FINAL

ODYSSEY REVIEW GUIDE:
THEMES:
Be able to show three examples from the text to back up each of the following:
Loyalty
Hospitality
Pride/Arrogance
Coming of Age
Forgetting (or the evils of drugs and women) - with circe for a year because of drugs, the sirens lure people to their,
MOTIFS:
Be able to explain the following and why they are used:
Storytelling- use stories to retell what happend before the book started so we understand why some of this is happening the way it is
Back story of Troy
Agammenon/Clytaimnestra

Other Epic elements:
Starts “in the middle of things”; Odysseus’ tragic flaw; sports

SYMBOLS:
Be able to explain the following:
Birds (especially eagles); Hades; Odyssey’s Wound

GODS (know the following and what they do in the text)::
Athena; Poseidon; Hermes; Zeus; Helios
SEDUCTRESSES: (know the following and their purpose)
Helen; Calypso; Circe; Sirens


CHARACTERS:
Be able to give a description of the following and their roles in the story (perhaps what the symbolize or represent – and connect to a theme)
Agammenon
Amphinomos- one of the suitors he sees the dove being carried by the eagle in its talons representing how odysseus is coming to kill them
Achilles
Telemachos
Helen
Laertes
Menelaus
Penelope
Aias (Ajax) - he raped cassandra on the alter of athena, is in
Antinoos
Orestes
Eurymachos
Nestor
Lotus Eaters
Mentor
Ciconians
Nausicaa
Polyphemos
Alcinoos
Scylla
Arete
Charybdis
Emaios
Aiolos
Theoclymenos
Elpenor
Melanthios
Teiresias - blind prophet in hades
Arnaios
Eurylochos
Eurycleia - maid of odysseus, telemachos tells her first of his journey, she keeps the secret of odysseus's identity, remains loyal to him
Cassandra - raped by Ajax on the alter of athena
Tityo- gets liver eaten out by vultures everyday
Tantalus - can't eat of drink in hades
Sisyphus - rolls the rock up the hill in hell and then has to start all over when he gets close to the top. Hills forever



ODYSSEY: FINAL
1) How does the Odyssey start “in the middle of things”?
starts in the middle of the book because odysseus has been gone for 20 years already and his son and wife are living with penelope's suitors, then it switches between tenses to tell the story of how they got to be where they are now and how the story moves forward into the present day in the story.


2) What is Odysseus’ tragic flaw and how is it shown?
His tragic flaw is his pride and how he likes to boast and do unnecessary things when he conquers the cyclops which enrages him because he can't take the taunting he tries to say that he


3) Explain the motif of Agammenon and Clytaimnestra. What theme does it reinforce?
This motif shows that the wife and and her lover kill her husband. His wife wasn't loyal at all but he remained loyal to her through the war. Odysseus's wife is loyal to him even after 20 years of him being gone. She doesn't act like the other women and cheat on her husband. Odysseus it pretty much loyal throughout the whole story to his wife but sleeps with circe on his way to get home with his wife


4) Who are seductresses in the Odyssey and what purpose do they serve?

the seductresses are helen, Circe, calypso, and the sirens. They serve the purpose of showing how evil women can be and are considered to be in this story,




5) Summarizes Books 1-4. What story do they tell?






6) Summarize Books 5-8. What story do they tell?






7) Summarize Books 20-24. What story do they tell?





8) Discuss the theme of Loyalty and give three detailed examples from the book.
In the book all the wives cheat on their husbands and the men aren't loyal but Odysseus is trying to get home and he remains relatively loyal to his wife only sleeping with Calypso because she makes him and with circe he does so to get home to his wife sooner. Penelope unlike other women stays loyal to her husband even with dozens of men throwing themselves at her and she waits 20 years for him to come home. So first example is penelope waiting for 20 years


9) Discuss the theme of Hospitality and give three detailed examples from the book.
In Greece Hospitality is very important and everyone there gives whatever they can and have to their guests to make their stay enjoyable. When Odysseus goes to the sea people place, how the suitors stay at Odysseus's house for a long time, and then when the herdsmen help him and let him stay there even though he doesn't have much.


