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The Odyssey by Homer (as translated by Ian Johnston)Complete TextBook I: Athena Visits IthacaWhere is Odysseus?What or whom is Athena disguised as? Why?Why do Telemachus and his mother need Odysseus?Why does Penelope have suitors? How are they behaving?What does Athena advise Telemachus to do? What do you think is her motive?How are the motifs of Divine Intervention and Hospitality shown in this Book?Book II: Telemachus Prepares for his VoyageDescribe the trick that Penelope plays on her suitors. What does this tell you about her?What specifically does Athena do to help Telemachus in this book?How does this Book’s Council parallel to the Council in Book I?Book III: Telemachus Visits Nestor in PylosWhat is Nestor’s opinion of Odysseus?Describe Nestor’s reaction when he realizes that Telemachus’ companion is Athena.Whom does Nestor send with Telemachus to visit Menelaus? What does this tell you about Nestor?Book IV: Telemachus Visits Menelaus in SpartaWhat clues tip off Menelaus and Helen that Telemachus is Odysseus’ son?What is Menelaus’ opinion of Odysseus?What information about Odysseus is revealed in Menelaus’ story of the Old Man of the Sea and of Calypso?Describe Antinous’ plan to destroy Telemachus.Book V: Odysseus Leaves Calypso’s Island and Reaches PhaeaciaWho is Hermes and what is his mission?What can Hermes do with his wand?Who is holding Odysseus captive?What is Calypso’s reaction to Hermes’ orders to her?What is the main problem Odysseus faces while traveling by sea?What happens to Odysseus at the end of Book V?How does the motif of Divine Intervention influence the plot in this Book?Book VI: Odysseus and NausicaaWhat “subliminal” message does Athena give to Nausicaa while she lies sleeping?Who is the only person who doesn’t run away from the terrifying Odysseus? Why?Is it pure luck that this person helps Odysseus? Explain.What does the fact that Odysseus won’t bathe in front of the girls tell us about the kind of person he is?Does Nausicaa believe her parents will help?Why won’t she let Odysseus ride in her cart?What instructions does she give Odysseus?Who is the patron god of the Phaeacians?Book VII: Odysseus at the Court of Alcinous in PhaeaciaWhat craft are the Phaeacians best known for?How is Odysseus treated as a guest? Based on the story so far, what conclusions can you come to about the Ancient Greeks and hospitality?Book VIII: Odysseus is Entertained in PhaeaciaDescribe the activities that King Alcinous arranges to entertain Odysseus.Who is Demodocus? Why might some scholars presume that he is really Homer?What may be the point of the story about Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus?How is King Alcinous helping Odysseus to get home?What is Odysseus’ reaction whenever Demodocus sings about the Trojan War? What does this tell you about Odysseus?According to the old prophecy, what was Poseidon’s threat to the Phaeacians?Book IX: Ismarus, the Lotus Eaters, and the CyclopsWhat was the effect of the Lotus plant?How heavy is the door of the Cyclops’ cave?What is the first villainous thing the Cyclops does?Why doesn’t Odysseus kill the Cyclops when he has the chance?What does Odysseus give the Cyclops as a gift?What gift does the Cyclops give in return?What does Odysseus tell the Cyclops that his name is?How do Odysseus and his men escape out of the Cyclops’ cave?What foolish thing does Odysseus do out of pride?What does the Cyclops ask his father Poseidon to do for him?Book X: Aeolus, the Laestrygonians, and CirceWho is the god of wind?What favor does he do for Odysseus and his men?What stupid mistake do some of the men make on the ship?How do even more men die about the bag accident?What does Circe do to some of Odysseus’ men?How does Odysseus get her to release his men?What instructions does Circe give Odysseus?How does Elpenor die? What funeral rites does he get? Why might this be important later in the story?Book XI: Odysseus Meets the Shades of the DeadWhat does Odysseus do to call the souls of the dead to him?Who is Teiresias and what does Odysseus want from him?What does Teiresias predict for Odysseus?What should Odysseus do to the suitors at his house?What does Teiresias say Odysseus should do after dealing with the suitors?What is the name of Odysseus’ mother and how did she die?Why can’t Odysseus hug his dead mother?Why might Homer spend time describing the various women in The Underworld?How might Odysseus be impacted by his