ODYSSEY QUESTIONS

Sailing from Troy
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1. Describe the events on Ismarus.
Odysseus and his men escaped when the Cicones attacked them and when to war. 2. What were Odysseus’s feelings when he was held captive by Calypso and Circe?
Odysseus feelings when he was held captive by Calypso and Circe was that he was longed to be home. 3. Why did Odysseus not give in to the charms of Circe?
In the passage it says, “Where shall man find sweetness to surpass his own home and parents? In far lands he shall not..” 4. Explain why Odysseus and his men were defeated by the Cicones.
Because they didn’t listen to Odysseus and get back on the ship, they were outnumbered by the Cicones. The Lotus­Eaters
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5. Fully describe what keeps Odysseus from reaching home?
Zeus roused a storm against the ships making Odysseus and his men land at the coast line were the Lotus­Eaters live. 6. Why did Odysseus not allow his men to eat “the sweet lotus”? Describe what happens to those who do so.
Odysseus did not allow his men to eat “the sweet lotus” because it made them want to stay forever. Also because they never cared to report or return. 7. Explain what this episode suggests about the kinds of problems Odysseus has with his men.
Odysseus’ men doesn’t listen to him they have a hard time staying focused. The Cyclops
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8. Describe Polyphemus and his home.
Polyphemus is a son of Poseidon. He lives in a cave on the island of the cyclops. Were
Polyphemus lives, thee cyclops on the island never hang out or meet with one another.
They were all to themselves. 9. Explain why Odysseus does not kill Polyphemus when he first gets the opportunity to do so.
Odysseus does not kill Polyphemus when he first gets the opportunity to do so because he needed Polyphemus to remove the door that was in their way or they might have been stuck in the cave forever. 10. Fully describe what Odysseus does to blind Polyphemus and ultimately escape from him.

Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk. Odysseus ties his men to Polyphemus’ sheep while he hung on the back of one. When Polyphemus opens the door to let the sheep out as soon as the door was open, Odysseus jabed a stick through Polyphemus’ eye. 11. Polyphemus did not expect Odysseus to be as he is. What did he expect?
He expected Odysseus to be bigger and he thought Odysseus would of never revealed his name. 12. What survival qualities does Odysseus exhibit in his conflict with Polyphemus?
Odysseus thinks his plans out thoroughly and he’s a great leader. 13. Explain how Odysseus’s parting comments to Polyphemus play a significant role in
Odysseus’s future. What do his words and actions say about him?
If Odysseus wouldn’t have told Polyphemus his real name, it wouldn’t of took that long to get back to his home. His words says that he doesn’t know when to just be quiet, but his actions shows that he is brave and will do anything to get back to his wife and son.

The Land of the Dead
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14. Fully describe the rites Odysseus performs in the land of the Men of Winter. What is the purpose of these rites?
The purpose of these rites was to give the dead the respect and to honor them. 15. Who is Elpenor? Explain what happened to him and what he requests of
Odysseus.
Elpenor was one of Odysseus men. His death was unnoticed, he was on the roof of
Circe’s house and fell. 16. Describe what teiresias foretells.
He foretells that Odysseus will return home. He tells him the Poseidon is punishing him for blinding Polyphemus. 17. What directions and warnings does Tiresias give?
Teiresias tell Odysseus to avoid the cows(kine). 18. What character traits does Odysseus display in this episode that he did not reveal in his adventure with the Cyclops?
After he seen his mother it opened his eyes up. The Sirens
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19. Fully describe what Odysseus has his crew do to him so that the can listen to the
Sirens’ song.
He told his men to tie him up and if he asked them to untie him, don’t do it. 20. What does Odysseus do to protect his men?
Put wax in their ears. 21. Describe how Odysseus reacts to the song.

He wanted his men to untie him. 22. Summarize what the Sirens say in their song.
Odysseus will not return home. Scylla and Charybdis
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23. As Odysseus and his crew near Scylla and Charybdis, describe how the men react.
They were scared to death. They turned ple. 24. Describe what happens as the men sail past Scylla.
Scylla ate 6 of his best men.

