Literary Terms and Characters in The Odyssey

These flashcards cover key literary terms and characters from The Odyssey to aid in review and exam preparation.

What is an epic simile?

An extended simile that compares two different things in a detailed way.

What is a frame story?

A story within a story.

What does climax refer to in a narrative?

The turning point of the story.

What point of view is characterized by 'I' or 'we'?

First person point of view.

What is a theme in literature?

The central idea or message of a story.

What is symbolism?

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

What does the ancient Greek concept of xenia refer to?

Hospitality.

What is exposition in a story?

The beginning of the story where everything is introduced.

What is the falling action in a narrative?

The events after the climax, leading to the resolution.

What is an allusion?

A reference to a person or something else.

What is an epic?

A long narrative poem.

What does rhapsode refer to?

An ecstatic expression of feeling in speech or writing.

What is the inciting incident?

The event that sets the story in motion.

What is the resolution of a story?

The end of the story where the conflict is resolved.

What point of view is characterized by 'she' or 'they'?

Third person point of view.

What is imagery in literature?

Visually descriptive or figurative language in a literary work.

What is an epithet?

A characteristic adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality of a person.

What is the rising action in a narrative?

The events leading up to the climax.

What does mood refer to in literature?

The feeling that a piece of writing creates for the reader.

Who is Penelope?

Odysseus's wife.

Who is Telemachus?

The son of Odysseus.

What role does Odysseus have in The Odyssey?

He is the hero and King of Ithaca.

Who is Circe?

The enchantress who turns Odysseus's men into animals.

Who is Tiresias?

The prophet who tells Odysseus how to get home.

Who is Polyphemus?

The Cyclops in The Odyssey.

Who is Antinous?

The leader of the suitors trying to marry Penelope while Odysseus is away.

Who is Athena?

The goddess of wisdom, skills, and war.

Who is Hermes?

The messenger god who gives Odysseus magic herb.