10) Discuss the back-story of Troy, where it appears and what it represents.

it appears in book three, it is there to represent and show everything that happened before and how it leads up to everything that is in place now, basically helen is "kidnapped" by trojan prince, menolaos's wife of sparta. and the two countries fight over her. odysseus fought in it, the backstory tells us why he has been gone so long


11) Discuss the symbol of Hades. What does it represent? Who is there? What do they say or do there?

Hades is there to show how all of the evil people ended up in this world, achilles is there, so it
ties up lose ends, unhospitable people there like the suitors and disloyal people are there, the glory of people and the unglorifying death of the suitors in their slaughter


12) Discuss the symbol of birds. What does it represent? Give three examples from the book?

birds symbolize omens, penelope sees eagle killing her geese showing that her husband is coming to get the suitors, Amphinomos sees eagle carrying dove in its talon showing odysseus is coming to kill them, athena takes the form of a bird to show her sly side


The following questions are worth 2 point each.
Give a description of the following characters and their roles in the story.

13) Achilles- his mother dipped in water to make him not be able to be killed, but his achilles could kill him because it was the part that didn't get dipped, he wishes he could have eternity as a poor farmer with a long life instead of a short life but he was remembered.

14) Antinoos- the most evil one of the suitors, wants to kill Telemachos and become king, he's the antagonist


15) Emurymachos - the less evil of the suitors, the one who doesn't want to kill Telemachos, killed by Odysseus


16) Nausicaa- daughter of Ancinoos king of the Phaicians, finds odysseus washed up and gets him clothes because athena tells her to


17) Scylla- 6 headed creature living in the cave or something.


18) Charybdis- shes the ocean monster who eats stuff like every hour or something, whirlpools


19) Aiolos - that wind god who gives Odysseus that bag of winds to help him get home


20) Laertes- Odysseus's old frail father, he's depressed a lot because he misses his son


21) Orestes- son of agemenom and kills his mother and her lover to avenge his father's death, showing loyalty


22) Nestor - king of Pylos and former soldier of the war

21 to 24 Summary

Penelope gets Odysseus's bow down and ready for the competition. She remembers the story of how he got it from Iphitos as payment for a debt and the two had become good friends. Now Penelope tells the suitors about the contest and all the rules that it has. Eumaios and Philoitios have to get the weapons ready and start to cry because she has given up hope that Odysseus will return. Telemachos lines up first to shoot the arrow because he wants to prove his strength and manliness. He has to try four times before it looks like he will succeed, but the beggar tells him not to do it. So then the first suitor is up to try but he fails. So does the second suitor. Antinoos wants to cheat and and limber up the bow so it's easier. Odysseus reveals his identity to Eumaios and Philoitios and proves it with his scar. Antinoos tries to wait to have his turn, by suggesting they all go in to eat now. The beggar says that he wants to string the bow and all the suitors don't want that because they're worried he will do better than them. Penelope lets the suitor have a try at the bow. Then Telemachos says this isn't a woman's job and tells her to go upstairs and stay in her room. But Penelope obeys because she's proud of his newfound bravery. He also instructs the old maid Eurikleia to lock all the women in their rooms and not to come out. Odysseus successfully strings the bow through all the axe things and the suitors stop making fun of him. Zeus sends a thunderclap and Telemachos stands next to the now revealed Odysseus.

Odysseus shoots Antinoos first, by sending an arrow through his throat while he drinks wine. The suitors runs when they realize they have no weapons. Eurymachos begs for mercy on everyone since Odysseus has killed the worst one. Odysseus is all like "Nah, man." So Eurymachos starts rallying up the suitors to fight Odysseus and so he kills him too. Odysseus and Eumaios and Philoitios and Telemachos fight the men, who now have weapons. Athena arrives disguised as Mentor to help. Athena tells Odysseus to use his great skills from Troy because justice is coming. Athena is protecting Telemachos and Odysseus and when the suitors realize they have godly help they back off. Odysseus has killed off all the suitors because he is ruthless. The disloyal maids are forced to drag out the dead corpses and clean the room. Telemachos then hangs them at his father's order. Odysseus is going to purify the great hall with herbs and spices.

