Final

ODYSSEY REVIEW GUIDE:
THEMES:
Be able to show three examples from the text to back up each of the following:
Loyalty: We see this with Penelope and how she doesn't kill Odysseus when he gets home and doesn't cheat on him while he is gone. Also with Eumaios and how he stays true to his master even though he has been gone for twenty years. Last Telemachos and how he goes to find his father.

Hospitality: Alcinoos saying he can stay in his home and he helps him home. Nausica when she gives him clothes when he washes up on the beach. Also Nestor when Telemachos vists Pylos and Nestor invites him to the feasts and welcomes him in.

Pride/Arrogance: 

Coming of Age: Telemachos going on the journey, Telemachos coming back and taking charge of the suitors, and

Forgetting (or the evils of drugs and women): Being with Circe, and being with Calypso, and the sirens lurer people to their death and make them forget

MOTIFS:
Be able to explain the following and why they are used:
Storytelling: they use the stories to retell the past events before the book
Back story of Troy
Agammenon/Clytaimnestra

Other Epic elements:
Starts “in the middle of things”; Odysseus’ tragic flaw;
sports: its common hospitality to host sports and Odysseus has to prove that he is a man and an athlete after his long sea quest.

SYMBOLS:
Be able to explain the following:
Birds (especially eagles); Hades; Odyssey’s Wound

GODS (know the following and what they do in the text)::
Athena: Helps Odysseus along the way
Poseidon: Doesn't like Odysseus and doesn't want him to come home
Hermes: The messanger god and tells Calypso to let him go
Zeus: The god of all the gods
Helios: The sun god and he owns the cattle that the men eat and then they are all killed because they eat the cattle

SEDUCTRESSES: (know the following and their purpose)
Helen; Calypso; Circe; Sirens


CHARACTERS:
Be able to give a description of the following and their roles in the story (perhaps what the symbolize or represent – and connect to a theme)

Agammenon- He is Menelaus's brother. He is the King of one of the greek city states, and he was a leader of comined greek forces at Troy. His unfaithful wife Klytaimestra killed him when he came back from the Trojan War.

Amphinomos- He was a suitor who doesn't want to kill Telemachos, but in the end he is killed

Achilles- He is a Greek hero who fought against the Trojans. We meet him in the underworld, we learn that he had the chance to either live a long uneventful life or living a short and glorious life. He tells us in the underworld that he would rather be alive then be in the underworld.

Telemachos- Odysseus's son, and he goes and trys to find his father without telling his mother

Helen- Menelaus' s wife, she is Queen of Sparta. She helps Telemachos on his voyage to find his father

Laertes- Odysseus's father, he owns a farm, and kills Antinous's father

Menelaus-King of Sparta, brother to Agammenon, and wife to Helen. He helped to lead the Greeks in Trojan war. He also ofers to help Telemachos on his journey to find his dad.

Penelope- Odysseus's wife and mother to Telemachos. She now just sits in the palace waiting for Odysseus to come home

Aias (Ajax)- He raped Cassandra the Trojan princess

Antinoos- He is a suitor, and he is the one who leads the campaing to have Telemachos killed. He is the first one to be killed by Odysseus

Orestes- Is Agammenon's son and he kills Klytaimestra and her lover Aigisthos in vengace for his fathers death

Eurymachos- A suitor who also is plotting to kill Telemachos

Nestor- King of Pylos and a former warrior in the Trojan War

Lotus Eaters- They are basically druggies

Mentor- The elderly Ithakan, or Mentor, Athena in yet another disguise. He is a good guy though

Ciconians- They are the Thracian tribe, they joined the Trojans and fought against Odysseus

Nausicaa- She was the  Phaeacians princess, daughter of Alkinoos and Arete. She finds Odysseus and brings him back to the palace.

Polyphemos- The one eyed monster that the Ithakans encounter on their way home

Alcinoos- He is the King of  Phaeacians, and he offers Odysseus hospitality in his island kingdom of Scheria. He provides Odysseus a safe pasage back home to Ithaka.

