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The Odyssey Books 9-10 Study Guide
Name_______________________________ Period______
Book IX: New Coasts and Poseidon’s Son (p. 145-162)
Odysseus tells Alkinoos who he is, and about his journeys and adventures since leaving Troy.
Places:
 Troy
 Land of the Lotus Eaters
 Ismaros on the coast of Kikones
 Land of the Kyklops
People/Gods
 Polyphemos is a Kyklops (Cyclops), son of Poseidon
 Poseidon: “blue girdler of the islands”, god of the sea, father of Polyphemos
 Zeus: Lord of cloud
 Nohbdy: Odysseus’s pseudonym (pronounced “Nobody”)
Questions
1. As Odysseus and his men journey from Troy, they give in to temptations that can or do have
disastrous results. Explain the following temptations and the result:
a) Temptation in Ismaros (p. 146)
b) Temptation in the land of the Lotus Eaters (p.147-148)
2. How does Odysseus describe the Kyklops? (p. 148)
3. Odysseus describes himself to Alkinoos as “Formidable for guile in peace and war” (145).
Formidable = Arousing fear or dread; inspiring awe, admiration, or wonder; difficult to defeat
Guile = Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit (really good at trickery)
Give at least three examples of Odysseus’s formidable guile in his encounter with the Kyklops.
a)
b)
c)
4. Dramatic Irony: In drama, the device of giving the spectator an item of information that at least
one of the characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously), thus of placing the
spectator a step ahead of at least one of the characters. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony)
Explain an example of dramatic irony in Book 9. (consider page 158)
5. At the top of page 153, Odysseus appeals to the code of Xenia when addressing Polyphemos.
a) How does the Kyklops respond?
b) How is the Kyklops ultimately punished for failing to follow the code? (159)
6. Odysseus shows both hubris and desire for kleos on page 160. Find a quote that shows each
and explain how the combined effect leads to Odysseus’s downfall.
a) Hubris:
b) Kleos:
c) Result: (see page 161)
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The Odyssey Books 9-10 Study Guide
Name_______________________________ Period______
Book X: The Grace of the Witch (pages 165-182)
Odysseus continues telling Alkinoos of his journey from Troy.
Places:
 Aiolia Island: Aiolos Hippotades is king; Odysseus and his men are well-cared for here
 Laistrygonia: has giant cannibals; men are eaten; all boats destroyed except Odysseus’s
 Aiaia: island of where Kirke is
People:
 Aiolos Hippotades: wind king, dear to the gods, has 12 children
 Antiphates the Liastrygon: cannibal king
Gods:
 Kirke (Circe): daughter of Helios (sun-god); she can turn men into animals.
(interesting note: the Minotaur is her nephew)
 Hermes: messenger of the gods, helps travelers; “glittering god with golden wand” (175).
Questions
1. Odysseus and his men are within sight of Ithaka when temptation once again leads to their
downfall. Explain what happened. (166)
2. Why won’t King Aiolos help Odysseus and his men again? (167)
3. Why are the men more fearful to go out exploring when they reach Aiaia? Be specific. (171)
4. What is Kirke’s special power and how does she use it against Odysseus’s men? (172)
5. Who helps Odysseus to survive Kirke? How? (173-174)
6. How long do they stay in Aiaia and why? (179)
7. In his telling of the story, Odysseus says, “Now, being a man, I could not help consenting”
(177) and later, “As we were men we could not help consenting” (179). What statement is he
making about being men instead of gods? How does this relate to the theme of temptation?
8. Where does Kirke say Odysseus and his men must go before returning home? (180)
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