Eurikleia tells Penelope that Odysseus is alive and has returned, but she doesn't believe it. Even when the maid tells her that the suitors are dead, Penelope thinks some unknown hero came to save her. Penelope sees him but isn't instantly convinced and sees if this man knows her and her husband's secret. Odysseus orders everyone in the house to keep his murders a secret from all of Ithaka. He plans to throw a feast so people think the noise was just Penelope's wedding. At dinner that night Penelope says he can sleep outside her room on the bed Odysseus made. Odysseus gets mad because he built the bed around an olive tree and carved it into the roots, so it couldn't be moved. Penelope rushes to him and begs for forgiveness, this is the secret she mentioned earlier in the evening. They "catch up" and tell stories about the last 20 years of their lives, but Odysseus leaves out the stuff about Circe and his time with Kalypso. Athena slows time so they have time together and get enough sleep. In the morning Odysseus decides to go see his father Laertes, and goes with Telemachos and the herdsmen under Athena's protection mist.

In the Underworld Hermes leads the suitors. When asked why they are there, they blame everything that happened on Penelope. Everyone thinks it's great Odysseus has someone as faithful as her. Odysseus sees his old father plowing his land very depressed like, Odyesseus decides to test his loyalty. He insults his appearance and makes up a story about housing Odysseus once. Laertes is grateful the man helped his son, but doesn't believe he is back. Then Odysseus reveals himself and hugs his father but has to prove who is by showing his scar. Telemachos and the herdesmen have prepared a meal back at the house and Athena makes Laertes look stronger. People in town heard about Odysseus's slaughter and Antinoos's father wants revenge and gets it approved by the council. Athena thinks her father has something to do with all the blood shed, but he said it's up to them to make peace and be civil. The people are all ready to kill Odysseus but his friends are ready to defend him and his father kills Antinoos's father. Athena tells them to stop, leaving her thirst for blood behind for peace. Odysseus stops fighting because Athena tells him zeus will be mad. The fight stops and Ithaka is back at peace.

17 - 20 Summary

Telemachos wants to go see his mother and she is excited that her son is alive and is eager to hear news of her husband, but he won't tell her anything yet. He just tells her to get fresh and get on clean linens. Telemachos goes to talk to his father's loyal friends about their plans. All of the men eat while Penelope weaves and asks for information of Odysseus. Telemachos talks about visiting Menelaos the day before, then Theoklymenos tells of his prophecy that Odysseus has returned to Ithaka for revenge, but Penelope doesn't believe it. Odysseus and another beggar get into a fight over food. The other beggar taunts him to try and anger him. Odysseus sees an old dog that he trained but never got to take hunting with him before he left for Troy. The dog is glad to see him and dies shortly after seeing his companion after 20 years. Odysseus cries and learns the dog was strong and courageous in his younger days. At the eating place Telemachos is very generous to this "stranger" and tells him to help himself. Odysseus begs from every man, learning who is good and who is bad. Antinoos is all insulting and rude and Telemachos informs him he must share with the Beggar, but he says he will throw a foot stool at him. Odysseus goes around to everyone, then comes back to him. He insults him and he gets a stool thrown at him. Penelope wants to meet with this beggar, but he says he will see her later.
An actual beggar sees Odysseus and tells him they can't both be beggars in this town. The two men insult each other and Antinoos encourages a fight, promising a prize of fat blood or something to the winner. The two men fight, but the real beggar doesn't really want to. Antinoos said he will be beaten and castrated if the new beggar beats him. Odysseus only punches him once, breaking his jaw. The beggar tells Amphinomos he should go home before Odysseus comes home and kills the suitors (this guy isn't too bad) unfortunately Athena wants them all to die. Athena convinces Penelope to show herself to the suitors so they can all see how beautiful she is because Athena showers her in ambrosia. She ends up flirting with the suitors and says they haven't courted her correctly and she wants gifts. None of the suitors offer any up and go searching for suitable gifts for a Queen. Odysseus tests the loyalty of the maids and keeps the torches lit for the drunk suitors, sending the maids to care for his wife. A suitor throws a footstool at him after he infuriates him.
Telemachos, ordered by his beggar father, removes all suitors' weapons from the great hall as planned and tells the maid Euriklea to shut the women in their rooms. Penelope is waiting in her room for the beggar. She tells him that she is going to just marry a suitor to let her son live in peace now. Odysseus makes up a story about fighting at Troy and how he hosted Odysseus, which excites Penelope hearing about him. She offers him a place to stay for the night and says he can have a bath, but he refuses unless he gets a maid who is old like him. The maid from his childhood sees a resemblance between the beggar and Odysseus and then recognizes him from a scar on his thigh and she has to be sworn to silence. Odysseus interprets a dream Penelope had to mean that the suitor are facing certain death. SHe doesn't believe this and says there will be a competition shooting her husband's bow and arrow and who does the best will be her new husband.
That night Odysseus can't sleep, probably some pre-slaughter jitters. Some of the maids sneak out to go sleep with the suitors and Odysseus is mad at their betrayal but stays silent. Athena gives him a speech to amp him up for the murders tomorrow. Penelope cries and prays for death and has a dream of her husband returning. Melenthios comes back to taunt the beggar again. The maids are preparing a feast. The beggar asks some nice men if they would fight on Odysseus's side if he were to return. At breakfast Telemachos very openly shares his food with the beggar but Antinoos still doesn't like it. The holiday for the feast is a day of sacrifice to apollo. The Suitors start taunting the beggar because Athena makes them. Athena wants the fight to happen now so she has the enemies keep enraging the men.

