Studied by 1 personbooks 2, 3, 4, 14, 15, 20, and 24 are not included in the specification :)
what kind of structure does Homer’s books take?
two shorter stories and then the longer/ main one
what is a Homeric hero motivated by
nostos, kleos, and time
what does nostos mean
the desire and duty to return home
what does kleos mean
glory
what does time mean
honour
how does Odysseus come from noble birth
He’s the son of Laertes, King of Ithaca
what is Aeolia
the home of Aeolus
what is Cyclops’s island
where the Cyclops Polyphemus lives
what is Circe’s island called
Aeaea
what is xenia (note: huge theme in the Odyssey)
the guest-host relationship
whats the opening passage called
the proem
what does the proem tell us
Odysseus will learn from his travels but will also suffer, and that the men bought their own doom
why is it ironic that all other warriors are either dead or home safely, except odysseus?
He’s known for being resourceful, yet hasn’t been able to return
we learn that Odysseus is our main character late in the intro, why?
it may represent the fact that he has to be careful in who knows who he is, having disastrous consequences when he slips out his real name
how is Telemachus initially shown
lacking spirit and helpless against the suitors but he is still a good host
how do the suitors and Telemachus differ
the suitors are rude and loud, whereas Telemachus is respectful
what do we learn about Telemachus
he’s filled with uncertainty, being raised with a father neither dead nor alive
why does Athene help Telemachus the way she does
out of devotion to Odysseus
why is Telemachus sent to go on a journey and look for his father
to build Telemachus’s reputation, allowing Odysseus to come home to a ‘worthy’ son, and let Telemachus know that he is his father’s son
how is Penelope first shown
to be still deep in her grief
who are we introduced to in the end of book 1?
Eurycleia, Odysseus and Telemachus’s nurse
how are we first introduced to Odysseus
here he is at Calypso’s island, whining and sobbing, different from how we’d expect this great and strong hero to be
how is Calypso presented
a good hostess, who genuinely seems to love Odysseus
what is the word for when a story is slowed down
retardation
Homeric epithets
a word that describes a person or thing
what’s an example of a Homeric epithet
bright-eyed Athene, or noble Odysseus
what was the point of Homeric epithets
it helped bards memorize the poems and helped the audience know who was who
Calypso offered Odysseus immortality and rejects it, what does this show us?
he’s truly devoted to getting back to his family, a heroic trait
when Odysseus appears in front of Nausicaa what do we appreciate about him
even while naked and half-dead, he still tries to be courteous and appropriate
how does the theme of identity show up in Nausicaa and Odysseus’s encounter?
he chooses not to state who he is or that he’s married - we can see Nausicaa is attracted to him and by omitting details he is further convincing her to help him
what’s the difference between Nausicaa and Telemachus
she’s honoured and a worthy daughter, whereas Telemachus worries he will shame his hero father
what is Scheria
Nausicaa’s and King Alcinous’s island
who is insulted by Odysseus’s refusal to take part in the Phaeacian games
Eurylas
what happens after Euryalus and Odysseus’s conflict and why is it interesting
Euryalus gives Odysseus a personal apology, something rare in Greek literature
in book 8 we are given a simile about Odysseus’s tears, what does it tell us (it’s about a woman weeping with her arms around her husband fallen in battle)
even though he is a victor, his grief is associated with a victim. She has lost what she loves most, as has Odysseus - deprived of his home, wife and child
how does Agamemnon and Odysseus’s families contrast
Clytemnestra is unfaithful and kills Agamemnon, while her sister, Helen, causes a lot of destruction due to adultery. Penelope, however, suffers but remains faithful
what’s something interesting that Calypso points out
she notes how goddesses are punished for loving mortals while gods do the same thing
how does Queen Arete differ from normal representation of women in greek epics
she is the one Odysseus has to ask for help rather than the king, and she’s able to settle ‘men’s debates’
what are books 9-12
a flashback of the last 10 years, from when Odysseus left Troy till he crashed at Calypso’s island
after escaping an ambush in Troy, what pushes them off course
the North wind and current
what are the three stories in this book
the lotus-eaters and the escape from Troy are the shorter ones, while the Cyclops are the main one
why might Odysseus’s encounter with Polyphemus be so popular?
it’s when Odysseus is at his most charismatic/ shows his human traits and flaws
the Phaeacians and Cyclops’s used to be near each other, how do they differ?
the Phaecians show good hospitality where the cyclops don’t, and Scharia is civilised
how does Odysseus’s change from Cyclops island to how we see him in Scharia
he’s far less arrogant and adventurous, now he just wants to see his family, he’s also alone in his journey now
what are the three stories of book 10
their trip(s) to Aeolus, their encounter with man-eating giants, and Circe’s island
in book 10, what do we start to notice from the men
some jealousy and spite, with Eurylochus in particular causing trouble
what sort of emotional state is Odysseus in in book 10
not well, he considers suicide but thinks he needs to suffer quietly, a typical trait in epic heroes
when do we see Odysseus’s leadership not be great in book 10
the men have to remind Odysseus they should leave, they have to step in for him
what shows Odysseus’s dedication to his family in the underworld
when Calypso offered him immortality, he had already seen the underworld, already saw what mortality means, and still chose to reject it
what does Achilles tell Odysseus
that he regrets everything and that the underworld is boring
in book 12, how does Odysseus show foolishness
by ignoring Circe’s warning to not arm himself and try to fight Scylla
what does Eurylochus do in book 12
he convinces the crew to kill the sheep, causing Zeus to kill them as they sail away
what does book 17 highlight
how unkindly slaves, poorer or elderly people are treated. It also shows what happens when society is left to itself
in book 19, the aged Odysseus sees Penelope. What does he think of her and the suitors
he doesn’t blame her at all for it
in book 22, Odysseus shoots Antinous (one of the suitors) in the neck, what’s interesting about Homer describes it
it’s described as tender, showing compassion for his pitiable death
after is Antinous is shot and the suitors realise their are no weapons, what does Eurymachus do
he asks them to be spared, saying it was entirely Antinous’s doing, offering to give many gifts to make up for their behaviour
what does Athene do in book 22
she protects Odysseus and ensures the suitors miss
who does Telemachus spare
Phemius and Medon
what does Eurycleia do after the suitors have been killed
he triumphs at the suitors defeat and Odysseus tells him it’s horrid to cheer over the slain
how does Penelope react in seeing an undisguised Odysseus
she doesn’t believe it’s truly him and is in great shock, he recognises she’s been through a lot just as he has
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