Key Characters and Themes in Classic Literature

Eurycleia

Wet nurse who recognized Odysseus by his ankle scar.

Elpenor

Guy who got drunk & fell off; he also talked to Odysseus and asked for a proper burial (in the afterlife).

Athena

God of war; intervenes in getting Zeus to release Odysseus from Calypso's island, made sure Odysseus got washed up on shore and met Nausicaa, guiding Telemachus to becoming a proper leader, and shielded Odysseus from Poseidon.

Hector

Greatest warrior of Troy, brother of Paris, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba; killed by Achilles (turning point of Trojan war).

Zeus

King of gods, sky, thunder and lightning; punisher of Odysseus's crew for eating Helios's cows (storm), persuaded by Athena to send Hermes to order Calypso to release Odysseus.

Penelope

Wife of Odysseus, Queen of Ithica.

Sirens

Have a song to lure people to their death; Odysseus has crew put earwax in their ears and has himself tied to the mast of the ship.

Calypso

Nymph (nature spirit) who offered immortality and beauty for Odysseus's company; held him captive for 7 years, helped him build a raft and gave supplies to go home.

Circe

Lives on Aeaea; turned Odysseus's men into pigs, in love with Odysseus; told Odysseus to go to the underworld to talk to Tiresias, and warned him of the sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.

Homer

Author of the Odyssey and the Iliad.

Cyclops

Name: Polyphemus; the crew thought the cave was abandoned but Polyphemus lived there and started eating his crew; Odysseus got him drunk and told him his name was 'Nobody' before stabbing him in the eye.

Odysseus

King of Ithica.

Anticlea

Odysseus's mother.

Helen

The woman who was abducted by Paris; queen of Sparta and wife of Menelaus.

Telemachus

Odysseus's son.

Eumaeus

The first person Odysseus sees when he arrives back to Ithica; he also herds swine.

Scylla

Snatched 6 sailors off the deck and devours them; lives in a cave.

Charybdis

Lives in a whirlpool opposite of Scylla.

Laestrygonians

A tribe of cannibals.

Poseidon

God of water, earthquakes, and horses.

Tiresias

The blind prophet in the afterlife.

The Odyssey conflicts

Conflicts include man vs. gods (Odysseus vs. Poseidon), man vs. monsters (Cyclops, Scylla, Charybdis), and man vs. self (Odysseus' pride, temptation).

Metaphors in The Odyssey

The sea represents life's unpredictability and challenges; Ithaca symbolizes home, purpose, identity.

Climax of The Odyssey

Odysseus slays the suitors and reclaims his home and wife.

Understatements

• Odysseus often minimizes danger (“Just another test from the gods”), though the events are terrifying. A literary device where the author intentionally downplays a situation or emotion.

The Black Cat

A short story by Edgar Allan Poe that explores themes of guilt and madness through the narrator's conflicts.

Conflicts in The Black Cat

Narrator vs. cat (symbol of guilt and doom), narrator vs. self (madness, guilt), narrator vs. wife.

Metaphors in The Black Cat

The cat = guilt, revenge, supernatural justice; alcohol = metaphor for loss of control and descent into evil.

Climax of The Black Cat

The narrator kills his wife and hides the body — but the cat's wail reveals the crime.

Flashbacks in The Black Cat

The entire story is a flashback from prison.

Understatements in The Black Cat

The narrator's claim, 'Yet, mad am I not...' attempts to convince us he's sane, but everything proves otherwise.

The Monkey's Paw

A short story by W. W. Jacobs that examines the consequences of wishes and fate.

Conflicts in The Monkey's Paw

Man vs. fate (the paw represents fate's cruelty), man vs. self (grief, regret over wishes), man vs. family tension (what to wish for).

Metaphors in The Monkey's Paw

The paw = metaphor for unintended consequences of interfering with fate; wishes = human greed, fear of loss, emotional desperation.

Climax of The Monkey's Paw

Mysterious knocking on the door — implied return of Herbert from the grave.

Flashbacks in The Monkey's Paw

Morris recounts the paw's history and a man who wished for death.

Understatements in The Monkey's Paw

Mr. White: 'It moved' — after a supernatural event, downplayed heavily.

Themes in 'The Road Not Taken'

Choices in life, individuality vs. regret, irreversibility of decisions.

Symbolism in 'The Road Not Taken'

Two roads = Life choices; the road 'less traveled by' = Symbolizes the unconventional or risky choice.

Key Line in 'The Road Not Taken'

'I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.'

Poetic Devices in 'The Road Not Taken'

Metaphor (extended metaphor for life decisions), imagery ('yellow wood,' 'leaves no step had trodden black'), repetition.

Tone in 'The Road Not Taken'

Reflective, contemplative, possibly regretful.

'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

A poem by Emily Dickinson that personifies death and explores themes of mortality and acceptance.

Themes in 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

Death as part of life, immortality, acceptance of mortality.

Symbolism in 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

Carriage ride = Passage from life to death; Death = Personified as a polite gentleman.

Key Line in 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

'Because I could not stop for Death - He kindly stopped for me -'

Poetic Devices in 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

Personification (Death and Immortality), alliteration ('Gazing Grain,' 'Setting Sun'), symbolism.

Tone in 'Because I Could Not Stop for Death'

Calm, accepting, almost gentle toward death.