Scylla- The Monster with six heads

Arete- The Queen of  Phaeacians, wife of Alcinoos, and mother to Nausicaa

Charybdis- A whirlpool that swallows the sea and spits it back up

Emaios- He is an Ithaka swineherd who takes Odysseus in when he returns home in the disguise of a beggar

Aiolos- He is god of the winds, he gathers all the winds in a bag in hope to help Odysseus get home but Odysseus's men open the bag and all the winds come blowing out

Theoclymenos- He catches a ride with Telemachos on his way out of Sparta

Elpenor- One of Odysseus's men, and he fell off the roof of Circes. Odysseus then meets him in the underworld and asks for a proper burial

Melanthios- Ithakan goatherd, he insults Odysseus and isn't very nice to him. He is the one who arms the suitors during battle, but is tortured before he dies

Teiresias- A blind prophet who helps Odysseus in the underworld

Arnaios-

Eurylochos- One of the Ithakans traveling back with Odysseus from Troy. He refuses to enter Circe's hall, he also convinced everyone to stay a night at Thrinakia which resulted in everyone dying except for Odysseus

Eurycleia- She is an aged and loyal survent who nursed Odysseus and Telemachos as babies. She helps keep Telemachos's journey safe from Penelope, she also keeps Odysseus's identity a secret after seeing the scar on his leg

Cassandra- A Trojan princess who was raped and killed by Aias on the altar of Athena

Tityo- Son of Zeus, gets his liver eaten out every day

Tantalus- He was in Hades and can't eat or drink

Sisyphus- He was in hell and he was the one trying to roll the rock up the mountain

ODYSSEY: FINAL
1) How does the Odyssey start “in the middle of things”?
It starts in the middle of things because in the beggining of the book Odysseus is already gone, and then throughout the book they recounter Odysseus's adventures home.

2) What is Odysseus’ tragic flaw and how is it shown?
Odysseus is very prideful. It is shown all over but is very important when they are about to get away from the Cyclops and Odysseus starts bragging and tells him how he is the great Odysseus. Mostly everyone he meets he tells them all his stories of his travels and he is just very prideful of him self.

3) Explain the motif of Agammenon and Clytaimnestra.  What theme does it reinforce?
Agammenon returned home from Troy and Clytaimnestra had been cheating on him with Aigithos, so being the unfaithful wife she is she kills Agammenon. It reinforces the theme of loyalty because it is showing how loyal of a wife Penelope is to Odysseus.

4) Who are seductresses in the Odyssey and what purpose do they serve?
Helen, Calypso, the sirens, and Circe. They are in the book because they are an obstacle to the men to help lead them astray.

5) Summarizes Books 1-4.  What story do they tell?
 In books 1-4 we learn about Telemachoas and the idea of him becoming of age and trying to go find his father. In book one we learn that Telemachoas's father Odysseous, has been missing for like twetnty years. Since Odysseous is gone his wife Penelope is all alone at home. All these suitors come to their house and Telemachoas is mad becasue they are eating all his food, drinking all the wine, and trying to take his mother. Athena is there dressed as Mentes trying to help him. Telemachoas has a meeting with all the men in town to complain about the suitors. Later that night he meets with Athena and she tells him that he should go on a journey to find his father. So that night she goes out desgiused as Telemachoas and finds him a crew of men for the boat. Telemachoas first stop on his journey was Pylos, were he delivers a speech. We learn about how when Agamennon got home from Troy he was killed by his wife. Telemachoas also goes on a trip to Sparta. While in Sparta Menelaos is hosting double wedding party. His wife Helen drugs the mens wine with an an anodyne that makes them forget hoping to make them forget all their sorrows. The next day when Telemachoas is about to leave Menelaos gives him a silver bowl set. Penelope finds out about her sons voyage so she prays to Athena. Athena hears her and sends her an image of the queens sister. Penelope wakes up feeling refreshed and the suitors are outside waiting to ambush which won't go well for them. 