Themes: Coming of age (telemachos working with his father to kill the suitors, Loyalty (Penelope stays loyal to her husband even though he was gone for 20 years)

13 - 16 the Odyssey

Odysseus tells his story and Alcinoos say that the Phaicians will give him gifts of wealth for his trip home to Ithaka. Odysseus is really anxious to get home and sleeps on the way home. While he is sleeping the men unload him in Ithaka with his treasures and leave him there. Poseidon is totally miffed about Odysseus not suffering enough. He turns the ship into to stone that brought Odysseus home and puts mountains all around the Phaicicians city to punish them for helping his enemy. Athena hide Odysseus in a cloud mist and disguises him as a beggar. Because of the cloud mist he doesn't recognize his homeland and thinks the sea people tricked him. Athena tells him it is Ithaka and that she disguised him as a beggar so no one knows he's back. Now he goes off to bring Telemachos home.
Odysseus goes to the Swineherd's home in the forest, where he is taken in and given what little the man has. He tells Odysseus stories about Odysseus and the suitors at his house trying to woo his wife, not aware that Odysseus is alive. Odysseus tells the man that Odysseus will return. Odysseus lies and says he's a common man from Crete. Odysseus wants a cloak so he tells a story that implies that and the man gives him one.
Athena goes to Telemachos, convincing him to leave because Eurymachos is gonna marry his mother, which is not true. She says he should go the Swineherd because it the men will kill him the moment he is back. So then in the morning Telemachos is ready to leave with his men. Helen gives Telemachos a gown for his future bride. Zeus sends an Eagle flying over head with a dead goose in its talons. Helen says it must be a sign that Odysseus returned home and is going to get rid of the suitors. Odysseus is staying with Eumaios until Telemachos returns. he learns his father is alive, but wants to be dead because he grieves his son so much. Odysseus is disguised as Theoklymenos on his son's ship and asks about a place to stay. Telemachos said he would offer his house but it's over taken by the suitors.
At the Swineherd's place Euimos and the beggar are talking. Telemachos shows up and is worried about not being able to take the suitors. So the beggar tells him to ask for friends' help in taking the suitors down. Eumaios is sent to secretly tell Penelope that he is back. Athena and Odysseus talk and she tells him to reveal himself, so she removes his disguise. Telemachos is all "wowed" and his father yells at him for not having a manly reaction. Then they come up with a plan to take down the suitors: Athena disguises him as a beggar, Odysseus distracts everyone while his son locks up the suitors' weapons, question the maids to figure out who is loyal. They send a messenger to tell Penelope her son is back. The suitors return all sad because they didn't get Telemachos. The town crier tells penelope about their plans and she's all mad and accuses them of trying to kill her son. They all deny it. A messenger tells the men he saw a strange ship coming back but the men just sleep.

