Download The Odyssey Reading Guide and Guided Notes

Reading Guide and Guided Notes: The Odyssey by Homer
PART 1: THE WANDERINGS OF ODYSSEUS
Book 1: A Goddess Intervenes
Book 9: New Coasts and Poseidon’s Son
*The Lotus Eaters
*The Cyclops
Book 10: Circe, the Grace of the Witch
Book 11: The Land of the Dead
Book 12: The Sirens: Scylla and Charybdis
PAGE 371
PAGES 372-385
(373)
(374-385)
PAGES 386-387
PAGES 388-391
PAGES 392-398
PART 2: THE HOMECOMING
Book 17: The Beggar at the Manor
Book 21: The Test of the Bow
Book 22: Death in the Great Hall
Book 23: The Trunk of the Olive Tree
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401-402
403-407
408-412
413-416
SECTION 1: EPIC
The Odyssey, an epic, began thousands of years ago in the oral tradition of ancient Greece.
1.) What is an epic? _______________________________________________
2.) Elements of the Epic: Epic Hero, Archetypes, Epic Plot, Epic Themes, and Epic Setting
a.) Epic Hero Contains extraordinary abilities, but also human frailties.
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b.) Archetypes Characters and situations recognizable across times and cultures.
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c.) Epic Plot Depicts a long, strange journey filled with such complications as
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d.) Epic Themes Reflect universal concerns, such as
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e.) Epic Setting
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SECTION 2: LITERARY TERMS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.) epic simile:
2.) epithet:
Examples Homer often refers to Odysseus by such epithets as “son of Laertes” and “raider of
cities.”
3.) allusion:
Example: “This is the way the court of Zeus must be.” Every listener in Greece immediately
understood the allusion to Zeus, the ruler of the gods.
4.) The Trojan War:
The _________________ conflict between Greece and Troy began around ___________ B.C.
____________, a Trojan prince, kidnapped ___________, the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta.
Menelaus recruited armies of allied kingdoms to attack ___________ and recover his wife. For
_____ years, the Greek forces held Troy under siege, but they could not penetrate the walls of the
city.
Finally, __________________, king of _____________, came up with a plan to break the
stalemate. He ordered his men to build a giant ___________ ___________. One morning, the
people of Troy awoke to find that horse outside the city gates – and no Greeks in sight. Assuming
the Greeks had retreated and had left the horse as a _____________ offering, they brought the
horse inside the gates. They soon discovered, too late, that the horse was filled with Greek
soldiers, and that their city was _________________.
5.) Heroism:
Great heroes play key roles in _________ epics. The ________________ tells the story of
___________, the mightiest Greek warrior, and of his bitter quarrel with
___________________, brother of Menelaus and commander of the Greek forces at Troy. The
tale climaxes in a fierce battle between _________ and _________, Paris’s brother, and Hector’s
subsequent funeral.
The Odyssey recounts Odysseus’s adventures as he struggles to make his way home from
post-war Troy, along with the conflicts that arise in Ithaca just before and after his return. He
prevails against gruesome ____________, enchanting __________, and greedy ___________
intent on preventing him from reaching his ______________. Although Odysseus lacks the
superhuman martial abilities of Achilles, he employs great ___________ and ___________ to get
out of difficult situations.
6.) The Intervention of Gods:
Adding to the heroes’ struggles are the residents of Mount ___________, bickering _________
who like nothing better than influencing and manipulating ___________ affairs.
For example, __________, the goddess of ______________, supports the Greeks in the Trojan
War.
________________, goddess of __________, sides with _____________.
Further, the heroes often _____________ other gods who place additional obstacles in their
paths. The _______________ display human shortcomings and petty jealousies, and people become
_________ as the gods pursue advantages in their ___________ quarrels.
7.) Homer (the alleged author):
*May have lived somewhere between ________ and ______________ B.C. – if he ever lived at all.
*The Iliad and The Odyssey both contain _____ books of verse. The verses were originally _____ .
*Homer’s poems influenced Greek culture, and as a result, contributed to the development of
literature, ideas, and values. Dozens of movies have retold the saga of The Trojan War and the long
journey home, both directly and symbolically.
SECTION 3: IMPORTANT CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Book 1:
1.) Helios
2.) Zeus
3.) Telemachus
4.) Penelope
5.) Athena
Book 9:
6.) Alcinous
7.) Circe
8.) Cicones
9.) Lotus Eaters
10.) Cyclopes
11.) Apollo
12.) Poseidon
Book 10:
13.) Aeolus
14.) Laestrygones
15.) Eurylochus
16.) Persephone
17.) Tiresias of Thebes
Book 11:
18.) Elpenor
Book 12:
19.) Sirens
20.) Scylla
21.) Charybdis
Book 17:
22.) Argos
Books 21-23:
23.) Antinous
24.) Eurymachus
25.) Philoetius
26.) Amphinomus
27.) Eurynome
28.) Eurycleia