The Odyssey

What does Penelope tell the suitors regarding her choice?

She will make her choice once she has finished weaving Laertes's burial shroud.

Why does Telemachus ask his fellow Ithacans to accompany him on a voyage?

To discover news about Odysseus.

What does Menelaus say he would trade for the life of Agamemnon?

He would trade all of his riches.

How does Odysseus feel when trapped on Calypso's Island?

He is yearning for home.

What is Antinoos's plan regarding Telemachus?

To ambush and murder him upon his return from his voyage.

Why is Calypso upset when Hermes tells her to release Odysseus?

Because the gods never allow a goddess to love a mortal man.

What happens when Nausicaa encounters Odysseus?

She provides him with clothing and directs him to her mother in the palace.

What do many characters believe about beggars?

That all beggars are sent by Zeus.

What were the Phaeacians known for?

They were expert sailors.

What does Odysseus do when taunted by a Phaeacian athlete?

He throws a discus farther than all of the other competitors.

What effect does the lotus fruit have on Odysseus's men?

It makes them want to do nothing but eat more lotus fruit.

Why do Odysseus and his men become trapped in the cyclops's cave?

The boulder blocking the entrance is too heavy for them to move.

How do Odysseus and his men escape from the cyclops's cave?

By hiding beneath his sheep.

What does the cyclops ask Poseidon regarding Odysseus?

To prevent Odysseus from returning home or to make his journey difficult.

Why do Odysseus's crew open the bag of wind from Aeolus?

They believe it is full of treasure that Odysseus intends to keep for himself.

What does Circe use to turn the men into swine?

A magic drug.

What does Hermes tell Odysseus to protect him from?

Circe's magic.

Where must Odysseus first travel to learn the way home?

To the underworld.

What does Eurylochus say is the worst death?

Starvation.

What does Odysseus wake up thinking when he is dropped off by the Phaeacians?

That he is on another island in the middle of nowhere.

Why is Eumaeus skeptical about news of Odysseus?

Because beggars have made up news of Odysseus in the past.

What does Penelope ask the beggar to describe?

What Odysseus was like when he recruited soldiers for the Trojan War.

How does Euricleia recognize Odysseus?

By his scar.

What challenge does Penelope set for the suitors?

To string Odysseus's bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe heads.

What does Odysseus worry about after the suitors are dead?

That their relatives will come for revenge.

Who is the first suitor to die?

Antinoos.

What does Eurymachus say to prevent further bloodshed?

That it was all Antinoos's fault and they will replace what they have taken.

What does the rooted bed of Odysseus and Penelope symbolize?

Their love for and commitment to one another.

What does Eupeithes call Odysseus at the council?

A murderer.

What does Athena call for from the hilltop at the conclusion?

Peace.