidable adj. causing fear, dread,
awe or admiration as a result of
size; strength, power, or some other
impressive quality; p. 815
guile n. slyness; craftiness; skillful
deception; p. 815
ponderous adj. having great weight
or bulk; heavy; p. 820
profusion n. plentiful amount;
abundance; p. 821
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Questions
What happens to the men
who go ashore in the land of
the Lotus Eaters? Why might
Odysseus be so opposed to the
eating of lotus?
Why might Odysseus have
commented on the Cyclopes’s
way of life before relating his
adventure in their land?
Summarize the events that
occur after Odysseus and his
men become trapped inside
the Cyclops’s cave. What
personality traits does Odysseus
revel in leading his men to
safety?
Describe the character of the
Cyclops, using evidence from
the selection in your answer.
What is ironic about his speech
in lines 363-378?
Describe an instance of
Odysseus acting against
the advice of his men. In
your opinion, why doesn’t
Odysseus listen to them?
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
The Odyssey: Part 2
Continued from page 5
Meanwhile, we hear that
Odysseus is stranded on an island,
longing to find a way to get back
to his wife, child, and home. It is
already ten years since his sailing
from Troy, twenty years since his
original departure from Ithaca. If
Telemachus is in search of the inner
strength represented by the wishedfor presence and approval of his
father, Odysseus is in search of a
way to establish a natural balance
in his life. The quests of father and
son provide a framework for the
poem and bring us into it as well
because we all are in search of our
real identities, our true selves.
Summary
Odysseus and his crew set sail from Circe’s island. He plugs his men’s
ears so they cannot hear the irresistible siren song, and tells the men to
tie him to the mast. As they pass Scylla and Charybdis, Scylla devours six
men. They near Helios’s island, and Odysseus lets the men go ashore. The
desperate crew kill some cattle for food. In revenge, Zeus sends a squall to
destroy the ship. Only Odysseus survives, with Zeus’s help, and after nine
days adrift lands on Ogygia Isle, where the nymph Calypso keeps him.
Key Vocabulary
shun v. to keep away from; avoid; p. 834
ador n. passion; intensity of emotion; enthusiasm; p. 835
dwindle v. to gradually lessen; diminish; p. 835
tumult n. commotion; uproar; p. 836
peril n. danger; risk; soething that may cuase injury or destruction; p. 836
quest v. to seek; search or pursue in order to find something or chieve a
goal; p. 838
shroud v. to cover, as with a veil or burial cloth; conceal; p. 840
supplication n. earnest or humble request or prayer; p. 841
insidious adj. slyly treacherous or deceitful; scheming; p. 841
adorn v. to decorate; add beauty, honor, or distinction to; p. 841
restitution n. compensation for something that has been lost, damaged, or
taken away; p. 843
contentious adj. quarrelsome; argumentative; p. 845
Questions
1. How does Odysseus protect his men from the song of the sirens? How
do his men protect him?
2. In your opinion, why does the weather in the vicinity of the sirens
change suddenly? What might be the intended effect of the change?
3. How does Odysseus help his
men overcome their fear as
the ship approaches Scylla and
Charybdis?
4. Odysseus says, “But as I sent
them on toward Scylla I / told
them nothing, as they could do
nothing.” What does he mean?
In your opinion, is Odysseus
being thoughtful or deceitful in
this scene? Explain.
5. How does Eurylochus persuade
Odysseus to stop at Helios?
6. Explain how Odysseus’s
statement, “Eurylochus, they
are with you to a man. / I
am alone, outmatched,” is an
example of foreshadowing.
7. Why do Odysseus and his men
stay longer than planned on the
island of Helios? What is the
result of the delay?
8. What agreement do Zeus and
Helios make?
9. In your opinion, is Zeus or
Odysseus responsible for
Odysseus’s survival? Support
your answer with details from
the selection.
Page 7
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
The Odyssey: Part 3
©Michael Pollack
Summary
Athena has Odysseus reveal his identity to Telemachus. Father and
son then plan how to kill the suitors. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus
returns to his manor, where one suitor, Antinous, insults and abuses him.
