English Exam 2024 the odyssey

Achaeans

Greeks involved in the Trojan War

Achilles

Greek hero of the Trojan War, dies from an arrow into his heel

Agamemnon

Leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War; killed by Aegisthus and Clytemnestra

Aeaea

Circe’s island where Odysseus' men are turned into swine

Aegisthus

Lover of Clytemnestra who kills Agamemnon and is later killed by Orestes

Aeolus

God of the winds who gives the winds to Odysseus

Aeolia

Island of Aeolus, where Odysseus receives a bag of winds

Ajax

A Greek warrior who appears in the Underworld but does not speak to Odysseus due to the contest over Achilles' armor

Alcinous

King of the Phaeacians, ruler of Scheria, who helps Odysseus return home

Amphinomus

A suitor who is more reasonable but is killed by Telemachus

Anticleia

Mother of Odysseus who dies from missing him; appears to him in the Underworld

Antinous

The worst suitor and the first to be killed by Odysseus

Aphrodite

Goddess of love and beauty who has an affair with Ares

Arete

Wife of Alcinous, queen of the Phaeacians, and mother of Nausicaa

Ares

God of war involved in an affair with Aphrodite

Argus

Odysseus’ dog who recognizes him upon his return but dies shortly after

Athena

Goddess of wisdom and war who assists Odysseus throughout his journey

Atreus

Father of Agamemnon and Menelaus

Autolycus

Odysseus’ grandfather

Calypso

Nymph who keeps Odysseus captive for 7 years until ordered by the gods to let him go

Charybdis

Monster that creates a deadly whirlpool

Cicones

People whom Odysseus' men raid, but they must flee after being attacked

Circe

Sorceress who transforms Odysseus’ men into pigs but later helps them

Clytemnestra

Wife of Agamemnon who has him killed when he returns from war

Cyclopes

One-eyed giants; Polyphemus traps Odysseus and his men in his cave

Demodocus

Blind poet who performs at the court of Alcinous

Eidothea

Sea goddess and daughter of Proteus who helps Menelaus

Elpenor

Member of Odysseus’ crew who dies after falling from a roof on Circe's island

Eumaeus

Loyal swineherd who assists Odysseus upon his return to Ithaca

Eupeithes

Father of Antinous who is killed by Odysseus

Eurycleia

Odysseus’ nurse who recognizes him upon his return

Eurylochus

Second in command and Odysseus’ favorite crew member

Eurymachus

Leading suitor who is killed by Odysseus

Eurynome

Penelope's loyal servant

Hades

God of the underworld

Helen

Wife of Menelaus whose elopement with Paris begins the Trojan War

Helios

God of the sun

Hephaestus

God of fire and craftsmen, known for trapping Ares with Aphrodite

Hermes

Messenger god

Ino

Sea goddess who saves Odysseus with a veil

Irus

Beggar who challenges Odysseus and loses

Ithaca

Home island of Odysseus

Laertes

Odysseus’ father who has been grieving for 20 years

Laistrygonians

Man-eating giants

Lotos Eaters

People who offer Odysseus’ men lotus flowers that make them forget home

Medon

A messenger who informs Penelope of the suitors' plans against Telemachus

Melanthius

Disloyal goatherd who is brutally punished

Melantho

Disloyal servant girl who is hung

Menelaus

King of Sparta, brother of Agamemnon, and husband of Helen

Mentor

Athena's disguise when guiding Telemachus

Nausicaa

Princess of the Phaeacians who helps Odysseus; daughter of Alcinous

Nestor

King of Pylos who shares stories of the Trojan War

Odysseus

King of Ithaca and the main hero of the Odyssey

Ogygia

Island where Calypso keeps Odysseus captive for 7 years

Orestes

Son of Agamemnon who kills Aegisthus and Clytemnestra

Penelope

Wife of Odysseus

Phaeacians

Seafarers living on Scheria, ruled by Alcinous

Phemius

Bard in Ithaca who is spared by Odysseus

Philoetius

Loyal cowherd of Odysseus

Polyphemus

Cyclops, son of Poseidon, who is blinded by Odysseus

Poseidon

God of the sea who makes it difficult for Odysseus to return home

Proteus

Sea god capable of changing shapes, who helps Odysseus

Pylos

Nestor’s island

Scheria

Final stop of Odysseus, home of the Phaeacians

Scylla

Six-headed, twelve-legged monster blocking the strait of Messina

Sirens

Creatures whose enchanting songs lure sailors to their doom

Sparta

Island ruled by Menelaus

Telemachus

Son of Odysseus

Tiresias

Blind prophet in the Underworld who gives Odysseus critical advice

Theoclymenus

Prophet who travels with Telemachus and foresees the deaths of the suitors

Thrinacia

Island belonging to the Sun God, Helios

Zeus

King of the gods and god of thunder

Allusion

An indirect reference

Exposition

Introduction about background information

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

Denotation

Literal meaning of a word

Connotation

Idea or feeling that a word invokes

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to something non-human

In medias res

In the middle of things

Epic

A story of large scale

Epithet

An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality of a person or thing

Invocation of the muse

Traditional opening of an epic poem

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'

Dramatic irony

When the reader knows more than a character

Symbol

Something concrete that represents an abstract idea

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence leading to downfall

Kleos

Material wealth that signifies glory

Xenia

Hospitality shown to strangers