25. How does Odysseus show himself to be an effective leader of men?
He kept calm and gave orders. He reassured them when they scared. 26. Why does Odysseus choose to sail past Scylla rather than Charybdis?
Odysseus chose to sail past Scylla rather than Charybdis because if he sailed towards
Charybdis his ship would have gotten destroyed The Cattle of the Sun God
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27. Summarize what Eurylochus says to persuade Odysseus men to slaughter and eat the cattle of Helios, the sun god.
Eurylochus says that they could eat and live for then and ask for forgiveness and offer a sacrifice, or starve to death. 28. What is Zeus’s response to Helios’s demand for revenge?
Zeus stuck a one lightning bolt. 29. Fully describe how Odysseus manages to escape death.
He built a raft, got thrown to a fig tree and held on to it. 30. What impressions of the gods do you get from the conference between Helios and
Zeus?
They all stand up for one another. “Twenty years gone, and I am back again”
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31. Describe what Athena says and does to Odysseus.
Athena tell Odysseus about the suitors in the house and how they’ve been treating the kingdom since he was missing, she disguises him as a beggar and helps him come up with a plan to kill the suitors. 32. Describe Telemachus’s reaction when Odysseus reveals himself.
When he first see Odysseus, he doesn’t believes that its him. When he finally realized that it was him, he was happy to finally see him after 20 years.

33. What does Odysseus direct his son to do in preparation for an attack on the suitors? Count the men and the weapons. 34. Why does Odysseus not want his presence revealed even to his family and household? He wanted to make sure that his wife had stayed faithful to him while he was gone for
20 years. Argus
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35. What was Argus like in his youth?
Argus was hunting dog and faithful to Odysseus. He was a strong dog but when
Odysseus had left, no one treated him right. 36. Why doesn’t Odysseus greet Argus?
He thought it might have shown the suitors that he was there. 37. Explain why Argus dies just as Odysseus returns home.
Argus missed Odysseus, his master so much, that he wanted to see him again before he took his last breath. The Suitors
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38. Describe Antinous’s treatment of Odysseus as a beggar.
He talks bad to him. He hits him in the shoulder with a brick. 39. What fate does Odysseus with for Antinous?
He calls upon the furies and brings about his death. 40. Why do the other suitors speak against Antinous?
They afraid that he might be a god in disguise. 41. Describe Penelope’s reaction to the events in the hall.
She knows how Antinous is and asks to speak with Odysseus. 42. Describe Eurynome reaction to the same events.
Eurynome knows that Antinous is a terrible person.
Penelope
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43. What reason does Odysseus give for not answering Penelope’s questions about his background? Odysseus says that it heartbreaking and it brings back pain when he thinks about it. 44. Fully describe the trick Penelope uses to delay choosing a husband from among the suitors?
She would weave on the loom and unweave it at night . 45. What impression of Penelope do you get from her speech?
Penelope was a faithful woman and she knew that it was impossible for a man beside

Odysseus to string the bow. 46. Why does Odysseus choose not to reveal his identity to his wife now?
Odysseus wants to see if any man can string the bow. The Challenge
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47. Describe the suitors’ reactions when Odysseus, still in disguise, takes up the bow.
They laugh at him and thinks that he is joking. 48. What is the meaning of the sign that Zeus gives?
Path way Odysseus’s Revenge
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49. Describe the immediate reaction of the suitors to the killing of Antinous.
They were saying that Odysseus shouldn’t do that. 50. What argument does Eurymachus use to try to persuade Odysseus to spare the suitors? Eurymachus tried to tell Odysseus that they were only following what Antinous had done. 51. Describe how Telemachus aids his father in the battle against his suitors.
He brings him four light shields, four pairs of spears and four helms of war high­plumed with flowing names. 52. What are Odysseus’s reasons for slaying all the suitors?
They were trying to take away his kingdom. Penelope’s Test
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53. Explain why Odysseus is displeased with Penelope?
Because she doesn’t believes that its him. 54. What is her response to his complaint?
She tells him about how she weaved and unweave the loom each night. Also about the people who tried to frame and say that they were Odysseus. 55. Fully describe Penelope’s test and how Odysseus “passes” it.
She tells him that she wants to move their bed outside the room and he tells her that it's impossible because their bed was carved from a tree. 56. Even though Odysseus has abandoned his disguise, why does Penelope doubt his identity? She thought that Odysseus would have aged since she hasn’t seen him in 20 years,