Odysseus wishes death on him. Penelope sends for the beggar to ask any
news of Odysseus and reveals to him her suffering and problems in his
twenty years’ absence. Unable to put off the suitors any longer, she sets
them a test and promises to marry the winner. Since only Odysseus is
capable of the deed, the suitors fail. When the beggar succeeds, his identity
is revealed.
Key Vocabulary
cower v. to crouch or shrink back, as in fear or shame; p. 853
impudence n. speech or behavior that is aggressively forward or rude; p.
858
mortified adj. deeply embarrassed, shamed, or humiliated; p. 859
rebuke v. to scold sharply; criticize; p. 859
guise n. outward appearance; false appearance; p. 859
renowned adj. famous; widely known; p. 861
commandeer v. to seize by force or threats; p. 862
justification n. a reason for an action that shows it to be just, right, or
©Dan4th
reasonable; p. 863
Odysseus true-to-life? Explain
omen n. a sign or event thought to foretell good or bad fortune;
why or why not.
forewarning; p. 865
6.
Describe how Homer
contemptible adj. deserving of scorn; disgraceful; p. 865
establishes Antinous as
Questions
Odysseus’s principal antagonist
1. What role does Athena play in reuniting Odysseus with his son,
among the suitors.
Telemachus? Give two reasons why Telemachus might have had
7. What do you think of
trouble identifying his father.
Antinous’s behavior toward the
2. In the first 85 lines of “The Beggar at the Manor,” find at least tow
“beggar”? Do people treat each
examples of foreshadowing that the suitors will be punished.
other this way today? Explain.
3. Why does Penelope summon Odysseus? What is ironic about her
8. Paraphrase lines 28-37 of “The
interview with him? What does his restraint say about his character?
Test of the Bow.” Why do you
4. What is “the test of the bow”? In your opinion, is this a fair test?
suppose Homer uses an epic
Explain your answer.
simile to describe this moment?
5. In your opinion, is the recognition scene between Telemachus and
Page 8
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
The Odyssey: Part 4
©Cea
Summary
Odysseus kills Antinous with an arrow. The suitors react angrily but
find all weapons are gone. Odysseus identifies himself and rebukes them.
Eurymachus pleads for their lives; he says the leader is dead and the others
will make restitution. Odysseus insists on revenge; the suitors decide to
“go down fighting.” Telemachus arms himself and brings his father more
weapons. They and two faithful herdsmen kill all the suitors, with help
from Athena. Penelope cannot believe her husband has returned and sets
a secret test for him. When he proves that he is Odysseus, the two are
joyfully reunited.
Key Vocabulary
wily adj. tricky or sly; crafty; p, 870
revelry n. noisy festivity; merrymaking; p. 870
jostle v. to bump, push, or shove roughly, as with elbows in a crowd; p. 870
implacable adj. impossible to satisfy or soothe; unyielding; p. 872
deflect v. to cause to go off course; turn aside; p. 872
revulsion n. intense dislike, disgust, or horror; p. 872
lavish v. to give generously; provide in abundance; p. 877
aloof adj. emotionally distant; uninvolved; disinterested; standoffish; p.
878
tremulous adj. characterized by trembling; shaky; p. 879
Questions
1. Descirbe the death of Antinous.
2. In your opinion, why does Odysseus choose Antinous as his first
victim? Why do the suitors react to Antinous’s death as they do?
3. How does Eurymachus attempt to avert bloodshed? How does
Odysseus respond?
4. What role does Telemachus play in the fight against the suitors?
5. How does Telemachus prove that he can think and act like his father?
6. What evidence do the nurse and Telemachus provide to convince
Penelope that the stranger is Odysseus? How does she respond?
7. Penelope faces this dilemma after the suitors are killed: “Had she
better keep her distance / and question him, her husband? Should she
run / up to him, take his hands, kiss him now?” What are her choices?
Why might she be unclear about what to do?
8. In the end, what convinces Penelope that her husband has returned?
9. Explain why Penelope’s test of Odysseus’s identity brings him “ to the
breaking point.” Of all his challenges, why might this be the toughest?
©Amanderson2
Page 9
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Literary Elements in the Odyssey
Epic Simile
A simile is an expression that uses
like or as to compare two seemingly
unlike things. For example, Homer
writes that the Cyclops, “caught two
[men] in his hands like squirming
puppies” and ate them, “gaping and
crunching like a mountain lion.” an
epic simile, also called a Homeric
simile, extends a comparison with
elaborate descriptive details that
can fill several lines of verse.