Story the tell- It is trying to tell us about the coming of age and how Odysseus needs to step up and stop being such a litle boy. 
6) Summarize Books 5-8.  What story do they tell?
Athena begs Zeus to help odysseus so he sends his messanger Hermes Calypso's island and tells her she needs to let Odysseus go. Calypso and Odysseus build a raft and make sure that he has food and water to last him. He thens sets out on the fifth day everything is fine until Posiedon returns from hanging out at the end of the world and isn't happy to see Odysseus has set sail. Posiedon then sends a strom towards Odysseus making his boat sink and almost drowning him. Ino the Queen of the Sea then comes up to help Odyssus, she gives him her veil and tells him to swim. He then reaches shore prays to the river god that he can get some sleep, and goes and lays in some bushes.   
Athena is in the place were Odysseus has crash landed and goes over to princess Nausikaa. She enters the girls dream as her friend and tells her that she needs to think about getting married. Then when Nausikaa goes down to the river to wash her clothes she finds Odysseus. He tells her his story and she decideds to help him. Nausikaa tells Odysseus about her people and takes him into to town were it all depends on the Queens anwser. So he wates out side in the garden and prays to Ahtena. 
Odysseus is disguised in a cold of sea mist so no one can see him wander the streets. He meets up with Athena who is dressed as child and asks the little girl for directions. The little girl leads Odysseus to the palace and tells him about the land and the ruling family. The Queen is Arete and the King is Alkinoos. Odysseus gets to the palace and hugs the Queens knees, the mist then disappears and everyone shocked. Everyone begins to serve Odysseus and they all ask if he is a god, he tells them that he is not. When Queen Arete asks why he has her daughters clothes on he doesnt really know how to explain it to her. King Alkinoos offers Nausikaas hand in marriage, but Osysseus says no and thats okay cause the Kings men will take him home. 
They King oreders his men to get the ship ready to take Odysseus home. Later they have a banquet and play games and tell stories. 


7) Summarize Books 20-24.  What story do they tell?
Book 21 
In book 21 it starts off with Penelope removing Odyseseus's bow from its honor on the wall. The Queen starts to tell the suitors about the contest and all the details. Eumaios and Philoitios have a mental breakdown because Penelope has given up on her husband returing back home. Telemachos is the first to string the bow because he wants to show his sttrength and manliness. Odysseus then tells him not to do so they then move on to the first suitor who fails. Antinoös orders Melanthios to try in cheat in hopes of stringing the bow. Odysseus sees Eumaios and Philoitios so he tells them its him and shows them his scar. When Odysseus wants a chance at stringing the bow all the suitors tell him no. Penelope then lets him have a chance, and Telemachos tells Penelope that she needs to go upstairs and be a women. Telemachos tells Eurykleia to tell all the women to go to their rooms and tell them not to come out until they are allowed even if they hear sounds of battle. Odysseus sucssefully strings the bow and all the suitors make fun of him for taking so long. 

Book 22
Odysseus and Telemachos start killing all the suitors, but the suitors start running because they have no weapons. Telemachos trys to have Odysseus stop killing all the good suitors but Odysseus doesnt stop. Telemachos goes and gets more weapons, but leaves the door open and now the suitors have weapons. Odysseus also kills twelve of the of the maids. Odysseus purifies the hall and everything is back to normal. 

Book 23
Eurykleia tells Penelope that Odysseus is back but she doesn't beleive her. She finally sees Odysseus, but she won't know him until she tells her their secret about the bed, and how he built it around a tree and used the one as the bed posts so no one can move the bed. They then sleep together again after twenty years and stayed up all night talking. Odysseus then tells Penelope that he is going to see his father so he orders her to go upstairs and lock themselves away from any avengers from town. Odysseus, Telemachos, and the herdsmen then go see Laertes and Athena covers them with a dark cloud. 

