| |
|
Teachers:
The Odyssey by Homer: A Study Guide (Teacher Edition) by David Claudon is now available. Click here for more information. 
Note: When the student edition becomes available, part of this study guide will be taken off-line.
|
|
|
|
Note:
I have taught four translations of The Odyssey. My students found
the Rouse and Lattimore
translations very difficult and I found they didn't capture the drama
of the story. My Freshmen Honors English class used the Robert
Fitzgerald translation, but the names became problems.
I, am now using Robert
Fagles' new translation, which is much easier to read. I use his book
titles here. Names in [ ] are Fagles' spelling.
 |
Students
who plan to take History and Thought of Western Man at Rich East High School,
may want to purchase this edition of both of Fagles' works. Click
on the image to see more about the book. |
|
|
Book
1:
Athena
Inspires the Prince
|
|
Characters
- Aegisthis
- Antinous
- Eurycleia
- Eurymachus
- Mentes
- Pallas Athena
- Penelope
- Phemius
- Telemachus
- Zeus
Settings
Thought Questions
- Why
do you think Homer begins the work by having Zeus discuss Aegisthus'
murder? Is he planting the idea of the unfaithful wife waylaying her
husband, since Aegisthus, the lover of Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra,
had just been killed by the son of Agamemnon?
- What
customs can we see dealing with how one is to treat strangers?
- What
does Telemachus' treatment of his mother show about the views
of the Achaíans toward women?
- Why would a book
that purports to tell the story of Odysseus actually begin by discussing
his son and what was happening at home?
- What kind of limits
do the gods have?
- Many people questions
whether the Achaians believed there was such a thing as free will. Reread
Zeus' comments on Aegisthus.
Did he chose what he did or did the gods choose it?
Questions
- Who is the narrator
speaking to in the first stanza?
- Where is Odysseus
at the beginning?
- Where is Poseidon
which allows the gods to consider helping Odysseus?
- What has happened
to Aegisthus and why is Zeus upset about it?
- What does Zeus
say is the reason Poseidon hates Odysseus?
- Who are we told
has beautiful braids?
- As whom does Athena
disguise herself?
- Where is Telemachus
when we first see him?
- Before asking his
guest questions, what does Telemachus do for him?
- Identify each of
the following: (a) Phemius, (b) Calypso, (c) Ogygia, (d)
"the Wayfinder" ["the guide, the giant-killer'] (e) Achaia
- Why are the people
feasting in Odysseus' palace?
- What advice does
Athena give Telemachus?
- What does the bard
sing about which upsets Penelope?
- What is Penelope's
father's name?
- How does Telemachus
treat his mother?
- Who are the two
named suitors?
- What three ways
do the suitors entertain themselves?
- Identify Eurykleia
and Laertes.
- What does the nurse
do with Telemachus' tunic?
- What is Telemachus'
blanket?
|
|
Book
2:
Telemachus
Sets Sail
Telemachus
and Penelope, based on a red-figure vase painting.
|
Telemachus
would begin his journey in one of the ships like those above.
His father made his journey in a similar ship.
|
|
|
Characters
Setting
Thought Questions
- What kind of person
does Telemachus appear to be? Does he appear to be someone who
is 19? Why hasn't he taken over his father's kingdom?
Questions
- What does Telemachus
bring with him to the assembly?
- How had Penelope
tricked the suitors?
- What had she pretended
to make and for whom was it intended?
- What sign does
Zeus send to show he has heard Telemachus threaten the suitors?
- What prophecy does
old Halitherses give as a result of seeing No. 4?
- How many men does
Telemachus need to sail with him?
- Identify Mentor.
- What threat toward
Odysseus is made by Leókritos at the end of the assembly?
- What is Athena's
first disguise in this book?
- What is the nurse
in charge of protecting?
- What decision does
Telemachus make regarding his mother?
- What is Athena's
other disguise?
- What does Athena
do to the suitors at the end of the book?
- Who is the first
god to whom the sailors offer a libation?
|
|
Book
3:
King
Nestor Remembers
Ancient
Greek coins showed heifers, like the ones found in Pylos.
|
|
Characters
- Clytemnestra
- Nestor
- Orestês
- Pisístratos
[Pisistratus]
Setting
Thought Questions
- Telemachus
is learning that people do things differently in other countries. What
kind of customs do we see among the people of Pylos?
- In what way is
the story of Orestês reflecting the dilemma of Telemachus'
situation?
Questions
- What are the people
of Pylos doing when Telemachus arrives?
- Who does Athena
as Mentor pray to?
- What story does
Nestor tell about his journey home?
- Which of the following
are topics Nestor talks about: (a) a fight between Menelaus
and Agamemnon; (b) how
Menelaus arrived back finally the day Agamemnon's murderers were
buried; (c) Klytaimnéstra's unfaithfulness; (d) Odysseus kidnapped
by Calypso; (e) how Aegisthus had ruled for eight years before
being killed.
- What
distant country had Menelaus ended up in trying to return home?
- Who
arrived home first, Agamemnon or Menelaus?
- Does
Nestor ever realize he had met Athena?
- What
do they do to the horns of the heifers they sacrifice?