conversation with Achilles?Book XII: The Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, the Cattle of the SunWhy should Odysseus be wary of the Sirens?What should he and his men do to keep safe from them?Describe Scylla.What will Charybdis do if Odysseus’ ship gets too close?What does Odysseus keep secret from his men? Why?Describe circumstances of Odysseus’ shipmates’ deaths. Whose fault is it?Book XIII: Odysseus Leaves Phaeacia and Reaches IthacaDescribe Odysseus’ journey home from Scheria.What does Poseidon initially want to do to the Phaeacian ship?What decision does Alcinous make because of the wrath of Poseidon?Why and for how long does Athena want Odysseus to be in disguise?What does Athena instruct Odysseus to do now that he has returned to Ithaca?Whom does Athena instruct Odysseus to visit first?Contrast Odysseus at this point in the story to the heroic Odysseus of legend.Book XIV: Odysseus Meets EumaeusWhat does Odysseus tell the swineherd about himself?Describe Odysseus’ disguise.Book XV: Telemachus Returns to IthacaHow has Eumaeus proven his faithfulness in this and previous Books?Who do you think will be the first person to know Odysseus for who he really is? Why?Book XVI: Odysseus Reveals Himself to TelemachusWhat does Telemachus call Eumaeus? What does this indicate about them?Describe Athena’s changes to Odysseus’ appearance.Who does Telemachus think Odysseus is when Athena removes his disguise?What do Odysseus and Tlemachus plan to do?Describe Penelope’s confrontation with Antinous.Consider how the Father/son motif is shown in this Book.Book XVII: Odysseus Goes to the Palace as a BeggarWhat is Theoclymenus’ prophecy to Penelope?Who recognizes Odysseus right away? What is the impact on Odysseus?How does he recognize him? How does Odysseus test the suitors?Describe Melanthius, the Goatherd.Who makes Odysseus extremely angry? Why?Why does Odysseus want to test his servants and his wife before revealing his identity?Book XVIII: Odysseus and Irus the BeggarWhy does Odysseus get in a fight with Irus? Who wins?What trick does Penelope play on the suitors in this Book?Which three characters anger Odysseus in this Book?Book XIX: Eurycleia Recognizes OdysseusWhat does Odysseus (as the beggar) tell Penelope about Odysseus?How does Eurycleia recognize her master?How did Odysseus get the scar on his leg?Describe Penelope’s challenge for the suitors. What does the winner get?How do Eurycleia and Melantho (the servant girl) contrast?How has Telemachus been changed by his own journey?Book XX: Odysseus Prepares for his RevengeName two people who are cruel to Odysseus the beggar.Who proves himself to be a kind and faithful servant? How?What do you think Odysseus is going to do to the suitors?Book XXI: The Contest with Odysseus’ BowWhom does Odysseus trust to help him defeat the suitors?Why don’t the men want Odysseus to try to string the bow?How did Odysseus originally get the Great Bow? What does this story tell us about him?How does Odysseus prove his true identity?Book XXII: The Killing of the SuitorsWhat did Odysseus prove about his abilities? Why is that important in the story now?Whom does Odysseus kill first? Why?How does Eurymachus plead his case with Odysseus?Whom does Telemachus catch raiding the storeroom of weapons and what do they do with him?Which two servants are spared? Why?How does Odysseus identify the unfaithful maids and what does he do to them?What is done to Melanthius?Book XXIII: Odysseus and PenelopeHow does Penelope test Odysseus? Why does she test him?Describe the one last task that Teiresias told Odysseus to complete. What will be his reward for this task?After Odysseus tells Penelope about all his adventures, he sets off again. What does he go to do? What does he tell her to do?Book XXIV: Zeus and Athena End the FightingWhy might Homer include the story of Achilles’ death (as told by Agamemnon)?How does Odysseus prove that he is really Laertes’ son?What is Laertes afraid of?Who comes to battle Odysseus? Who leads them?Whom does Odysseus kill?Who stops the battle?What is your reaction to the end of the story? Why might it end in this way?Do you think Homer or someone else authored this last Book (this is the Homeric Question)? Explain your reasoning.Why might some argue that The Odyssey is as much (or more) a story about Telemachus as it is Odysseus?Of what value is The Odyssey to modern readers? What lessons can be learned? ................
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