Study Questions
: The
Odyssey
Books 1-4:
1. What is our first image of Odysseus? Where is he? Where does he long to be?
2. What is the purpose of the council of the gods?
3. Who is Athena? What is her role?
4. What is life like on the island of Ithaka?
5. In what form does Athene appear to Telemachos? What is her advice to him?
6. What do we learn of key characters and of the general situation from the assembly on Ithaka?
7. Who is Nestor? Who are Menelaos and Helen? What does Telemachos learn from them?
8. Who is Penelope? What do we learn about her from these four books?
Books 5-8:
9. Where is Odysseus? Does he seem heroic when we first encounter him?
10. Who is Kalypso? Why is she reluctant to let Odysseus leave? Why does she do so?
11. Describe Odysseus' departure from Kalypso's island.
12. Where does he land? Why? In what condition?
13. Who is Nausikaa? Describe her meeting with Odysseus.
14. What does Nausikaa give Odysseus?
15. How is Odysseus received by the Phaiakian court?
16. Who is Demodokos? How does he advance the plot? What other significance does he have?
Books 9-12:
17. Describe the sacking of the Kikonians. What purpose does this account serve?
18. What are the effects of eating lotuses? How seriously is Odysseus threatened here?
19. What sort of people are the cyclopes?
20. What does the incident with Polyphemos reveal about Odysseus? What are the consequences of his actions?
21. Who is Aiolus? What gift does he give Odysseus? What happens to the gift?
22. Who are the Laistrygones?
23. How is Odysseus able to avoid Circe's transforming powers? What danger does she still represent for him?
24. Circe tells Odysseus that he must make another journey before he heads home? What is his destination? What is the purpose of the journey?
25. Who is Teiresias? What does he tell Odysseus?
26. What else does Odysseus learn on this journey? Who are his sources for this knowledge?
27. Who are the Sirens? How does Odysseus keep from being destroyed by them?
28. Why does Odysseus choose to sail by Scylla rather than Charybdis?
29. Why does he--against his better judgment--land on the island of Helios?
30. Why does his crew disobey him? What is the cost of their disobedience?
31. What happens to Odysseus after his crew and ships are destroyed?
32. What do the last four lines or so of Book 12 cause us to remember?
Books 13-16:
33. Odysseus' last words are for Arete. Why is this a fitting end to his visit with the Phaiakians?
34. Characterize the conversation between Odysseus and Athene after he reaches Ithaka.
35. Who is Eumaios?
36. Why is Telemachos' decision to grant sanctuary to Theoklymenos significant?
37. Note the closing of Book 15. What is different about it? What is familiar about it?
38. Describe Odysseus' reunion with his son.
Books 17-20:
39. What changes have taken place in Penelope?
40. Odysseus enters his home for the first time in twenty years. What happens?
41. Who is Argos? Why does it matter who he is?
42. Why does Athene glorify Penelope?
43. Why does Odysseus remove the weapons from the wall?
44. What lies does Odysseus tell Penelope? What truths?
45. How does the old nurse recognize Odysseus?
46. What plan does Penelope announce? What is Odysseus' response to the plan?
47. Both Odysseus and Penelope offer prayers. To whom do they pray? Are their prayers answered?
Books 21-24:
48. Trace the movement of the bow in Book 21.
49. Why do the suitors object to Odysseus trying to string the bow?
50. Book 22 has been called "the book of rapid action." Why?
51. Odysseus spares two men. Why? Is there any significance in what they are?
52. Why does Penelope not immediately accept Odysseus as himself?
53. How does Penelope prove herself a fit match for her cunning husband?
54. What is the purpose of our knowing the conversation in the underworld?
55. A final reunion occurs? Describe it.
56. Why is the second battle necessary?
57. How does the end of the epic echo the beginning?
58. Who has the last word?