Themes: coming of age (finding his father and being reunited, growing into a man),
hospitality continues

9-12 Summary

Odysseus starts telling the story of what happened all those years ago on his way home from the war before he was taken by Kalypso. He and his men killed all the Kikonians and enslaved the women. They get to Lotus Island and some people eat the Lotus and stay there forever, so Odysseus takes his remaining men and leaves. Then they are on the cyclops island and saw this cave that they wanted to steal from but Odysseus said No. The men are trapped in the cave by a giant boulder that only the cyclops can move. The monster eats Odysseus's men and asks where his ship is, but Odysseus is smart and lies about it. They poke its out eye out after they get it drunk. To escape the men are all tied to its rams so they get out in the morning when it herds sheep. Odysseus taunts the cyclops when they get away which is bad and its father is Poseidon which is not good. Next they are on the Aiolia island where they tell Aiolos wind god, about the trojan war. The God gives them a bag of storm winds when they leave so the remaining winds can blow them home to Ithaka. His men open the bag which releases the winds and blow the ship back. Odysseus is so upset he wants to kill himself but he sails back and asks for my storm wind bags. Odysseus is cursed by the gods. They sail to the island that Circe is on and they stay there for a year, she promises not use magic against Odysseus if he sleeps with her. So he does. Circe tells him he cant get back to Ithaka until he visits the underworld to see the prophet Teiresias. Odysseus's man Elpenor falls off the roof and dies. Odysseus goes to the underworld and uses the ram head as a sacrifice and the ghosts drink up blood to talk to him. There Teiresias tells him that he is being punished for poking out Poseidon's son's eye. Odysseus sees his mother, whom he believed to be alive. She informs him of what is happening in Ithaka. More ghosts start showing up which scares him so they all leave. Everyone goes back to Circe's and gives Elpenor a proper burial, then Circe tells Odysseus how he can prepare for the other parts of his journey. A month long storm sets them back and they survive off provisions they have left, until the men die. Zeus sends a thunderbolt to the ship and everyone but Odysseus dies. He drifts on the ocean before Kalypso rescues him and keeps him prisoner for 7 years.


Characters: Circe, Elpenor, Teiresias, Kalypso, Aiolos

Theme: hospitality - odysseus wants to play into this when dealing with the cyclops

Rapine and Scion Sentences

When the loan shark didn't get his money he decided to rapine the man's house and then burn it to the ground right before his eyes.

While researching her ancestry, Mia learned that her great great great grandmother was a scion of Queen Elizabeth I.

Glutton and Harangue

The gluttons all gathered around the bar drinking until their livers couldn't absorb any more and they couldn't stand straight anymore, before stumbling home to their wives.

After he had partaken in the riots outside of a church, James's mother gave him a lengthy harangue about respecting God.

5 - 8 Odyssey Summary Stuff

Athena convinces Zeus to help Odysseus get home. He sends Hermes with a message to Kalypso saying that she will let him go and help him build a raft with food until he washes up on the island of Scheria where the Phaiacians will transport him home. Kalypso is upset by the news because no one says anything about the male gods when they do stuff like this, but the second a women does they get all up in a tizzy. Poseidon finds out and sends a storm Odysseus's way which almost drowns him and sinks his raft. So he floats for two days before washing up on land. Athena convinces Princess Nausikaa to go to the streams to wash her linens so she can maybe find a husband. Odysseus is there and they talk and he gets some clothes. He needs her help so she tells him how to get to the palace and to convince the mother to the like him. The people there are sea people (hint hint, foreshadow to the fact that Poseidon is their god, and they helped his enemy, big no no!). Odysseus is disguised in a cloud mist by Athena so he doesn't draw attention to himself. Athena comes to him in the form of a little girl who he asks to help him find the palace and she leads him there. His mist protection eventually disappeared and then he makes his plea to Queen Arete. It works because the king rushes to his hospitality and the next day there will be a feast in his honor. The king Alcinoos offers up his daughter's hand to Odysseus, but he declines because he just wants to go home. Athena disguised as the town crier tells everyone about the stranger and the feast that will take place. The king has a ship prepared to take him home later in the day. Odysseus listens to stories about himself and sees many sports done by people in the kingdom. Theres singing songs that make him cry because they are about his life. After his bath he says he has a story to tell.

Theme: Loyalty, hospitality,

Foreshadow: poseidon is the god of these sea people who help his enemy