Study guide for The Odyssey
Ithaka
Dramatic Structure of The Odyssey
• Books 1-4 Telemakhos’ journey
• Books 6- 8 Odysseus travels to the land of the
Phaiakinas and is entertained by them
• Books 8- 12 Odysseys tells of his journeys
• Books 13- 16 Odysseus returns to Ithaka and is
reunited with Telemakhos
• Books 17-20 Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus
meets the suitors and Penelope
• Books 20-24 Odysseus wins the bow contest,
kills the suitors, and reveals himself to Penelope
Zeus
Athena
Telemakhos’ Journeys
Advised by Athena disguised as Mentes and
Mentor, Telemakhos travels to Pylos to
see Nestor and to Sparta to see Menelaus
and Helen to find news of his father.
Penelope weaves a shroud for
Laertes and undoes her work at
night to stall the suitors
Reconstruction of Nestor's
Palace at Pylos
Everything in Nestor's kingdom at Pylos is
running smoothly and just as it should.
The people are on the beach making
offerings to the Poseidon, and the region
itself is described as full of "plowlands kind
with grain,” with Pylos itself standing as a
"compact stronghold.” Compare this with
the chaos that rules back home in Ithaka!
Sparta
Hermes
Hermes is
sent by Zeus
to tell Kalypso
that she has
to let Odysseus
go.
Osysseus has spent seven years on
Kalypso’s island.
Jan Brueghel
Odysseus & Calypso (c. 1600)
After leaving Kalypso, Odysseus
lands on the land of the Phaeikians
Odysseus meets Nausikaa
Demodokhos, the blind bard at the
court of Alkinoos
Book 9
• Odysseus and his fleet leave Troy
• The Kikones (six men die)
• The Lotus Eaters (temptation to forget
home)
• The Kyklops (six men die)
The Kikones
DJERBA
Island of the Lotus Eaters off the coast of Tunisia
The lotus
Odysseus and the Cyclops
Odysseus
blinds
Polyphemus
Odysseus escapes from Polyphemos’
cave hidden underneath a ram.
Polyphemus throws rocks at
Odysseus’ ship as Odysseus
provokes him with insults
Poseidon
Book 10
• Aiolos
• Almost home (Odysseus sleeps and his
companions disobey him)
• Laestrygonians (only Odysseus and his
ship survive)
• Kirke
Aiolos, king of the winds
The Laestrygonians
destroy the ships
Kirke transforms Odysseus men
into pigs.
Kirke
Odysseus threatens Kirke.
Book 11
• Travel to the Underworld
• Elpenor, Teiresias, Antikleia, the wives or
daughters of illustrious men, Agamemnon
• Achilles, Ajax, Minos, Orion, Tytos,
Tantalos, Sisyphos, Herakles
Odysseus consults
Thiresias
Book 12
•
•
•
•
Kirke
The Sirens (temptation to forget home)
Skylla and Kharybdis (six men die)
Helios - The island of the sun (Odysseus
sleeps and his companions disobey him)
• Odysseus is the only survivor.
• Kalypso
The Sirens
Odysseus and the Sirens
Skylla
Skylla and Kharybdis
Helios, the god of the sun
Helios
Shipwreck after killing the cattle of
Helios
Kalypso
Odysseus is brought to Ithaka by
the Phaeiakians
Ithaka Bay
Odysseus transformed into an old
man by Athena
Odysseus
disguised as a beggar
Eurykleia washing Odysseus’ feet
Odysseus the archer
Odysseus Slaying the Suitor
(Painting on red cup, ca 400 BC)
The Return of Odysseus
Artist: Pinturicchio
1509 AD
• Odysseus, Penelope, Telemakhos,
Laertes, Antikleia
• Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Hermes
• Alkinoos, Arete, Nausikaa
• the Kikones, the Lotus Eaters, Calypso,
the Laestrigonians, Polyphemos, Kirke,
• Eurykleia, Eumaios, Malanthios
• Antinoos, Eurymakhos,
• Teiresias
• Agamemnon, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen