The Odyssey

what time period is the odyssey?

1200 BC or 750-650 BC

scylla

6-headed monster who eats six of Odysseus' men

teiresias

A Theban prophet who inhabits the underworld. Tiresias meets Odysseus when Odysseus journeys to the underworld in Book 11. He shows Odysseus how to get back to Ithaca and allows Odysseus to communicate with the other souls in Hades.

similie example

A comparison using like or as she ran as fast as a cheetah

allusion example

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event illiad

The Cyclops

A storm blows odysseus's ship to the land of the lotus eaters. 3 men eat them and odysseus forces them back to the ship. A cyclops named polyphemus traps odysseus and some of his men in a cave.Odysseus gets him drunk and stabs him in the eye blinding him while he was sleeping. The men escape by hiding under sheep.

athena

Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, purposeful battle, and the womanly arts. Athena assists Odysseus and Telemachus with divine powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up for them in the councils of the gods on Mount Olympus. She often appears in disguise as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus.

imagery example

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) the small, pink, soft, smooth flower

What happens to Eurylokus's men after drinking circe's wine

Eurylochus' men turned into animals after they drank Circe's wine. Odysseus had to sleep with Circe to have his men turned back into men but there is no such thing as time in Circe's temple so they lost track of time and spent longer then they intended to at her temple.

poseidon

God of the sea, father of polyphemus

who is the author?

Homer

epic setting example

Includes fantastic or exotic lands; involves more than one nation circes island

zeus

King of the gods,

hermes

Messenger of the gods

what is an example of irony with the cyclops?

Odyseus says he is nobody to trick him so others would think nobody did anything to hurt him and odysseus's identity would be coverd

The Witch Circe

Odysseus and his men sail to the island of the goddess circe. She invites them to a meal and gives them a magic potion which turns them into pigs. Odysseus makes circe turn them back into humans and they end up remaining on the island for a year rather than a week. Circe tells them they must go to the land of the dead to see teiresias because he can tell them how to get home.

How does odysseus escape from polyphemus?

Odysseus escapes Polyphemus by offering him wine and once Polyphemus was drunk Odysseus and his men sharpened a log and stabbed him in the eye. Odysseus knew he wouldn't be able to open the stone slab so once Polyphemus moved the slab because he was blinded Odysseus and his men left the cave.

what is the major conflict throughout the entire journey?

Odysseus must return home to his wife and son, fighting off posideon and the many creatures on the way, then he must get rid of the suitors who threaten his estate and wife

The Meeting of Father and Son

Odysseus returns to ithaca dressed as a beggar. he meets his loyal swineherd eumaus and telemachus and removes the disguise.

The Land of the Dead

Odysseus sees three dead people: elpanor- one of odysseus's men, he asked him to bury him mother- didn't know she died teiresias- warns not to raid helios's cattle, if he does his ship and crew will be destroyed

How does odysseus survive the dangers of charybdis, scylla and syrens?

Odysseus survives the dangers posed by the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis because following advice given to him from Circe. She tells him to put wax in his ears and to tie himself to the mast of the ship. She helps him avoid the threats of Scylla and Charybdis by advising Odysseus to steer closer to Scylla then to Charybdis because she said its better to mourn six men then your whole crew.

Why did odysseus want to leave calypso on her island?

Odysseus wants to leave Calypso on her island because he want's to return to his wife Penelope and Ithaca. It's hard for Odysseus to leave Calypso's island because she seduces men to keep men from attaining their goals. Odysseus is allowed to leave because Athena and Zues send Hermes to Calypso to persuade her to let Odysseus go.

The Cattle of the Sun God

Odysseus' men eat helios's cattle and it causes helios wants Zeus to send a lightning bolt to sink their ship. Odysseus drifted towards charybdis and hung on a tree until it was safe to come down.

telemachus

Odysseus' son

epic theme example

Reflect universal concerns (big picture) overcoming difficulties and persevering will allow one to get through a hard time

alliteration example

Repetition of initial consonant sounds amy ate eighty apples

assonance example

Repetition of vowel sounds how now brown cow

why does penelope test odysseus?

She wants to be sure that he really is her husband since she hasn't seen him in 20 years

how is the scene in the swineherd's hut with odysseus and telemachus a clear instance of dramatic irony?

Since Odysseus is disguised as a beggar, Telemachus doesn't realize he is by his father and talks to his uncle, yet the entire audience knows that Odysseus is his father

Characteristics of an epic hero and when does Odysseus display these trait?

Strength, courage, nobility, confidence, thirst for glory, sharp intellect. During his many battles with the different creatures & facing the suitors he uses his characteristics

who helps odysseus fight the suitors?

Telemachus, Eumaeus(swineherd), and Philoetius(cowherd)

calypso

The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go.

Calypso

The beautiful nymph who falls in love with Odysseus when he lands on her island-home of Ogygia. Calypso holds him prisoner there for seven years until Hermes, the messenger god, persuades her to let him go. Calypso can only build him a raft and then he must sail for 20 days before landing on scheria.

circe

The beautiful witch-goddess who transforms Odysseus's crew into swine when he lands on her island. With Hermes' help, Odysseus resists Circe's powers and then becomes her lover, living in luxury at her side for a year.

Epic hero

The hero/protagonist who is often possessed of supernatural abilities or qualities who is tested to prove the worthiness of himself and quest in an epic poem

what are the themes of the odyssey?

The power of cunning over strength, tension between goals and obstacles, one's identity rests upon knowledge of self, paternity, and god.

What does tiresias predict will happen if odysseus raids the herds of helios?

Tiresias reveals that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans for blinding his son Polyphemus. He predicts Odysseus' fate that he will return home, reclaim his wife and palace from the suitors and the make another trip to a distant land to appease Poseidon. He warns Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the sun when he reaches the land of Thrinacia or else he won't return home without loosing all of his crew and suffering though more hardships

epic hero example

a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events odysseus

what is an epic similie?

a similie developed over several lines of a verse "I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home like a shipwright bores his beam with a shipwright's drill that men below, whipping the strap back and forth, whirl and the drill keeps twisting, never stopping --So we seized our stake with it fiery tip and bored it round and round in the giant's eye."

The Sirens, Scylla, and Charbdyis

after leaving the land of the dead, they return to circes island. she warns them of new dangers and they set sail. they plug ears past sirens, lose 6 men to scylla and avoid charybdis.

epithet example

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned. when the young dawn with fingertips of rose describes sunrise

metaphor example

comparison without like or as it was raining cats and dogs

Charybdis

enormous and dangerous whirlpool

The Beggar and the Faithful Dog

he returns to the palace dressed as a beggar and sees his dog argus who had been treated badly. odysseus is mad about the dogs conditions.

why is telemachus fearful when his father reveals his identity?

he thought the gods were punishing him and he did not think his father would ever come back.

how does odysseus act when argos recognizes him?

he was unable to do naything so he would not reveal his identity. he was sad to see the way argos had been treated while he had been gone.

epic plot example

involves a long journey, full of complications odysseus's journey

I am Laertes Son

king alcinous welcomed odysseus without knowing who he was. he gave him food, water, and got him cleaned up. Odysseus then told that he was laertes son odysseus.

The Test of the Great Bow

many suitors are at the palace. penelope has a contest to see who can shoot the bow. no one can do it. odysseus still disguised does it.

Death at the Palace

odysseus takes off disguise and killed antinous the leader of the suitors. with the help of telemachus 2 servants and athena they kill all suitors.

Odysseus and Penelope

penelope doesnt believe it is odysseus. she asks a servant to move the bed out of the room. the bed cant be moved because it is part of an olive tree, and odysseus knows it cant be moved. now penelope knows it is him.

Archetype example

stereotype odysseus is brave

polyphemus

the Cyclops who imprisoned Odysseus

example of dramatic irony

the audience knows the man will be able to shoot the arrow but no one else does becasue they don't know it is odysseus

helios

the sun god, who raises his cattle on the island of Thrinacia

How does the Illiad relate to odyssey?

they have epic poem style and are written the same way.

what is the illiad?

written by Homer. It is the story of Paris, a Trojan king, who kidnapped Helen, wife of the Spartan king.