The Odyssey - Comprehensive Study Guide

Major Characters

  • Odysseus: King of Ithaca, lost after the Trojan War, trying to return home.
  • Telemachus: Son of Odysseus, searches for his father.
  • Penelope: Wife of Odysseus, holds off suitors in Ithaca.
  • Athena (Pallas) (Mentor) (Mentes): Goddess of wisdom and war, plays various roles.
  • The Suitors: Men seeking to marry Penelope.

Minor Characters

  • Calypso: Sea goddess who traps Odysseus on Ogygia.
  • Antinoos: Leader of the suitors.
  • Aegisthus: Steals Agamemnon's wife and throne.
  • Agamemnon: Greek king, killed by Aegisthus.
  • Orestes: Agamemnon's son, avenges his father by killing Aegisthus.
  • Polyphemus: Cyclops who traps Odysseus.
  • Zeus: King of the gods.
  • Poseidon: God of the seas and earthquakes.
  • Hermes: Messenger god.
  • Laertes: Odysseus's father; Penelope is supposedly weaving a burial shroud for him.
  • Eurymachus: Suitor leader, offers logical arguments.
  • Proteus: "Old man of the sea," Poseidon's right-hand, shapeshifter.
  • Nestor: King of Pylos.
  • Menelaus: King of Sparta.
  • Paris: Steals Helen and starts the Trojan War.
  • Helen: Wife of Menelaus, said to be the most beautiful human.
  • Ino: Minor sea goddess/mermaid who aids Odysseus.
  • Alcinoos: King of Phaeacia.
  • Cicones: Tribe pillaged by Odysseus.
  • Lotus Eaters: Obsessed with lotus fruit.
  • Circe: Goddess who turns men into pigs; offers shelter to women.
  • Aeolus: Minor god of the wind, king of Aeolia.
  • Tiresias: Seer Odysseus meets in the Underworld.
  • Anticleia: Odysseus's mother.
  • The Sirens: Lure sailors with song.
  • Scylla: Six-headed monster that kills six of Odysseus's men, residing near Charybdis.
  • Charybdis: Monster that creates whirlpools, residing near Scylla.
  • Helios: The sun god.
  • Eurylochus: Odysseus’s second-in-command.
  • Eumaeus: Swineherd who Odysseus first goes to after returning to Ithaca.
  • Irus: A large beggar who Odysseus fights
  • Eurycleia: The head maid/attendant of Odysseus’s household.
  • Medon: A herald character who informs Penelope of the suitors intentions with Telemachus.
  • Theoclymenus: A seer or prophet who Telemachus extends hospitality towards and who warns the suitors of their eminent demise.

Settings

  • Olympus
  • Ithaca
  • Ogygia
  • Pylos
  • Sparta
  • Troy
  • Phaeacia
  • Aeolia
  • Land of the Cyclops
  • Land of the Dead (Underworld, Erebus, or Hades)

Literary Terms

Literary Archetypes

  • Model/role/structure for stories across media, genre, time, and culture.
    • Hero: Courageous protagonist who overcomes obstacles.
    • Ally: Offers direct help to the hero.
    • Mentor: Guides the hero, eventually moves aside.
    • Villain: Opposes the hero.
    • Shapeshifter: Literally or symbolically transforms.
    • Trickster: Provides comic relief.
    • Herald: Signals a change (often a messenger).
    • Shadow: Embodies negative qualities of the hero.
    • Threshold Guardian: Tests the hero between worlds.

Epic Poem

  • Long narrative poem about heroism.

Parallel Plot

  • Simultaneous storylines.

Frame Narrative

  • Story within a story, focus switches between storylines.

Allegory

  • Text with social, political, or moral meaning.

Hero’s Journey

  • Archetypal plot structure: transformation of an ordinary person to a “hero”.

    • Events do not need to happen in exact order.

    • Unlikely that a hero in a story experiences all of these in a single narrative.

    • Call to Adventure: The protagonist receives a beckoning to embark on a transformative journey.

    • Refusal of the Call: The protagonist hesitates or rejects the call to adventure.

    • Meeting the Mentor: The protagonist encounters a wise and experienced figure who provides guidance, wisdom, support, or training.

    • Crossing the Threshold: The protagonist overcomes the threshold guardian.

    • Trials & Tribulations: The protagonist faces a series of challenges, tests, and obstacles that they must overcome to progress further on their quest.

    • Approach to the Inmost Cave: The hero approaches the heart of their journey.

    • Facing the Shadow Self: The protagonist confronts their inner demons, fears, or flaws

    • Ordeal in the Abyss: The protagonist confronts their antagonist

    • Apotheosis: The protagonist experiences a profound spiritual or psychological transformation.

    • The Ultimate Boon: The hero attains the primary goal of their quest.

    • Refusal of the Return: The hero may resist returning to or accepting the “ordinary” world.

    • The Road Back Home: The hero embarks on the journey back to their “ordinary” world.

    • Master of Two Worlds: The hero integrates the lessons, skills, and experiences gained from their journey into their everyday life.

    • Return with Special Knowledge: The hero returns to their ordinary world, bringing back the insights, wisdom, or treasures gained during their adventure.

Themes

  • Heroism
  • Oikos
  • Xenia
  • Women's Rights
  • Violence
  • Leadership
  • Temptation/Greed