Book 24
Odysseus reaches the land where his father lives and he finds his dad plowing the land. Odysseus trys testing Laertes loyalty by insulting his aperance and telling him that he once housed Odysseus on his voage home. Laertes responds by thanking him for helping his son. Odysseus then shows him his scar and tells him that it is him. They then walk back to the farm house were they find out that everyone knows about the massive slaughter. No one is worried though because they know the gods are on Odysseus's side. Odysseus friends are ready to fight and Laertes kills Eupeithes with a spear right through the helmet. Athena then yells at everyone to stop and have peace. She tells them that is they don't stop Zeus will be mad, so they all stop and Ithaka is back to normal. 

8) Discuss the theme of Loyalty and give three detailed examples from the book.
Loyalty- Putting someone before yourself and always staying true to them. We see this with Penelope and how she doesn't kill Odysseus when he gets home and doesn't cheat on him while he is gone. Also with Eumaios and how he stays true to his master even though he has been gone for twenty years. Last Telemachos and how he goes to find his father. 

9) Discuss the theme of Hospitality and give three detailed examples from the book.
Hospitality- People being generous and treating their guests friendly. Alcinoos saying Odyssseus can stay in his home and he helps him home. Nausica when she gives him clothes when he washes up on the beach. Also Nestor when Telemachos vists Pylos and Nestor invites him to the feasts and welcomes him in.

10) Discuss the back-story of Troy, where it appears and what it represents.
The war between the Greeks and the people of Troy. It began after the Trojan prince Paris abducted Helen, wife of Menelaus. When Menelaus demanded her return, but Trojans refused. Menelaus then persuaded his brother Agamemnon to lead an army against Troy.
Odysseus fought this war. After, on his way back to Ithaca he was held on Calyspo's island for seven years and then finally returned back home after 20. It represents what lead up to everything that is in place now and it appears in book three telling us why Odysseus has been gone.
                                                  
11) Discuss the symbol of Hades.  What does it represent?  Who is there?  What do they say or do there?
Hades is the land of the dead, the final resting place for departed souls, a very dark afterlife. It is a symbol to bring everything together.  Teiresias, Achilles, and Anticlea. Achilles says he would rather have a long life than a short life, Teiresias say Posidon is the one punishing him because he blinded his son, and Anticlea says she killed her self because she thought her son was dead and then she would be able to meet him in the underworld. It represents


12) Discuss the symbol of birds.  What does it represent?  Give three examples from the book?
Birds are used to describe omans. Penelope sees an eagle killing all her geese, showing that Odysseus is coming to kill the suitors. Second Amphinomos sees an eagle carrying a dove in its tallens showing Odysseus is coming to kill them. Last Athena takes the form of a bird showing her sligh side.


The following questions are worth 2 point each.
Give a description of the following characters and their roles in the story.

13) Achilles- He is a Greek hero who fought against the Trojans. We meet him in the underworld, we learn that he had the chance to either live a long uneventful life or living a short and glorious life. He tells us in the underworld that he would rather be alive then be in the underworld.

14) Antinoos-The suitor and he is the one who starts the campainge to have Telemachos killed, and he is the first one killed by Odyssesus.

15) Emurymachos- He is also a suitor and helps in the plotting to kill Odysseus

16) Nausicaa- She was the Phaeacians princess, daughter of Alkinoos and Arete. She finds Odysseus and brings him back to the palace. She relates to the theme of hospitality

17) Scylla- The six headed monster who kills most of Odysseus's men

18) Charybdis- The a sea monster that opens her mouth and everything is sucked in

19) Aiolos- He is the god of the winds. He helps Odysseus by putting all the winds in a bag to help him get home, but Odysseus's men open the bag and the winds go blowing out. He would fit the theme of loyalty

20) Laertes- Odysseus's father, has a garden, is sad over the loss of his son everyday. He fits the theme of loyalty

21) Orestes- Is Agammenon's son and he kills Klytaimestra and her lover Aigisthos in vengace for his fathers death. He would be the theme of loyalty too because he is being loyal to his father by killing the people who killed his father

22) Nestor- King of Pylos and he was a former warrior in the Trojan War