1. In part 1, the scene describing
the blinding of the Cyclops on
pages 822-823 contains two
epic similes. Identify the lines
of each simile and tell what is
being compared.
2. In your opinion, why might
Homer have used more than
one extended simile to describe
this event?
Personification
Personification is a figure of
speech in which an animal, force
of nature, idea, or an inanimate
object is given human qualities or
characteristics. Homer frequently
uses personification to describe
events in the natural world and
to create vivid images that would
capture the imagination of his
audience. For example, dawn, the
rising of the sun, is repeatedly
personified in the Odyssey as “the
young Dawn with fingertips of
rose.” dawn is also treated royally,
as Odysseus says, “Dawn mounted
her golden throne.”
1. In part 2, reread the description
of Charybdis on page 837.
What natural phenomenon is
Homer actually describing?
What words does he use to
personify it? Why, do
you suppose, does he
choose to describe
Charybdis, in this way?
2. Find and explain
another example of
personification in the
Odyssey.
The cheeseburger “dances”
and Time is as slow as a
turtle.
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Characterization
Characterization is the
method a writer uses to reveal a
character’s personality. In indirect
characterization, a character’s
personality is revealed through
the character’s words, thoughts,
or actions or though those
of other characters. In direct
characterization, direct statements
are made about a character’s
personality.
1. In part 3, what methods of
characterization does Homer
use to reveal Penelope’s
personality? Support your ideas
with examples.
2. For another character in part
3, find an action a line or two
of dialogue, or another clue to
characterization. Tell what this
evidence suggests about the
character’s personality.
Climax
In a story or epic narrative, the
climax is the moment when
the events of the plot reach an
emotional high point and the
action takes a new turn. Very often
this is also the moment of greatest
interest or excitement for the
reader. In a long work such as the
Odyssey, there may be more than
one climax. Odysseus’s encounter
with Polyphemus, for example, is a
self-contained tale within the epicand the moment when Odysseus
blinds the Cyclops is its climax.
1. What is the climax of “Death
in the Great Hall”? What is the
climax of “The Trunk of the
Olive Tree”?
2. Which of these climaxes could
be considered the climax of the
epic as a whole? Explain your
answer.
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
How to write a Character Analysis
A strong character analysis will:
1. Identify the type of character it
is dealing with. (A single character
could be two or three types.
Different kinds of characters are
listed below.)
2. Describe the character.
3. Discuss the conflict in the story,
particularly in regards to the
character’s place in it.
There are different kinds of
characters. Characters can be:
• protagonist (heroes), The main
character around whom most of the
work revolves.
• antagonists, The person who the
protagonist is against. This is often
the villain, but could be a force of
nature, set of circumstances, an
animal, etc.
• major, These are the main
characters. They dominate the
story. Often there are only one or
two major characters.
•minor, These are the characters
who help tell the major
character’s tale by letting major
characters interact and reveal
their personalities, situations,
stories. They are usually static
(unchanging).
• stereotypical (stock), This is the
absent-minded professor, the jolly
fat person, the clueless blonde.
• foils, These are the people who
job is to contrast with the major
character. This can happen in two
ways. One: The foil can be the
opposite of the major character, so
the major’s virtues and strengths are
that much “brighter” in reflection.
Two: The foil can be someone like
the major character, with lighter
versions of the major’s virtues and
strengths so that the major comes
off as even stronger.
Describing a Character
Consider the character’s name and
appearance.
• Is the author taking advantage
of stereotypes? The hot-tempered
redhead, the boring brunette, the
playboy fraternity.
• Is the author going against
stereotypes? The brilliant blonde,
the socially adept professor.
• Is their name significant?
• Are there any unusual visual
attributes?
Consider is he/she if a static
(unchanging) or dynamic (changing)
character. If the character has
changed during the course of the
story:
• Was the change gradual or rapid?
• Was it subtle or obvious?
• Are the changes significant to
the story or are they a minor
counterpoint?
•Are the changes believable or
fantastic?
• What was his/her motivation to
change?
• What situations or character
encouraged the change?
•How does the character learn from
or deal with change?
Consider how the author discloses
the character:
•By what the character ways or
thinks.