- Who
goes with Telemachus?
- How do they travel?
|
Book 4:
The King and
Queen of Sparta
Menelaus'
men had wanted him to kill
Helen at the end of the war; but when he faced her, he was overtaken by
her beauty and spared her. Illustration based on a black-figure vase.
|
|
Characters
- Eidothea
- Helen
- Iphthime
(phantom)
- Medon
- Menelaus
- Proteus
Settings
-
Sparta
in Lacedaemon
- Pharos
(in story)
- Ithaca
Thought Questions
- Ancient Greek children
were taught morals and manners from this book. What is the continuing
message about treatment of the stranger?
- Helen of Troy was
a fascinating subject for the ancient Greeks. How is she described in
the book? Is she someone we are to feel sorry for or someone we are
to hate for all she did? She is "golden" like Artemis. Does
this mean she has yellow hair, a favorite of the ancient Akhaians?
- In Menelaus'
story about Helen at Troy, he says she came with Deiphobus. Deiphobus
was a son of King Priam and the brother of Paris. After Paris' death,
Helen lived with him as his wife. Why do you think Menelaus
adds that detail to his story?
- How do you think
the ancient Akhaians viewed Egypt? Look how important it is in this
book.
- Since the Akhaians
knew the story of the Trojan heroes, the Old Man of the Sea's recitation
of what happened to them would be of interest. Why is it important to
the story?
- Why is Menelaus
considered Zeus' son-in-law?
- How does Telemachus
describe Ithaca when refusing the gift of the horse?
- One critic has
pondered what kind of marriage Helen and Menelaus
must have if she has a drug handy which will keep him from crying about
the men lost at Troy. Does she give him this often?
Questions
- Telemachus
arrives as Menelaus
is celebrating a double wedding of his children. Who are they and who
are they marrying?
- How are the two
travelers treated when they arrive?
- Why is Telemachus
so impressed with Menelaus'
palace?
- What causes Menelaus
to weep the first time?
- What causes Telemachus
to weep the first time?
- How does Helen
stop the men from crying?
- What is Helen's
story about Odysseus? How does the story paint Odysseus? How does its
ending paint Helen as the wronged woman?
- What is Menelaus'
story? How does it paint Helen? How does it paint Odysseus?
- Where do the two
travelers sleep?
- What did Menelaus
have do to get the Old Man of the Sea to help him?
- What gift does
Telemachus accept from Menelaus?
- How do the suitors
learn that Telemachus has gone?
- What plan does
Antínoös have to deal with Telemachus?
- What stops Penelope
from sending to Odysseus' father for help?
- What relation to
Penelope is the phantom who Pallas Athena sends to comfort
her?
|
|
Book
5:
Odysseus
— Nymph and Shipwreck
Hermes,
patron of merchants and thieves, with his caduceus
|
|
Characters
- Hermes
- Calypso [Calypso]
- Ino
Setting
- Mt.
Olympos
- Ogygia
- Ocean
- Phaiákia
[Phaeacia]
Thought Questions
- How does the discovery
of Calypso supply evidence about the importance of weaving and the loom
to the Akhaians?
- Can you see the
Akhaian double standard that required women to be faithful to men, but
allowed Odysseus to honorable even while sleeping with Calypso?
- When Odysseus reaches
Phaiákia, how does he show himself a pious man?
- One critic has
pointed out that Odysseus' trial in the ocean is similar to a baby being
born, with him arriving weak and naked, ready for his new life. Would
you agree?
Questions
- What is Calypso
doing when we first see her?
- What is our first
view of Odysseus?
- How does Calypso
view Odysseus?
- What is Calypso
willing to do regarding Odysseus' leaving?
- Are Odysseus and
Calypso alone on the island?
- How long does it
take Odysseus to build his raft?
- How long does it
take Odysseus to reach Phaiákia?
- What causes Odysseus
to lose the raft?
- What does Ino give
Odysseus to save himself?
- How long is Odysseus
forced to swim?
- What happens to
Ino's scarf?
- How does the book
end?
|
|
Book
6:
The
Princess and the Stranger
Odysseus
meets Nausikaa at the beach
|
|
Characters
- Alkínoös
[Alcinous]
- Arete (Nausikaa's
mother)
- Nausikaa [Nausicaa]
Setting
- Phaiákia
[Phaeacia] in Scheria
Thought Questions
- What connecion
do the Phaiákians have to the Kyklopês?
- How does this book
add to our understanding of views of marriage in the Akhaian world?
Questions
- Why had the Phaiákians
moved from their original home to the land of Scheria?
- How does Athena
manipulate Nausikaa to go meet Odysseus?
- What are the girls
doing which awakens Odysseus?
- What does Odysseus
use to cover himself?
- How do the girls
react to Odysseus?
- How does Nausikaa
react to Odysseus?
- What plan does
Nausikaa give to Odysseus to come to the palace?
- Where is Odysseus
at the end of the book?
- Twice Homer describes
the color of wool that Nausikaa's mother spins. What is the color?
|
|
|
|
This
webpage was created by David Claudon
on 9 January 2003. Last update
January 28, 2008
. |
