Download Book IX Reading Guide Scene: The island of Scheria, land of the

Book IX Reading Guide
Scene: The island of Scheria, land of the Phaeacians where Odysseus tells his journeys of the Land
of the Cicones, the Land of the Lotus Eaters, and the Island of the Cyclops
Characters: Odysseus, Polyphemus the Cyclops (son of Poseidon)
Part I: Lines 1-343
How does Odysseus reveal his identity to the Phaeacians? What does he say? (p. 212)
What occurs at the Land of the Cicones? (p. 212-213)
What effect does the lotus flower have on Odysseus’s crew? (p. 214)
How does Odysseus describe the Cyclops and how their society functions? (p. 215)
What does Odysseus’s crew suggest upon entering the cave of the Cyclops? (p. 218)
How does Odysseus approach the Cyclops and ask for xenia? (p. 219-220)
How does the Cyclops react? What does he do to Odysseus and his crew? (p. 220-221)
Part II: Lines 344-630
How do Odysseus and his crew successfully blind the Cyclops? (p. 222-224)
Explain how Odysseus’s ‘way with words’ is depicted in the chapter. Why does Odysseus say his
name is ‘nobody’ and how does this trick help Odysseus and his men escape? (p. 224)
How do Odysseus and his men sneak out of the cave after the Cyclops has been blinded? (p. 224225)
What does Odysseus do upon boarding the ship and setting off to sea that risks the lives of him and
his crew? What does this reveal about Odysseus’s character? (p. 226-228)
What does Polyphemus do after learning that it was Odysseus who had blinded him and that he and
his crew escaped? (p. 228)