• By what the character does.
• By what other characters say
about him/her.
• By what the author ways about
him/her.
• The short form for this is STAR
(says, thinks, acts, reacts).
Look for these things within the
creation of the character:
Psychological/personality traits
• Do these characteristics aid in
the character being consistent (in
character), believable, adequately
motivated, and interesting?
• Do the characteristics of the
character emphasize and focus on
the character’s role in the story’s
plot?
Motivation
• Is the character ethical? Is he/she
trying to do the right thing, but
going about it in
the wrong way?
• Is the motivation because of
emotion (love, hate) or a decision
(revenge, promotion)?
Behavior/Actions
• Does the character act in a certain
way consistently?
• Or is the character erratic?
Relationships
• With other characters in the story
• How others see/react to him/her
Weaknesses/Faults
• Typical tragic weakness is pride.
• Weakness could be anything.
Strengths/Virtues
• There are many different strengths
and virtues.
• One strength/virtue is being good
in trying times.
• Another strength/virtue is caring
for family.
• Another strength/virtue is being
smart.
• Most protagonists have more than
one strength/virtue.
Moral Constitution
• Often a character will agonize
over right and wrong.
•If a character doesn’t agonize and
chooses on e or the other easily,
that is also significant.
Discussing the Conflict in the Story
Conflict can be many things:
External
• man vs. man
• man vs. machine
• man vs. society
Page 11
The Odyssey: A Reader’s Companion
Which Character from the Odyssey are you?
1. What would you rather do?
a. Travel all over the world to get
back to your loved ones and homeland.
b. Travel around your area for news
of your missing father.
c. Weep all day because you think
your loved ones are gone and dead.
d. Take your crush captive on an
island and make him/her stay with
you. (cuckoo cuckoo).
e. Attack someone relentlessly
because he/she blinded one of your
offspring.
f. Help someone reach home
because you pity him/her.
5. What would you rather be?
a. A god
b. A goddess
c. A tactician and a king
d. Son/daughter of a king
e. Wife of a king/ queen
f. Another goddes
Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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©Laura Dye
Telemachus (1. b, 2. f, 3. c, 4. b,
Calypso (1. d, 2. d, 3. a, 4. b, 5. f)
3. Who do you like more?
a. Plot their death secretly in your
mind.
b. Let them do what they want.
c. Try to get them out with words.
d. Ask someone close to you if they
will help you kill off the strangers.
You are the queen of Odysseus.
You would weep a lot when your
loved ones are gone like Odysseus
or Telemachus. You are also very
cautious because you think that
people may trick you.
You are the son of a king. You like
to take charge of the house when
no authority figure is around.
You try to stop people with words
instead of attacking them right off
the bat. You are very much like
your father in many ways.
a. Smart
b. Cautious
c. Defiant and courageous
d. Easily angered when someone you know is hurt
e. Helpful
f. Resistant unless your superior tells you otherwise
4. If you found out your house
was filled with strangers that
were there for days feasting,
what would you do?
Penelope (1. c, 2. c, 3. a, 4. c, 5. e)
5. d)
2. How would you describe yourself?
a. Odysseus
b. Penelope
c. Telemachus
d. Athena
e. Polyphemus
you do. You are one the bravest
fighters as well for you are smart
and able to think of strategies very
quickly. You are also one of the
richest kings.
Athena (1. b, 2. e, 3. a, 5. b)
You are one of the smartest
goddess. You like to help people
who need help just like Odysseus.
You like to trick some people so
that they will do things the way you
want them to be done.
Odysseus (1. a, 2. a, 3. b, 4. d, 5. c)
You are one of the best tacticians in
the world. The gods/goddess’ have
blessed you but you are hated by
some of the gods because of what
You are an ocean goddess/nymph.
You are someone who will do what
it takes to get your loved one/
crush even though he/she doesn’t
love you back. You will have your
own island and keep your loved
one/crush there forever unless
your superior tells you to let him/
her go.
Poseidon (1. e, 2. d, 3. e, 5. a)
You are a very powerful god. You
get easily angered when someone
you know is hurt very badly. You
will torture/attack the person that
has damaged the person that you
know. You will pretty much keep
that up until he/she apologizes.
You are also someone who keeps a
grudge for a long time.